03-29-2018, 09:47 PM
Let me preface this by saying mostly I'm just looking to vent, but I'm interested in your collective opinions.
Last November I bought a well used Honda generator from a private seller. I tested the generator and all worked well on 110, but as soon as it was switched to 220, the motor would stall, even under no load, just flipping the switch killed the engine. The seller made me aware of this when I bought it, but the price was right ($300) and frankly I anticipated almost all of my need to be 110v anyway. So I load the machine and drive around with it for a day, because it's really heavy and I was waiting to sucker someone into helping me unload it.
Then I think, why not take it to a repair place to have it looked at and at least see what's going on with the 220 circuit - and here is where things begin to get ugly. I take it to a little tiny local shop. A place that specializes in electric motor repair and where I've done business several times over the years. We unload the thing and I'm chatting with the owner/operator about the work. He says it'll probably be a week or two and I joke that I'm not in a hurry unless my power goes out and picking it up after Christmas is fine.
Fast forward to now. In the ensuing months I've been in to check on the progress several times. The first excuse is they have it disassembled and they are waiting for a schematic to be able to complete the work (which seems ridicules in the age of the internet, but ok). Then I'm told they were backed up with work and have farmed out the generator repair to someone else. My last visit (yesterday), they say their repair guy says the generator is kaput and can't be repaired. I ask how it is that it worked fine on 110 when I brought it to them and the guy sort of scratches his head and says 'yeah, that's right I'll have to ask our guy about that".
I'm really not sure where to go from here. They were supposed to have called me today but of course that didn't happen. What do ya'll think? I told the owner I at least want my generator back in the condition it was in when I left it, but as a practical matter, I'm not sure I have any real recourse. Maybe small claims court, but honestly I think my time and aggravation are worth more than my initial investment.
Last November I bought a well used Honda generator from a private seller. I tested the generator and all worked well on 110, but as soon as it was switched to 220, the motor would stall, even under no load, just flipping the switch killed the engine. The seller made me aware of this when I bought it, but the price was right ($300) and frankly I anticipated almost all of my need to be 110v anyway. So I load the machine and drive around with it for a day, because it's really heavy and I was waiting to sucker someone into helping me unload it.
Then I think, why not take it to a repair place to have it looked at and at least see what's going on with the 220 circuit - and here is where things begin to get ugly. I take it to a little tiny local shop. A place that specializes in electric motor repair and where I've done business several times over the years. We unload the thing and I'm chatting with the owner/operator about the work. He says it'll probably be a week or two and I joke that I'm not in a hurry unless my power goes out and picking it up after Christmas is fine.
Fast forward to now. In the ensuing months I've been in to check on the progress several times. The first excuse is they have it disassembled and they are waiting for a schematic to be able to complete the work (which seems ridicules in the age of the internet, but ok). Then I'm told they were backed up with work and have farmed out the generator repair to someone else. My last visit (yesterday), they say their repair guy says the generator is kaput and can't be repaired. I ask how it is that it worked fine on 110 when I brought it to them and the guy sort of scratches his head and says 'yeah, that's right I'll have to ask our guy about that".
I'm really not sure where to go from here. They were supposed to have called me today but of course that didn't happen. What do ya'll think? I told the owner I at least want my generator back in the condition it was in when I left it, but as a practical matter, I'm not sure I have any real recourse. Maybe small claims court, but honestly I think my time and aggravation are worth more than my initial investment.