​Powerhouse PH1000i Review

Last updated September, 2023

​7.​0

Editor's
Score

Powerhouse PH1000i review

​9
​Portability

​​6.5
​Power

​​​​​​​​​​​​5.5
​Noise

​​​​​​​​7
​Efficiency

Highly efficient and definitely well worth the investment, the Powerhouse PH1000i is an inverter generator designed to run longer and safer for all kinds of electronic equipment. This generator is an excellent take along to the picnic or party and is set at a max output of 1,000 Watt with a 1.63 HP engine that can operate at variable speeds depending on demand.

At 100 percent capacity, it operates at full speed and features an engine-reset button to auto start it if the engine shuts down due to overloading. It comes with a recoil starter, a circuit breaker, emergency stop option and one 5-20R 20 ampere double outlet. Weighing in at just 30 pounds, the top handle makes this ultra-portable. It is rated to operate for 9.6 hours at quarter load and 3.7 hours at full load. Accessories available along with this inverter generator include a spark plug wrench, handle, spare spark plug and a 12V charge cable. The Powerhouse PH1000i is CARB, CETL and EPA compliant and comes with one year commercial and 2 year consumer warranty. 

​About the ​​​​​​Powerhouse PH1000i

Honestly, inverter generators aren’t supposed to be fraught with any complications. In fact, my advice is to get an inverter generator if all you want is a basic backup or campsite power. The Powerhouse PH1000i, in my opinion, is a little underpowered but that is fine as long as you aren’t looking at it as a primary backup generator. I got mine about 5 days back and have mainly kept it for backup to my backup generator. Nevertheless, I did run it for a couple of hours the first day just to see how well it operates.

My choice of device to test it with was a battery bank I keep for my home inverter. First off, the packaging was decent although not great and everything seemed to be perfectly in place. I got the tank filled, added the required oil (10W-40 synthetic) and took it outside to start it. It started fluently on the second pull and ran for about 5 minutes before the low oil light sprung to
life and the engine shut down. Tried it a couple of times and the same thing kept happening. This was a dampener but after a bit of tinkering I found the oil shut down float was stuck from all the bouncing. I had read this in another review on Amazon and instantly knew what to do. Ever since then the generator has been idling well. The moment I connected the battery bank, the engine began revving up and probably ran at about 80 percent load. It went on until the gas tank was dry and I got over 4 hours of work time from it, which is actually decent with regards to inverter generators. Haven’t yet pushed it to 100 percent capacity but knowing that there is an auto-reset button for overload situations is a good thing.

My only complaint is that it is loud for such a tiny generator. Not at all silent like a Honda inverter generator but at least it is efficient and powerful, although endowed with a tiny engine. Considering its fractional cost in comparison with a Honda, I think this is a good investment for folks with a tight budget.

Powerhouse

Pros

  • ​Economical, sturdy design and a decent two year warranty makes this a dependable investment. Good engine performance and capable of handling 100 percent load.

Cons

  • ​A bit too noisy for inverter generators and its size, tends to overload near to 100 percent capacity. Single receptacle offers limited options.

​Features

  • ​CARB Compliant.
  • ​1000 peak wattage and 900 watt continuous rating.
  • Lightning Bolt
    ​1.63 HP engine with variable speed operation.
  • Lightning Bolt
    ​Top handle design and total weight of just 30.8 pounds.
  • Lightning Bolt
    ​Runs for 3.7 hours at full load.

​Specifications

Running watts 900
Starting watts 1,000
Engine HP/cc 1.3HP
Starting method Recoil Start
Low oil shutdown YES
Fuel tank size (gallons) 0.8 Gallon
Run time at 50% Load 2 Hours
Outlets 5-20R 20 ampere double outlet
Handle style Top Folding
Wheel type 9.5″ No Wheels
Warranty 2 Years
Powerhouse PH1000i review
Powerhouse PH1000i
Portability9
Power6.5
Noise5.5
Efficiency7
7
EXPERT SCORE
FINAL THOUGHTS
Not the most silent and neither the most powerful inverter generator in the market, the Powerhouse PH1000i is a decent small sized option for budget conscious folks. Two year consumer warranty ought to cover most problems and since it has variable speed operation, you can control the efficiency as much as you want. This is a good backup generator for your large backup generator or an inverter.
Avaliable on Amazon