Brutally Honest CHEAP GENERATOR Review: Ai Power SUA2300i Ultra Quiet Inverter Generator-Episode 90

**NOT sponsored! This is a performance review & first impressions. We are not advertising for this company.
In this episode, we share our thoughts & first impressions of this CHEAP, quiet inverter generator that we bought on sale for under $400 USD. (The intention was to use it with our camper…& hopefully run the roof air conditioner. This little generator claimed to quiet & lightweight so it seemed like it might work well for just such an occasion.) Similarly, if this is as portable as the specs claim, we were hoping to use this back in the woods to run power tools, etc at our remote build sites.
So…we took a gamble on a brand we’ve never heard of before, bit the bullet, & bought 1 to give it a try.
How portable is it? Is this unit ACTUALLY as quiet as it claims to be? How much stuff can this little generator REALLY run? How easy is it to start this little generator? And would we buy it again knowing what we know now? Tune in to find out! We will explore all these questions & more in this BRUTALLY HONEST REVIEW of an Ai Power SUA 2300i Ultra Quiet Inverter Generator.
#aipower #cheapgenerator #honestreview #invertergenerator

[@samquinn6427]

I got mine on sale at Sams Club and works great. You need to read the instructions before using and make sure you break in before putting it to work.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks! We did do a proper break in…it just got edited out of the video.

[@cablerum]

I have this exact same generator, I followed the break in steps using Amsoil break-in oil, then switched to Amsoil full synthetic and passed on using the no name oil in the box. So far I have just over 67 runtime hours and it's been flawless so for the price it's tough to beat. You could see in the first oil change slight metallic dust in the oil from the manufacturing process, almost normal with every small engine so you don't want to leave the break in oil in there for a long time, just the first few hours and then change it. One thing to note, your first start took 10 pulls because you didn't turn the dial to "start" which is the full choke position. The choke has a range from partial, 1/2, 3/4, full etc. which is indicated on the dial in the yellow / green color band where it says choke. Choke isn't just where the word choke is on the sticker, it's a range of choke and when starting cold you always need full which is all the way over to where it says Start. The choke range is the entire section on the dial between Run & Start with Start being Full Choke. One thing I should say I've noticed with mine is that whether the engine is warm or cold it always likes the dial to be on the start position (full choke) and will always start 1 -2 pulls when cold and 1 pull when warm. The speed at which you turn the dial from start to run will depend on temperature as you are slowly removing the choke as the engine warms. On a warm engine it cam instantly be turned from Start to Run, on a cold engine more of a slow turn towards Run as the engine warms up, maybe 30 second period. At about 75% load the fuel lasts for approx. 5 hours, at approx. 25% load that runtime is about 10 hours using eco mode. I only use premium ethanol free fuel & stabilizer to avoid carb issues.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for sharing all this!! Appreciated! We will get that first oil change done here ASAP!

[@TuanLe-ko5rm]

I got this used for a good price. Though it wasn’t super powerful it used much less gas than the bigger ones. I had to use it for five days after hurricane Milton. There were no gas for the first 2 days. My neighbor could only ran their generator for an hour at a time. I was able to ran 16 plus hours daily. I kept 2 refrigerators and a freezer running. Even ran the washer. It saved us.

[@PopplePeople]

Wow! Thanks for sharing!

[@RobsChannel-dc1nn]

I have the same generator. It looks as though you are not turning the choke control all the way to the full choke position. I would also recommend that you oil the air filter this also helps in starting. So when starting a cold generator put then knob in full choke and pull the recoil a few times slowly and then give it a quick pull, it will start right up. Good luck.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for the tips! We will try that!

[@chuckk377]

@@PopplePeople I have the same generator, I turn the control knob to "Start", and it always starts first or second pull. Then I turn it to "run". Watch the wattage of the things you want to run. This puts out 2300 watts max to start a motor then drops down to 1800 running watts. Great review on your part!

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks!

[@rkochair]

Just picked up one of these in the current model which is different than the one here and I have to say it is fantastic. It is inverter, it is set up very nice for oil change and servicing. It now has an LED light on it to light up the controls. Put the oil in (kept the oil bottle to use as a guide for future oil changes) and put reg 87 gas in, as that's what is what it likes to drink, pulled maybe twice (it has to prime since it's dry) and it fired right up. The sound level is close to Honda and this unit can twin up with another same unit or bigger to give extra amps. Just a great generator. I picked up the 7100 model for larger loads and it is dual fuel which is nice because i have an LP tank and also the LP never will gunk up like gas does. Check them out they are nice.

[@PopplePeople]

Cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@Gravyman]

It can run a small 5000 BTU (1465 W) AC window unit just fine. Lasted me about 8 hours exactly. The remaining 335 W (1800-1465) is good enough to also power my refrigerator, TV, charge phones, and various other small devices.

[@PopplePeople]

Cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@skepticalbeliever5001]

How is a 5000 btu AC pulling almost 1500W??? 🤨 That's kind of insane. You might want to look into swapping that out. I have an 8000 btu window AC that only pulls around 8-900 watts max. I can run it off my inverter in the camper, too. I've never seen it pull more than 900. If you're interested, it's one of the Midea U shaped models. The compressor has multiple power levels, so it only draws that much when the compressor is on high. Once the room is cool it drops the compressor into low and only draws 150-200 watts, so it's pretty easy to run it off solar.

[@myvenusheeler]

@@skepticalbeliever5001 I was wondering the very same thing. In fact, most 5000 btu units will run around 400-500 watts and might bang upwards to 1400 watts when the compressor kicks on. And some a lot less than that on startup. So, most of these 2000 series inverter generators can easily run a small A/C.

[@trevorkolmatycki4042]

So many people in the comments asking if it will run this or if it will run that. Folks, it will run 1800W which is 1800W/120V= 15A. Almost every electrical appliance has the load printed on it in watts of power or amps of current at 120Volts. So long as everything you plug into the generator is drawing less than 1800W steady or 2300W peak it will work. If you run something right up at that limit it might not handle it. Hoping a generator will be big enough is not a good strategy. You are better off determining what load you want to run and choosing a generator with capacity that exceeds the load.

[@michelleluke9012]

This video was very useful with all the items you tried! Thank you!

[@PopplePeople]

Thank you & thanks for watching!

[@Polocruz81]

Thanks Sooooo much for this video!!!!!!👍👍👍👍its gonna be my first time ever buying a generator for back for my rent house here in Houston TX...it get very hot here and u can never be caught without cool air in case we lose power during the summers here!!!😱TY

[@PopplePeople]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@josephkaple8923]

Most of these Chinese made small motors come with cheap spark plugs often branded “Torch” or some other off name I always replace them with a NGK or other quality brand before they fail this also seems to help on start up.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for the heads up on that! We’ll take a look & change accordingly!

[@wildmanofborneo]

Good idea. How do you find out which NGK plug is correct?

[@PopplePeople]

According to the manual, the NGK number is BPR6HS & the spark plug gap is .028 inches or .7mm

[@richardlane1817]

I have this inverter. An air fryer will put a good test load on it for a long period of time. My power xl air fryer is 1800 watts and provided constant draw. It has a watt usage meter on it. Also turn off ALL other things in your camper including the refrigerator, then give the ac an attempt.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks! We will give that a try this summer…we had most everything off (but we did have the fridge on) when we attempted the AC in this video. Good idea!

[@AndTodaysProjectIs]

Great catch

[@therealtech833]

Did it work out?

[@PopplePeople]

@@therealtech833don’t know yet…the AC roof unit had another problem so that’s under repairs currently. 🙃

[@gaylorddowd1390]

I have an older AI 2000 surge watt 1600 running watt generator. It can easily run my 14000 BTU LG window AC unit because the LG has built in soft start technology. At startup only the fan draws power. Then the power draw increases slowly to ramp up the compressor. Maximum power draw is only about 730 watts. Soft start technology is a real winner for AC units!

[@PopplePeople]

Yeah. Our camper & AC are ancient, so I’m not sure it has that soft start. Thanks for sharing!

[@Taurenpie]

@@PopplePeople I would bet the capacitor in that ac unit is a bit under the weather also. That clunking noise is the compressor trying to start without much help from that old start capacitor. But you should keep in mind if that ac is a 15,000 btu unit it 's not going to happen, if it's a 13,500 with a new capacitor it should, but only if that is all that is pulling power at the time.

[@PopplePeople]

@@Taurenpieyeah, you’re exactly right! We don’t know much about the AC because we bought the camper used…

[@Transport43]

I have to run two of the 2000 watts version parallel to be able to run my LG ac

[@PopplePeople]

@@Transport43good to know! Thanks for sharing!

[@tj2745]

I got similar results using a chain saw with a Westinghouse portable generator rated at 1500/1000. Apparently the chain saw draws a lot more power during startup of the chain and when actually cutting thru wood. I was cutting small branches off a fallen tree. Chain saw label says it is rated at 120 volts, 9 amps which is 1080 watts. Clearly pulling more than that under a load. Tripped the breaker on the generator lots of times and had to keep pressing the reset button.

[@PopplePeople]

Good to know! Thanks for sharing!

[@mattdomenic4814]

Be sure to change the oil several times during the first two or three hours to get any junk out of the engine.

[@PopplePeople]

Great idea! Tks!

[@AlzWorld57]

Maybe look into a "Soft Start Kit" for your AC, that generator should be able to run your AC. I have a similar unit from that company that comes with a Yamaha Motor...Got it at Costco years ago, pretty quiet.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for the tip! We will look for that!

[@ScampCamper]

Good review! I have the same generator. I was also hoping to be able to use it for the camper A/C, but even after adding a soft start kit, the power demands of the compressor at startup are too much for this generator. Watching the indicator panel, the voltage readout drops from 124 way down to about 60 volts as soon as the compressor kicks in on my Dometic Penguin, which is much too low. Other A/Cs may not have the same problems with startup current demands, but I can't use the A/C as I had hoped. I have also heard that Honda and other generators with the same wattage have bigger displacement motors which seems to help them provide enough power to start the A/C. It does work well with my electric edger/weed whacker, which is 10 amps/1200 watts. I like using that for heavy edging, and I can just roll the generator where I need it and use 100' of heavy duty power cord. On the start of the video, it looks like you didn't turn it all the way to the start position (full choke) and just set it to the word "choke" which is actually mid choke. Start position works much better when cold.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for sharing! Yes, we didn’t choke it quite far enough initially. We have been happy with it for running other tools out in the woods. Thanks for watching!

[@chrisnheatherwalston1861]

Great review! For the AC, one potential option before you spend the $$$ for the soft start is try turning off the breaker for your converter. This will stop using some of the generator's amps from charging the battery at the same time it's trying to run the AC. I ended up adding another breaker to my 5th wheel, so that the converter was isolated and could be turned off without effecting the outlets. Turning the converter off allowed me to run the AC with my Honda 2000 generator. Maybe it will help run yours too! Cheers!

[@PopplePeople]

Great idea! Thanks for the tip! We will definitely try that next year!

[@ballyhoo48]

What does you AC draw in watts

[@PopplePeople]

20 amps x 110v = 2200 watts.

[@blakefriesen1216]

what amperage is the saw rated at?

[@PopplePeople]

I think it’s 15amp. Will check tomorrow.

[@richschafer1912]

Nice video. You can calculate watts to amps and figure out what size generator you need before buying it and trying it. It's rated at 1800 run watts so that's what it runs. I work with generators for my company and have several of them for different tools I'm operating.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks! Yep, we have done this calculation before…but our camper is super old & came with no manuals or anything (& we can’t find the info written on the AC unit anywhere), so we took a gamble not knowing what the AC draw would be. Thanks for watching!

[@jackjacks5480]

​@@PopplePeople add a soft start for the ac and it will

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks! Will try that!

[@markdenenberg9110]

This generator runs my 13500 bounder ac just fine. Turn fan on high then immediately switch to high ac mode.

[@PopplePeople]

Good to know, thanks! Will try that this season!

[@markdenenberg9110]

I do not have an easy start.

[@benwill1001]

Are you sure that your camper AC is working correctly? Try leaving the generator switch in on a few seconds before trying to start it. The switch also turns the gas off. Mine usually starts better if I wait 15-20 seconds

[@PopplePeople]

Will try that, thanks for the tip! We have had issues with it before (it’s like a 1986 antique 😝) so it could be in the unit too.

[@dasowa]

My major concern about generators is their noise since I mainly camp in Provincial Parks. How does this compare with a Honda or Champion ultra quiet?

[@PopplePeople]

We haven’t done a side by side comparison to those particular models. 50-60-ish dB is the usual range for the ones labelled “quiet” or “ultra quiet.” I will say this about the generator we reviewed here…it’s no louder than a blender (we have a blender that is noisier), if that reference helps. Thanks for watching!

[@oldcountry220]

Definetly don’t use for your saw it will overheat and burn it out good for minimal power needs.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for the heads up! We kinda figured that. Might try to use it for a skilsaw…

[@SmoothSailingEntLLC]

How's it running since you made the video?

[@PopplePeople]

Good! We are pleasantly surprised with this little generator. Though we haven’t been able to use it for what we originally wanted, it has been quite handy due to its portability for working in the woods. Thanks for watching!

[@padude131]

Excellent video! Will this generator run a cpap machine all night on 1 tank of gas?

[@PopplePeople]

Depends on how long you sleep for…like 12 hours would be unlikely, but if you only sleep 6-ish hours it will. Also, it’ll depend on whether you have like a whole camper plugged in & you’ve got TVs running, fridge, etc. & other items are drawing power from it also.

[@padude131]

@@PopplePeople I just started car camping in our van. My wife might start going and she uses a cpap. That's all it would be powering. Thanks for your quick response!

[@PopplePeople]

Cool!

[@benjaminamaro9535]

How about the hose I see inside does it connect anywere

[@PopplePeople]

Great question…pretty sure it attaches to the bottom of the carburetor float bowl. Might be a vent but not 100% sure.

[@tedc6694]

Two of them working together with the patch cable would run any A/C unit, i bet, even without the soft start. 3000w rule of thumb I go by. I wonder how it compares to Honda 2200 watt gen. 48decibel vs 52 db is not something i can imagine myself.

[@PopplePeople]

Agreed. We were thinking that too…thanks!

[@berettaguy7445]

No comparison; I have this, along with two Honda EU2200's. Louder, not as smooth, not nearly as powerful, more mechanical clatter, cheap components...you get what you pay for. I bought it simply to use as a loaner; nobody's getting my Hondas.

[@PopplePeople]

We picked it up because it was cheap enough & we had another $50 off, so the price was “right.” We’ll see how it holds up. We have another (much bigger) generator, so we got this one for easier transport.

[@robertscherer6343]

I have two champion 2500 dual fuel inverters that I parallel to run my RV AC unit. it's the starting watts not the running watts is why it won't run your AC

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks!

[@samquinn6427]

I put mine in the start position and it started the first pull.

[@PopplePeople]

Good! Thanks for watching!

[@benwill1001]

And thanks fr a great informative video!!

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for watching!

[@californiaman8885]

It look identical to Yamaha 2300W and seen to do well than this one, some people replace original spark plug for better know brand.

[@PopplePeople]

Good to know, thanks!

[@painfullee123]

I see on Amazon a 4,000 watt version of this one. Yall ever tried that one?

[@PopplePeople]

Oooh! Nope. We haven’t seen that size! Good to know! Thanks for the heads up!

[@Rodoman2]

Thanks. Very good. For this generator and all small engines you should use free ethanol gasoline because ethanol destroy or cause many problems to small engine, then you have to add product to gasoline when using ethanol. Buy ethanol free gasoline You csn buy in WaWa 89 octane ethanol free(is more expensive). I use for my lawnmover , trimmer, generators(i don't has to use any aditional product).. Read the effects of ethanol in small engines. Thanks for you review very good. 👍🇺🇸🙏

[@PopplePeople]

Good to know! Thanks!

[@lou198]

What engine does it use?

[@PopplePeople]

Great question! Not sure who the manufacturer is (it’s not listed anywhere that we saw), but it’s an 80cc OHV 4 cycle engine.

[@milesyang6947]

i have same one with yamaha run TT 13500 OK if you keep her under shade

[@marks6663]

I bought the 3800 version of this and it would not power a 15 amp 120 volt welder. I returned it back to Costco.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for sharing!

[@albertromero410]

Good video thanks.

[@PopplePeople]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@unhiptser]

Guys need to get yourself a soft start kit for your air conditioner/ get out or run it then

[@PopplePeople]

Didn’t think of that. Thanks!

[@tuandriverga]

thank you

[@PopplePeople]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@filoIII]

Smaller motor than the Honda, so this'll wear out quicker, BUT u can buy 3 of these compared to 1 Honda 2200.

[@PopplePeople]

True!

[@michaelr8426]

I have one of these and not even 30 hours of use it stopped and will not work. The company sent me a new part to fix it but it is still dead. Still fighting with them to get it fixed. Not worth buying as far as I am concerned

[@PopplePeople]

Ugh…rats! Sorry to hear that! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@Mandy_39]

Did you get the extended warranty?

[@coonpoon1]

nice, thank you

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for watching! We appreciate it!

[@bobs7975]

Will it run a coffee maker?

[@PopplePeople]

Yep, easily!

[@TOURMANBOB]

You seem to have completely ignored the break in procedures needed for all small engines

[@PopplePeople]

There was quite a bit of editing done so we didn’t show everything.

[@TOURMANBOB]

It has been my experience with owning loads of different generators that most of the cheaper Chinese built units don't have cast iron cylinder linings; the piston runs on aluminum which means they don't last nearly as long, but just as important, they need proper break in to be able to hold proper compression. Failing to break in these types of units can severely limit their life long term. But then of course there is the other argument; they are SO cheap, just replace them when needed, which is likely the best option since cheap generators may or may not have parts and service easily available. I guess like most everything in life you get what you pay for. Personally, I have stayed with overpriced Honda's and well priced, quality Champion units, both of which have parts and service available. Then again, your mileage may vary. Interesting video though.....thanks

[@PopplePeople]

We’ll see what shakes out in the end. It was inexpensive, plus we got another $50 off so the price was “right.” Thanks for sharing your insights!

[@TOURMANBOB]

I see the same gennie available here in Canada at Princess Auto for $899. You got yours for $400US (equals $452 in Canadian money). I too would pay $452 for that gennie like you did, but it's definately NOT worth the going price of $899 up here when I can buy a guaranteed quality unit from Champion for $799 which I KNOW is good quality....gotta balance it out ...cheers!!

[@jaime30277]

Thank you for this video. Jesús Christ bless all of you, Amén.

[@PopplePeople]

Same to you! Thanks for watching!

[@einguanzo98ify]

Don’t buy this brand!! It is advisable to refrain from purchasing this I power generator. I acquired a SUA4300iD, which unfortunately arrived defective and failed to generate any power. Despite my attempts to communicate with the company regarding this issue, my requests for an exchange or a resolution have been consistently ignored. After numerous letters and phone calls, I have only received evasive responses. This experience has been exceedingly frustrating and stressful. When I contacted the warranty department about the problem, my concerns were entirely dismissed, and they refused to replace the faulty unit. This situation represents a significant waste of money and a considerable disappointment, leaving me without a dependable backup power source during essential outages.

[@PopplePeople]

Thanks for sharing your experience! That is unfortunate to hear. 😖

[@chrisgil4594]

Buy a Honda, stop cutting corners. very good review though.

[@PopplePeople]

Lol! Yeah, we definitely took a gamble by purchasing an oddball brand, sight unseen (ordered it online). Oh well…lesson learned. 😝

[@AndTodaysProjectIs]

What a short-sighted comment. It's a review of a generator... Not a video titled "I should have bought a Honda". Stop watching videos just to nag Karen