I personally tested the most popular power stations on Amazon. So speaking from experience, these are the best options for the money. Read these hands-on reviews.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Westinghouse 12500 Watt - Gas and Propane Powered
Top-rated: 13,134 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: A remote start key fob allows you to start and stop your generator from distances up to 260 feet away.
Helpful review: "I've never had a generator before, so am new to all of this. I bought the Westinghouse WGen9500DF, which on Amazon is listed as "Westinghouse 12500 Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator" The 12500 is the max starting watts, not the 12500 model, so that's a little confusing.
So far, I am impressed with my purchase. Everything they promised appears to have been included. It seems well made, so hopefully that is true of all of the components and it will not only work whenever we need power, but it will do so for years to come.
There was a little bit of an issue setting up the appointment for delivery. I think this was on the delivery company, XPO I think they said it was. I got a computerized call evidently trying to confirm the original setup date and time and it said, "Press one to confirm" or something like that, I pressed one, heard a strange computerized sound, and then the call disconnected. So, I figured that it was done. Got another call 10 or 15 minutes later that seemed to be the same thing, but this time I ended up talking to someone. So we confirmed it was all set up, which seemed like a bit much because I had indicated that the delivery date and time that was suggested when I ordered it was going to be fine. Later when I went to look at the track your order thing on Amazon it said something about how there was a problem with confirming delivery, so that was a little disconcerting. I decided that must have come from the first call that disconnected. Eventually that page showed that the delivery date and time was confirmed, but the note about there being a problem setting it up remained, so... it remained a little concerning. They appeared pretty serious about confirming delivery though. I lost track of how many times they called, but I thought it was more than should have been necessary.
The delivery was set for between 9 and noon. I think they got there about 10:15.
The delivery guys were okay. I was told I would get a phone call 30 minutes before delivery. They called and said they were 2 minutes from my house. Not a really big deal, but I wasn't ready to answer the door. I was sort of counting on the 30 minutes, but very excited to get the generator. They were out in front of my house before I was, but I am pretty sure they really were about 2 minutes out as they had said. They evidently were not allowed to leave the generator in my back yard, which was what I had planned. They waited patiently while I moved my car out of the garage where I guess they are allowed to leave it. They waited again while I unboxed the generator and looked for any obvious damage. The box had a hole in the bottom of it, but I didn't find the generator to be damaged in that spot or any other. I was a little concerned because I had to cut the box off of the generator and when I asked how they would take it back if it were damaged, the one delivery guy said they wouldn't take it back. He later re-thought that and said they would. Evidently they deliver for many different companies and Amazon has different policies regarding accepting delivery than the others. But again, it wasn't damaged, so no problem.
I was surprised that the 1.16 quarts of oil that came with it didn't quite fill it enough. I had to add a little bit. The funnel they sent worked great. I thought it was interesting that the maintenance instructions said to check the oil level without screwing the plug/dipstick in. It seemed a little difficult to be sure it was measuring properly without securing it by screwing it in. When I got enough oil in it I kept cross threading the plug, but eventually managed to get it in there properly. User error, I am sure. I liked that they sent a real wrench to use to tighten up the feet. They also included a spark plug wrench, which I haven't needed so far, but expect I will at some point. An nice extra little touch was that the two wrenches were in a little black bag that said Westinghouse on it. I expect this will be really helpful whenever I need to change the spark plug...maybe I'll notice that little bag and use their wrench, rather than it just sitting loose in my toolbox and my wondering what the heck that was for. This is my first Westinghouse product, so I will hopefully be able to quickly determine that it must go to the generator. The instructions said to set the generator on the exhaust side to put the feet and wheels on, so I did that. Instructions had also said to do this on a piece of cardboard or something similar to keep from scratching it up. I had to prop the bottom up a little to get the wheels on, which I think there may have been enough clearance without the cardboard being there. Propping it up was a little challenge because the generator is pretty heavy, but all of the parts were there and fit together the way they should; it was pretty easy to put on the feet and wheels.
Once I had the wheels and feet on I found the generator to be pretty easy to move in spite of it's weight. The wheels and the handle appear to be up to the task. I moved the generator out beside the garage, which is where I anticipate will be where it will run when in actual use. I attached the propane hose that came with it to one of the tanks I have for my grill. Used the fob to start it up and it started right away. One "problem" was/is that it is really loud. However, I expected it to be pretty loud, so I certainly don't blame anyone for that. I left it running and went in the house and while I could hear it. It didn't appear that the noise would be any more disruptive than a gas powered lawnmower running outside. I pressed the button on the fob and it shut down as expected. Later I tried starting it again and had another user issue. I had attached a little gauge to the propane tank to see how much propane was still in it, and then attached the hose to the generator.
Then tried to start it by pressing the button on the panel rather than using the fob. And it wouldn't start. It tried and tried. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I switched the battery switch to off and it stopped trying. That's when I realized I had neglected to open the valve on the propane tank, so of course it wouldn't start. So, remedied that, tried it again, still wouldn't start. At this point, I removed the gauge, hooked it back up, and it started. Now however, I don't know if the second attempt when it wouldn't start was due to the gauge limiting the propane flow, or just having tried to start it with the valve off. I will likely try again with the gauge and see what happens. I plugged my circular saw into each of the four 20 amp outlets and they all worked fine.
I haven't yet tested the 30 or 50 amp outlets. I have an electrician coming to install a transfer switch and expect that I will be able to test them then...as well as testing a "real" electrical load. I have not tested it with gasoline either. If it will run the whole house, or most of it anyway, on propane, I may not use the gasoline option as I would rather not deal with all of the potential issues with storing the fuel itself, stabilizer, etc... But also keeping the generator from getting all gummed up, like draining the fuel bowl etc. Anyway, I am pretty satisfied so far." — Greg Hill
Get it from Amazon now: $1,249.00 & FREE Returns
2. DuroMax 12000 Watt - Gas and Propane Powered
Top-rated: 8,716 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: With 12,000 starting watts and 9, 500 running watts, this unit can handle heavy loads.
Helpful review: "It's October 1st, 2022. Hurricane Ian tore through Florida three days ago. Our whole town is without power. The streets are dark. The houses around us are dark. Except ours. It's lit up like a Christmas tree. Every light on. My son is playing on the PS4. My wife has the oven set to 450 degrees and is cooking a pizza for my daughter. I'm watching a movie. And the AC is holding steady at 72 degrees. It may be October, but it's Florida, so its still hot and humid outside. However inside the himidity is now at a comfortable 45%. To achieve this, we purchased a Duromax 12000eh generator.
Does it work? Absolutely. You can use gas or propane, but use gas. The 20lb propane tank couldn't keep the AC on.
Pay the $200 or so it costs to have an electrician add the transfer switch to your house. And then purchase the expensive cable that let's you run from the generator to your power box. Without it, you won't be powering your whole house, and you might as well have settled for a cheaper generator.
The gas tank holds around 8.5 gallons. On a full tank, running the AC at 72 degrees F overnight in a 3000 sqft house we are at 12 hours and counting. Meaning you'll get a full night's rest and still have time to make a full breakfast before you need to get up and add more fuel.
Oil should be checked when you refuel. It took 1.5 bottles of 10w30 at the start. Three days now and I've only added about a 1/4 cup and even that was likely unnecessary. Have a few extra bottles on hand and you'll be fine.
Noise level is totally acceptable considering you're powering the whole house. I can hear it, but to be fair I can hear the other generators running on our street and they're just keeping people's fridges running.
Things I didn't think of but wish I had:
Get a generator tent. They sell them on Amazon. It will let you run the generator safely when it's somewhat rainy. I didn't buy one, so had to create a makeshift one using plastic tarps and folding chairs. It want pretty but it let us get power once the major wind had subsided and it was just drizzling for a few hours.
Read the directions. Don't run this uncovered in the rain. Don't run it indoors or in your garage unless you want to win a Darwin award.
A few notes. The orange shipping brackets are red. When you set the generator up for the first time, it says to remove these. I didn't see any orange brackets. Yeah. They're red. Remove any orange or red metal bars on the bottom of the unit. They're bolted on.
If you want to run on propane you need to buy a separate cable. I did. But now knowing that propane can't handle the AC, I can say it was a waste. Stick to gas, even though the manual says it's cleaner to use liquid propane. There's a gas gauge on the generator so you know when you're running out. You don't get that with propane. And a spare 5 gallon container of gas is going to get you 8 to 10 hours of run time and costs about the same as liquid propane. But it's far easier to find and refill a gas can. We have 6 gas cans holding 5 gallons each (30 gallons total) and that's enough to run 3 days. Enough time for utility crews to come through, remove debris and secure downed power lines. We couldn't travel for at least a day due to fallen trees and power lines, so having the 30 gallons of gas meant we were in good shape.
Be smart about what you run. Yes, I can power the whole house. I can turn all the lights on. I can have the hot water heater going, the well pump, pool pump running, etc. But everything you turn on makes your fuel burn faster, so if you don't need the hot water heater, turn it off. Pro tip. We turned ours off and still had warm/hot water in the shower 2 days later. So I plan to run the hot water heater every 3rd day.
This is basically a whole home generator. Only thing it's missing is the ability to automatically switch on when the main power goes off. But this costs 1/10th the price and is portable, so you can use it camping, etc. To buy or not to buy? BUY. Absolutely. You pay about $600 more than you would for a generator that can only power your refrigerator. And you can go back to living a normal lifestyle. I'm off to make another espresso. Cheers!" — Steve Warner
Get it from Amazon now: $1,399.00 & FREE Returns
3. Jackery Explorer 300 - 293Wh Solar Powered
Top-rated: 7,065 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Can be charged through the 60W USB-C PD and be used in parallel with the 90W AC wall charger, cutting the charging time in half.
Helpful review: "Back in April, I purchased the Jackery Explorer 1000 and the Goal Zero Yeti 500x later as a result of 2019's fires. Coincidentally, this year's fires on the entire US west coast is actually WORSE with new records broken! I cannot stress how important it is to be prepared for emergencies, and with a baby and young boy in our household, I wanted to ensure we have a crucial refrigerator running to store milk, medication, and whatever else we needed. There has been an increase in people taking emergency preparation more seriously.
I had since invested in several car freezers (favorite is the Foho 34qt BCD-32) as part of my emergency toolset. When Jackery announced the Explorer 300 (E300) with a special launch price and some improvements over the Explorer 1000 (E1000), I jumped on it for one simple reason: my little boy loves camping, and I wanted him to have a mini-Explorer of his own. Actually, I wanted another backup battery, but don't tell him that. Literally, the E300 is a mini version of the E1000, and it looks awfully cute to have my son and I stand next to one another holding our own Explorers!
Right off the bat, the two models are very similar to one another, and so I will be re-using much of what I had already written for the Explorer 1000. The E300 is the direct successor to the company's Explorer 240 model.
Jackery Explorer 300 is a relatively light power station with a professional-looking exterior and flashy, orange color scheme, and is backed by a company that appears, from the stories I have read (and personally experienced), to take customer service seriously. The batteries are made by a manufacturer I do not know much about, but their weight is an indicator that they are likely good quality. The 300W of energy (and peak of 500W) provides enough power for a small amount of electronics and small appliances, such as a laptop, television, mini fridge, medical device (like CPAP), and car freezers, but will NOT work for most rice cookers, and definitely not for a vacuum, water boiler, or circular saw.
Like the bigger E1000, the hard, plastic material used to help shed weight (and cost) could be prone to cracking from hard falls or bumps, potentially exposing the Lithium-Ion batteries to puncturing. The fixed carry handle unfortunately cannot be folded, making it not ideal for packing things on top.
Functionally, this is an excellent, portable power station with a multitude of AC and DC outputs, is solar charging capable with MPPT built in, and has a battery management system (BMS) to help ensure safety. Equally important is its verified claim of a pure sine wave - not modified - AC Inverter to produce clean electricity for sensitive electronics. Like Goal Zero Yeti 500x, Jackery finally upgraded the E300 with a USB-C PD with a 60W output. The E1000 only produces 18W. This makes it very useful for charging supported laptops.
PROS:
- At 293 Wh capacity, it is an improvement over its Explorer 240 model and falls in-between Goal Zero's Yeti 200x and 500x capacities
- Capacity to power a 30" LCD monitor and Mini PC for 3-5 hours, a Toshiba 50" Fire TV for almost 2.5 hours
- Pure Sine Wave AC Inverter capable of continuous 300W power (and 500W peak) - More details later
- Can power AC and DC (USB/12V Car adapter) at the same time (as long as they draw less than 300W combined)
-- Laptop, tablet, phones, lights, fans, CPAP medical device, projector, TV, mini refrigerator, speaker, camera, DSLR battery charger, and SOME rice cookers
- USB-C PD port outputs 60W
- Can be used while charging
- Faster charging with MPPT controller (Maximum Power Point Tracking)
- Informative LCD with LED backlight
-- Total power coming in (via solar panel or AC adapter)
-- Capacity left (as a percentage)
-- Total power (AC and DC combined) being used
--- Suaoki G500 displays the Wattage separately for DC and AC, which I prefer
- BMS provides built-in overload, overcharge (automatically stops charging when the device is full), and short-circuit protection
-- Multiple fans to keep the station's temperature safe
- VERY compact at 9.1" x 5.2" x 7.8", though the higher-capacity, slightly larger Goal Zero Yeti 500x is still my favorite for its size and capacity
- Portable at just 7.1 lbs
- Bottom is well-protected by bright-orange, non-slip feet
- Carry pouch included to hold AC charger and cables
- Cigarette socket cable included
- Unexpectedly good customer service
-- Technical support was excellent in answering all my questions
- 2 year warranty
- Clear, well-written manual, though details were scarce
-- Goal Zero's manual, on the other hand, is VERY detailed and helpful
- Company is based in California
CONS:
The E300 shares almost all the same design problems I disliked about the E1000, but also adds some improvements.
- Batteries are not made by a globally well-known, Tier 1 manufacturer
- My unit came with fuel cells by EVE Battery, a China-based, publicly-traded company
- No Anderson input port for solar charging
- You charge with an (optional) Anderson-to-8mm converter cable instead
- Fixed carry handle cannot be stowed away
- Makes it difficult to stow things on top at the back of a trunk
- Upward-curved top (underneath the carry handle) does not allow small items to be temporarily stored on top
- Hard, plastic material makes the power station lighter, but could be prone to cracking from hard falls or bumps
- Given that Lithium-Ion batteries become more volatile as capacity increases, one should handle the product with care
- Although the exterior looks very professional, once I saw the Goal Zero Yeti 500x, I fell in love with the Yeti's design
- Power buttons can be accidentally turned on/off through a single press (ie. while packing away your camping gear)
- Can lead to accidentally turning on/off the output during transport
- May unexpectedly find battery fully drained when you need it
- Suaoki requires you to hold the DC or AC button for 2 seconds before it turns on/off that output, helping to minimize accidental presses
- No automatic power off once no power is drawn/station has become idle
- AC power brick is flat and large
- No built-in flashlight or SOS signaling that the E1000 includes
- Display is not as informative as I'd like
- Only shows battery charge level, input and output wattage, but no estimate of time remaining to full charge or to empty
- Multiple fans turn on during high peak and can be too noisy for some
- Battery cannot be replaced. This can lead to unnecessary landfill waste
- Cannot be daisy-chained to other Explorer 300/1000's to extend battery capacity
- Some Goal Zero stations can be hooked up to other ones so power can be provided for an even longer time without needing to switch
- Not waterproof. Keep it away from water splashes, rain, and pool!
- Lithium and fire or water can cause serious damage or injury!
- No master power off button to turn off ALL outputs at the same time
- You have to manually switch off each type: DC, AC
- No carry bag for the power station itself is included
- BUILT Willis 11" Insulated Lunch Box (ASIN: B08D6VMGG1) fits the E300 perfectly well (with usable pockets) when the Jackery is put on its side
INPUT PORTS:
- 1x 8mm
- Accepts up to 90W
- Max 12-30V and 8A with no minimum wattage
- WARNING: Do NOT use a power source/solar panel that exceeds 30V or 8A!
- Be mindful that solar panels that are daisy chained in sequence/series may output more than 30V combined!
- Can be used for solar charging
- MPPT charge controller is built in
- I recommend using a panel that's between 30W – 100W at 18V (with the right Amps to equal 100W)
- If you attach a 120W solar panel (with 12V x 10A = 120W), it will charge at only 90W
- I did not test solar charging as California is currently blanketed by smoke from the massive fires all over the west coast
- Jackery SolarSaga 100W charged the Explorer 1000 at an excellent 69-88W of input. I expect it to be similar with the E300
OUTPUT PORTS:
- 2x AC with 3 prongs (120V)
- Inverter can handle a continuous 300W, peaking at 500W. More on that later
- Pure Sine Wave Inverter
- Ensures clean power to protect against damage to sensitive electronics
- Generates less heat
- Note: Some manufacturers claim to be Pure-Sine when they are actually Modified or Square Waves
- 1x Cigarette socket (12V, max 10A)
- 1x USB-C PD (5-20V, max 3A, max PD 60W)
- PD (Power Delivery) allows a device to be charged with up to 60W through the USB-C interface
- 2x USB-A (5V, max 2.4A, max 12W)
- One of them is a QuickCharge 3.0 for rapid charging of compatible devices
USAGE:
- To turn ON or OFF the Car/USB (DC) or AC outputs, press the corresponding button
- Note: This single-press (without hold) can lead to accidentally turning on or off the power station
- To reset an Error condition that's shown on the LCD (ie. AC port is Overloaded), turn OFF the respective AC or DC output, and back on
- To reset the Explorer, hold the DISPLAY button for 10 seconds
- Li-ion batteries have 500 charge cycles before capacity drops to about 80% from when they were new
- Product could, in theory, be charged up to 2,000 cycles — about 1/4 of total capacity is lost every 500 cycle
- Unlike LiFePO4 batteries, Li-ion can operate only in temperatures between 32-104F (0-40C)
- Jackery's Battery Management System (BMS) prevents:
- Recharging in temps outside of 32 - 95F (0 - 35C)
- Outputting power in temps outside of 14 - 104F (-10 - 40C)
- Battery, like all Li-ion, slowly drains over time even when station is powered off
- Could take 1-1.5 years to go from full to empty
CONTINUOUS VS PEAK OUTPUT:
The Explorer's AC Inverter provides a continuous output of 300W with a peak/surge of 500W
- AC Inverter: Component responsible for converting battery (DC) power into AC for use by electronics
- Continuous Output: As long as a device (or combination of multiple ones) does not exceed 300W, it can be used
- Example: A TV that uses 100W can be used because it is less than 300W. You can add more devices as long as they do not exceed 300W combined
- Example: A miter saw I have uses 1,800W, and because it exceeds 300W, it cannot be used
- Peak/Surge: Almost every device temporarily draws more power when it is turned on. The highest amount it pulls during that time is the Peak/Surge. This Explorer can accept up to 500W
- Example: A TV that uses 200W (continuous) may temporarily suck up 400W (peak) when powered on. Because 400W is less than 500W (peak), this battery will allow the TV to turn on at that level for a few seconds (any longer, and it might cut power as a safety precaution). After a few seconds, the TV then only uses 200W (less than the continuous 300W limit) until the battery is drained
- Example: An unusual device that uses 250W (continuous) and surges to 1,500W when powered on would instantly be shut off by the Jackery. Why? Even though the device uses just 250W while already on, it jumps to 1,500W when powered on, exceeding the 500W surge limit of the Jackery
CALCULATIONS:
The below calculations are rough estimates as conditions, quality, and product age can vary.
CHARGING TIMES:
- Wall charger: 4-5 hours
- AC adapter was observed to provide 76W when charging level was at 37%
- AC adapter will gradually charge slower as battery reaches full capacity (for safety reasons)
- 100W solar panel: depending on weather conditions, it should take about 5-6 hours. I could not fully test this because the smoke from the California fires is blocking the sun
HOW MANY WATTS DOES A DEVICE US?
- Calc: Watts used by device = Voltage x Amperage
- If a vacuum is 120V and 9.5A, it uses 1,140W
If a device draws more than 300W for an extended period of time, the power station will shut off as a safety precaution. This can also shorten the battery's lifetime
HOW LONG CAN A DEVICE BE USED FOR?
- Calc: Hours available for device = Battery capacity (Wh) x 0.85 / Watts used by device
-- Generally, about 10-15% of power is lost during power conversion
- If a device uses 60W, it could last up to 4.1 hours (293 Wh x 0.85 / 60W)
- Amazon TV I have uses about 100W
- If battery is full at 293 Wh, TV could run about 2.6 hours (293 x 0.9 / 100)
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHARGE A DEVICE?
- Calc: Hours to charge device = Device's battery capacity (Wh) / Input Wattage
- If a laptop accepts 60W of input and its battery capacity is 200 Wh, it could take 3.3 hrs to charge (200 Wh / 60W)
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHARGE THE EXPLORER 300 WITH SOLAR?
- Calc: Hours to charge battery = Battery capacity (Wh) / (Panel Wattage x [0.5 or 0.75])
- In a perfect lab environment, solar panels charge at the indicated wattage (ie. 150W)
- Expect to only receive 50-75% on a good, sunny day (ie. 75W - 113W), depending on environmental conditions, panel's age, and component quality
- Tip: Even if it is overcast, the panels will STILL collect solar energy. Keep charging!
- If a solar panel is rated for 100W, it could take as fast as 3.9 hours [293 Wh / (100W x 0.75)] to charge
TIPS:
- Always test your devices with the power station before you depend on it on the go
- Lithium-ion batteries are volatile
- To minimize fire damage to your belongings or loved ones, store the power station in the garage and not inside the house. Best storage is a dry, cool place, however
- You cannot bring a battery of this capacity on a plane
- With the right BMS, quality batteries, and other factors, the power station can be stored in the car while camping during a hot, California summer
-- Keep the battery out of direct sunlight. I usually store it on the floor of the car and crack open the windows a tiny bit
-- Do not USE in the car if temperatures fall below or exceed the battery's rated, operating temperature (32-104F or 0-40C)
Keep your car cigarette lighter with the power station -- you could plug it into its 12V DC socket for starting a camp fire
- If using a car charger, make SURE you only charge this station while the car is RUNNING. Otherwise, you'll deplete your car's battery and leave you stranded
- If charging with a solar panel, be sure to keep the station out of direct sunlight as it could overheat
- A solar panel is NOT required to use the battery
- Explorer 300 uses the MPPT solar charge controller
- Smarter, more efficient/expensive than PWM
- Suitable for larger systems
- Can be used and charged at the same time. Manufacturers’ recommendations for their own products:
- Yes, that’s fine: Goal Zero, Jackery, Rockpals, nrgGo
- No/Not advisable: Suaoki
- NEVER charge the power station itself in below freezing temperatures, or you will damage the Li-ion battery AND potentially limit its overall capacity
- You CAN use it to power OTHER devices because the generated heat will warm its battery enough to be within operating temps
- At below freezing temps, keep it in an insulated cooler and connected to a power source (ie. solar panels). The heat generated by the battery will keep it running as best as it can
- Turn off any output ports (AC/DC) that are not being used in order to conserve power
- Do not use any power station in a tightly enclosed area as it can overheat
- To prolong the battery lifetime while in storage, keep the battery fully charged every 3-6 months
- Or, according to customer support, keep it plugged in when not in use and discharge it to 50% every 3-4 months
- NOT using the battery for a very long time can actually hurt its lifetime
- There is no "memory effect" in this station's battery. It is better to NOT let it completely drain
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The Explorer 300 is another winner for Jackery in that it has made several improvements over its older, bigger brother, the Explorer 1000. I was disappointed to find out that its batteries are made by EVE Battery, a Chinese, publicly-traded company I have little knowledge of. The Explorer 1000, on the other hand, used either LG or China-based BAK Battery, both of which are excellent manufacturers. The company has shown time and time again that it takes customer service VERY seriously, and to me, that is a major plus. The 300W of energy (and peak of 500W) provides enough power for a small amount of electronics and small appliances, and is the perfect size for my little boy, the fellow explorer and camper.
The hard, plastic material commonly used by power stations to help shed weight and cost (just like the E1000) could be prone to cracking from hard falls or bumps, and as such, this product should be handled with care - a puncture of the Lithium-Ion batteries could cause severe harm. The fixed carry handle unfortunately cannot be folded, making it more difficult to pack things on top. But Jackery is one of Amazon's top sellers in the portable power station category with good customer service and reasonable prices, and if the new EVE Battery manufacturer proves to be as reliable as other Tier 1 makers, I will have no hesitation to recommend its latest product." — Outdoor Enthusiast & Geek Photographer
Get it from Amazon now: $279.00 & FREE Returns
4. DuroMax 4400 Watt - Gas and Propane Powered
Top-rated: 5,541 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Choose between operating the generator at both 120V and 240V simultaneously, or at 120V only with full power.
Helpful review: "I live 'off-the-grid' and needed a back-up generator for my primary one. In fact, I needed it really badly, as my primary unit's engine self-destructed. Although solar energy is one way in which I "make" electricity for my home, during the Pacific Northwest winters, there's just not a whole lot of Ol Sol to go around. Here I am in the middle of winter and my primary source of power has just died. I quickly researched available options and came to this little DuroMax generator. Reviews on Amazon tended to be favorable, but there where a few really negative comments, resulting in lower ratings. I read them all and saw a common thread: The problems were related to quality control and end-user ignorance. The ignorance I could do nothing about, and had to dismiss a considerable percentage of those comments which stemmed from that issue. The quality control issues also seemed to have a common thread: poorly fitting this or that... these things tend to lead back to the end-user and either naiveté, inexperience, ignorance or some combination of all three. Only a few reviews actually had component failure and those seemed to be satisfactorily resolved. One reviewer indicated an oil leak developed after the warranty was out, but the seller was working with him on that.
Here's my experience: Ordered Thursday afternoon. Delivered Tuesday evening. Set up (30-45 minutes), start up (recoil) and run. Charged house batteries for two hours, turned off and went to bed. Woke up next morning, electric start, run, charge batteries (and run whole house) until ready for work.... shut down, come in and write review at work (on my break - no internet at home). It starts really easily (on LPG - I haven't tried gasoline yet, but have that in case one of my smaller LPG tanks runs out), runs quietly enough that the rain on my roof was louder than the generator. I may need to adjust the engine governor, as I get an overspeed indication on my inverter. Otherwise it performs like a champ!
C'mon, people... look at the big picture: you're paying rock-bottom price for a unit assembled in China by workers who typically make less in a week than many of us make in an hour. Let's fairly assess the value of the unit:
1) The engine is a Honda 'clone', making 7 hp. It was probably reverse engineered in much the same manner as Ural motorcycles were reverse engineered from 1940s era BMWs. There's no R&D. There's no search for tiny modifications which will result in minor improvements. There's no re-tooling for newer versions and none of the intellectual overhead Honda has, but the engine is based upon a design which we know to work. Even with good maintenance, this engine will not likely last as long as the Honda upon which it was based, but at 1/3 the cost (or less) it can be replaced when needed (and Amazon sells the replacement engine!)
2) This is a dual fuel generator set, from the factory... no messy modifications. It is warranted for 2 years. If you modify (or purchase) a Honda generator retrofitted for use with LPG, you'll find that Honda will not honor the warranty on their product.
3) Noise level? I read reviews where people were complaining about how loud this unit is! I fired mine up and my wife didn't even know it was going! Go and listen to other generators before you complain that this one is loud! Compared to a Honda EU3000iS (MSRP: $1900+), this unit is louder, but is still not loud. Really.... if you want an analogy, buying this generator is like purchasing a base model Ford or Chevy and then complaining that it doesn't have fit and finish or run like a Mercedes or a Porsche. You have to look at it realistically. My Dad always said "You can't drink champagne on a beer pocketbook".
While this may be a one star Mercedes, it's a five star Ford!
Right now, this little guy IS my primary source of power, and it's looking very good. I'll update as things progress.
UPDATE:
I've now had this little jewel charging my batteries for over a month. It has NEVER failed to start. I've had three really minor issues... and two can be chalked up to operator error.
1) I have begun running the generator on gasoline, instead of LPG, because gas is actually cheaper than propane, right now. This little guy can run my refrigerator, freezer, well pump, washing machine and some lights (as well as other small appliances - TV, DVD player, etc) AND charge my batteries.... some of these things run simultaneously. It runs a looooonng time on a tank of fuel. The little fuel gauge on the tank, however, doesn't always work right.
2) Speaking of running all these things - I had it wired to run 120 volts off one leg of the 30 amp/240 volt outlet. The breaker kept popping. I then changed it to run off the 20 amp 120 volt outlet, and all is well with the world. Operator error.
3) I have (he said, embarrassed) had the opportunity to "test" the low oil shut-down. Needless to say, it works. Operator error.... again.
SECOND UPDATE:
The generator has been running every day since its arrival. Never a problem starting on either gasoline or LPG. One issue I've begun to notice, though: Since gasoline is currently still cheaper than LPG, that has been my fuel of choice; the issue I've noticed may - and may not - be related to running on gas. After the number of hours this has run (around 200), the engine has now "broken in" and tends to run a little fast. As a result, the output shows "overspeed" on my inverter. I confirmed this by choking it down, a bit, and the error signal went away. I'll need to look at adjusting the run speed on the engine. Otherwise, it keeps chugging along! The Little Generator that Could!" — Brian Faelor
Get it from Amazon now: $749.99 & FREE Returns
5. Westinghouse 4500 Watt - Gas Powered
Top-rated: 5,822 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Super quiet.
Helpful review: "When you see this go on sale, don't hesitate, just but it! I don't know how often it goes on sale but it did at least once when I bought it pre-black Friday sale for $300+ less than normal list price. Wish I had bought 2 before they went out of stock.
I'm replacing a champion 3100w remote start Inverter generator that has faithfully served me for many camping seasons without a hiccup other than a failed battery. But it would only run my AC and battery charger, but not enough juice to run the microwave and had small gas tank. Enter this Westinghouse unit. This baby will run the AC, all my lights, and the microwave at the same time. It's a real beast literally and figuratively. It's bigger, wider, and heavier than the unit I replaced it with so I have to find another storage spot for it since it won't fit in my rv bathroom like the champion did.
That's all worth it, though.
This unit is stupid quiet at idle and will run many more hours in between fill-ups because of the larger fuel tank. I only wish I could have gotten the dual fuel version but for the price I paid, I'm happy just the same. It comes with .6 quarts of 10w30 oil and a nice funnel that screws into the oil fill hole with rubber oring to prevent leaks. The instructions say to dump it all in, but it won't all fit and some will leak out when you unscrew the funnel. Be prepared by stuffing some paper towels underneath the funnel prior to filling it up to catch the excess. Other than that, I put half a gallon of ethanol free stabil treated fuel in, plugged in the battery SAE connector inside the battery door, and pushed the start button. It fired right up! I had removed the side panel to observe the auto choke lever moving at startup as some of these shipped in the past with the auto choke unplugged from the front panel.
I plugged in my RV and turned on all the lights and fans and a shop VAC and ran under load for an hour for break in. This unit ran perfectly, adjusting idle as needed for the power demands. I then plugged in my Sawzall and used it to cut up a pallet I had laying around and it ran that too. It had to really scale up RPM for the Sawzall at full tilt but it worked (Sawzall says 7.5amps).
The power guage indicates my RV AC (13.5k BTU) to draw less than 1600w while running which surprised me. It takes 2500 surge to start the compressor and then the generator quiets right down. The handle and rubber wheels make moving this thing around a breeze, though I wish it were a top mounted handle like my champion rather than having to bend down and push the release button down on the ground. Also be aware this is the SAME generator as the Cummins branded unit the camping stores are selling for $1300, so save your cash and buy this version instead.
It arrived flawless in the box from shipping although the delivery guys left it in the middle of my driveway instead of wheeling it up to my porch like every other delivery from Amazon. Good thing I was home when it was delivered or it could have easily grown legs and walked away since my ring doorbell can't see the driveway where it was left. Also, Remote start works great and I'll never own a generator without it again. Great for starting the coffee machine on cold mountain mornings when camping off grid." — Leam Mabbitt
Get it from Amazon now: $1,099.00 & FREE Returns
6. Champion 4250 Watt - Gas Powered RV Ready Open Frame Inverter
Top-rated: 546 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: RV Ready with a 120V 30A RV, plus two 120V 20A household outlets with clean power (less than 3% THD) plus two convenient USB ports.
Helpful review: "I bought this generator for backing up my 2 refrigerators, sump pump and gas furnace and because it had the inverter for steady reliable power output and the wattage covered these items sufficiently. My last generator caused my refrigerator to die because of the uneven power it put out. I received this 4250 generator and was impressed with the secured packing and compact size. The instructions were clear and it was easy to set up for operation after removing the 2 bolts used to secure the generator during shipment. After adding the supplied oil and adding gas I was able to start this generator on the first pull and was impressed with the reasonable noise level especially with the economy mode switch on. I added a 1 hp motor to test the output and ran this for about 1 hr in both eco mode and normal mode while adding a drill and a refrigerator from time to time while paying attention to the intelligent monitor to see the very steady voltage and frequency output. I liked this feature. The only thing I regret not ordering was the wheel kit which I feel should be included but in any case I ordered it and received it and easily installed the wheels. I would recommend not filling the oil or putting gas in until you install the wheels because you have to turn the generator on its side to install those. Overall I'm happy with my choice and if the support is there if I need it the price is reasonable." — Hudson Macher
Trending review: "I'm presently using this generator to plug in my block heater for my Peterbilt 579 on super cold nights. It starts with no problem at -19c. I also use a battery charger at the same time. As you might know , or not, the block heater on a semi truck is about 1800 watts. This generator has no problem handling that load. Also, I DON'T have to get up in the middle of the night to refuel. It runs a good 10 hours with that load. In the summer I'll be using it to power my portable A/C. It weighs over 80lbs full of fuel so it's not for weak people on the manuverability side. I like the open frame design for oil change and maintenance. Also the frame provides a good place to grab it. I have to lift it to place it in the storage tool box on my truck. It was much quieter than I expected." — James Majerick
Reassuring review: "This is my 3rd Champion generator in 12 years. I'm a contractor-construction manager, I use them a lot. At one time, the first one (3600 watts, 120/240V, not inverter) ran 24/7 for 4 months straight, out in the winter weather, at 8,000ft in Wyoming. Over 2800 hours with oil changes every 100 hours. It's the oil changes that are critical to longevity but with that many hours it burned and leaked some oil. The second one now has 1400+ hours on it, (I installed a Hobbs hour meter when I bought it) and again, oil changes every 100 hours. It leaks, burns and rattles but keeps on going (3600watt open frame inverter). This new one is a little heavier, louder and not the quite same quality. It has 65 hours on it and I'm pleased it came with it's own hour meter. It takes 3-5 pulls to start and several times it has "run on" or "dieseled" when shut off. That's very hard on an engine, not good for the generator and can destroy the rope start assembly. 2 of the rubber feet have broken off the bottom. Moving the fuel fill to the edge of the tank and adding a fuel gauge are great improvements. Having built over 100 auto and aircraft engines in my life, I know how critical it is to do the first oil change right away to flush out machining and assembly grit. I ran this new generator for 15 minutes with the cheap oil that came with it and when I drained it the oil was remarkably brownish and glittery. With 65 hrs running the AC in my RV with good Castrol oil, so far it looks good but has already started blowing a little oil into the air filter box. Now that I've used all the words, I hope it lasts a long time like the others, but I'm skeptical. The price was nice and low for Prime Day." — Jaden Caddie
Get it from Amazon now: $994.00 & FREE Returns
7. FlashFish 200 Watt - 151Wh Solar Generator
Top-rated: 5,010 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Multifunction LCD display shows remaining energy, charge, discharge, etc.
Helpful review: "I was supprised with how small this battery is. The whole thing is less than the size of a shoe box and comes with several accessories including a USB light, a way to charge via wall outlet (AC) and a way to charge via car (12v DC).
It doesn't have a built in DC/cigarette lighter style outlet for 12v appliances but it does have an adapter which you could then plug a splitter into it. It came fully charged which was a nice touch. The instruction manual says it will hold a full charge for about 3months.
Recharging does take a long time (all night when plugged into the wall. Probably longer if plugged into a solar panel or car). It has a helpful built in display which shows battery life. There are 5bars and each bar represents approximately 20% battery life. So you can really know how much you have left. Everybody always wants to know what real world battery life will be so I ran some tests.
My purpose for this was not to use with solar panels, but just to keep charged in case of power outages, I would be able to charge my phone, maybe watch a movie on my iPad, and most importantly to run a fan so I don't die of heat.
Test 1: ran a big box fan on high, phone charging, iPad charging, USB light. Battery life was about 100min.
Test 2: medium size table fan plus phone charging. Battery life was about 3hrs.
Test 3: ran only a DC fan (the kind you see on school buses and mail jeeps) it was powerful enough to really blow but just sipped power. This ran on high for 12hrs and still had over 20% battery left.
Test 4: just for kicks, I tried plugging it into a fridge (both full size and dorm size). Unfortunately, the surge was too much and it couldn't run it at all. This was about what I expected.
Overall, I'm very happy with this product, especially for the price. I wasn't able to find anything bigger that didn't jump tremendously in price" — Dylen Badham
Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns
8. Westinghouse 300 Watt - 194Wh Solar Powered
Top-rated: 3,281 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Charges to 80 percent in less than 4 hours using a household outlet, or less than 5 hours in the car or with a solar panel.
Helpful review: "In Los Angeles, the only real opportunity to get free high speed internet and be able to recharge all your devices is the regional or branch libraries. Problem is the location I like to use the most is closed on Sundays. That means if you are away from outlets you need to be somewhat conservative with usage of your devices. I already have a 6000 mah and 22600 mah battery pack. At the price adding this to the arsenal made too much sense. I initially was looking at the Jackery 160 and 300 models. The Westinghouse iGen 200 settles in right between and cost less than the Jackery 160. During New Years the library was closed not only Sunday but also Monday for observance. I had plenty of juice for my phones and Chromebook. A best buy for sure. I have already recommend it to a friend of mine who is constantly on the move overseas, currently in Ecuador. I would not only buy again but buy a larger model and soon I will get the solar panels (60w) to charge it." — Anthony Thomas
Trending review: "I was looking for a power station that would let me charge my devices while on a week-long camping and hiking trip with my oldest son. I don't particularly like camping, but he's a true Boy Scout who loves it. So this device is my compromise. I'm a writer so I like to put my thoughts down every day for various projects I'm working on. That means I take a small laptop with me. (And, of course, a phone). This iGen160s power station was among the more affordable options for this class. What surprised me was how light and small it was when it came out of the box. This will easily fit in my backpack. I spend a lot of time in cars waiting for my sons at activities. It will serve well there, and will even fit in my laptop bag. I am charging it with the included wall charger and car charger, but I will probably invest in a solar panel at some point. We live in the country and have frequent power outages. This thing will come in handy. As for usage, it charges in a couple hours and is easy to operate. The flashlight is a nice feature." — Aaron J. Brown
Reassuring review: "We had a planned electrical outage by SCE and I ordered this to keep my 30 gallon fish tank going. It kept the air bubbler and filter running for over 8 hours while only using one bar of battery! And I did a full phone charge as well! It did not work on the heater as it had too many volts, I'm guessing. The manual says it doesn't support equipment whose power fluctuates (or something like that), and heaters turn off and on. I was able to just heat up (not too hot) a little water and put it in a gallon size zip baggy and float it in the tank and it kept my tank at temp. Just a tip for you fish tank owners. ANYWAY, awesome product, for sure a keeper!" — Tina Badem
Get it from Amazon now: $137.99 & FREE Returns
9. MARBERO 80 Watt - 88Wh Solar Generator
Top-rated: 3,316 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: The Battery Management System (BMS) allows for voltage control, temperature control and more advanced safety operations.
Helpful review: "I’ve had this portable power station for a few years now and I love it. Around a year and a half ago I lost the charger for it though and was unable to use it at all. On a whim the other day I messaged the company who makes it saying that I lost my charger and asked if they could send me one and that I would gladly pay for it. I promptly got an email saying they would send me one for free and asking for my address. Within several days I had a new charging cable and could use my device again. Great company that makes great products and takes care of customers! I mainly use this for when I’m on the couch and lazy and want to charge my iPad while I’m using it, but I have also plugged my electric guitar amp into it and played for hours without even one bar draining from the battery, so it would be perfect for musicians who want to play in parks or while out camping or anything like that. I’d say I can charge my iPad around 4 times off this thing on a single charge. It’s quite impressive for its size." — Cora Hall
Trending review: "The MARBERO 88Wh Portable Power Station is a fantastic power source that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable and efficient way to charge small devices while on-the-go. Recently, I took this power station on a camping adventure and it performed incredibly well. During my camping trip, I was able to recharge my iPhone five times before the power station was halfway empty. In addition, I was also able to power my laptop once at night and still had plenty of energy left to use. This power station is truly a game-changer for anyone who needs to charge small devices while away from home. What I love about this product is its versatility and portability. It's lightweight, compact, and easy to carry around, making it ideal for outdoor adventures, road trips, and other activities where access to power may be limited. I have used this power station over one thousand times, and it still works perfectly fine. I highly recommend the MARBERO 88Wh Portable Power Station to anyone who needs a reliable and efficient power source for their small devices. This product is well-designed, durable, and provides an excellent value for its price. If you're looking for a portable power station that will meet your charging needs while on-the-go, this is definitely the product for you." — Alan Diaz
Reassuring review: "I am not one to often leave reviews on items but when I purchased this I could not find any other reviews to confirm what I was looking for. When I go car camping I love bringing an air mattress when I can and have had issues with similar products either not working or only working in short bursts. I received this product today and can confirm that it blew up my large air mattress with ease. Did not seem to put any noticeable dent in the remaining battery so plenty of juice to share with friends, use for other purposes, and use the lighting feature. Very glad I purchased this product and excited to use it regularly in the Colorado mountains!" — David Hinkle
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns
10. BLUETTI LiFePO4 - 268Wh Solar Generator
Top-rated: 3,082 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: 2-year warranty.
Helpful review: "I bought the EB3a to test out its functionality and to hopefully use it as backup power for my CPAP in our frequent power outages. It has a 600W sustained load rating and a peak output wattage of 1200W. It will only allow you to hit that peak rating for a split second or two before it reads overload and will shut off so you need to be sure to look at the input needs of each device before you plug them in to ensure compatibility. I have had this unit for about a month and have used it off and on almost daily, testing things that would work and may not work. This has yielded some interesting results. But before I get into that I wanted to give you a brief list of my credentials so that you have some idea as to my background.
I was an electronics technician in the navy for 20 years before retiring and have hundreds of hours of experience working on small electronics as well as large equipment with very high voltage requirements. I have been involved in testing and certification of new equipment for the US military and have spent time as a shift test engineer. That said there are several video’s out there that discuss the efficiency and the capacity of the EB3A so I wont bore you with those types of details. Honestly what do you need to know?? What can it do… What can I use it for….. Is it worth the asking price… Am I going to get value out of it….
First question, what can it do and what can you use it for. These are VERY open-ended questions because the reality is that anything that fits inside its power output range it can power. Some of the sicario’s that I have put it through were things like. Charging a laptop, charging two iPad Pro’s and 2 iPhone 12 Max’s. Will it overheat or shut down if I charge multiple tablets and how about a hair dryer? Can it power that? Well, the answer is yes maybe…. Depends on the brand and rating of the hair dryer. I was able to get it to run on low and with low heat if I pulsed the heat on and off. This may seem odd but to the right group of people this info could be very useful, take my wife for example…
Also I was able to charge and use my electronic tooth brush with water pick. All functions worked with no difference between using it plugged in to normal house power and plugged in to the EB3A. In fact the only time I really ran in to any issues was when I tried to run my coffee pot on it. Every time the heating element came on the EB3A would shut down with an overload condition, to be honest this was expected as the coffee pot has a 1300w rating which GREATLY exceeds the 600w rating of the unit itself. It also powered an ultrasonic sink both heating and pulsing its ultra-sonic waves with no issue. The last thing I tried was a house box fan. This surprised me the most of all the tests I did. The box fan ran for 6 hours on low. I charged it up and it ran for almost 4hours on high. Now don’t take these numbers as some kind of promise that it will power your fan for that long but hey, I was impressed. This little unit has some guts! It weighs in at 10.2lbs so its not something that you would want to take hiking into the wilderness BUT day camping or car camping I would throw this in the bag with no hesitations. I did run my CPAP off this and was able to get 10.5hours out of it with the heater off and running it off the AC inverter. That really surprised me that I could get even 1 night's sleep on it.
Is it worth the asking price… When looking at battery-powered devices the quality of the battery is the whole price tag and its what makes a good device good and a bad one well bad! You wouldn’t think twice about paying top dollar for a big top-of-the-line truck or muscle car but you would be mad if someone tried to sell you a ford pinto for $50K. The same applies to things like a solar generators. If the maker puts cheap 18650 cells in it at a standard market price and they start to fail after only a handful of uses then where is the value, but if they put LiPO or even better LiFePO batteries and ask just above the standard market price you can expect years of reliable use and there for the additional money now makes more sense and brings added value to your purchase. I have charged and discharged this unit nearly daily and sometimes 4 or 5 times in a single day just to put it through its paces and using the box fan as my constant I still get 6 hours on low even after more than 60 cycles of the battery from full charge to full discharge. Why is this important? Well.. Battery cells can often be a place where companies will try to cut corners to reduce the cost of a unit to make it more appealing to the general public.
Back in 2019 I was in the market for a CPAP battery but didn’t want to pay the premium price tag that medical-grade equipment has. I ordered multiple Solar generators to power my CPAP and even tried car jump battery pack that had a built-in dc-ac converter. None of these worked for more than in some cases a few hours in others I could get 1-night sleep on them but they would require hours in some cases all day to recharge and after several charge-discharge cycles I started to notice that most of them wouldn’t hold that same level of charge for very long where I might have been able to get a full night to sleep now I was only getting 6-7 hours and while this is not terrible at some point its just not useful. I finally found a unit that would hold a charge and would give me multiple nights of sleep. But that is for another review.
I have now slept on the EB3A for 3 separate nights two nights as a stand-alone power source and one night with it in UPS mode. During the two nights that I spent using it as an external power source, I slept for roughly 9.5 hours and woke up to the EB3A still having 15-20% charge.
Anyone that knows or has worked with battery-powered units will tell you that the last ~25% is always iffy and should be treated as suspect because most battery-powered units are really only guessing at the percentage remaining that said you should always assume that a battery at 25% or below is in need of charged and should not be relied upon for continued use. But to have even close to 25% left in a battery pack that is converting the DC power into AC and then the unit to convert it back to DC that's darn good. Honestly, the only way to make this better would be for Bluetti to add a 24vDC outlet onto the unit directly and while powering a CPAP isn’t the primary mission of this solar generator I feel for such a small and compact unit this does a wonderful job. And truthfully I expected it to be dead after 9 hours, so this is a pleasant surprise, please note: my Cpap settings are a little higher than most because im a bigger dude I run about 12 to 15 on the pressure settings, a lower setting like 6 could possibly yield you close to 2 nights on your CPAP with the heater disabled. The charge time from 0% to fully charged is not far from the manufacturer's stated times. In Eco mode with silent charging, it averaged 1 hour and 20 ish minutes to a full charge. This can be hastened by turning on the fast-charging mode, but beware that this causes a lot of excess heat and will shorten the life of the batteries. I did use Fast-Charging once to see what the difference in charging was. In silent, it charges at roughly 111w in Fast-Charge it ramps up to 456W. While the difference is huge, I would tend to guess that by using this mode you are most likely to only get ½ of the rated cycles out of the battery pack. It is always best to charge a battery at the lowest charge setting to reduce the amount of heat that the cells experience. That said there are times when a more vigorous charge may be warranted. But I’ll leave that discussion to another time.
This unit has features that many lack such as wireless charging and voltage conditioning on the DC side of the unit. The voltage is very stable both in DC and on the AC side this means that sensitive electronics won’t be negatively affected by the voltage drop of the battery or battery bounce back which happens when a load is applied and then disappears. Most of the solar generators on the market are made with LiPO batteries and not even name-brand cells the LiFePO4 batteries in the bluetti should last over 2000 cycles which when compared to the LiPO life of 200-250 cycles means you are getting a LOT MORE for your money.
All that said what are some things that I didn’t like? First off the fan (in silent mode)… The fan is a variable voltage/speed fan and when it first ramps up during charging it makes a highish pitched noise that when you first hear it makes you wonder if it's going to blow up. Don’t worry once it's up to speed the noise goes away and all you can hear is the standard noise that most small fans make. That said its very quiet and can’t be heard from across the room. Second the max load… This is a tough one because really I think 600W is great for a smaller lighter unit it can power a LARGE range of things without much hassle and the trade-off of a 700 or 800w ac inverter would be that you would end up needing a bigger battery to afford the higher ac wattage. 3rd The screen…. I really wish that it would stay on longer. Or give you the option to see the time remaining in the app. It’s a small thing but sometimes when you plug something in you want to see how the unit is handling it and what to expect from the battery as far as how long it will last…. And well you have to keep hitting the button to see the estimated time remaining and battery draw. Lastly The app I LOVE the app it has SOOOooooooo much potential. Please Bluetti adds more functionality to the app. There is much that a web-based app can provide such as a number of discharge/charge cycles, battery health and more accurate/averaged discharge rate and battery time remaining, this is great for loads that change constantly like a CPAP…
Final thoughts...This is one of those things that if you have never had one before you wonder what you did before you had it. In testing, I plugged in as many devices as I possibly could and as long as I kept it below the max 600w it handled it all beautifully. I am impressed with the fit and finish of this unit none of the buttons feel like they are cheap the plastic is well made the handle is very secure. Overall I feel like it is well built and well worth the asking price. With today's technology and the need to have a device charger close at hand, this is a great option for daily use as well it will prepare you for power outages and even a great power source to take on the road. This is best for 1-2 people and if you intend to use it for a larger family I would recommend looking into the larger EB50 or 70s models. There definitely seems to be a correlation between price and quality when you compare the Bluetti EB3a to other comparable brands. I will be uploading a video soon with much more information. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about the unit.
UPDATE:
Have been using the EB3a now daily since we received the unit. Still love having it around. I recently received the Solar Charge Cable for the unit and have tried charging it a couple of times with the 2 100W panels that I have on top of my shed, it is for sure slower than charging it via 120vac wall power that's too be expected but the versatility is AMAZING. I will be using this in our RV when we are able to take it out. I was concerned about using my panels with no charge controller as it was going to be a hassle to wire in the charge controller in its current location. After reaching out to Sarah and Cimy they assured me that a charge controller was not necessary and that the open voltage must be between 12 and 28vdc and it must not exceed 28vdc open voltage. After checking my panels they were well within spec 15.8vdc so I plugged them in and away it went charging like a champ. I have to say that I am even more impressed with this unit than I was initially. Thank You to Sarah who worked with me to get the solar charge cable she was very quick to respond and very professional she is a great asset to the Bluetti organization. Also to Cimy who has assisted me with many random questions that I have had. They are both great assets to this company and a pleasure for someone like me to work with." — Nick V.
Get it from Amazon now: $349.00 & FREE Returns
11. WEN 4750 Watt - Gas and Propane Powered
Top-rated: 2,160 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: 4-gallon tank provides up to 11 hours of half load run time.
Helpful review: "I have only minor complaints. When a winter storm wiped out electricity all over Texas, the generator kept my family warm even though I had somewhat neglected storage and maintenance instructions.
So, I’ve had the generator for about a year. It’s mostly sat outdoors on a covered porch, with a cover on it.
I didn’t follow the storage and maintenance instructions explicitly; I was much more lax. I stored it with higher-octane gas in the tank with stabilizer added (you’re supposed to empty the tank if storing longer than two months). I probably started it 2-3 times total instead of once a month.
Then the freak winter storm and blackouts hit us here in Texas. I had to use starting fluid to get it running the first time, but have had no issues after that during a week of using it off and on.
The choke lever needs to be carefully adjusted to get it running smoothly, but I suspect that may be my fault for gumming up the carb with older gas. A minor inconvenience...
PROS:
1. Dual fuel
2. Electric start with pull cord backup. My wife was able to start it herself, without issue.
3. Worked in freezing rain and snow
4. Powered heaters for two rooms, plus lights, fridge, TV, and some smaller items.
5. Ran for almost 7 hours on one tank of gas at near full load.
6. Comes with quick reference card for your less technically adept SO to use, if they need to start it themselves.
CONS:
1. The first time I overloaded the generator, the fuses worked as expected. The two subsequent times I overloaded it, the generator just shut off instead of tripping a fuse.
2. The pull cord is in an awkward position.
3. The oil drain plug is in a very awkward place. Find yourself a pan that will fit under the generator BEFORE you need it.
4. Filling the generator with oil is awkward with a standard funnel. You need one with a hose attached to it. Find one BEFORE you need it.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISASTER PREP:
1. The generator only needs low octane gas. If you store emergency gas, though, buy high octane gas and add stabilizer. Don’t store it any longer than a year. If you don’t use it, put it in your car/truck and buy new gas for emergency use.
2. Save the oil bottle that comes with the generator. It makes measuring the oil stupid simple.
3. Buy extra oil. The oil needs to be changed after every 24 hours of operation. You may be able to stretch that in an emergency, but be prepared with everything you need to change the oil.
4. Save the manual in a safe place for reference, if needed.
5. After using and abusing it, I’m going to clean the carb and have an extra battery on hand for hurricane season.
6. Buy yourself a spare fuel valve/petcock just in case you break it. The lever I had on a different generator was cheaply made and snapped off." — Michael Lane
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12. Champion 2500 Watt - Gas and Propane Powered
Top-rated: 1,845 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: 3-year limited warranty + FREE lifetime technical support.
Helpful review: "Today I ran through the break in schedule with a few modifications. A total of six hours on propane. I was expecting a significant amount of metal debris but I was pleasantly surprised. Here's my break-in schedule and results.
After adding the included 10W-30 conventional oil, I ran the generator for one hour (after I got it started. More on that later.) alternating between no load and 1/4 load after running on no load for the first 15 minutes. When I emptied the oil, it looked very clean with only a small amount of VERY fine metal dust on the tip of the magnetic dipstick that I had purchased for this generator. I added fresh conventional 10W-30 oil and ran it for two hours alternating between no load, 1/4 load, and 1/3 load. Again emptied the oil. It was still only slightly dirtier than the first change and again only a small amount of metal dust. I added fresh 10W-30 again and ran the generator for three hours alternating between no load, 1/4 load, and 1/2 load. I then drained the oil again. It was considerably dirtier than before but little observable metal debris.
Finally I filled the generator with 5W-30 full synthetic oil and ran the generator at 1,500 watts for 30 minutes. No problem. My break in schedule was a little work but I think it will make a difference in performance and longevity in the long run. While maybe a little overkill, for a $6.00 quart of oil and a little time, it was worth it to me. During all the break in, I used the ECO mode for up to 1/3 load and then ran on full throttle for 1/2 load or higher. It ran smoothly in both settings. There was very little oil usage during the break in runs. So far I am very satisfied with this generator so far. I can’t speak to long term reliability.
Now to starting: The temp was 75 to 86 degrees with moderately low humidity during the break in period. You will read a number of comments about difficulty in starting the generator on propane and ways to help. They are mostly right except the generator WILL start with a little patience and some elbow grease. After starting the generator for the first time, it was very easy to start after that. Getting it primed is the issue. Some folks indicated that they usually started the generator first on gasoline, then switched to propane. I’m sure this would work but I am trying to use only propane except in an emergency for obvious reasons. I know first hand how quickly a carburetor can gum up. I also considered giving the air intake a little spritz of starting fluid but decided against that. Maybe in very cold weather. I’ll have to do some research on that. The trick is to get the propane out of the tank, through the regulator and hose, and into the carburetor. With the dial set on choke I pulled the rope about six times then turned it to propane-nothing. Back to choke and pulled it another six times. This time it fired up after three pulls when I turned to propane. After that when the engine was warm, it started on one or two pulls without choking. I’m a little tired but satisfied. I will have to see how it goes in cold weather. By the way —I’m 76 years old and in terrible shape. If I can start it, most anyone should be able to.
Misc: For load testing I used an oil filled type radiator space heater. It allowed settings for 600W, 900W, and 1,500W. I only plan to run the generator continuously on up too 1,500W so these settings were close enough and didn’t require me to keep changing appliances. The generator does not have an hour meter but there is a place inside the service cover that looks like it was made for one. Following the advice of another reviewer, I bought a cheap induction meter on Amazon (Magicalmai) and used a couple of zip ties to secure it in the place I mentioned before. No drilling. Works great. Be sure to wrap the induction wire at least five times around the spark plug wire as close to the plug as possible.
I hope that I do not encounter problems with this generator as the other reviews are weighed heavily toward the lauded tech service being awful and beyond useless. Nothing galls me more than calling “expert” tech service and find out that I am speaking to someone in another country whose resources are nothing more than the same owners manual that I have. We’ll see! I guess I can’t offer any more comments at this time but I will come back after I’ve had time to evaluate the generator during actual usage. It’s getting to be storm season here in the southeast followed by winter ice. Hope it is helpful.
UPDATE:
Had our first power outage since purchasing this generator. Have not cranked it up since break-in. This time it actually started easier than during break-in. Maybe the 5W-30 Full Synthetic oil helped. I connected the propane tank and turned the dial to choke. Pulled the cord quickly 5 times and smelled propane. Switched the dial to propane and it started first pull. The generator ran for 6 hours powering the security system, one lamp, an LED TV and sound system, cable box and modem, router, computer and monitor, and refrigerator. No problems. The oil level after six hours was unchanged. Again, so far so good." — Eugene Jenkins
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