1. Yamaha EF2000iS Inverter Generator – 2,000 Watts
First things first, the two top dogs in this category are Honda and Yamaha. Both of these Japanese companies have long-standing reputations for building high-quality, high-efficiency machines that require very little maintenance.
Yamaha paints their generators blue; Honda went with red. Apart from that, the differences between these two generators are pretty minor — which means you really can’t go wrong with either one. They aren’t the cheapest options, far from it, but they are extremely reliable, quiet, and easy on the ol’ fuel supply.
Now, for the specifics: This Yamaha advertises a 1600 watts AC rated output, with a maximum of 2000 watts. Rated output for generators is typically lower than maximum output. That’s because a generator should never be operated at its maximum output for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Yamaha claims that this model can run for up to 10.5 hours without refueling, a feature enabled by what Yamaha calls a “smart throttle,” which conserves fuel based on the energy load that you are drawing from your generator. Unlike the Honda version, the Yamaha has a fuel gauge. Again, this helps with fuel conservation and planning.
With a built-in inverter system, the Yamaha produces a high quality sine wave that’s compatible with computers and other sensitive tech devices. This is an issue that may come up with generators at a lower price point. Cheaper models are equipped with less sophisticated inverters, which increases the odds of them frying your sensitive electronic devices over time.
The 2000iS boasts a “super quiet” muffler that allows it to run at 51dB under normal loads. That’s about as load as a dishwasher.
Retail: $989