Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Bought this unit for the quality Briggs & Stratton name, for finding replacement parts and manual specifications much easier than other completely proprietary make/model engines. Some items I noticed amiss; 1) The plastic breather filter plastic casing was ajar/stuck or installed incorrectly, I had to remove and reinstall the plastic casing. 2) Spark plug was gaped at the factory at 0.020 inches instead of manual spec of 0.028-0.031 inches. 3) The lithium battery is apparently discharged/dead, required manual starting. On a minor side note, the breather and air filter media were not coated in engine oil, so aside from ensuring proper gaping of the spark plug and oil type, I had to also coat the filter media with oil. Shrugs... task probably cannot be completed earlier, due to shipping hazards? IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING BATTERY: For enabling the battery, you need to remove the battery cove and battery, manually remove the two rubber covers on the end wire connectors for the battery, and connect the two wires. (I did not see this step listed within the manual, but could be listed. One would think a big sticker would be placed over the battery compartment door stating to "pull the entire battery out" and manually connect the wires. And for kicks for those that do not read the manual, a sticker labeling where the choke for manual starting is.) The cable/wire sticking in front of the battery is simply plugged with a rubber connector plug, as the battery is shipped disconnected. (I initially checked under the cover but the expensive looking rubber plugs misled me into believing the battery was already connected!) PROS 1) Started almost immediately on first pull. 2) Provides a funnel for filling the engine with oil. (I would have learned some new swear words without this unique funnel for filling the oil for sure!) CONS 1) No apparent shut-off switch??? I've yet to hunt the manual, but think one can only shut-off the fuel and wait ~2-3 minutes until the generator runs out of gas? 2) Ships with 10w-30 conventional oil. I prefer 5w-30 synthetic oil so that I do not have to change the oil for each cold or hot season. 3) Manual and replacement parts specifications do not state spark plug make/model, only a B&S part number. (The spark plug make/model is a Torch F7RTC for this B&S Model/Rev "030795-01".) 4) The oil fill location is very difficult to reach and the fill cap is all plastic/cheap. Obviously likely will be the first part needing replacing. If over-filling the oil, very very difficult to clean-up on the inside of the case. Best to stuff a rag or paper towel below the oil fill prior to inserting the funnel for preventing small spills. 5) Wish there were bigger wheels for moving around a forest/yard, rather than the wheels only adequate for moving on concrete. Also with the wheels provided a function for leveling the generator, rather than using blocker boards, etc. 6) I wish I could easily turn-off all the lights. But for disorderly neighbors who use generators as sonic weapons, probably best to keep this feature to ourselves. 7) Gas fill inlet port is very small and crowed with a screen. Spilling is almost bound to happen, but thankfully there's a plastic spill shield/drain. CONS 1) Air Cleaner nut mounts will shake/vibrate free, routinely loosing the nuts. If tightened or using anti-seize, the nut will strip through the plastic air cleaner mounting. 2) Wheels were not engineered to handle the 200lb generator, seeing stress cracks/fractures within the well of the plastic wheels. 3) EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO START! I've only been able to run the generator 2-3 times within the past year, each time required draining the fuel tank due to likely the plastic carburator not being able to handle the ethanol fuel, even after being treated! I have 4-5+ other B/S engines around, and no problems with those with using the same gas I used in the generator. Once drained of gas, the generator will usually start. I buy all electric starting engines, due to trying not to pull-out my back/arm/joints, instead, this generator is a nightmare to start! 4) Plastic encasement does nothing useful, and make maintenance far more difficult. Mice and rodents will make nests, and cleaning the nests will require removing the wheels and all of the plastice encasement, as no one side is easily/readily removed. 5) Push button/toggles is not user intuitive, making starting more difficult to diagnose start-up problems. CO detector is idiotic when running outside, only likely causing more problems. 6) No solid point for securing/chaining down. 7) Warranty service on this product is a hassle. Due to parts not being available, warranty repair had to hack a repair job on the missing air cleaner plastic mounting. Since this generator is likely a problematic with ethanol based fuels, and missing nuts due to engineering oversights from vibrations, getting warranty service on this generator is a nightmare. I've heard repair centers claim ethanol in the fuel is not their problem, and it's not their problem on how water gets into the fuel, and the warranty service for the generator's failure to handle ethanol based fuels will not be covered under warranty. (Ethanol induces water problems within the fuel.) For $27 on air element/nuts parts replaced through warranty, they want me to drive 120 miles, to and fro, twice and wait two weeks. 2020.09.21 I've only been able to run this generator three times within the past year due to the generator engine carburator not being able to handle ethanol treated gas. The generator is extremely difficult to start. The push buttons are not really user intuitive and the CO detector and start procedure more so masks engine start problems versus solves any issue. The casing is not mouse/rodent proof and prevent ready access from cleaning nesting from the inside of the engine. Removing the plastic covers, requires removing the wheels and all other covers, rather than just one side's covers. No real solid structure for passing a lock/chain through for locking-down the generator.