Honda and Yamaha are the market leading brands in Inverter Generators by a country mile. These Japanese brands have the premium end of the portable generator market stitched up and any of their models will provide you with reliable portable power for; camping, caravanning, running an event, small business uses, domestic backup, DIY projects, and more.
So, when it comes down to the two brands, how do you choose between them? Let's take a look at the most popular recreational generator, the 2000 Watt model and compare features: Yamaha EF2000iS vs. Honda EU20i
Power: Both these Yamaha and Honda 2000w generators comprise inverter technology which produces pure sine wave power output suitable for sensitive electrical equipment, such as laptops and mobile phones. The power is more stable than mains electricity and won’t damage any of your appliances: ideal for recreational use. Each of the models produces a maximum output of 2000 Watts and continuous output of 1600 Watts. Another nice thing about both these units is that they have dual connection capability, meaning that you can join two of the same units together to double the power output if desired. If your appliances require more than 2000 watts at start up, then you need to consider a larger generator, particularly as the Yamaha has a safety overload circuit breaker that will cut the generator when more than 2000 watts is drawn. Winner: Draw
Sizing Up: If you take a close look at the specs, the Yamaha is marginally more compact than the Honda. The Yamaha measures 490x280x445 mm compared to the Honda’s ever-so-slightly bulkier 510x290x425 mm. So if you’re tight on space, the Yamaha is your best bet. Winner: Yamaha
The Weigh-In: Yamaha again gets the prize here: it’s almost a kilo lighter than the Honda EU2000i, and far lighter than any other 2000 watt model on the market. One kilogram might not seem like much, but when moving the unit around a campsite, you’ll prefer the lighter option. Winner: Yamaha
Efficiency: Both of these units comprise a fuel tank just over four litres and at full load you’ll get 4.2hrs of run time from the Yamaha and 4hrs from the Honda. Also worthy of note is the efficiency results from the recent Generator Comparison Test by Caravan & Motorhome on Tour magazine: the Yamaha gives you 80 watts for every kilogram and the Honda delivers 77 watts per kg. These are considerably better numbers than their Chinese branded counterparts. Winner: Yamaha
Operation and Maintenance: Manufacturers recommend that for the Honda you’ll need to undertake a thorough combustion chamber clean after 300 hours of use, whereas the Yamaha only requires head cleaning after 300 hours of use or once a year. Both sets have a recoil start but unlike the Honda, the Yamaha has a handy fuel gauge so you can see when the fuel is getting low. To check the fuel level on the Honda you need to remove the fuel cap and look down into the fuel tank to get an idea of how much fuel remains in the tank. Winner: Yamaha
Warranty: Honda and Yamaha offer an impressive 48 month warranty and are backed by a national accredited service network. Winner: Draw
Noise Levels: Again, both Honda and Yamaha are far quieter than any other 2000 watt inverter generator brand on the market... Most other brands will operate at around 58-60 decibels, but thanks to state of the art noise reduction technology, the Yamaha EF2000iS is super quiet at 51.5dBA. The Honda is slightly louder at 54dBA. Winner: Yamaha
Fuel Shut Off Switch: The Yamaha EF2000IS model has a fuel shut off switch separate to the on/off switch. This allows the user to shut the fuel line off while the unit is still running. Meaning you can drain the remaining fuel from the carburettor before storing the generator. This handy addition means petrol won’t go off in the carburettor when left unused. The Honda EU20i does not have this feature. Instead the Honda on/off switch and fuel tap are on a single switch and as a result the Honda can be harder to start after being stored for some time. Winner: Yamaha
Extra Features: Once more, the Yamaha has an extra feature that just sets it apart. Firstly, with the Yamaha EF2000i, you get DC battery cables included as standard, whereas the Honda EU20i does not included these cables. Winner: Yamaha
Overall
You can’t really go wrong with either of these first-class generators: they really do set themselves apart from their peers…but when splitting the two, the Yamaha is the best in the market; its slightly lighter, quieter and more fuel efficient, as well as having a few additional features that the Honda doesn’t. Both are priced the same at around $1,799 -$2,100, and therefore we recommend the Yamaha EF2000iS. Overall Winner: Yamaha
Lastly, you can check out this short customer video who provides a product review of the Yamaha EF2000iS, how he uses them for his business and why he chose a Yamaha over a Honda:
…Other Yamaha and Honda Models?
We’ve done the heavy lifting for you and tested each of the other models in the inverter ranges comparing the Honda and Yamaha units from 1kVA through to 6kVA:
Yamaha EF1000iS vs Honda EU10i
Yamaha EF2400iS vs Honda EU20i
Yamaha EF2800i vs Honda EU30iu
Yamaha EF3000iSE vs Honda EU30iS
Yamaha EF6300iSE vs Honda EU65iS
Yamaha EF2000IS, 2000 watt Inverter Generator Product Review
