Inverter generators
The short answer
Want USB ports? Generac
Want longer run time? Honda
Power is a wash: 2,500W running for the Generac, 2,600W rated for the Honda, both around 60 lb. The deciding factors are small ones.
Best if you want USB ports
Best for longer run time
Before you buy: The linked Honda is the 49-state model. For California, Honda sells a separate 50-state version, the EU3200iAC.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Counted from the chart below: rows where one number is clearly better. It's a tally, not an overall rating. The Generac's edges here, USB ports and PowerRush starting, aren't head-to-head wins, so they don't show up in it.
Bold means one number is clearly better. Blank means it's a tie, it's close, the makers measured it differently, or the sources disagree. I only compare run times at the same load when it's fair, since 1/4 load on a bigger generator is more watts.
| GP3300i | EU3200i | Clearer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting watts (gasoline) | 3,300W | 3,200W (Honda "max") | |
| Running watts (gasoline) | 2,500W | 2,600W (Honda "rated") | |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Gasoline | |
| Gas tank | 1.06 gal | 1.2 gal | |
| Run time at 1/4 load (gasoline) | 7 hr (Generac spec sheet) | 8.6 hr at 1/4 load | EU3200i |
| Run time at 1/2 load (gasoline) | 4.5 hr | Not published at this load | |
| Run time at full rated load | Not published at this load | 3.3 hr at rated load | |
| Noise (maker figure) | Not published by Generac | 54 dB(A) at 1/4 load; 58 dB(A) at rated load | |
| Weight | 59.5 lb (Generac spec sheet); 61 lb (Generac product page) | 59.1 lb (dry) | |
| Starting method | Recoil | Recoil (fuel-injected, no choke) | |
| Outlets | One 120V 20A duplex (5-20R), one 30A twist-lock, USB ports | One 30A 125V locking outlet and one 20A 125V duplex | |
| CO shutoff | Yes (COsense) | Yes (CO-MINDER) | |
| Parallel capable | Yes, with an optional kit | Not in Honda's spec table (Honda's page links a parallel-operation video) | |
| Phone app | Not listed | Yes (Honda My Generator, Bluetooth) | |
| Warranty | 3 years residential; 1 year commercial | 3 years residential; 12 months commercial | |
| Engine | 149cc | Honda GX130, 130cc, electronic fuel injection | |
| Note | The linked unit is the 49-state model |
Common things people plug in during an outage or at camp, checked against each generator's own gasoline ratings from the chart above: GP3300i 2,500W running and 3,300W starting, EU3200i 2,600W running and 3,200W starting. I used the top of each range, so a smaller appliance may do better.
| Load | Running watts | Starting watts | GP3300i | EU3200i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-size refrigerator | 150–400W | 800–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Freezer (chest or upright) | 100–500W | 500–1,000W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/3 HP | 500–800W | 1,000–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/2 HP | 800–1,050W | 1,300–2,150W | Yes | Yes |
| Gas furnace blower (1/2 HP fan) | 300–800W | 800–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 5,000 BTU | 450–600W | 900–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 10,000 BTU | 900–1,200W | 1,800–2,400W | Yes | Yes |
| RV rooftop AC, 13,500 BTU | 1,500–2,000W | 2,800–3,500W | Tight | Tight |
| CPAP (with heated humidifier) | 60–120W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Microwave | 600–1,200W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee maker† | 600–1,200W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Space heater (1,500W setting) | 750–1,500W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Well pump, 1 HP‡ | 1,000–2,000W | 2,000–4,000W | Tight | Tight |
| Circular saw, 7-1/4 in. | 1,200–1,800W | 2,400–3,600W | Tight | Tight |
| TV (32-55 in.) + router/modem | 90–420W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/laptop charging | 20–100W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Electric water heater | 3,000–4,500W | No extra | No | No |
‡ Check your well pump's voltage. If it runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet.
Add up the running watts. Then take the one item with the biggest starting surge and add its starting watts to everything else's running watts. Both totals have to fit.
Running: 400 + 800 + 75 + 20 = 1,295W (GP3300i 52% of 2,500W · EU3200i 50% of 2,600W)
Biggest start: furnace blower starting 1,600 + everything else running 400 + 75 + 20 = 2,095W (GP3300i 63% of 3,300W · EU3200i 65% of 3,200W)
GP3300i YesEU3200i Yes
Running: 400 + 500 + 1,050 + 75 + 20 = 2,045W (GP3300i 82% of 2,500W · EU3200i 79% of 2,600W)
Biggest start: 1/2 HP sump pump starting 2,150 + everything else running 400 + 500 + 75 + 20 = 3,145W (GP3300i 95% of 3,300W · EU3200i 98% of 3,200W)
GP3300i TightEU3200i Tight
Running: 2,000 + 600 + 150 + 100 = 2,850W (GP3300i 114% of 2,500W · EU3200i 110% of 2,600W)
Biggest start: 13,500 BTU AC starting 3,500 + everything else running 600 + 150 + 100 = 4,350W (GP3300i 132% of 3,300W · EU3200i 136% of 3,200W)
GP3300i NoEU3200i No
These are typical figures. Check the label on your own appliance. It lists watts, or amps you can multiply by 120 to get watts.
Motors need starting watts. Fridges, freezers, pumps, furnace blowers and air conditioners pull a short surge each time they kick on, well above their running watts (see the Starting column). Heaters, coffee makers and chargers don't.
Running several loads adds up. If two motors start in the same second, both surges stack. Honda's own advice is to start the big ones one at a time.
RV air conditioners: a 13,500 BTU unit is at or near the starting-watts limit on both. A soft starter added to the AC is often what decides it. Micro-Air, which makes the EasyStart, says it cuts startup current by up to 75%. Even then, leave the fridge and other big loads off.
Outlets: Neither generator lists a 240V outlet in the chart above, so anything that needs 240V is out. Check your appliance's label. Both have a 30A locking outlet. Running watts still cap the total, whichever outlet you use.
Water heaters: If your water heater runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet. On watts alone it would be "No" on both.
Well pumps: Check your well pump's voltage. If it runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet.
Load watts: Champion Power Equipment, Generator Wattage Chart. It covers appliances, not generators. †Coffee maker: 600W for a 4-cup maker from Honda's wattage guide, and 1,200W from Generac's wattage worksheet. Microwave: the wattage on the box is usually cooking power. Honda's guide lists a 1,000W microwave at 1,500W from the outlet, which is "One at a time" on both. None of these charts list an 8,000 BTU window AC, so it falls between the 5,000 and 10,000 BTU rows. Start-up advice: Honda. Soft starter: Micro-Air.
One thing before the details: both burn gasoline, so both put out carbon monoxide. Keep them outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, with the exhaust pointed away from the house. A CO shutoff is a backup. It does not make a garage, a shed or a porch safe.
This is the step up from a 2,200-watt inverter. Honda's list for the EU3200i includes a fridge, a furnace fan and a 13,500 BTU RV air conditioner, though not all at once. Both have a 30A locking outlet and a CO shutoff.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
if a published noise number matters to you. Generac doesn't give one.
if you live in California. The linked unit is the 49-state model, and Honda sells a separate 50-state version, the EU3200iAC.
These points come from owners posting on Reddit, owner forums and retailer reviews, not from my own testing. A point is listed only when at least three separate owners of this exact model said it. Individual units vary.
Sources: Amazon reviews, MyGrandRV forum, Gentek Power forum 1, Gentek Power forum 2, Forest River Forums, Good Sam Community, Venture Family Forum
Sources: GeneratorBible user reviews, Amazon reviews, Reddit 1, Oliver Travel Trailers forum, Keystone Forums, Reddit 2
Neither, really. The Honda is rated 2,600W running and 3,200W max. The Generac is 2,500W running and 3,300W starting. That gap won't decide anything.
Honda lists RV air conditioners up to 13,500 BTU for the EU3200i. Generac's Amazon listing says the GP3300i's 3,300 starting watts handle the surge of RV air conditioners. Check your unit's starting draw before you count on either.
Not quite. Honda calls it a 30A 125V locking plug and Generac calls it a 30A twist-lock. Neither calls it a TT-30R, the usual RV socket, so expect to need an adapter for an RV cord.
On the maker figures, the Honda, but only just. Honda says 59.1 lb dry. Generac's spec sheet says 59.5 lb and its product page says 61 lb. That's close enough to call it about even.
Where the sources disagree on a spec:
Specs are from Generac and Honda, checked October 8, 2026. Any line marked "Amazon listing" is not a maker figure.
By Mike E. · Last checked October 8, 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs. Lines marked "Amazon listing" are from Amazon, not the maker.