Customers regularly compare a Pramac quote to a cheaper online listing of an identically-spec'd generator and ask the obvious question: why is yours nearly twice the price? The honest answer is that very few of those 'identical' units are actually built the same way.
01Engine quality and tier
A genuine Perkins 1106-series engine in a 100 kVA Pramac costs roughly A$8,000–9,000 wholesale. A generic Chinese 'P-style' engine (same bore/stroke, no licence) is A$2,500. Both produce 100 kVA on day one. After 5,000 hours, the Perkins is barely broken in. The generic is on its second top-end rebuild — if you can find parts at all.
02Alternator build
A 100 kVA Mecc Alte ECP-series alternator with double-bearing brushless construction and class H insulation costs A$3,500. A no-name Chinese single-bearing equivalent is A$900. The Mecc Alte is rewindable and runs at <2 % total harmonic distortion. The cheap one isn't and doesn't.
03Controller and safety systems
A genuine DSE 7320 / DSE 8610 ATS controller is A$1,400–2,500. Cheap copies are A$200. The DSE has global firmware updates, certified protections, and spare modules on the shelf in Brisbane. The copy you find on AliExpress has none of the above.
04Build, canopy, and compliance
A sound-attenuated Pramac canopy is welded steel, powder-coated, with the right ventilation geometry to keep the engine cool at 40 °C ambient. Vibration isolators are rubber-bonded steel. Fuel tank is double-walled and bunded. Ventilation and IP ratings are documented; the package is engineered. All of that is in the price.
Cheap imports often have thin folded steel, no ventilation testing, and IP ratings that read well on paper but fail in practice. Good luck receiving a drawing that passes the engineers pub test or detailed schematics.
05Local support — the part you can't see on the spec sheet
Genuine warranty support, factory-trained technicians, locally stocked spare parts, and 24/7 emergency call-outs cost money to maintain. The $13k 'saving' on a cheap import is the first 5 years of zero local support.
Frequently asked questions
What's the actual total cost of ownership comparison?
Pramac 100 kVA over 10 years (5,000 hours): Purchase $32k + servicing $14k + 1 alternator AVR swap $800 = ~$47k. Cheap import same hours: Purchase $19k + servicing $14k + 1 engine top-end rebuild $9k + 1 controller replacement $2.5k + 2 alternator failures $7k + 8 weeks of downtime = $51k+ ignoring lost-production cost.