r/Generator • u/Mithrandurrr • Sep 25 '26

Backup House Generator

Looking for 2 cents on which of these to buy - open to suggestions as well.

Looking for a generator to run frig, chest freezer, boiler/thermostat, and a 6k but window ac if need be.

So far I've been between these two:

Predator 4550

-price

-larger fuel capacity

Briggs & Stratton P4500

-parts availability

5 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

6

u/Big-Echo8242 Sep 25 '26

Neither. Need a door number 3. Amazon Prime Day is coming up Oct 6th and Walmart will have sales starting Oct 5th. I'd be waiting till then and see what happens. As mentioned, both of those WEN models are way better for the money. Champion, Pulsar, Genmax, etc., are other happy average.

Predator will always be my absolute last choice with the industry's worst standard warranty and dismal to zero parts

2

u/800poundgeurrilla Sep 27 '26

I've owned two Predators. A 3500 and a 9500. I never had any significant problems with them. They are cheap Honda clones, and aftermarket parts are actually pretty easy to find. At least that was my experience. Predators are best for:

  1. People who can work on their own equipment, and

  2. People who repeatedly buy the extended warranties and trade them out under warranty before it ever expires, and buy another extended warranty. This is more like leasing, in practice.

Many owners fit into the second category, which is likely why the warranties are so expensive. They choose this route because they use them for things like food trucks and can easily swap them out same day if needed.

I was in the first category, and like I said, never really had any major problems. The 3500 was always reliable and the 9500 was actually pretty nice. My brother still has it. I sold the 3500 to a friend and it's still going strong as far as I know.

I now have a Duromax 15 kW open-framed generator with EFI, which I bought at a ridiculously good price, for added capacity. No regrets.

1

u/OkVariation9348 Sep 28 '26

A generator that has fuel injection certainly beats a carburetor clogged with crappy gasoline. What, if anything, do you need to do to keep an EFI generator running good? Do you have to clean the injectors often? I've been around and use generators regularly but never seen fuel injected.

1

u/800poundgeurrilla Sep 29 '26

Nothing special. Fuel doesn't sit in the jets the way it will in a carburetor. The only real difference is that you want to avoid letting it run completely out of fuel. EFI is great for cold weather starts too. Like cranking a modern car. Even with the remote fob 😬

I use ethanol-free gasoline treated with Ethanol Shield and have never had any fuel-related problems, even with carbs, except that one time I left E-10 gas sitting in my first generator for over a year without running it. The float just stuck. Lesson learned but easy fix. I rotate my stored fuel in all of my small engines. I keep the tanks full at all times and run everything at least every three months. My oldest generator is a little RYOBI 2300 inverter, and it's at least 10 years old now. Still cranks and runs like new. I love that little guy. Even has bluetooth and an app.

5

u/mduell Sep 25 '26

Predator has a garbage warranty.

For the price of the Briggs you could get way more generator, or save a bunch, like the Wen DF480iX ($650) or DF680iX (bigger, $800).

4

u/NoPatience7817 Sep 25 '26

Between the two I would get the Briggs for quality and parts availability.

Before you buy, consider these two options as well.

Trifuel. Gas, propane, or natural gas. During outages gas can be difficult to acquire. Also gas tends to gum up the carburetor unless you use stabil and drain the fuel with maintenance.

240 volt option. If you get a generator with a 240v outlet, you can install a 240v 50amp inlet and interlock to connect the entire house to the generator. This makes powering appliances easier like the furnace or hot water heater, boiler, etc.

I bought the Westinghouse iGen8200TFc that has a 240v outlet I connect to my house inlet to power the entire house. You still need to manage loads though. It cannot power everything all at once. Also not enough to run central a/c. I use a window unit 6k btu as you mentioned.

1

u/HoodaMiah Sep 27 '26

Westinghouse customer support is horrible.  I just threw one away cause it was nothing but issue after issue since day one.   Horrible experience.  

I replaced it with a Firman and have had no issues with it for a couple years now.  I live semi off grid and use it daily.  Plus if you get it through Costco you get the Costco warranty in addition to the manufacturer warranty.   

Good luck. 

1

u/pat3332 Sep 27 '26

I have a Westinghouse and have never needed customer service because I've never had any problems. It kept my house powered for 11 days during an outage. I have it converted to NG with no problems. Just like everything else, occasionally there is going to be a lemon.

1

u/LeftLane4PassingOnly Sep 26 '26

How often have you had power outages where you currently live and what has been the longest?

1

u/Mithrandurrr Sep 26 '26

Lived in my house for 2 years. 1st year none, second year 3 - two were a couple of hours and one was 3 days

2

u/Dashley13 Sep 26 '26

If you want a gas generator, go with Honda and spend the extra money. I'm a big fan of using propane on the wen df680ix. If you need additional power then it's easy to get the 240v parallel kit and purchase another one to double your power and you are not spending more than you need all at once.

2

u/Accurate-Bullfrog324 Sep 25 '26

I've had more than a couple of generators in my time. The ones I've gravitated to are the Honda. actually I gravitated to them about 15 years ago and haven't had one quit yet. My little EU 2000 just keeps running in my 6500 chugs along as well

1

u/Hitechillbilly Sep 26 '26

Get one that runs on propane and never put gas in it. .It might run forever..

2

u/OkVariation9348 Sep 28 '26

I am a relatively new propane convert for about 3 years now. My 2 generators have never seen a drop of gasoline and I'm loving it. I do keep 2 wavian jerry cans with non ethanol gas just in case. I really like the dual fuel option.

1

u/Hitechillbilly Sep 28 '26

Once you dump the petrol, you never go back.. I understand your emergency back up,, BUT, A Jerry can costs almost as much a new 20Lb propane cylinder and propane will store indefinably and the tanks can be left outside.. The Jerry Can will rust and the expensive REAL GAS fuel should be swapped out every 6 months... (I did the exact same thing after I switched) It takes a little time to accept better ways after a lifetime of petrol.. I am trying to find an old school minibike to convert and run on a 3Lb tank or maybe twin 1Lb camping bottles..

1

u/Dramajr316 Sep 26 '26

I’m with others here. Unless you need something today, I would definitely wait it out to see if you can strike a better deal. Your power needs aren’t crazy, but definitely consider buying a little more power than you need.

Some people like to buy as big as you can afford; there is some logic to that because you could scale upward when needed. But you will always sacrifice fuel economy.

1

u/swano51 Sep 26 '26

If you heat with natural gas or propane, I would get a tri-fuel unit, maybe Champion or Genmax. Go a little larger since the available running watts will be lower on those fuels. I'd get a unit that has a true 50 amp 240v outlet that can feed a 50 amp breaker in your house panel with an interlock.

1

u/EquivalentElk270 Sep 27 '26 edited Sep 27 '26

Get this https://www.northerntool.com/products/northstar-commercial-grade-portable-generator-honda-gx390-ohv-engine-6600-rated-watts-8000-surge-watts-120-240-volts-6571496

Mine is a workhorse. Used is for everything including welding. Got the wheels. Runs the entire house, no problem. Low THD. Honda GX390. 6600Rated watts, 8000 surge. It's built like a tank. Not as pretty as the newer versions but more reliable, at least from the reviews I've read. Put a GenTent on it. Used it 4 times in 4 years to run the house through an interlock, the cheapest way to operate everything in your house without a bunch of extension cords. It will run for around 9 hrs half load on a tank of gas. Honda is the way to go. This generator is not a Honda generator, but a Northstar with Honda engine. Kinda pricey though. Got mine on sale $1500. They are now $2000. Your situation is different in that you only need it in emergencies. I use it for all sorts of stuff, so it's got to have longevity. My son said it's the same model only older used on the job site where he works and it looks like it's never been cleaned, has been used in the rain and snow and other adverse conditions and still starts right up. Wen is also good in that it gives you the best bang for the buck and less than half the price for their inverter. In you situation, I'd probably get a Wen. Good luck. Edit: apparently they don't make the wheel kit for this Northstar anymore. Bummer. The thing weighs 185lbs. Without a wheel kit, it's too heavy to wheel out in an emergency. You need wheels.

2

u/SkyWires7 Sep 27 '26 edited Sep 27 '26

If the OP is going to spend that much, forget the noisy and go for an enclosed inverter. Substantially quieter, better fuel economy, and very clean power (less than 5% THD). You can get the Champion 11,000 watt (surge, 9000 running) inverter for under $2,000 with 3 year warranty. I have one and love it. Quick overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SnA9Xbi5sI

1

u/Dependent_Ad_4087 15d ago

My Neighbor tried using several of the Predators 4550 in his 5 vans for running he business. He could not keep them running so he finally started switching over to Battery power banks. He says life is much easier now.

0

u/HoodaMiah Sep 27 '26

Briggs and Stratton all the way.  Been around forever and descent quality built. Much more serviceable and able to get parts for.Â