DuroMax XP8500E Gas Powered Portable Generator-8500 Watt Electric Start-Camping & RV Ready, 50 State Approved, Blue/Black

I finally decided to 'pull the trigger' and get a generator. Living in Connecticut, having the power go out 5 times over the last two years and having no power for more than two days is no fun. When looking for a generator I researched a lot of them but wanted certain features. I found them all in the XP8500. Here we go:Shipping:This item shipped for FREE and thankfully - it weighs in at over 200 lbs. 225 to be exact. The item shipped via FedEx which was another blessing. FedEx freight called and delivered on time with the package in perfect condition. It took about a week to arrive after I placed my order. Perfect. MaxTool was great - communication was solid and they were very helpful with answering my shipping questions.Here is what I was looking for in a generator:Volt meterGas gaugeat least 8000Welectric start with pull start back up4 120v outletsa unit with a mufflerauto idleCarb compliant engine at least 15HPAssembly:As I stated above this thing is heavy. Once the wheel kit is assembled it carts around nicely although the handles are short - I'll get into that later. So, here is what I did which made things easier if you don't have help. First, cut the box with a box cutter knife on the corners so the flaps fold down. Now, get three 2x4's each about three feet long and stack them. This will give you enough clearance to get both the feet attached as well as the wheels. Start with the end which will have the feet. Lift this end up and slide the stacked 2x4's underneath. attach the feet, two nuts each. Now, you have the footing on one side you can use the 2x4's on the other end where the wheels go. Same thing on this end with a twist. Attach the axle - two nuts and bolts each side. Now, lift the side up just a bit so you can slide the wheels on. Once they are slid on you can secure them with a pin. Remove the 2x4's and move on to the handles which were easy to attach. Now fill the case with oil. The unit doesn't come with oil. It takes SAE 10W30. The battery came fully charged. Connect the battery terminals, fill with fresh gas and you are ready to go! The whole process took about a half hour.Operation/Starting:The generator started up instantly. Pull the cord or turn the key and BAM! Push the choke in half way then all the way open) and it idles nicely. This generator is quiet! I have a half acre and in the front of the house you could not hear the generator running in the back yard. So I decided to start testing with my pool. Yes, I ran a cord to my pool filter and it went from idle to full throttle. Powered the pool filter no problem. For me this will power three essential things during an outage: Refrigerator, chest freezer and tankless hot water heater. I hooked them all up and this thing ran with ease. Cranking at full throttle it wasn't as loud as I thought it would be - my lawn mower is just as loud.Storage:I picked up a cover here on Amazon for $10. It does the trick and will keep dust off the unit until I need it. Everything on this generator is easy to get too, see and adjust. Even without the manual at hand there are stickers everywhere that show you what each item is and what information you should know about that item. For example, the gas shut off valve has a sticker above it with the label and diagram of which position is on or off. Each component has a sticker above it. So, for storage you can drain the gas easily by using a 10MM wrench to loosen the gas filter cup and remove. Take a plastic soda bottle with the top cut off and you can catch the dripping gas. Of course do this after running engine dry. As for gas, every time I fill up my 5 gallon tank I always put at least two ounces of Stabil in it. You should too! Disconnect the positive battery terminal before covering. Put a board down for the wheels - concrete can do bad things to wheels if they sit long.Unhappy Notes:Oil:The unit didn't come with oil. It wasn't a problem as I went to the local car parts store and picked up two Quarts of SAE 10W30 Synthetic motor oil. The generator takes 37 Ounces or 1.1 Liters. A quart has 32 ounces in it so you will need two quarts. Start it up with one quart filled, let the oil move into the engine, shut it down then top off. However, filling with my long nose funnel was a breeze - very easy to get at.Wheels:The instructions say to make sure the fill valve is facing out when attaching wheels. Well, this unit came with air filled tires but there is NO valve! This concerns me because if I need to fill air into the wheel, well, how will I do it? Tires loose air with pressure. I just wish they were solid through out - no air - and I hope they stay inflated.Handles:Putting the handles on was easy however they are short. I stand 5'8" and when carting the unit you have to walk slow. Anyone taller than me would have an awkward angle when walking so close to the generator. The handles are only 10 inches long so you are very close to the generator when you walk. Also, the muffler faces you when you walk so you have to be careful when grabbing the right handle as it is right in front of the muffler. HOTWrap-up:PROS:Quick start either by pulling cord or turning electric start key7000W running power with 8500W surg7 Gallon gas tank with gas gaugeVolt meterMuffler on engineFour 120V AC outletsEasy to read info stickers placed throughout the machineBreaker switchLow Oil auto shut offAuto idle switchQUIET - 72 dBAFour Rubber motor mounts16HP OHV engineEngine parts/components are all at easy reachCONS:Wheels - no inflation valve - flats/Air loss = new tire??Handles - short in lengthDoesn't come with oil - need to purchase 2 Qts of SAE 10W30UPDATE: 10/31/2011Well, in CT we had our first storm of the season and of course the power went out. I was ready this time - broke out the generator connected the battery terminals and it started with one turn of the key. It powered everything in the house that I needed it too.UPDATE: 12/07/12 (SANDY)Power went out for days - this generator held up no problem. Gas gauge is working - didn't realize how much gas this thing holds! About 8 gallons. I ran mu fridge, chest freezer, hot water, lamp, microwave, TV and phone - all and the generator didn't even stutter. In the back yard you can't even hear it in the front yard. SO glad I made this purchase.

Well, Sandy has come and gone but still effecting a lot of folks. Our "Powerback 5000" was sent North to help out,so I needed a replacement. I had considered a "Generac" unit from around here, but the experience from others mademe a little cautious? Too many problems and customer service was terrible (I have first hand experience) So Amazon got my attention and decided onthe DuroMax XP8500E unit. The features were what I was looking for and after much research and reading the reviews etc,made this choice. Quality is a thing of the past now days? I even called and talked with a Duro rep about the generatorsthey sell and was informed this unit has a Honda (Japan) engine which impressed me a little more. If it's not a Honda,(some say a knockoff) then it's a spitting image of one in every way? All companies by now use parts from China etc andwe just have to rely on and hope we get something decent? This model is as good a quality as you will find.The electrician who installed the transfer switch said he was impressed with DuroMax units and this onewas as far as he was concerned as good a quality unit as you'll find in all aspects. Steel fuel tank, not plastic,features not found on other units. Removable fuel bowl for cleaning, idle switch, everything right in front withouthaving to dismantle anything for maintenance etc.Delivery: was a 5 day process all the way from CA to rural VA. Not bad and the driver was excellent.Set-Up Tip: Just read and get to know the parts and where they go. Lay them out first. Don't PANIC if you can'tfind the negative battery connector, it's up under the fuel tank. It's an easy set-up, my 12 year old could do it.Concerning the oil? Here in rural VA we have temps in the teens and lower 20's in Winter so I chose 10W-30W syntheticoil. It takes just over 2 quarts (35 ounces) so don't be cheap, that's the "lifeblood" of any engine. Fresh gas, oil,connected battery, pulled the choke and turned the key. started right up and ran perfect after warm up. In Idle mode itis very quiet. This is a nice feature, but if you will have any sort of a "load" on it, I would switch it off.Maintenance: I am very particular about all of my small engines, and this is no different. Keep fresh oil, fuel etc init while in use and treat it like you would any piece of equipment you depend on. Let's face it, the gas we have to buynow days is "crap"!! Nothing like E-10 (and coming E-15) to ruin a small engine! I do not let old fuel sit in the tankeven with a stabilizer. I do use PRI-G (also from Amazon) to store fuel if I have to. This unit has a nice feature todrain your gas from the valve and clean the bowl (see instruction book). Easy to get to and complete.Performance: After all the final prep we ran the generator after turning off the main breaker. Turned onthe transfer switch and started the breakers one at a time. TIP: I labeled all the breakers with a Dyno labeler.RED for NOT TO USE, BLUE for NEED TO STAY ON and GREEN for all the other circuits. Have to use common sense? This unitnever "hiccuped" a bit! Just a small blink when the water pump kicked in which is normal. It will handle all of ourneeds. Lights, Water pump, sewer pump, ref, freezer, etc. Hot water heater is no problem if we turn off a fewcircuits first. We heat with a wood stove but it will handle your oil furnace just fine. Of course NOT your A/Cor heat pump, dryer, full oven? Every need is different.OK, there you are, warm, have lights etc kicked back your DuroMax "purring" while watching TV (be sure to use a surgeprotector with sensitive equip) and eating popcorn. Think you have it made? Nope, get up, put your coat on and gohelp your neighbor! He can't get his started? He didn't maintain his like you did. Now unless you want all the folksover watching TV etc, you'll have to teach them too. But that's OK, we're all out here together.