Ordered this after 4 power outages this summer, not to mention the outage last winter that was 3 days in 10-15 degrees F. Overall this unit is impressive for the price per watt. I was hoping that this generator was made in Wisconsin but it is not. Rather it is made in China. That being said there are high quality products that come out of China, you just have to find them. Assembling the unit only took about 20 minutes.
Here are some quick specs:
The engine is a 420cc, 14HP air cooled 4-stroke with overhead valves (OHV) w/electric start (battery included). The surge rating is 9375W with a 7500W running watts rating. The fuel tank holds 8 gallons and is rated 12 hours @ half load for run time.
Here is an easy way to assemble the unit:
1. First was remove it from the box by cutting the box off and leaving the generator on the pallet. This will assist with the next step installing the wheels.
2. Remove the (2) axles from the package with hardware (nuts, bolts, and a (1) litre bottle of SAE30 motor oil). You will also need the two cotter pins, and two flat washers. Here is a trick I found when installing the axles. One axle will not fit so that the cotter pin end is inside the wheel due to a lower motor mount. I can not remember which side it was, but you will see it. So the trick is to put one axle in one direction, and the other axle in the reverse. This means that the motor mount side will have the cotter pin so it is not viewable in the center of the wheel when looking from the side. The other side will have the cotter pin viewable from the side. The other option is to jack up the engine (very carefully) and remove the motor mount so the axle can be installed. Whichever method you choose remember to install a thin film of grease as the wheels are without axle bearings.
3. Next I would suggest adding the motor oil. I have this step as third because the unit needs to be on a flat level surface to confirm that the 1.06 Quart (one litre) bottle of oil is sufficent to fill the oil to the proper full level. Remove the yellow dipstick tube along the bottom of the engine in the front of the unit. Empty the entire bottle slowly. I had to use a funnel as it is awkward to add oil with out spilling it due to the bottle and the angle of attack that must be used to fill the engine oil. After the oil is installed screw in the dipstick and unscrew it to confirm that is to the top on the stick on FULL.
4. Add some fuel (unleaded 85 octane rating or higher)
5. Make sure the fuel valve OFF for now, side to side is OFF and up and down is ON.
6. Either use the electric start (battery should have a charge as mine did) or use the recoil-start to turn the engine over 4-5 times (you don't want it to start yet). The purpose of this step is to properly lubricate the internal engine parts before the engine starts. This is not even mentioned in the manual, but if you want it to last a long time I would highly suggest this step. This is not a pressurized oil system (there is no oil filter to filter the oil and no pump to spray oil in vital areas). This type of air-cooled engine works by slinging oil off from the crankshaft located at the bottom of the engine to lubricate the piston and other moving parts such as bearings. The Amazon description when I bought mine said it was a pressurized system but I knew it was incorrect because I looked up the info on Generac's website.
7. Now you can turn the fuel valve ON (give it a few seconds to fill the carburator bowl) then also move the choke to the left which is the ON position. Make sure the switch is set to RUN if pull starting, and Start if your using your electric start. One interesting thing you may want to know about the battery is that the generator on this model does not charge the battery. The unit does come with a small charger that plugs into the front of the switch panel and into a regular 120 volt outlet. You will need to charge the battery ocassionaly to keep it ready to start the generator. Overall not a big deal.
8. Now step 8 is up to you, but I would suggest reading the manual when you have time. Also make sure to install a ground cable and also get a auto-transfer switch, if you will be hooking this to your meter or fuse box. For us the cheapest option for the transfer switch was to call our electric coop that installs the switch for free, but you need to buy $550 transfer switch. By using the transfer switch you will not need a bunch of extension cords running all over and getting shut under a door. All your normal outlets and appliances, well pumps, washer/dryer all still plug into the house normally through the outlets. Now you wont be able to run all that stuff at once with this unit but there are some generators that can. One cord is then run into the fuse box (consult an electrician) or installed into your meter (call your provider to see if they offer a auto-transfer switch, this saved us at least $2000 versus the electrician/fuse box option. So that's it other than the silly stuff like don't ever use it indoors, or in confined spaces and read the manual!
Hope this help some in making the decision. Overall thanks Amazon.com for an outstanding transaction from price to delivery. Took awhile to get to me but with free shipping I sure didn't mind. Very good quality unit that is made in China. Remember folks they make good quality stuff and bad quality stuff just like any where else, but from my experience this is a very good generator for the price. Remember to change that oil after the first 30 hours, and after that you are safe to go 100 hours between an oil change according to Generac. The hour meter will remind you when its time to do the scheduled maintenence, see the manual on hour to clear it after maintenance if you plan on doing this yourself.
Best of luck and I know you will like it. Quit reading all the reviews and just get it. Wish I would have had mine 5 power outages ago...