First, let me make a clear distinction between Amazon and Generac. I purchased this item on 9/15/10. Amazon could not have done better both before and after the sale. Exceptional service. Generac, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. I have not had an opportunity to use the generator yet. I won't have the necessary electrical work done for another week. But I assume that the generator will deliver as promised because I'm certain other reviewers would have said something by now. If it doesn't, I'll add to this review.My generator was DOA. It would not turn over with the electric start in spite of charging the battery for two days. Also, it would not even "pop" with the manual starter. Four of us tried. And this is where the problem really begins. Generac's warranty policy states that portable generators must be returned to a factory authorized service center under all circumstances. In my opinion, having wheels doesn't make it portable for warranty purposes. Somehow, getting a 255 pound generator in the back of my 4 door sedan, and driving it 25 miles to the closest service center after paying over $1,200 for something that never even started leaves much to be desired. I spoke to two levels of customer service at Generac, and got the same story from both. Because of the hazardous materials in the generator (oil and gas), it can't just be returned. So you need to deal with Generac and their warranty policy. I could have someone from a authorized service center come out to work on it. But, it will cost me $100 right off the bat because Generac will not pay to have anyone come out. I don't think I should have to do this on brand-new merchandise.
I think another reviewer also found this out the hard way. So before you buy anything from Generac, just be aware of what you may need to go through if the item is defective within the waranty period. If you're one of those people who regularly haul things around in a pick-up truck or with a trailer, fine. If not, think twice.
This is a very well made unit with a unique engine design for generators. Many generators use general purpose engines not well suited for this application. For those who have trouble starting remember a couple of itemsit is shipped without gas and oil_ once added you want to crank a few short times to splash the oil on the cylinder. Make sure the fuel shutoff valve is open. You may have to crank several times to get the fuel in the systemif you over choke you will need to crank as if flooded or let it sit a few minutes and crank again. This is normal for any engine that has been shipped dry of fluids. Once started let it run for 15 minutes.
This is an excellent unit but could have a couple of redesigns. First, put some real wheels on this heavy babyevery generator I looked at had plastic wheels. Second the handle bar mechanism needs a minor change, If you pick up too quickly or in a bind situation the bars may slip out of the snap mechanism. A simple pin to lock it out would solve the problemI will retrofit mine.other negatives? Can't find any.
The quality build is exceptional compared to competitors. Commercial design and parts set this apart from most generators. A generator needs to be well built, well designed and is not meant to be a thing of beautydon't be fooled by the glitzy looking imposters that use old brand names but are now built out of the countryBrand new today. Put it together, oil, gas, excited to start it up. Nothing. Cranks, but will not turn over. Not even a hint that it wants to start.
Guess I will have to pay the bucks for a repair guy to come out an visit. Very, very annoyed!!!I absolutely love this generator I have put over 100 hours on this unit since I purchased it last year at about this time. Combined with a Reliance transfer switch I had everything hooked up to 6 circuits in my house in about an hour. The generator started right up out of the box and has started reliably every since even when I use the manual pull start it fires right up.
I am powering everything from a 220 well pump to my dishwasher to my oil fired boiler/airhandler to my lights...oh, and of course my fridge,freezers and flat screen tv...with plenty of power to spare. And yes, having a dishwasher on my generator might be considered a bit excessive, but 8 days into an outage its looking pretty nice. I guess if I had to do it again though, I would go as far as adding my wash machine because around day 10 our clothes are starting to ripen a bit.
Some things about the generator:
Its loud...
Its very heavy...
It burns about 5 gallons at 1/3 load for 6-8 hours of use
Did I mention its loud?
You can use a Fram PH4967 oil filter in a pinch to substitute for the Generac filter.
I run the generator religiously once every 2-3 weeks for about 10 minutes
I change the oil/filter after every lengthy use regardless of what the hour meter says
During an outage I run it for about 8 hours a day, never over night
In fact, I am running the generator now as I write this on my laptop...I know a lot of people are shopping for generators now after Sandy so I want to make sure Generac gets a fair shake, despite some of the negative reviews...So 5 stars from me for this excellent product and here's to hoping I never have to use my generator again!
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