Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We purchased this generator because after Hurricane Matthew last year we determined we did not want to go without water and air conditioning in Florida. We have had to put it into use because of Hurricane Irma, and based on our experiece so far we would say it is a great tool for your storm preparations. We have been running on the generator now for five full days and it has held up quite well. We started off on propane from a 100lb tank and that lasted from mid-day Sunday when the power went out to Tuesday afternoon when we noticed the condensation at the very bottom of the propane tank (~47 hours) That utilization is running a ~2,600sqf 5br home with 4 ton 16 seer A/C and a well and two refridgerators (we have on-demand electric water heaters that are on a separate box and are too high a load for the generator so they are not included). One note about the A/C, as noted in another review, the lights do dim when the A/C kicks on because the startup load is pretty heavy on a 4 ton A/C unit. We did not turn the breaker on with the double oven, but the stove top and microwave have been used numerous times. For the A/C, it does put a heavy load on the generator when it starts however after startup, the A/C runs quite well. We have ensured we do not use the A/C at the same time as the stove based on the load. We have the generator into the house using a Reliance Reliance Controls Corporation PBN50 50-Amp NEMA 3R CS6375 Power Inlet Box for Generators Up to 12,500 Running Watts and a 15ft cable Conntek 1450SS2-15 15-Foot Temporary Power Cord, 50-Amp 125/250-Volt, NEMA 14-50P Generator Plug to CS6364 Locking Connector directly to the power box. In the box we installed a manual interlock kit to meet code requirements Square D by Schneider Electric HOMCGK2C Homeline Cover Generator and QOM2 Frame Size Main Breaker Interlock Kit. Once we ran out of propane, we switched to gasoline and have been running on that ever since (yes, we are still out of power 5 days later). For the gasoline, the longest we have allowed the generator to run without filling is 12 hours overnight, and that was with the A/C set to 78 degrees, so it did come on during the night, and when we filled the tank in the morning, there was still over an inch of gasoline left in the tank. These times will vary based on the load upon the generator, and we realize we have been using it well above a 50% load. On the technical side, the reason this gets four stars instead of five is because of the tires. After receiving the generator, the wheels were installed and the generator stored in our garage. The wheels are made of solid plastic, and the weight of the generator made them go flat on the down side. We replaced them with pneumatic tires and that addressed the issue. Secondly, it would be very useful to have a load indicator on the generator to show overall load against the output. The generator starts quickly and easily using the electric start, however I could not get it to start with the pull rope. Also the charging indicator has come on numerous times even though the generator has been running for days, and if the battery is not charged at this point, I am unsure why it would happen. Lastly, the user manual says to change the oil every 20 hours or monthly. We changed the oil as specified, and it certainly looked as if it needed to be changed. Do NOT put this off because as with any engine, dirty oil will cause the engine to overheat and eventually cause damage. Lastly for the seller we purchased from. They did very well addressing concerns with shipping because we live way out on a dirt road and there were difficulties with the drop shipment. The seller did address the issues very quickly and ensured that we were satisfied with the sale. Based on our current use we would (and have) recommended this generator to friends. It is (so far) very solid and meets our current needs. We will provide an update to the review after our power is restored and the first real use of the generator is complete. UPDATE - So just wanted to update this review after 3 years of use. The generator has seen a lot of use as we live in Florida and losing power is not an unusual occurrence. I even accidentally dropped it while moving it with my tractor and it got pretty banged up cosmetically. Having said that, at over 3 years old it runs like a champ and starts every time. The only thing that has had to be replaced was this year the battery. In the Florida heat with a sealed battery that is not unexpected. We again stand by our initial review and would absolutely buy this generator again. Update December 31, 2020 - Pulled the generator out to use it to power a welder in an area with no power. Initially it ran, but was very difficult to start with propane (we have used it almost exclusively with propane). It ran for one day on the propane, but the second day it ran for about 15 minutes and just sputtered and died. Upon inspection there seems to be a good deal of oil around the pressure regulator, but again, it would not start or run at all on propane. Filled the tank with gasoline and it started on the first turn of the key. Ran perfectly for 8 hours. We are assuming the pressure regulator has either failed or is gunked up with oil. After some amount of research, it is apparently not uncommon for propane to have oil in it depending on the source of the propane. If it is generated from crude oil, it may have a higher content of actual oil residue in the propane. I'm not going to take stars away because I think this may be more of an issue with the propane source than the generator. Going to replace the regulator and see if that fixes the problem.