Steel Inc. guy told me a lot of Federal stuff is seconds - or it could also be poor storage practices.
I heard the same rumour about variable wall thickness from Federal. I haven't seen it first-hand...just feeding the rumour mill.
Back to the EU2000i...I never score great finds like this...but (you guys will love this)...it was an garage/"estate" sale in Bearspaw (off 12 Mile Coulee Road in Calgary NW) where the guy was downsizing . After poking around for a bit I spied the thing in its original box and plastic wrap. I asked him if it was for sale in front of his wife, and she went off in a huff. So I knew I hit a nerve and there was a story there. Turns out their son bought it for them a year or so earlier, but it had a "rattle" in it. His wife was concerned it was defective and would EXPLODE if fired up. No idea why he didn't take it in to get checked. Anyways, it did have a pronounced rattle to it. He had obviously had it with the whole "spousal discussion" on the matter and said: "200 bucks and it's yours...no guarantee!" So I took it. Half and hour and a few bolts later I found the screen on the flame arrestor in the exhaust manifold had just come out (probably just a QA/QC issue). I went into Adventure Honda to buy a new one and the service counter guy said, "this has never been used," so he just replaced it free.
Best deal I ever got. Later I remembered that I
think I saw a new cover and hour/rpm meter for it in his garage as well. I should have gone back for that, but I was already feeling like the cops were going to arrest me for the deal as is and I should join a witness protection program and just stop being so greedy.
I love those EU2000's...quiet and powerful.