Champion 5,500W/4,000W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator w/ Electric Start Expired

CONS:

Lastly, This is a 120v generator, so you will not be able to connect this to a transfer switch directly to your home.

I got the 8750w inverter model (not dual fuel) for the same price. You can install the dual/tri fuel kit and it has the proper 30a 240v outlet to run your home. Thing is a beast.

California Air Resources Board has special pollution requirements (CARB compliant). They're necessary in a state with such a large population concentrated in a few major metro areas. If you don't like clean air, you can leave, but I suspect there's something keeping you here, even if it's just the opportunity to complain.

I maybe be wrong, but I don't think that one was a portable inverter generator. Not quite apples to apples comparison, but that Firman seems to be a better deal.

This is the creme de la creme of why urban myths get perpetrated. A little background, i used to design datacenters and have setup lab environments and let me try to dispel horrible myths. First off there are very few items that require an inverter setup and most of them are medical devices with motors like a cpap machine, inductive loads, or items that require precise reference voltages from the line. It is a 100% myth that electronics with ac adapters in general require low thd or low ripple sine wave. I have been in countries with power worse than from a generator. Ups from 10-15 years ago had 30%thd and you lose efficiency through power factor unless you are using the dc power adapter which may cause it to buzz or heat up a tad more it will generally never hurt them. Main urban myth.

The big issues with non inverter generators is frequency control and avr. Now i will begin that almost no consumer ups regulate frequency (some do on avr and it is minimal) and that poor frequency control is the number one death of appliances that have ac motors not 120v electronics. So if you have a non inverter generator it is key to keep the engine serviced and more importantly calibrate the engine rpm to stay in an rpm that is conducive to 60hz and most are like 3600rpm. That is frequency control, you want a stable frequency for a regular ac wave for motors get it. Next is avr auto voltage regulation which is normally capacitor controlled and most decent generators will have avr adjustment and you want that at 120v rms or the like. I like to run mine a tad hot, but ymmv you dont want a voltage sag.

The last important thing is what a ups can do for you on a generator. So you have sine wave which can keep thd down and get you better power factor. Not a bad thing, but not the worst offender. Even on a generator the ups is most likely not on battery/inverter. Then you have avr which some consumer ups can monitor and some can perform minor voltage adjustments but if it gets too far out of spec the inverter comes on and you are off the battery. Note that none of these ups perform frequency correction so if you have a bad frequency this could be dangerous to ac motors and say a cpap machine. Most decent consumer ups use a line interactive or the like which means that its passing through the mains power and outside avr if it has it, its just looking for power and voltage anomalies. Cheaper ones dont have avr and may use offline topology.

Now one could easily run a regular generator and still have a critical device like a cpap on a special ups called online or double conversation which takes ac to dc to ac and cleans up the power profile totally even from dirtier sources. Yes it seems redundant but for critical equipment not a bad idea even if you dont use a generator and run off the grid to use an online ups on a critical device like this.

Inverter generators are not bad at all, they take away poor maintenance and have better avr and many have much cleaner pulses with much lower thd and are often quieter and more energy efficient because they dont rely on constant rpm like a normal generator.

So i am not dissuading anyone from using an inverter generator and they are the best, but i also want to inform people that the basis for why you cant use a regular generator or what a ups can do are often flat out wrong.

In my case i use an open frame generator because i need split phase and the electricians that ran power to my circuits were judicious with mwbc and stuff i need are on those shared circuits. Yes you can get a 230v inverter generator but they are very expensive and for the 1-2 times i use it every 5 years i dont really need one but yes one would be better. I can adjust mine because i know how and have the test equipment to calibrate it. I recommend to folks where there are frequent outages or you are using them for remote power like an rv yes get the inverter generator, because of the efficiency, slack, and less risk of potential equipment faults.

Hth.

I got the 8750w inverter model (not dual fuel) for the same price. You can install the dual/tri fuel kit and it has the proper 30a 240v outlet to run your home. Thing is a beast.

**Edit** The 8750w inverter model is actually $100 cheaper than this right now. Add the tri fuel kit and you have the biggest inverter generator for under $1300

Repped you but one review - Do your research before you buy this generator. Understand what THD (total harmonic distortion) is and how it will affect your home electronics. I had to call Firman to find out this unit has a THD of 25% which is off the charts high and will destroy sensitive electronics and expensive appliances. I'm really disappointed that the Costco buyers would put such a low quality product on their shelves. Costco members expect and server better.

But another said - An easy and inexpensive way to get around the dirty power issue for computers and televisions is to use a high-quality battery-backup uninterruptible power supply that provides clean AC to devices plugged into it. This is a good idea anyways — even electricity from the utilities isn't slways "clean."
I got an APC UPS from costco for $229 and have my tv, cable box, internet modem, and computer plugged in.