Yamaha 6,600-Watt Industrial Generator with Electric Start #YG6600DEC

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 235.9 pounds
• ASIN: B0000225CX
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,712 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top of the line!, December 18, 1999

By 

Gary Berton "bert-toolnut" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yamaha 6,600-Watt Industrial Generator with Electric Start #YG6600DEC

I have 2 of these Yamaha Generators and they are the best! Dependable is the first thought that comes to mind. They start and run with one or two pulls (they have electric start, if you add a battery). They are extremely quiet and they run all day on one tank of gas. Yamaha has a reputation of making only top quality stuff, and these generators have all the bells and whistles. I was pleasently surprised at the low cost compared to other top of the line generators. If you are looking for top quality at a reasonable price, this Yamaha can't be beat!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Generator I have ever used., February 20, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Yamaha 6,600-Watt Industrial Generator with Electric Start #YG6600DEC

Hey do you think the last guy reviewing this generator works for Honda? I find his story hard to believe. I have run Honda's, Generac's and Makita's and none of them even come close to this Yamaha. This Yamaha generator is an animal! By the way, I am NOT an employee of Yamaha.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reliable, Hard-Starting, October 13, 2008

By 

New England Yankee (Northern New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Yamaha 6,600-Watt Industrial Generator with Electric Start #YG6600DEC

It seems that reviews are going to vary quite a bit on this generator.

I bought mine new from a marine supplier going out of business and have used it as a backup generator for about 5 years in two different houses in two different climates (the South and northern New England). My generator has been hard-starting since new, with no adjustments, plug changes, or anything else making any difference whatsoever. (And the gas has a preservative in it.) I absolutely cannot pull-start mine unless the engine is hot. Because of this, I start mine with the electric starter and always keep a battery charger attached. The good news is that it always starts without fail and runs smoothly immediately on starting, even though I have to crank it a bit. Starting is pretty much the same in warm temps or sub-zero.

I bought this generator because of its excellent reputation for clean power and for its ability to handle surge demand - important for a backup generator as you don't want power to sag too far when motors in well pumps and furnaces kick on. The generator motor is brushless and high quality. The engine is built for long life and my direct experience has proven that out, having had to run through outages lasting days. It is also reasonably quiet given that it is an open frame design.

The 6600 is heavy. I highly recommend getting the mobility kit. As an FYI, the frame has a lifting eye on top - very handy if you have the ability to take advantage of it.

My generator panel carries the well pump, 1st floor furnace, refrigerator and freezer, pellet stove, a selection of light circuits, and a few other circuits. I start the generator with all circuits running motors off, switching them in 1 minute increments to offset any starting loads. The switching sequence is kept on a list in the panel.

I'm not sure what direction I'd go if I bought another generator. On one hand, it would be convenient to have a built-in, whole-house unit. Then again, they are expensive and you leave those behind when you move. Another direction would be an inverter-based unit. The advantage there is cleaner power, but they have a higher risk of breakdown (more electronics). Pick your compromise, I guess. A high-quality, air-cooled, open frame generator is an excellent choice, but you need to put the emphasis on quality when you buy. Pass the discount and home center brands by and pick up something like the Yamaha, a Honda, or an Onan.

This is an excellent generator, though I have to knock it down to 4 stars because of the starting issues I've experienced with my unit.