Anyone looking for spares for Kipor Generators?

[neale]

Perhaps you should ask Honda!!!!

Press release:

HONDA SEIZES AND DESTROYS FURTHER 50 KIPOR GENERATORS FOR SALE ON EBAY

Honda has seized and destroyed a further 50 Kipor generators, after discovering the products for sale on Ebay.

The Intellectual Property Department of Honda Motor Europe Ltd. recently discovered the generators for sale on the auction site. All of the stock held by the seller was subsequently returned to Honda for destruction at HLC Swindon.

The action follows a similar disposal in June 2007, when a UK company's entire UK stock of Kipor generators was seized and destroyed by Honda, as a result of an Order from the High Court of Justice restraining Procurement (UK) Ltd. from infringing its state-of-the-art generator technology with regards to the importation and sale of certain Wuxi Kipor Power Co. Ltd generators in the UK.

The ruling relates in particular to Honda's EU Series Generators, including model numbers EU10i and EU20i, which use technology so advanced it is the subject of patent protection including, but not limited to, European Patent (UK) No. 1 069 293.

Despite the Court Order-, stock of the models known as KGE980tc, KGE1000ti, KGE1000tsi, KGE1300tc, KGE1300tsc, KGE2000tc, KGE2000ti, KGE2000tsi, KGE3000tc, KGE3000ti and KGE3000thi continue to enter the UK.

Primarily manufactured in China and sold in the United Kingdom under the name of the manufacturer or distributor, these unlawfully imported- generators utilise Honda's patented technology without permission and therefore infringe Honda's UK patent.

Geoff Matthews, General Manager of Honda (UK) Power Equipment comments:

'As a leading global provider of generators and other power products, it is vital that we protect our patents in order to allow our R&D teams to continue to innovate for the benefit of our customers. Our products are widely regarded as among the best in the world, and we'll continue to take a strong line with any company which breaches the law in this way.'

 

[gjgm]

I thought Kipor made some modification to the newer series to avoid the charge? But maybe that wasnt enough, or these are still the older variations.

 

[DogsBody]

Fully agree with Honda wishing to protect their patented design but it seems such a waste to be destroying perfectly good generators when we are all being encouraged to recycle and save resources wherever possible.

 

[Chas25]

Don't want spares but wouldn't mind a complete working one!!

Wonder if there are any going cheap that didn't make it into the skip!!

 

[davey]

Kipor/Honda "high tech" generators

I thought Kipor made some modification to the newer series to avoid the charge? But maybe that wasnt enough, or these are still the older variations.

In my honest opinion these generators are rubbish. They are temperamental and unreliable and not rated for business use. As to seizing the generators and putting them in a skip, they'd have made it to the skip by themselves in a year or two! Just how they got the patent beggars belief because several companies had been using similar technology for years and years. For example I saw a modified Bosch vehicle alternator at a boat show that could be switched to produce 2 kilowatts of 240 volts 50Hz and that was at least twenty years ago. I would advise people to either (1) use a conventional generator that doesn't rely on numerous black boxes. (2) Alternatively use a Pacific "Redi-Line" rotary converter. Some people think that rotary converters are power guzzlers but this is not so if they are used correctly. By using start-on-demand the ampere-hour drain can be greatly reduced when using intermittent loads. The Redi-Line will handle variable speed power tools OK and having ones car on tickover will keep the battery replenished without making a lot of noise. When a rotary converter is spinning it has a lot of kinetic energy and it is easily able to deal with momentary switch-on surges. Black boxes don't have this ability. Caveat emptor.
By the way did you know that nobody has ever patented the wheelbarrow?

 

[EugeneR]

Wow, this thread is only three years old and the old Kipor generators no longer exist even.

That said, I think you'll find that the newer Kipor generators have a lot more fans than in the past.

Also, those "black boxes" do seem to bring the weight down considerably compared to conventional models.

 

[rosssavage]

Davey, is your opinion based on fact or hearsay? In my 'opinion' they are great little generators. I have a heartily abused five year old IG2000 that has never missed a beat. It had been overloaded, accidentally fed 2 stroke fuel and utterly drenched, yet it still soldiers on. It gets ten quits worth of Halfords cheap oil and a new plug every year, and that's it. As far as I can tell, my £400 gennie works every bit as well ad a £1500 Honda equivalent.

What's your experience of your kipor?

 

[Geoffs]

Davey, is your opinion based on fact or hearsay? In my 'opinion' they are great little generators. I have a heartily abused five year old IG2000 that has never missed a beat. It had been overloaded, accidentally fed 2 stroke fuel and utterly drenched, yet it still soldiers on. It gets ten quits worth of Halfords cheap oil and a new plug every year, and that's it. As far as I can tell, my £400 gennie works every bit as well ad a £1500 Honda equivalent.

What's your experience of your kipor?

We have had this discussion here before, but I agree with you, I've had my Kipor 5 years, whilst I've changed the oil, it's never had a new plug. Like yours, mine has done lots of hours, and apart from a bit of dirty fuel, has given great service.

There are loads of inverter gennys on the market now, I think Honda have lost the battle. It's a bit like the fuss IBM kicked up when loads of PC clones were produced, they had to give up in the end.