Page 13 - OPE July-August 2022

MARKETPLACE
Generators
Towards “next-generation” generators...
Petrol powered inverter generators and beefier open frame products aren’t going away any time soon. But, like motor cars, battery power is on the way... Steve Bohling plugs into what’s happening.
Filling a gap in the market...
Steelfort recently dipped its toes into the generator market with a pair of LawnMaster inverter and open frame models but soon it will more than treble its offering (see page 14 for a preview!).
I called up Steelfort MD Gavin Lowndes to find out more.
“The new range is born out of the fact that we want to continue to develop the LawnMaster range,” he says.
“LawnMaster is our own product, our own brand name and, providing products are outdoor power-related and reach our quality standard, we want them as part of the LawnMaster range.”
Steelfort sees portable generators as a natural progression of this outlook and a good fit.
“The products we’re bringing in reach a
standard that we’re really happy with, so we can provide a product that is high quality, but at a competitive price point.”
Has the company picked a particular gap in the market?
Gavin explains: “We looked at it on the basis that there are a couple of high-quality brands in the market [with] great product. Good companies, but they’re at a different price point.
“We see ourselves fitting in at a quality point with a reputable brand name and quality support but, outside those main brands, we didn’t see anyone doing that.
“A lot of people are bringing product in, but we didn’t feel they are really committed to it, whereas we want to be totally committed.
“Generators are a market we want to expand over the next couple of years [and]
TENS OF THOUSANDS
of homes and businesses have
been struck by power outages in the last year.
And with waves of New Zealanders travelling around Godzone, not to mention tens of thousands of Kiwis working from home and some equally isolating, demand for portable generators has never been healthier.
The portable generator market is also diversifying as it grows, variously covering the recreational markets, lifestylers and campers and caravanners, tradies with growing ranges of battery-motivated tools, to coffee carts and more...
To set the scene, I start with Damien Smyth, Group Marketing Manager at Blue Wing Honda. How is the outdoor power marketplace for the Honda brand?
“For the last 12 months, it’s been buoyant,” he says.
“If you look at outdoor power equipment in general, so far this year it’s been holding up quite well” with demand for generators “reasonably strong.”
“Like everyone, we have come off a couple of really, really buoyant years. Everybody thought when Covid hit that everything
was going to fall apart but the opposite happened – people were happy to spend money on cars and boats and, and the equipment that they need.”
So it’s been a couple of buoyant years and the question now is how long will that continue?
“So far, the market is holding up reasonably well,” responds Damien Smyth.
“Volumes are holding up well right across the range – we’re not seeing any indications of a decline at this point.
“Our expectation is that things will carry on, thanks to a reasonable pipeline of work.
“It’s hard to pick where the economy’s
going to go but, you know, for every article that’s all doom and gloom, there seems to be another article saying that actually things may not be so bad.
“So all you can do is just try to make sure that you’ve got good supply, that you’re looking after your retailers and customers and that you give good service – that’s what we’re focusing on – and what will happen with the economy is what will happen.”
In terms of products, Kiwi generator users are looking up, not down, and in this respect Damien Smyth is very enthusiastic about Honda’s brand new 3.2kVA inverter, the EU32i (see page 14 for more details).
“It’s like a bigger version of our little EU22, which is very popular, probably the most popular little 2kVA generator on the market, with an all-new engine to keep the weight down.
EU32i will cope with tradies and their higher load tools, but remains highly portable for farmers and boaties, and user- friendly for campers and caravanners.
“As well as offering high output in a very portable package, it’s fuel injected so it starts first time every time and you don’t have to worry about draining the flood bowl in the carb if you’re not going to be using it for a while,” says Damien.
“The other key thing is its Bluetooth app so you can monitor its performance on your phone. If it’s sitting across the other side of the workshop or outside your camper van, you can monitor how much fuel you’ve
got left in it, and you can switch it into eco mode if you want to conserve a bit of fuel. You still have to pull start the EU32i, but you can turn it off remotely through the app.”
“I think it will open up a new market,” says Damien Smyth bullishly.
Decide for yourself – see page 14 for full details on the EU32i.
Battery takes on petrol – again...
ALREADY OUT IN some
European markets but due here sometime within the next two years, the STIHL PS 3000 Power Bank isn’t a generator but may still be billed as “independence” for battery outdoor power users.
Silent and with zero emissions, PS 3000 can power electric water pumps
or high-pressure cleaners with its continuous output of 3,600W and a peak output of up to 18,000W.
Capacity is around 2.1kWh, it is comparatively lightweight (under 20kg), and with an IP54 rating is protected against dust and splash water and can also be used in the rain.
www.stihlshop.co.nz
more at www. facebook.com/NZOPEmagazine
JULY-AUGUST 2022 NZ OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT 013