Honda 2.2kVA Portable Inverter Generator, Small Unit, Big Peace of Mind! Ever had the power blink out just as you’re about to sit down with a cuppa...
View full detailsWhen you want quiet, clean power you can actually carry, Honda generators are the portable inverter choice. Built to live in the ute, the van, and the shed, and to start when the lights go out.
Read moreHonda's generator range here is built around portable inverter machines. Smaller units cover lights, charging, and a compact fridge. Larger ones take on more of the van or a light backup load at home. They throttle with the demand, so they sip fuel when you are only running a few devices, and the power is stable enough for laptops and other gear that hates a voltage swing.
Still working out the size? Start with our guide to what size generator you need for camping, or read choosing a camping generator if you are comparing inverter against open-frame. The wider category sits in portable inverter generators.
Compact Honda portable generators for a swag, a small van, or a weekend away. Lights, charging, a laptop, and a small fridge are the usual job. Light enough to lift into the boot, and quiet enough that the neighbour does not hear every hour of the night.
The larger Honda inverter generators are the ones you wheel, not carry. They take on more of the van, including air conditioning on models with the capacity for it, and they can hold a light home-backup circuit if you size them properly. Electric start on some of the bigger units takes the fight out of a cold morning. If the brief is keeping the house alive rather than the campsite, look at generators for home backup and match the machine to the circuits you will actually run.
The Honda generators in this range are enclosed inverter units, so they are far quieter than an open-frame worksite generator. At a light load they are usually fine for a caravan park or a shared campsite, especially if you site the unit away from tents and annexes. They are not silent. Run them outside, and do not expect a conversation to sit on top of a full load.
Yes. Honda inverter generators produce stable power that is suitable for laptops, phone chargers, and most camping fridges. Add up the running watts of everything that will be on at once, then leave headroom for the fridge compressor starting. A small Honda portable generator will cover lights and charging. A fridge, a microwave, or an air conditioner needs a larger unit, and you should check starting surge as well as running watts.
Some Honda inverter generators can be paired with a matching unit and a parallel kit, so the two machines share a bigger load. They need to be compatible models, and you should follow Honda's pairing guide rather than joining any two units with a lead. If you only need the extra power now and then, pairing two portable generators is often easier than buying one heavy machine.
Size it to the circuits you will actually run, not the whole switchboard. Lights, a fridge, a modem, and a few power points often sit on a mid-size Honda inverter generator. Add an air conditioner or a pump and you need to check starting surge, and you may be better on a larger framed generator. A transfer switch or inlet, fitted by a licensed electrician, is the safe way to feed the house. Never backfeed a socket.
Do not run it in direct rain, and never run it inside a van, tent, annex, or garage. Exhaust gas includes carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell in time. Keep the Honda generator outside, well clear of doors and windows, under a proper rain cover that still lets the engine breathe and the exhaust clear. A closed space is not safe, even with the door open.
Check the oil before every start. Run a new Honda generator at a light to moderate load for the first few hours, then change the oil. After that, follow the manual for oil and air filter intervals. Use fresh fuel, and do not leave stale petrol sitting in the carburettor for months. If it will sit unused, run it dry or use a stabiliser, and store it somewhere dry so the next pull actually starts it.