Customer Reviews

Champion Power Equipment 46534 4,000 Watt 4-Cycle Gas Powered RV Ready Portable Generator With Wheel Kit (CARB Compliant)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After losing power for 5 days last December I swore to never be in that situation again. I had looked at portable generators like the Honda and Honeywell 2k models because they were small and light (60 lbs). Unfortunately they were also expensive per kilowatt and did not have adequate power. On the other end of the spectrum are whole house 6-8KW models, but at 200+ lbs they are too heavy for me to move by myself. I opted for the Champion 4kw because it weighs 100 lbs and has a reasonable amount of power. I ordered on-line because my car is too small to carry the boxed unit and at 100 lbs it would be difficult to get in/out of the car. I was delighted to see the unit delivered to my door in just 3 days! It assembled in 10 minutes and started on the second pull. It is fairly quiet (no louder than a lawn mower) and easy to operate. The only caution is that to use the full 4kw you need a 110v/30 amp twist-lock cable, which I haven't been able to find at the local stores. You can use a standard 110v extension cord for lower power use.
All in all, I am very happy with the product and the fast delivery. Hopefully I'll never need it but the peace of mind is worth the purchase price.

This is a great generator for its size. We had a storm about a week after we got it. And it took the power out for about seven hours. I started this thing on the second pull, and ran a 10,000 BTU window AC unit and a side by side Frig. and satallite reciver and TV. Never sputterd when the Frig shut on and off with the AC running. A great product for the price...

I did a lot of surfing to find one I thought was good for money and would meet my needs. All reviews on this were 5 star. Packaging was good enough to keep it in tip top shape. After adding my own oil (not included) and gas, the generator started right up after three pulls. Runs great out of the box. I bought this for my new 5th wheel which has a 15,000 btu AC unit. Not counting the AC unit, the Generator powered everything else with ease. At first it did bog down on the AC. After running a minute or so, it pulled the AC unit fairly well. It should do well with smaller AC units. It was a little louder then what I expected but this is my first dealing with a generator so I dont have anything to compare it to. I wouldnt recommend this for RV parks as it is likely to loud but for dry camping or setting it up at a rest stop to run the microwave for that long break, it is great. Basically as loud as a lawn mower. Me and my wife can pick it up with ease togather. At 100+ lbs, would not recommend man handling it alone. Over all I am very impressed and it will make a great dry camping addition and I already have several uses planned for it. This is definately the cream of the crop when it comes to this size generator at this price. There is a lot of crap out there and this is NOT one of those. If I had it to do over again, I would have stayed with this brand but upsized the power more but then you are talking about more money so I had to way my options. Bottom line - You will be happy with this, I am.

I setup the generator (model# 46534) as instructed by the "Quick Starup Guide". Wasn't sure if there was any oil in the engine so I removed the oil drain plug and captured some oil into a drain pan. After putting the drain plug back in and adding the correct amount of oil (the manual says 0.63/qt which is 20.16 oz's) I filled up the gas tank...set the choke...turned on the on/off power switch and pulled twice and it started right up. I let it warm up for about 5 minutes and then plugged in a shop light and had instant light. To me it's not that noisy (maybe my hearing isn't as good as others) but if it were parked oustide for a night in your neighborhood some neighbors might not appreciate the noise. Still...it's not bad in my opinion.

The generator was packaged nicely and no damage in shipping occured. It was easy to setup and dosen't take too long to add the wheels, handle, spark arrestor, oil and gas. It's well built and runs very smoothly.

What I like:

1. It's on wheels and is easy to move around with the supplied handle.
2. It has a gas gauge on top which is easy to read.
3. Compact and nice looking.
4. Low oil sensor to shut engine off so no damage occurs.
5. Voltage meter to check output readings.
6. Will have power now in the event of a power outage.
7. Runs very smoothly.

What I don't like:

1. (not a product issue) Adding gas is not hard but pay attention if you pour from a larger gas can as it can be difficult to accurately hit the fill opening. A nice funnel will help with that. I use a 5 gallon gas can with a curved pour spout but it still will pour too quickly if your not careful and spill some gas. Just be careful when filling.

2. The angled dipstick leaves a little to be desired while you check the oil level. It's not impossible to get it right...it just takes extra time to keep checking it to make sure the oil level is where it should be. Maybe a different color of dipstick would help with this?

This is a decent generator and I would buy it again for my needs. I will update my review later once I have had more time using it but from first impressions and little use so far I like it and would recommend it to others looking to buy a good generator that won't brake the bank!

Best Regards!

After looking at many units, this is the one I bought. Large gas tank, low noise, great power output, and the price is right. Starts on first pull, runs forever.

This product arrived 2 days earlier than expected, which worked out great. I was leaving for a camping trip and wanted to bring this along. The campground was a "primative" setting, meaning no electrical hook-ups for the RV. This Generator worked flawlessly. Following the easy steps to get it running was a no brainer. All I had to do when it arrived was attach the wheels and handle bar and add oil and gas (seperate, of course) and start it up. I ran it for a few minutes, let it cool down and then installed the flash arrester in the muffler's exhaust. It worked reliably. The power output was plenty. I didn't run the air conditioner in the RV because it was an unseasonably cool weekend, so I really couldn't try to overload the generator. I'll give a whirl next time when I'm out RV-ing in the "heat". The fridge stayed cold and all the lights stayed on when I needed them. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. Worth every penny.

Bought this as a standby generator for my home (NC hurricane lane). Had a different generator before and I didn't need a special turn lock connector for the end of my extension cord which will run to the house as I do for this one. My other generator also had a 220v outlet (this doesn't). Dummy me for not researching more but not a game ender. Only problem I've had so far is that the gasket for the petcock on the gas tank deteriorated and started leaking! Not something you expect from a brand new unit, inferior quality rubber I'm guessing. Yes, makes me leary about the rest but time will tell. I do like that it came with the wheels and handle!!!
Overall, happy and kinda wish I'd bought 1000W bigger one. Worth it to spend an extra $100 and get more than you think you'll need.

Unpacked the generator and its associated "accessory pack" which included wheels, spark arrestor, lifting handle, oil funnel.
Color Quick start foldout was spot on, manual for accessory installation was off. Specifically it stated a 17mm wrench and a 16mm socket would be needed to install accessory pack. those were needed for two of the 10 bolts, the other 8 where all 12mm, additionally a #2 Philips was "needed" to install the spark arrestor. List of tools being incomplete aside the unit was quick to assemble.
I was expecting a bottle of oil, i was not disappointed when there wasn't one, but someone expecting to use this out of the box that would not be the case. After adding oil, and filling the gas tank up i followed the "quick start" guide and had the unit up and running in about 2 minutes. Earlier comments were that it was loud, i found it to be same volume as my 6hp craftsman lawn mower. subsquent restarts were done with 3 or less pulls on the handle.
I like that this unit has a low oil sensor, however the oil dipstick is not an effective measureing device. It sits at an angle and seems to read the same "minumum" for a LARGE difference considering that only .6 liters fills the unit up.
I have not "used" this unit for any prolong periods, but with my current exposure am more than happy with it.

Have been using this unit for about 6 months for my Mobile Cleaning Service. Easily operates my vacuum and 1200 watt (3500 Start up watts) Pressure Washer. I would not describe this generator as "Quiet", but at 12 to 15 feet you can hold a conversation so I feel the noise level to be acceptable for my applications. Fuel consumption is as listed, the gauge is not the best but I can easily open the tank and look, no biggie. Usually starts on the first pull with NO CHOKE! Exceeded my expectations for sure in that aspect. Only has one standard standard outlet. That being said, I bought a commercial grade three way cord (2 feet long), and it actually stays plugged in more securely than the standard cords on my equipment (due to vibration). So now the extra outlets are a non- issue. Change the oil after the first 5 hours of operation as recommended. I use synthetic 10-30. This unit is as dependable as a generator should be and the price is excellent. Two day Prime shipping made this a great buy.

Wow, what a great machine! The box was in very good shape when it arrived. Some tape failure on the sides and 2 of the 4 plastic straps were missing, but no dents. I was concerned when I opened it but the unit was perfect. Not a scratch. The yellow and black color combination is very cool. The wheels and provided hardware are very high quality. I assembled it in minutes. The craftsmanship feels American or Japanese, not Chinese. You will need 3 different sized sockets and box end wrenches (or crescent wrench). The only snag I had was a tiny welding spur in one of the wheel axel holes. The wheel bolt wouldnt insert. I probably could have knocked it out with a flathead screwdriver but I chose to use a cordless drill instead. It popped off with almost no effort. That was that. I had the whole thing assembled in 15 minutes. The color folded card/poster gives you step by step instructions. Step 4 (I think) is to insert the oil (which is not provided- of course due to shipping restrictions). The unit comes with its own long-neck oil filling funnel. Very nice touch! I think most other generators (especially out of China) dont come with a funnel. So, I followed instructions, added oil, added gas, opened the fuel valve, opened the choke, turned the power switch on and gave it a pull. OMG, this thing started on the first pull. It was awesome. I ran it for about 45 minutes. I hooked up my 300 mph leaf blower. It barely made the unit flinch. Lots of power. The voltage meter needle on the side did not budge off its 110 reading. Engagine the blower barely made the needle twitch before returning back to 110. This is the best generator I was able to find for the money. Because it is CARB compliant, it cost about $100 more then the others. Thats a bummer. Thats California for you. If I still had my office in Las Vegas, I would have had a non-CARB shipped there then brought it home. I am going to build a deck in the back yard and use this generator to power my tools. The wheels and handle are a must for this sized unit. I moved it by myself without the wheels, but that will get old really quickly. Dont bother shopping for other units. Buy this guy. The power outlets are a better arrangement as well. Read the description. On a 1-10 scale, I was hoping for a 7 or 8. So far, it seems like a 10. Enjoy. Mark