This page is the current version of this Honda EU70is generator operating guide — download the PDF below for the complete document, including the manufacturer's full manual.
Never run it indoors, ever — exhaust contains carbon monoxide with no smell and no warning, fatal in minutes, not in a shed, garage, carport, marquee, caravan annexe, under a house, or in any partly enclosed space, even with the doors open and a fan running. Never back-feed a premises: do not connect this generator to a house, shed or workshop switchboard unless a licensed electrician has installed a changeover switch — back-fed power can electrocute a lineworker on the pole.
Set it down on level, firm ground — not on a slope, not on soft sand, and not still on the trailer or in the ute tray — with at least 1 m clear on every side and above; keep the cooling vents on the panel and underneath clear of grass, mud, water and debris. Check the fuel gauge with the machine sitting level and start a job with a full tank. Start it with nothing plugged in, then connect appliances once it's running and warm.
Test the RCBO in the centre outlet box before each use, then reset it, and check all covers are closed and latched — running with a maintenance cover open or the battery cover off starves it of cooling air and will overheat it. Check your leads are undamaged, correctly rated and fully unwound off the reel, run clear of water and traffic. The muffler runs hot enough to ignite dry grass, so clear the ground around it and check current DFES and local government fire restrictions before operating outdoors in summer.
Eco-Throttle ON drops the engine back to idle when nothing is drawing power — quieter and far less fuel; switch it OFF when starting a big motor, running several heavy loads at once, or using a tool that cycles on and off quickly. The RCBO in the centre box protects both sockets and protects you, not the machine — press TEST before every use, it should trip, then reset it and start work. If it won't stay reset, something plugged in is faulty; unplug everything and add items back one at a time.
The hour meter cycles through four modes with the small button beside it — running hours, output in VA, engine rpm and battery volts; mode 2 (output) tells you how close to capacity you are. No earth stake is needed: the RCBO connection complies with AS/NZS 3010:2017, but everything you plug in must have a three-pin plug — no two-pin double-insulated leads and no adaptors that defeat the earth.
In order, every time: set it down on level ground with 1 m clear, unplug everything and check the fuel, Eco-Throttle off then MAIN switch to ON, press START without holding it in (wait 10 seconds between tries), then warm it 2–3 minutes before switching Eco-Throttle back on and plugging in. If the starter won't turn and the display shows batt, the battery is flat — open the right maintenance cover and use the recoil starter, pulling gently to resistance then briskly, no more than 20° from horizontal, and never let the grip snap back.
To stop: switch off what you're running, turn the MAIN switch to OFF, then unplug everything. In an emergency, just turn the MAIN switch straight to OFF. Take the key and leave the switch off — left on, it flattens the battery.
OUTPUT green steady means running normally with power available. OVERLOAD red on means too much load, a short in something plugged in, or an overheated inverter — power cuts out after about five seconds, so stop and reduce the load; OVERLOAD flickering for a second or two as a motor starts is normal, provided it goes out again within about five seconds. OIL ALERT red with OIL on the display means oil is low and the engine has shut itself down — stop and call us.
The display showing batt means the starter battery is too flat to crank — use the recoil starter and let it run. Any code beginning E- is a system fault — shut it down and call us rather than keep running it.
Rated output is 5.5 kVA — run here all day. Above 5.5 kVA up to the 7.0 kVA maximum is for brief peaks only, a motor starting or a compressor kicking in; sustained loading in that zone trips the output out and shortens the machine's life. As a rule of thumb, anything with a motor needs roughly three times its running watts for the first second or two, so start big motors one at a time with Eco-Throttle off.
LED site lighting, chargers and laptops draw 100–300 W running. A kettle, toaster or resistive heater draws 1,800–2,400 W. A domestic fridge or freezer draws 200–400 W running but needs roughly 1,500 W to start. A concrete mixer, bench saw or small compressor draws 700–1,500 W running and roughly three times that to start, the same as a submersible or pressure pump. Figures are indicative only — always work from the rating plate on your own appliance.
Engine off and cool — never refuel a running or hot machine, since petrol spilled on a hot muffler ignites. Shut down, wait, then refuel on level ground, never in a vehicle tray or on a trailer, with no smoking or naked flame. Unleaded petrol, 19.2 L tank — don't overfill, leave the neck clear so fuel can expand, wipe up spills before starting, and read the tank gauge with the machine sitting level.
Unwind the lead completely off the reel — a coiled lead under load overheats and can melt inside the drum with nothing showing on the outside. Inspect before every use for cuts, crushed sections, taped repairs or exposed conductors, and retire anything doubtful. Keep leads out of water and off traffic routes, and prefer a shorter lead — move the generator closer rather than adding lead, since long leads drop voltage and make tools run hot and slow past about 30 m on a heavy load.
Three-pin plugs only, one lead per socket — the 15 A socket takes 10 A and 15 A plugs, the 32 A socket needs a 32 A lead. No two-pin double-insulated leads, no double adaptors, no piggybacked leads, no improvised joins. If a tool goes sluggish or stops suddenly, switch it off and unplug it straight away. Never wire it into a switchboard — changeover switch and licensed electrician, no exceptions.
Let it cool 15 minutes before loading — the exhaust will burn you and can ignite whatever it touches in the tray. Strap to the frame bars, top and bottom rails only, never the handle (it folds and will let go) and never the body panels. Keep it level in transit and storage or fuel finds its way out — the wheels and handle move it, they do not restrain it.
Returning it: fuel as agreed in your Hire Schedule, vents clear of mud and grass, all leads and accessories back with it, and tell us about any faults — a stall, a trip that wouldn't reset, a knock, a spill. We would much rather know.
With Eco-Throttle on and a light load the EU70is is genuinely unobtrusive, about 52 dB(A) at quarter load — put a real load on it and the engine comes up to speed and is a great deal louder. Site it as far from the boundary as your lead sensibly allows, exhaust pointed away from houses, never tucked against a wall or fence that reflects the noise back, and never box it in to quieten it — any enclosure starves it of cooling air and traps exhaust; if noise is the problem, move the machine, never wrap it. In a residential area expect scrutiny — WA noise limits are measured at the neighbour's property, and an overnight generator is a common complaint, so check with your local government first if you're running outside 7 am to 7 pm or close to a boundary.
Starter turns but the engine won't fire: check the fuel gauge and refuel, waiting at least 10 seconds between start attempts. Starter doesn't turn with batt on the display: the battery is flat — use the recoil starter and tell us. Engine stopped itself with OIL showing: don't restart it, turn the MAIN switch off and call us. No power with OVERLOAD lit: unplug everything, stop and restart, then reconnect one item at a time, biggest motor first. No power with OVERLOAD not lit: the RCBO has tripped — reduce the load and reset it; if it trips again, a lead or tool is faulty. Runs but has no guts under load: stop and call us rather than keep loading it.
This is a dry hire — while the machine is on hire you are the operator, responsible for using it safely and lawfully, for the site you put it on, and for anyone you let use it. Do not service, adjust or modify it, or remove covers, and keep the RCBO in use at all times. Stop the machine before you call us — we would rather take the call than take it back broken.