There is a line of Homelite generators BUT! – One of the things that strikes me when you go to the Homelite Generator website is that instead of seeing their entire line of generators, the only thing you see are two models; the HG1800 and the HG350. The other models: CGE6300, CG6300, CG4800, LRIE5500, LRIE4400, LRI2500, LRE5500, HLE4400, HL4400, HL2500, CHY500 and HG6000 are nowhere to be found. You would think that a company of this size would list all of their generators on their website. BUT they just don’t exist. A quick search of the Internet and other sources and you’ll find close to a dozen Homelite units. BUT, once again, you won’t find those generators on their website.
Something else is strange about the Homelite Generator line; I know for a fact that Home Depot used to carry this line, BUT they are no longer listed on the Home Depot website. However, we did find at least the 1800-watt unit in some Home Depot stores. Further investigation did not turn up any of these units at any other major retailer. What does this all mean? It could mean several things. Perhaps Homelite is phasing out its line of generators. Maybe they’re reorganizing their generator division. We could go on and on with speculation. BUT, we won’t because we have no idea what this means.
Homelite Generator Customer Support: We are looking into the fact that some kind of change is affecting this line of generators. Until the news comes from corporate headquarters, as I said earlier, no one really knows what’s going on. That said, if you’re looking for customer support after your purchase, you CAN go through what we went through.
A customer wrote a somewhat negative review about his experience and we decided to confirm if what he said was true. We called Homelite to get a replacement part for the 1800 watt unit they have at Home Depot. We were told that the part was essentially on back order and to call back in a few months. That was at the end of November 2008. We haven’t called back yet. Why not? When you buy a generator and need a replacement part, the last thing you want to hear is that you have to call back in about 3 months. How would you see it in terms of customer service?
My Homelite generator is LOUD, can you tell me why? – The complaint that these generators are noisy is common. BUT, you have to remember; basically these are economic generators. That means if you want a quiet, fuel-efficient generator, you’ll need to upgrade. There is an old saying and you probably know it: “You get what you pay for”. In this case, it is so true! When you buy a quiet generator, it will always cost you more than less expensive units.
In general, we don’t know what’s going on with the Homelite Generator line. If you decide to buy one of these units due to the low price, just take into account all the information that has been provided to you. Decide which features you NEED and which features you WANT. If having a quiet generator is your main concern, do your homework and make sure you choose one of the brands that are proven to build quiet generators.