Honda EG6500CL1 Power Equipment Reviews & Ratings

I needed backup power to run well pump, boiler, lights and refrigerator at our house due to the complete incompetence and down right criminal behavior of NYSEG, a utility in NY state. This generator does it all. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other Honda lines but its half the price too. I'm very happy with it and pull a full load on it for an hour this weekend. Instead of a wheel kit I bought an aluminum refrigerator dolly to wheel it around if I need to.

Post Sandy, I figured it was worthwhile to pick up a generator for outages. As I am figuring that I will not be purchasing another generator for a good decade or two, I didn't mind shelling out a premium for this Honda.The generator itself is very solid looking but I do have a few issues with it being that it carries a hefty premium over some alternatives.

1) For the price, it's amazing that it doesn't come with a wheel kit (I knew this going in, but still...). Due to low stock levels, there weren't many options for this size that had the features I wanted (Honda engine, the DAVR in particular as I have many, expensive electronics in my office).

2) The box clearly labels it as being assembled in China. So what parts were sourced in China? What parts in Japan? Don't know. For the price premium, you would expect that this unit was made in Japan.

3) The unit was not stable on a level concrete floor. There is the slightest bit of wobble and the unit does not come with even rubber feet so there is some wobble on my particular unit. The little bit of unstableness caused the unit to move ever so slightly when operating. It may have suffered a bit of damage during shipping, it may have come that way from the factory -- don't know. I will probably try to shim it or put it onto some strips of rubber.

4) The location of the carburetor drain plug makes it difficult to put anything directly under it when you attempt to drain the fuel. You will need to use one hand to hold a container there or get a container with an extended lip.

5) The first start was much more difficult than I had been led to believe with the small Honda engines based on my research here and elsewhere. Admittedly, it was quite cold outside, but it took several pulls before the engine started.

There was some roughness when it started the first time even after opening the choke, but I shut it off, plugged the generator into the remote inlet and ran it again. This time, it was much smoother and I tested the install to make sure everything was installed properly.

The unit is listed as being on the quiet side and indeed, it is definitely a little quieter than some other units that I noticed on my block during the post-Sandy outage; but let it be known that it will still be rather noisy during operation you cannot stand 3-5 feet from it and have a conversation without shouting. 10ft+ and you're good.

Overall, I am pleased with the unit and I appreciate the peace of mind of having it there, even if it may not get *heavy* usage for another 5 years after getting heavy Halloween snowstorms in consecutive years, and Irene and Super Storm Sandy within the last 3 years, it is definitely time to think about disaster preparedness.

However, understand that this unit is still "assembled" in China and lacks many features found on lower priced competitors which may be a better option if you can wait it out until inventory normalizes. The premium may not be worth it if you can find a suitably sized alternative with the same or better set of features at a lower price.

Post Sandy, I figured it was worthwhile to pick up a generator for outages. As I am figuring that I will not be purchasing another generator for a good decade or two, I didn't mind shelling out a premium for this Honda.The generator itself is very solid looking but I do have a few issues with it being that it carries a hefty premium over some alternatives.

1) For the price, it's amazing that it doesn't come with a wheel kit (I knew this going in, but still...). Due to low stock levels,... more

I would recommend this generator to others. It appears to be well built and easy to operate. I tested this on my home with a recently installed transfer switch and it powered up most of the electrical items.

It is easy to start and relatively quiet to run. Although a bit pricey, I bought it for reliability and durability. Also, my John Deere dealer can service this generator if required.

With a combination like this power outages are no longer a worry, after super storm Sandy we lost power for 5 days, I was lucky, no property damage however with cold temperatures and no heat I felt the need to be better prepared should an event like that ever happen again. This combination will provide all basic needs heat, refrigeration, lighting and a couple of other non essentials such as TV and computer use. I work for a utility company so i could not be home with my family during the storm due to 16 hour shifts, I will feel better knowing that my family will have the basics needs to ride out any future storms or power outages when I am unable to be home with them.

With a combination like this power outages are no longer a worry, after super storm Sandy we lost power for 5 days, I was lucky, no property damage however with cold temperatures and no heat I felt the need to be better prepared should an event like that ever happen again. This combination will provide all basic needs heat, refrigeration, lighting and a couple of other non essentials such as TV and computer use. I work for a utility company so i could not be home with my family during the storm... more

Best price on this model that I could find. So far it is standing up to the Honda name.

My EG 6500 is great. Yep it is just sitting here waiting for the next power outage. I wish that it would have come with wheels or they weren't so damn expensive to buy.

It was very easy to install, and strong enough to stand up to repeated use.

I got it at a great price too; I saved money buying on line- you can't beat that.