Which Budget Brands are reputable?
There are some nasty cheap generator products out there, often found on auction sites and they'll make claims about producing more power than they actually can. The other issue with some of these cheap options is that if there is a problem with the product, the customer will often experience difficulty getting their “warranty” honored as the manufacturer/distributor has very small Australian presence and generally provide poor after sales support. Additionally, many cheap brands don't have sufficient spare parts available.
So if a budget generator is an option for your intended use, then you need to look for the budget brands that are imported by reputable Australian distributors and sold by a retailer that can stand by their products. The budget brands that we stock from the likes of Cromtech have been tested to ensure they deliver the output as stated, and have national service agent and spare parts support.
So when is it OK to opt for a budget brand generator?
This is the most important question when considering purchasing a budget brand generator; "how often will I be using it and what will I be using it for?" If you require home back up power for some domestic appliances (e.g. fridges, lights, etc.) during the occasional blackout or for power reserve on your camping/caravan trips, then the right budget brand generator can be a good value for money option. The good budget brands will provide you power for the 'light-touch' domestic or recreational requirements when you need, with no fuss. In short, they will do the job you need and they will be much cheaper than a premium brand.
However, if you plan to use your generator more frequently such as heading away on longer camping/caravan trips, or for heavier loads on a worksite, perhaps portable power for running small business or event, then we recommend you look at premium brands such as Yamaha, Subaru or Honda: these products come with longer warranties and are designed to withstand more regular use and so paying the extra money is worth it as you’ll be using it more often. These premium brands also come with national service networks for extra support and peace of mind. Most budget brand generators coming out of China are not built or designed to handle heavy, regular use.
All in all, we would sell more of the Premium Generator units as opposed to the Cheap Budget Generators as they appeal to a wider variety of customers in the market…but the right Cheap Budget Generator can be a good money-saver for light use and for the right type of application...just make sure you choose the right budget brand.
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