As tailgaters, I think it is safe to say that Honda generators are the gold standard when it comes to portable electrical power. The term “Honda” has become synonymous with generators much like Band-Aid is used in place of bandages or Kleenex is used in lieu of facial tissue. The folks at Honda recently introduced the EU3000i Handi Generator, an addition to the popular Honda Super Quiet Series of portable generators. The new EU3000i Handi adds increased portability to the fuel efficiency and reliability of Honda’s existing EU3000i generator.
Compared to the Honda EU3000i generator, the EU3000i Handi unit is approximately 45% lighter with a dry weight of only 77.6 pounds. That’s a significant reduction in weight for a unit producing the same power output. This weight reduction lends itself to a recoil start system as opposed to a recoil electric start system. A lighter generator is a more portable generator, and the EU3000i Handi now allows tailgaters to more easily take the generator anywhere they need portable power.
In an all-new design for Honda, the EU3000i Handi features built-in wheels, two fixed handles and a folding handle to allow for easy movement of the generator from place to place and from parking spot to parking spot. When one person uses the folding handle to wheel the generator, its total towing weight is about 17 and a half pounds. That’s easily manageable by all tailgaters. Two people can conveniently carry the EU3000i Handi with the unit’s fixed handles or one person can more easily load and unload the unit from a storage spot using both handles for optimal leverage.
In relation to generator innovation, Honda engineers have employed the latest in Eco-Throttle technology and a high efficiency inverter design in the EU3000i Handi. That results in very low fuel consumption for a generator of its power output. The EU3000i Handi can operate on one 1.56 gallon tank of fuel for more than four hours.
At the heart of the new EU3000i Handi is the powerful Honda GX160 engine. With the GX160, the Honda EU3000i Handi provides an economical, quiet and efficient powerplant to complement the generator’s technology and advanced design. As is the case with all Honda power equipment engines, the GX160 provides reliable, 4-cycle power to the unit. An overhead valve (OHV) system in the GX160 incorporates advanced engine technologies in a compact package. Coupled with the EU3000i Handi’s specially designed housing, the generator is able to produce ample power for all your electronics with very little noise. In fact, Honda claims the EU3000i Handi is the quietest generator in its market segment, producing a mere 56-65 dB of sound while in operation.
The Honda EU3000i Handi Generator will be available in late May at Honda Power Equipment Dealers at a suggested retail price of $2199.00. Although these units are not available yet, I do have a request into Honda to test one out personally. Once I get one I will put it through its paces in a normal tailgating environment and let you know if it lives up to the claims.
And just because it still makes me laugh, I decided to include this commercial for Honda Generators that I discovered back in June 2008.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92XVq89JZE