Customer Reviews

Generac 5724 GP3250 3,750 Watt 206cc OHV Portable Gas Powered Generator

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased this unit due to maneuverability, ease of starting, low oil shutoff, and published run time of 12.5hours. Additionally, I like the idea that I was purchasing something "made in the USA."

While most of Generac's units are made in the USA, the smaller units use "generic OHV" engines which they "outsource" which translates to China! Further investigation, after purchase, I discovered that these engines have a plastic camshaft which does not bode well for longevity.

The literature on this indicates 20Amp receptacles, yes they are, however, the breakers which feed them are 13.5A!! e.g. I have a large "side by side" frig/freezer which I will power during outages, it has a startup current of 14.2Amps, then a steady state of 1.2Amps. The GP3250 is able to start it as it has a "surge" capacity which allows the breakers to handle 15.6Amps for a short duration. I had to research and discover ths for myself as Generac tech support was seemingly unaware that their units have a "surge" capacity beyond the stated breaker capacity.

My complaint is that the literature is very misleading. Calling Generac is a waste of time as all they will do is state whatever the manual does-period. Beyond that, "please return the unit to the place of purchase and buy a bigger one." I purchased this from Amazon and it came by truck. To return it, I'd have to repack and arrange truck pickup and pay freight-would they help me with this as their literature led me to purchase a generator which was potentially too small? "ABSOLOUTELY NOT!"

If you're shopping for a generator, do a realistic assessment of the loads you plan on powering so a realistic evaluation can be made.

Realistically I suppose this is a fair value for the $$$. It is easy starting, very quiet, and runs a long time on a tank (4 Gal.) of gas. Longevity of a chinese built engine with a plastic camshaft is of concern. The "cadillac" of portable generators is the Honda. However, they are designed and built to run 24/7 for extended periods and cost 4-6 times as much. My needs for this unit are for emergency power for a duration of 4-7 days every year and a half or so, based on history. Spending $3,000 for something to sit in the barn for years at a time didn't seem a prudent use of $$. Guess, "you pays your money and takes your chances." as the old cliche goes.

In conclusion, the literature is misleading, not all generac's are made in the USA, and I found myself educating their tech support on how the machine actually worked.

I have only used the GP3250 once in the 3 months since we bought it as a backup power source for temporary power outages. But that one time alone confirmed my hunch that this unit would be a great low-cost solution for increasingly frequent temporary power outages. Last winter, we probably lost power due to storms at least 3 or 4 times, each time lasting about 2 to 6 hours. I concluded we could do much better than candles and always hoping the power company would do the repairs before our frozen food was ruined. After receiving our GP3250 and preparing it for service, it only took 2 weeks before an unexpected power outage occurred that even forced 2 local school districts to close. I immediately tried starting it, and nothing. Then I opened the fuel value, and after one pull, it ran without a hitch for 4 hours. I alternated 1 power cord between 2 freezers, and another between our satellite TV and computer systems; and most important, I made a pot of coffee from our Mr. Coffee. The unit grunted a little when I made the coffee but worked great, easily powering all those units. With woodstoves for heating air and water, and a few 5-gallon buckets of water for flushing toilets, we now have everything we need to weather the normal outages for under $500.

I received our unit from the shipper with an obvious oil leak through the packing material. I opened it to find the bottle of oil leaking, the choke lever broken off and some other minor dents. I immediately contacted Amazon, and within 10 minutes, they made all the arrangements to pick up the damaged unit and send a replacement unit in one trip by another carrier. Yes I would have preferred the first unit arrived in perfect condition, but I have no complaints after the great job by Amazon making it right.

I purchased one of these about three weeks ago. My brand new generator was idle hunting (revving up and down at 1 second intervals) right out of the box, so I called Generac technical support. The person that answered referred me to a local service center, but the technicians said it was a problem with the heater that I was using to test the generator. I took it back home and tested is with another heater, a hair dryer, a circular saw, and a freezer (not all at once) and it kept hunting. I called again, and Generac technical support said I should try another repair shop. So far, I've invested another $20 in gas and 4 hours of my time trying to get this generator to run. I hope the weather stays nice since it is still in the shop. FYI - did not purchase this from Amazon. I bought it from electricgeneratorsdirect.com. I am posting a review here because it appears that electricgeneratorsdirect.com will not post anything less than 5 Star reviews on their site.

Update: Shortly after writing the review above, I got my new generator back from the repair shop. It needed a new carb. Two weeks ago, we just had a snow storm and 23 hour power outage, so I used this generator for the purpose that I intended. It fired right up and there is no sign of idle hunting. I ran it for about 8 hours with no problems. I kept it in my carport which is on the other side of my garage, and we could barely hear it running. At first, I was very unhappy with the purchase, but now I'm pretty pleased with they way it performed. I ran a fridge, freezer, and a couple lamps with power to spare. Bumping my review to 3 stars.

So called warranty excludes damage from "dropping". It looks like even weak part that breaks during shipment get classified as "dropped." If you choose to buy from Generac, make sure you fully inspect item upon receipt - before the delivery truck pulls away if you can. If you are unfortunate enough to receive a broken unit, it cannot be returned to Amazon. You will have to take it to an authorized dealer, who'll probably tell you that you dropped it and it can't be fixed under warranty.

Which is pretty much what happened to us. Upon initial set up, found the unit shaking badly and idling ruggedly. Turned out that metal engine mount frame was snapped just above the rubber attachment. If the unit can break so easily during shipment, can't see how it could stand any amount of real usage.

The dealer in Bellevue, WA was not very professional when they called to tell me that it could not be repaired under warranty. Calling the manufacturer was no help either. The only saving grace was the Amazon customer support, who called soon after my complaint. After describing the situation, they offered a full refund. Definitely made my day, and enough to keep me a customer. I will not go near any Generac equipment though. And I recommend you do the same.

Good generator for the money, but carefully count the load and starting amps. It has good Money/Watts ratio. Not for extencive use (see other review from oct 17 2009). Emergencies such 1-2 days once or twice in a year. Quiet and simple. Buy a funnel with extention, since oil hole is under the control panel. I bought it to power my 1hp water pump in a basement. Tested, pump started and ran smoothly, unit hasn't notice the load. That's all I need. I could even sell extra electricity to others :)))

very compact, yet relatikvely powerful. Generator required little assembly (add wheels and handle). After I finaly opened the fuel valve correctly, it started on the first pull. Has four 110 outlets where many have only two. Very satisfied!!

I just purchased this last week for our upcoming wet spring. Our sump pump runs nearly continuos several times during the spring. We just finished the basement last year so this was a little piece of mind. I did a lot of research and this seems to be one of the best buys around. Its very sturdy and quiet while operating. It started in one pull right out of the box. The generac literature on the store display was very misleading. If I went by their reccomendation it would take nearly the biggest portable generator to run my 1/2 HP sump pump. The instructions inside said different and this machine handles the job with room to spare. I ran the pump several times and it didnt even notice the load. Hopefully with regular maintenance it will last a long time. For $359 Im very happy with my purchase! Only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is that I havent used it long term.

Very cheap construction and does not travel well, especially via UPS. Original product arrived with concealed damage as it has very weak braces holding up the engine that snap in two. Replacement shipment had same problem, however it added an punctured oil bottle which nicely coated the product and my driveway (most likely the UPS truck as well). Unfortunately I wasn't home for either shipment. Now I'm battling for credit. Advice...buy Generators locally.

I recently purchased this generac generator through Amazon. Unpacked it, poured oil and gas in and it started on the first pull. I plugged in my refrigerator and my Rinnai gas heater and they both worked fine at the same time using 2 seperate 50 ft 12 guage extension cords. I will use this for our periodic power outages in Maine. The wheels and handle make it very easy to move around. A handy ground lug is easily accessible from the electrical panel. If you want to register the rig, Generac's website makes that very easy so you don't have to mess with filling out a form and snail mailing it. On a negative note; I wish engine manufacturers would make it easier to pour in oil, the filler neck is nowhere near verticle and the oil spills easily. This however is easily fixable with a better funnel than the one provided. The yellow dipstick is also hard to see. Also, like many other generator manufacturers, you have to find a way to cover the unit outdoors so as not to get snow/rain dripping onto the outlets. Got to make sure gasoline doesn't accidentally pour onto the outlets as well!! Other than that, nice reliable rig for the price for those periodic outages.

The generator arrived with a split quart oil bottle. Oil was everywhere. I called the company and they did not acknowledge the problem nor did they replace the oil.
The Generac 5724 is not equiped to handle a twist lock receptacle or a Portable Generator Power Transfer Kit. This makes the generator useless for my need.
Granted it was my ignorance and not knowing what to look for beyond superlatives in the CU report I read when buying a generator which created the problem.
Neither the company nor Amazon are willing to upgrade my new, unused generator for a model which I would be happy to pay the difference for the upgrade.