China is the largest producer of small diesel engines and generators in the world !

The demand for electricity has been growing in the developing world, particularly in China and India. With the rising fuel prices especially for diesel, countries like China have developed better fuel efficient engines and many now meet or exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Combine the demand for power and the lower cost of production, many leading companies now produce their products in China and export them around the world.

With little restrictions on imports and reverse-engineering, China now produces some very popular engine types such as Yanmar and Honda. Engine designs that have been proven and in production for many years. The manufacturing process can now be done to such perfection that it is almost impossible to tell the difference from the original brands.

Why are some generators so cheap?

If the price is too good to be true chances are it is a cheap counterfeit. Counterfeit generators are often made with substandard components with no regard for your safety.

The big demand for power generator products world wide has given opportunity for counterfeiters to cash in. Normally when there is a demand for a product it causes the price to increase. Just like with gasoline. But here comes the Counterfeiters able to sell what appears to be the same thing but with substandard components. Using substandard components lowers the cost so they can catch the bargain hunters. Are you a bargain hunter?

Counterfeiters don’t just copy the design of others, they sell you something that is not what it appears to be. Here is an example that can kill you and it was found in many generators across North America.


It is estimated that there are over half a million of these counterfeit circuit-breakers in products across North America. On the outside it appears normal, on the inside, its missing critical components and it does not function. Counterfeit electrical outlets is also not uncommon! Some are going as far as having the UL logo on the sockets when they are not at all approved.


Some counterfeiters products look very impressive, they have fooled consumers with new enclosures for example. What they never show you is what is inside.

So Who Do You Buy From?

It is a bad sign when sellers change brand names every time they get a new delivery. You should look for consistency. Research the brand name by doing a Google search. If the company has been around long enough Google would have found enough websites that either review it or discuss it.

Legitimate companies carry more then one model. They have invested in stock and warehouse their products locally. Look for affiliations with organizations such as the Better Business Bureau and Not Limited companies or some guy operating out of a rented garage but a Incorporated business with a long history.

The counterfeiters are often shut down quickly so little history can be found and very little information is offered.

Keep in mind that eBay is a popular place for sellers to offload their products since most people shopping there are looking for what they think is a dollar savings. If you buy from an eBay seller don’t trust the feedback ratings. Many feedback ratings are inflated and manipulated artificially. For example, a seller can sell or trade nothing just to be able to exchange feedback with a friend to build up his ratings. After growing the public feedback rating they switch to selling something like generators and you think it is safe to deal with them. There are lots of feedback tricks and if you don’t know what your looking for you can easily become a victim of a counterfeit and substandard products.

Counterfeits are not made in state of the art factories. Most counterfeit products are made in small, back alley garages with workers assembling parts by hand. China’s criminal penalties are geared towards a certain dollar value. As a result, smaller operations often avoid criminal punishments. If a raid only finds 10,000 circuit breakers in a garage, that’s not going to meet the criminal threshold to send someone to jail for example. The problem is even these small items end up showing up in your generator products.

Who can you trust?

When it comes to electrical devices, electrical safety authorities such as the CSA and ETL are agencies that thoroughly inspect products to make sure they meet electrical safety codes and are safe to use.  The approval process is complicated and lengthily.  Very few products go through this approval process because it is costly and it means the manufacture has to adhere to higher quality standards.   Because of this higher quality standard and the fact your buying a generator this should be a major factor decision on whether you purchase it or not.