AI Power dual fuel 2000 watt generator $405 at Walmart

Its not the same thing though, many people would happily pay $20 more to get a dual fuel generator.

This is not a sale, this is a hint..

Personal experience - dual fuel is nice but not a deal breaker. In general, my experience has been that using ethanol free gas and using a fuel shutoff to let it run dry at the end of each use is fine. I always keep it fueled and full so it's ready when I need it.

My strategy has always been to size a generator for emergencies - so I have two 2k Champion inverter generators. I sometimes run just 1, sometimes both in parallel depending on load requirements. 1 generator can keep my fridge and furnace (or chest freezer) running with lights, tv while running both in parallel lets me run a portable a/c unit or a gas dryer, or multiple larger loads at once. I also like the redundancy of having 2 smaller units so if 1 won't start, I always have a backup.

I checked the use log on one of my Champion 2k inverter generators and you can see it has sat for > 1 year with no issues. Using regular gas without stabilizers is the #1 reason for your generator not starting after sitting for a long time. Since inverter generators don't use a lot of gas to run, switching from pump gas to ethanol free was a no brainer, the few extra $ for ethanol free gas was worth the peace of mind.
March 2019 - break in and test
July 2019 - power outage (~ 5 days)
Oct 2020 - test
Nov 2020 - oil change and test
Aug 2021 - power outage

My planning for emergency prep and gas storage will get me by for 3 - 5 days without having to go out to get gas.
1 x 6-gallon container with ethanol free fuel - for shorter outages when I know power will be back within a day
1 x 2.5-gallon container with ethanol free fuel for easy refueling, since it's a pain to try refilling an inverter generator tank with a heavy 6 gallon container.
1 x 5-gallon regular pump gas + stabilizer (refreshed annually, just dump it in my car and get fresh gas around Thanksgiving) - for longer outages.

Sometimes, I will add a 2nd 5-gallon container if I know a bad thunderstorm or winter warning is in the news just to give me an extra 1 - 2 days in case outages are widespread and it's difficult to find gas stations that have power or gas. My last backup is that I can also siphon gas from the car's gas tank if needed (have 2 cars).

Where can I get pure gas? I checked the pure gas websites. There is nothing around me; and I live in Houston.

Where can I get pure gas? I checked the pure gas websites. There is nothing around me; and I live in Houston.

I guess people forgot snow storms cause power outages too.

I guess people forgot snow storms cause power outages too.

I thought all AiPowers used Yamaha engines? What engine does this use?

As an aside, they had this for $399 back in July. I bought one then but returned it because they removed the 12V output on it in favor of anemic USB ports. I wasn't expecting that, because some reviews and product literature referred to the 12V output & included cables. When I called AiPower to inquire/complain about it, they said a change was made recently and they hadn't updated the manual yet.

Also, it claims to come with oil but does not--I saw that in the reviews and that was my experience as well. Not really a big deal though as you'd want to make sure you're putting good quality oil in these.

Otherwise it seemed like a nice generator (I didn't power it on though since I knew I was going to return it).

The Champion is probably worth the extra $50 because it's lighter, quieter and has the 12V output (at least the Amazon version does, I think the Walmart version is USB)

Costco sells (or sold) a version that had the actual Yamaha mz80 engine in it and is labeled as such. The other version has a "clone" but it's debatable and some have said it is an actual Yamaha based on what was imprinted/engraved on the engine block

I think you're right, but the Costco one would cost more if it was dual-fuel (propane, too):
"A-iPower Powered by Yamaha Inverter Generator" ($549.99)
https://www.costco.com/a-ipower-p...53776.html [costco.com]

Costco is always more competitive. If I needed another gasoline generator, I would buy that one.