Brutally Honest CHEAP GENERATOR Review: Ai Power SUA2300i Ultra Quiet Inverter Generator-Episode 90
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ส.ค. 2023
- In this episode, we share our thoughts & first impressions of this CHEAP, quiet inverter generator that we bought on sale for under $400 USD. (The intention was to use it with our camper…& hopefully run the roof air conditioner. This little generator claimed to quiet & lightweight so it seemed like it might work well for just such an occasion.) Similarly, if this is as portable as the specs claim, we were hoping to use this back in the woods to run power tools, etc at our remote build sites.
So…we took a gamble on a brand we’ve never heard of before, bit the bullet, & bought 1 to give it a try.
How portable is it? Is this unit ACTUALLY as quiet as it claims to be? How much stuff can this little generator REALLY run? How easy is it to start this little generator? And would we buy it again knowing what we know now? Tune in to find out! We will explore all these questions & more in this BRUTALLY HONEST REVIEW of an Ai Power SUA 2300i Ultra Quiet Inverter Generator.
#aipower #cheapgenerator #honestreview #invertergenerator
Thanks Sooooo much for this video!!!!!!👍👍👍👍its gonna be my first time ever buying a generator for back for my rent house here in Houston TX...it get very hot here and u can never be caught without cool air in case we lose power during the summers here!!!😱TY
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
This video was very useful with all the items you tried! Thank you!
Thank you & thanks for watching!
I have this exact same generator, I followed the break in steps using Amsoil break-in oil, then switched to Amsoil full synthetic and passed on using the no name oil in the box. So far I have just over 67 runtime hours and it's been flawless so for the price it's tough to beat. You could see in the first oil change slight metallic dust in the oil from the manufacturing process, almost normal with every small engine so you don't want to leave the break in oil in there for a long time, just the first few hours and then change it.
One thing to note, your first start took 10 pulls because you didn't turn the dial to "start" which is the full choke position. The choke has a range from partial, 1/2, 3/4, full etc. which is indicated on the dial in the yellow / green color band where it says choke. Choke isn't just where the word choke is on the sticker, it's a range of choke and when starting cold you always need full which is all the way over to where it says Start. The choke range is the entire section on the dial between Run & Start with Start being Full Choke.
One thing I should say I've noticed with mine is that whether the engine is warm or cold it always likes the dial to be on the start position (full choke) and will always start 1 -2 pulls when cold and 1 pull when warm. The speed at which you turn the dial from start to run will depend on temperature as you are slowly removing the choke as the engine warms. On a warm engine it cam instantly be turned from Start to Run, on a cold engine more of a slow turn towards Run as the engine warms up, maybe 30 second period.
At about 75% load the fuel lasts for approx. 5 hours, at approx. 25% load that runtime is about 10 hours using eco mode. I only use premium ethanol free fuel & stabilizer to avoid carb issues.
Thanks for sharing all this!! Appreciated! We will get that first oil change done here ASAP!
Maybe look into a "Soft Start Kit" for your AC, that generator should be able to run your AC. I have a similar unit from that company that comes with a Yamaha Motor...Got it at Costco years ago, pretty quiet.
Thanks for the tip! We will look for that!
Great review! For the AC, one potential option before you spend the $$$ for the soft start is try turning off the breaker for your converter. This will stop using some of the generator's amps from charging the battery at the same time it's trying to run the AC. I ended up adding another breaker to my 5th wheel, so that the converter was isolated and could be turned off without effecting the outlets. Turning the converter off allowed me to run the AC with my Honda 2000 generator. Maybe it will help run yours too! Cheers!
Great idea! Thanks for the tip! We will definitely try that next year!
I have this inverter. An air fryer will put a good test load on it for a long period of time. My power xl air fryer is 1800 watts and provided constant draw. It has a watt usage meter on it. Also turn off ALL other things in your camper including the refrigerator, then give the ac an attempt.
Thanks! We will give that a try this summer…we had most everything off (but we did have the fridge on) when we attempted the AC in this video. Good idea!
Great catch
I have the same generator. It looks as though you are not turning the choke control all the way to the full choke position. I would also recommend that you oil the air filter this also helps in starting. So when starting a cold generator put then knob in full choke and pull the recoil a few times slowly and then give it a quick pull, it will start right up. Good luck.
Thanks for the tips! We will try that!
Good video thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Be sure to change the oil several times during the first two or three hours to get any junk out of the engine.
Great idea! Tks!
I got mine on sale at Sams Club and works great. You need to read the instructions before using and make sure you break in before putting it to work.
Thanks! We did do a proper break in…it just got edited out of the video.
IDK the difference between the sua, gxs and other Ai gens of the same wattage.
Definetly don’t use for your saw it will overheat and burn it out good for minimal power needs.
Thanks for the heads up! We kinda figured that. Might try to use it for a skilsaw…
nice, thank you
Thanks for watching! We appreciate it!
Most of these Chinese made small motors come with cheap spark plugs often branded “Torch” or some other off name I always replace them with a NGK or other quality brand before they fail this also seems to help on start up.
Thanks for the heads up on that! We’ll take a look & change accordingly!
Good idea. How do you find out which NGK plug is correct?
According to the manual, the NGK number is BPR6HS & the spark plug gap is .028 inches or .7mm
It look identical to Yamaha 2300W and seen to do well than this one, some people replace original spark plug for better know brand.
Good to know, thanks!
Two of them working together with the patch cable would run any A/C unit, i bet, even without the soft start. 3000w rule of thumb I go by.
I wonder how it compares to Honda 2200 watt gen. 48decibel vs 52 db is not something i can imagine myself.
Agreed. We were thinking that too…thanks!
No comparison; I have this, along with two Honda EU2200's. Louder, not as smooth, not nearly as powerful, more mechanical clatter, cheap components...you get what you pay for. I bought it simply to use as a loaner; nobody's getting my Hondas.
We picked it up because it was cheap enough & we had another $50 off, so the price was “right.” We’ll see how it holds up. We have another (much bigger) generator, so we got this one for easier transport.
Thanks. Very good. For this generator and all small engines you should use free ethanol gasoline because ethanol destroy or cause many problems to small engine, then you have to add product to gasoline when using ethanol. Buy ethanol free gasoline You csn buy in WaWa 89 octane ethanol free(is more expensive). I use for my lawnmover , trimmer, generators(i don't has to use any aditional product).. Read the effects of ethanol in small engines. Thanks for you review very good. 👍🇺🇸🙏
Good to know! Thanks!
what amperage is the saw rated at?
I think it’s 15amp. Will check tomorrow.
How about the hose I see inside does it connect anywere
Great question…pretty sure it attaches to the bottom of the carburetor float bowl. Might be a vent but not 100% sure.
Smaller motor than the Honda, so this'll wear out quicker, BUT u can buy 3 of these compared to 1 Honda 2200.
True!
I have two champion 2500 dual fuel inverters that I parallel to run my RV AC unit. it's the starting watts not the running watts is why it won't run your AC
Thanks!
What engine does it use?
Great question! Not sure who the manufacturer is (it’s not listed anywhere that we saw), but it’s an 80cc OHV 4 cycle engine.
This generator runs my 13500 bounder ac just fine. Turn fan on high then immediately switch to high ac mode.
Good to know, thanks! Will try that this season!
I do not have an easy start.
Guys need to get yourself a soft start kit for your air conditioner/ get out or run it then
Didn’t think of that. Thanks!
You seem to have completely ignored the break in procedures needed for all small engines
There was quite a bit of editing done so we didn’t show everything.
It has been my experience with owning loads of different generators that most of the cheaper Chinese built units don't have cast iron cylinder linings; the piston runs on aluminum which means they don't last nearly as long, but just as important, they need proper break in to be able to hold proper compression. Failing to break in these types of units can severely limit their life long term. But then of course there is the other argument; they are SO cheap, just replace them when needed, which is likely the best option since cheap generators may or may not have parts and service easily available.
I guess like most everything in life you get what you pay for. Personally, I have stayed with overpriced Honda's and well priced, quality Champion units, both of which have parts and service available.
Then again, your mileage may vary. Interesting video though.....thanks
We’ll see what shakes out in the end. It was inexpensive, plus we got another $50 off so the price was “right.” Thanks for sharing your insights!
I see the same gennie available here in Canada at Princess Auto for $899. You got yours for $400US (equals $452 in Canadian money). I too would pay $452 for that gennie like you did, but it's definately NOT worth the going price of $899 up here when I can buy a guaranteed quality unit from Champion for $799 which I KNOW is good quality....gotta balance it out ...cheers!!
Buy a Honda, stop cutting corners. very good review though.
Lol! Yeah, we definitely took a gamble by purchasing an oddball brand, sight unseen (ordered it online). Oh well…lesson learned. 😝
What a short-sighted comment. It's a review of a generator... Not a video titled "I should have bought a Honda". Stop watching videos just to nag Karen