Just a long winded video of me unboxing and bumbling around with my new generator. The Yamaha powered A-ipower 1800 watt inverter generator from Costco.
That's a nice little generator. Thanks for all the tips on how to properly break mine in. I still haven't put the oil in mine yet. I appreciate the good information
The front panel, case and wheels are same as the iPower 2300/1800 generator that I just purchased at Sam's Club for $350 on sale today. I bet they both came out of same manufacturing plant in China. Name and color are different but guessing everything else is about the same. The instructions say to start in Eco mode while turned to chock. If no start on first pull, then turn to run for next 3 pulls. This avoids spark plug fouling/engine flooding. I always pull plug and add Lucas. I will change the oil after 1 hour and again after 5 hours with Mobil 1 on last change. I do add some stabilizer to the fuel and Marvel Mystery Oil with each oil change. I never had any problem with generators over the past 25 years using this method. I did purchase the magnetic dip stick for it due to your recommendation. Thanks for the video and good luck.
I live in California and with the heat wave and fires I decided to invest in a generator and saw this at Costco. I looked at several others with similar specs but decided to go with this unit. Great info for a first-timer. Thanks!
@@HillbillyMusings I only stick to dinosaur oil especially conventional SAE 30 and 15w40. I don't need any synthetic oils since I change oil before the recommended intervals. 15w40 may be heavy but motorcycle oils sucks and don't have that much additives compared to the 15w40 diesel engine oils that can be used on both petrol and diesel engines
I bought 2 of your smaller one almost 2 years ago when they were on sale. (June 2019) Nothing like buying something with a 2 year warranty and still in the box. Actually I just took them out and attached hour timers to them and put in the oil. I haven't put in gas yet because I plan on breaking them in while they are in the bed of my pickup because I don't think I will be able to lift them into the truck if full of fuel. I bought them because they connect together and are small enough for me to move. I will use them with my 5th wheel. I had planned on traveling with my 5th wheel for 2-3 months then that darn Covid had to mess that up. I will get the Lucas heavy duty oil stabilizer and do that too for the spark plugs. You did a great job with this video. I appreciate the close ups and being able to see what you are talking about. It is very helpful for people like me who are not mechanics.
Very happy with our Ai-Power 2300/1800. We have a generator tie in to our home and it runs our whole house for a family of four for 120V only. Granted we make reasonable concessions for use and we don’t have/use a microwave or TV, just a fridge, ceiling fans, lights, peripheral electronics and computers. Tested and working great for power outages and hurricane season here in Hawaii.
I'm addicted to these generators. So many brands and such good quality. Got two Yamaha's from costco couple years ago. Just ordered 2 red ones for $243 and $258 shipped if the ebay add wasnt a scam. Have some others too. Have some acreage with no power and I'm not going to get power, dont want to take down the woods for a power line, dont want to pay $10,000 to the utility company for power. Dont want to pay a monthly bill. Dont want power outages. I'm going to get into wood gas and running clean wood gas in my duel fuel generators if everything works out. Oh and of coarse solar with a batter bank.
@@HillbillyMusings they were a scam by the way, they never shipped. I put my first tool video on my channel. You can see 150 snapping turtle on my channel. I'm gonna do some generator videos too.
There are many ways to break in an engine. This is what I came up with as an amalgam of all I've watched for best and safest. My method, that I learned from watching many people, is a 3 change method. 1. Fill with their dino. Start then warm up on non eco, then let run on eco for rest of 1 hour. No load Change oil. Dino 2. Start and run on non eco for one whole hour. No load Change oil. Dino 3. Start and let warm up non eco, then put on eco. Connect space heater 750/1500. Every 10-15 min switch between the two. This heat cycles the windings in the generator itself. 4. Oil change to whatever you're planning on using for normal running. You're done. Use it however you want but change oil after 25 hours on this one then 50 hours or one year if not used alot after that. Have to change every year Spark plug depends. Straight running 200 hours. If not every 2 years. If storing, use drain hose to empty entire tank through carb and hose and then run until empty after if it will start. Then slowly pull recoil until the compression stroke (most tension) to close the valves. You'll feel it after a couple pulls which is compression stroke. Hardest one out of the 4 even with compression release valve. Then put on full choke to close the flaps on carb. No it's not air tight but better than being open
Great and very thorough review. These generators are now $569.99 at Costco so $600.00 OTD. While not thrilled to over-pay, I bit the bullet and chose the Yamaha over Firman or Champions which are more within the $450-$500 range. Has anyone else spent this much and still happy with their purchase? Fortunately still with Costco so can be returned if it does not work out.
I bought mine like two years ago but just barely used it. These things are awesome. They’re stupid quiet and you get better quality with the Yamaha engine. The engine is still made in China which sucks but I’d rather go with that than a no name harbor freight gamble.
I do use those magnetic filler plugs, very good addition. Another thing I do is after the break in with conventional oil, I switch to synthetic. I use Mobil One 10W30. How good that has worked for me? I have a Yamaha generator that has synthetic since 1999, ran after hurricane Maria for 4 months and finally died. The part that died was NOT the engine, was the stator, that's the part that produces the electricity. The engine still runs like new and its becoming part of another project. Now I have four generators, two Hondas 7000 watt an AiPower 2300 watt and Firman 9000 watt. All do receive the same treatment mentioned before.
Very sound break in advice. My old Senci 2.0/1.6kw with the genuine MZ80, not the copy, was treated to more or less the same procedure for break in. After a few hundred hours, it’s running as strong as the day it was first started. No smoke, no stutters and mostly one pull starts. I would love a unit around the 2.2 to 2.5kw start capacity for that little extra oooomph, but I think if I bought one home, I’d be living in the garage with it…..( come to think of it, that might be a win/win situation 😀😀 )…..
I just added a few ml of engine oil to the cylinder for breaking in my generator. Basically you are lubricating inside of cylinder so it doesn't run dry initially which may cause a lot of wear.
I loved your video thank you for all the instructions I want to know you said to you startron run in my gas tank what does that do exactly and will this harm it also what kind of gas if I don't have ethanol free 87-89 92 I lost my funnel do you know where I could get parts and a new filter when I will need it and also do you know what NGK spark plug it takes
The Startron will preserve the gas and help prevent the ethanol from breaking down the fuel lines. You can contact ipower for parts probably. Not sure on the plug though. Thanks for watching!
I think you made a wise decision with choosing a genuine Yamaha motor for an additional $100. I see they include a real NGK spark plug instead cheap generic one that cracks out, hopefully, you also have the genuine Yamaha carburetor too. I wouldn't trust a generic version of MZ80 motor, mine crapped out less than a total of 1,000 hours of running time.
What makes this inverter so much louder than the Yamaha unit? Same MZ80 motors right? My friend has the Yamaha and it's super quiet, like you would barely even hear it if it was on the other side of the truck. Just curious about the huge spectrum of noise suppression among these suitcase inverters. Mufflers, sound absorption panels?....i dont know.
THIS COMMENT COPIED AND PASTED HERE. MR. HILL, THANKS FOR POSTING THIS. VIDEO WELL DONE. THE SC2300i SPECS SAYS 52db. MY THEORY WHY THE SC2300i IS SO LOUD: THE RPM RANGE IS HIGH. THE SPECS SAY: 3600 ON ECO AND 5200 ON HIGH IDLE. I HAVE A 2017 HONDA EM4000SX (iGX270cc). ALTHOUGH NOT AN INVERTER IT IS NOT EVEN HALF AS LOUD AS THE COMPETITORS' OPEN FRAME. ON ECO, OR HONDA CALLS IT "AUTO-THROTTLE" THE RPM IS 2400. WITH ECO MODE OFF IT IS 3600 RPM. I PLACED MY COSTCO ORDER TODAY FOR THE SC2300i. IF WE GET AN OUTAGE, I WILL USE THE HONDA TO RUN THE A/C, REFRIGE., TV ETC. DURING THE DAY. AT NITE I WILL RUN THE SC2300i FOR REFRIGE., TV, LAPTOP AND SMALL SPC. HTR. IF NEEDED. IF IT CAN RUN A SMALL SPACE HTR. ON ECO MODE AND NOT KICK UP TO 5200 RPM, I'LL CONSIDER IT A KEEPER. F.Y.I. USE THIS FOR ENGINE BREAK-IN: LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS "TB ZINC-PLUS" WITH RACING ZDDP. USA45V2, HOPE THIS HELPS ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LOUD SC2300i. I AM NOW CURIOUS ABOUT THE RPM RANGE FOR THE YAMAHA EF2200IS 2200 WATT INVERTER GENERATOR.
Are you SURE it's a Yamaha engine? I am a sams member and looked at the website but the one they have offered for $399.99 doesn't say the word Yamaha anywhere and it's red. These ones are blue which they use to indicate it's different from their normal offerings which are red. Thanks.
@@dgunearthed7859 picture Sam's has is of a red one when I got it it was a blue one just like the one in the video you watched here. It has the same exact powered by Yamaha logo on the side of the box and it's blue not red like Sam's pictures on their website and in the sale catalog it's on sale till March 28th.
Thank you I got startron and I ty one question does your generator fuel light up my light up for a second mine is full but only shows 2 bars and then goes away
He’s a German shepherd / unknown mix. His dad was full blooded German shepherd and his momma was half or 3/4. He’s about 70 lbs of love. Thanks for watching!
It's not only (Lucas) for a dry start, but you should put in Lucas Cylinder Top Lube, or this product, into the cylinder through the spark plug hole, BEFORE long term storage. It stops corrosion and rust when the piston not running up and down to lubricate the piston rings.
Hi Herson. You have to tilt the generator with the dipstick removed to dump the oil out. It’s easiest if you set it on the edge of a work bench or something similar so you can have a better angle for whatever you’re dumping the oil into. Thanks for watching!
I really don't want to be a dick but the Lucas oil does nothing. I'm a mechanic all the stuff that people do to try to lessen the break-in period is absolutely pointless. Most engine builders use assembly lube when assembling an engine it's a very thick oil with Molly in it.
I was thinking that while watching these generator break-ins. They use engine assembly lube. So are you confirming we can go ahead and pour oil and gas and just start using without the so called break-in?
I would think so, running it every two weeks will keep the gas in the carburetor and lines 'fresh' and help prevent them from gumming up. I'd be sure though to use either ethanol free gas or be sure your gas is treated with some type of preservative like the Startron I mentioned in the video. Gas that has ethanol in it has been known to eat away fuel lines in small engines when it's allowed to sit for a long time. Thanks for watching!
The old one only has about 50 hours on it, so not a lot by any means. But with the Yamaha motor and taking care of it I expect it to do me well. Thanks for watching!
I’m enjoying watching this. I just had to return the older version as it no longer ran more than 15 seconds. The newer version will be here on Friday. Hopefully I’ll have better luck. The original had maybe 5 hours total. I tried a complete carb clean out and didn’t find much. No idea why it starts but won’t run. Onto the next one.
On alot of the carbs, there is a fuel orifice jet that gets obstructed/clogged and then either surges or doesn't run at all!!! It can be cleaned out with a thin copper wire from a multi-stranded copper wire. It was all of a 5 minute fix on my Champion generator...ran like a top after cleaning!!!😁👍🏻
I have a question I turned off my generator to refuel and I went back to restart it and it won't turn on do you think it's too hot that's why it won't start
Sorry just now saw this comment. My guess is if it won't start when hot, make sure your choke is off. If the engine is already warm you can usually turn it to the 'run' position instead of the 'start' position. If you try to start a warm engine with the switch in the 'start' position you may flood it out possibly. thanks for watching!!
@@digitalmixer it should have a light that comes on if there is low oil and it will automatically cut the engine off. Always check the oil though regardless just to be sure.
I usually have my neighbor Fred pick some up on his way home from work. He has this cool car that he powers with his feet but some weird last name....Flintstone? Go figure....
@@HillbillyMusings Oh yes, great job on the video! I am looking into buying an inverter generator because the new fridge does not like my 1998 Generac xl5500. (Its those new boards in these new fridges which tend to burn out on the old generator. Too much THD possibly, or I should have had a surge suppressor on the fridge.)
Crude oil from the ground, comes from dinosaurs that died millions of years ago. Millions of years from now they will extract humo oil 😅. A little laughter. Thanks for the excellent video on the break in procedure. Followed your directions and my generator, has been working great for hundreds of hours. It's not a Yamaha either.
Does all kinds of stuff to break in generator Starts it up on full speed...... I don't think it's neciserry to put oil down the bore it will either have starting oil alredy in there from manufacture or the manufacturer runs the engine before shipping That said it won't do any harm....
@@HillbillyMusings I very much doubt it Idle is enough for the oil to be misted by the oiler but I can't see why one would start it at full rpm (typically 3-4500rpm) when cold for the same reason you don't start your car with your foot flat on the floor It takes a moment for the misted oil to fully get round the engine...
I don't know why they say dino oil. But it's cheaper and by my tests breaks in fast if you're doing the 3x change one hour break x3 method. I tried with blend and full synthetic. It lubes too well. Won't let the rings seat. Edit: tilting the generator either even with piston or one side (flat) and the other (on the right side) with some pulls makes sure whole wall and oil ring is coated. But that may just be me being anal. Lol Edit 2: yes ethanol free only just in case you let it sit for a year or 2 like an idiot. We all do stupid things. Extra insurance against being an idiot
