Customer Reviews

Generac Portable Products 9777 4000 Watt Extended Life Premium Generator with Wheel Kit and Storage Cover

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I run a small house building company in Wisconsin (myself and two other guys) that needs portable power occasionally when starting a house that hasn't had power hooked up yet. So far this generator has met the task beautifully. I am able to use handtools such as saws and drills while keeping a 2hp compressor for the nail guns running at all times. If I needed the generator more often I would have probably gotten a bigger generac, but for the few weeks out of the year that I need one I am very pleased. I do a few complaints however that prevented my review from being higher than a 3.

First, the tire's on this unit are inflated with air versus solid rubber. This makes for a real nice tire, until you happen to come accross a misplaced nail. I have had one flat tire so far but I have to believe that won't be my last one.

Secondly, this very small and [poorly made] looking leg they put on the front of this machine has to go. The first time I hauled this unit I tied it down on both sides, but it still tipped on its side around the first corner I took. I just don't understand why they didn't put two strong legs on the front. After a few trips, I finally had a friend of mine weld up some strong supports that are actually wider than the unit. I no longer have to worry about it tipping over and busting the windows out of my pickup cap.

Like I said earlier though, this is a real nice unit that works well for what I need it for. It starts every time, even in the WI cold and the power it generates has been very reliable.

Updated 05/01/2003 - As we get more use out of this generator I felt the need to report two more problems.

1. The fuel gauge hasn't worked since the 2nd week of use. It is stuck on full all the time. Not a huge deal, but irritating none the less.

2. As you pull the handle up to move the generator, the handle uses a weld as a stop, allowing the force to pick up the front of the generator. Again, after about two weeks of using the generator, this weld broke right off. So the handle becomes basically useless. We fixed this by drilling a hole in the handle and inserting a strong bolt that replaces the weld, but like the fuel gauge, this was another irritating problem.

I am still happy with the performance of this generator, but I really would have expected it to be more durable than it has been. The problems I have been experiencing have not been with the power or the engine, but the exterior features. I guess Generac felt the need to cheapen some of these features to get into the lower price bracket. Proving once again that you get what you pay for!

This little 4000 watt may be small in size, but it certainly packs a lot of power. It is not only light weight, but quite and very durable in any situation. I have used it on work sights, for camping, and on my boat. I was really inpressed with the Generac brand engine and plan on buying one for my father this Christmas. I highly recommend it to anyone in the market for some back up power.

During the hurricane Charley power outage my neighbor was kind enough to run an extension cord from his generator over to my house and saved all my food. The day we got power back I ordered the 9777 from Amazon with super saver shipping and $25 off promotion. Four days after I received it Hurricane Frances slammed the Florida East coast HARD. This little generator saved our bacon for three days while we were without power. The best thing I can say about it, and the reason I bought this item, is the fantastic fuel economy. I was getting between 3 and 5 hours per gallon while powering a freezer, refrigerator, fans, lights, television, coffee pot and using the built in 12 volt charging function. This compares to my neighbor with his gallon per hour usage. It started up every time with one or two pulls, has pressurized lubrication, an idle function switch and a built in 12 volt charger. I do agree with others that the little foot on the front of the unit could be beefier but still give it 5 stars because of the miserly fuel consumption. Do not underestimate this fact when looking for generators since gas was not available down here in Florida for several days after the hurricane passed.

After this was written Hurricane Jeanne hit us several weeks later. Again, this little generator ran flawlessly for several days powering all of the above plus the window air conditioner (Panasonic, see separate review) that I had purchased for just such an occasion. Fuel consumption was the same and all my neighbors with thier 5500 Watt overkill units were sure jealous of that. I still heartily recommend this generator.

Starts first pull every time. We bought this Generator to power a Trailer (& house during rotating blackouts). Since the 5th Wheel only requires 30 Amp service, this Generac powers everything at once: A/C, Water Heater, Refrigerator . . .

Although it is quieter than our lawn mower, it's still a bit noisy when run all night. We also looked at Honda Generators. In general, they were quieter, but MUCH more expensive. (Would have been 5 stars if it were as quiet as a $1600 Generator).

this is a very nice and powerful generator. ive had at least six saws running on it at one time and it always carries the load. other guys i work with like honda but they dont have the power that this one has. there is one reason i wont give this 5 stars and that is there is one more of these on my jobsite and we both have problems with oil leaking. it is a small leak barely noticeable but it is still a very annoying problem. other than that i would tell everyone to buy one.

This is an excellent product that proved and paid for itself several times over during our June, 2000, flood, but you must count on being physically healthy to start it, especially during cold weather. We're saving our pennies to buy an electric start model and are hoping Generac will develop a remote starting option so we can get at the generator through our electric garage door when the power is out.

I recently purchased the 4000XL to power my home shop and have been very pleased with its power, size and performance. I noticed that in the editorial/manufacturer review it stated that the unit comes with two 20Amp 120VAC outlets. The 4000XL (model 9777) unit I have has two 15Amp 120VAC outlets as is stated in their on-line owners manual. My compliments to their service center. The unit I bought was a floor model and was missing a few of the standard accessories. I called the 800 number and got through to a real person in about two minutes. The lady I spoke with was knowledgeable about the product and five days later,I received the missing parts.

I run a small house building company in Wisconsin (myself and two other guys) that needs portable power occasionally when starting a house that hasn't had power hooked up yet. So far this generator has met the task beautifully. I am able to use handtools such as saws and drills while keeping a 2hp compressor for the nail guns running at all times. If I needed the generator more often I would have probably gotten a bigger generac, but for the few weeks out of the year that I need one I am very pleased. I do have two complaints however that prevented my review from being a perfect 5.

First, the tire's on this unit are inflated with air versus solid rubber. This makes for a real nice tire, until you happen to come accross a misplaced nail. I have had one flat tire so far but I have to believe that won't be my last one.

Secondly, this very small and cheap looking leg they put on the front of this machine has to go. The first time I hauled this unit I tied it down on both sides, but it still tipped on its side around the first corner I took. I just don't understand why they didn't put two strong legs on the front. After a few trips, I finally had a friend of mine weld up some strong supports that are actually wider than the unit. I no longer have to worry about it tipping over and busting the windows out of my pickup cap.

Like I said earlier though, this is a real nice unit that is nearly perfect for what I need it for. It starts every time, even in the WI cold and the power it generates has been very reliable.

Just ran my 400XL for 56 hours straight due to hurricane Isabel and it ran like a champ! Have had this unit for 3 years and it is quiet and reliable starter. Runs for just shy of 13 hours on one tank of fuel, while powering my refrigerator, freezer, microwave, sump pump, TV, and living room lights. This unit never came close to shutting down due to overusage. I highly recommend this generator.

I bought this generator from Home Depot about 5 years ago. The longest single use I got out of it was for a week with hurricane Isabelle-it paid for itself. Other than that I probably run it 30 hours a year. I use it to power a 1.5 hp well pump, a refrigerator and the blower on my propane hot water heater. We can shower, flush and eat-the important things in life! These three things max it out but get us by. It could have a better wheel/handle design-it's hard to move around. I had to replace the carbureator (water got in and froze up-my fault) and a low oil pressure switch. The filler cap/gas gauge was useless and the low idle mechanism is screwy. I added a screw-on oil filter, which it didn't come with, although later models do. It runs like a champ. If it meets your needs I'd buy it. I'm presently on backorder for a 10,000 watt, 18 hp Honda engine generator. My suggestion to anyone buying a generator is-get the chart that comes with generators and figure out in advance what you want to power and buy accordingly. Good Luck!