PowerSmart 2500 Watt Portable Inverter Generator for Camping

After extensive research I bought this generator for emergency use because of its price point and many features. Unfortunately, we got hit by a tornado last week and my generator decided NOPE, I'm not going to co-operate. This arrived in three days and setting it up was pretty straight forward. Added oil and I decided to use gas for the initial break-in. Two pulls on the rope and we were off and running. I plugged in two things that I thought were essential, the refrigerator and an electric fireplace. The refrigerator had little effect, but it really kicked in when I turned on the fireplace. I checked the display and I was only drawing 1475 watts, so I still had plenty of power for a couple of lamps, the internet, the computer and maybe the TV. With only half a tank of fuel I unplugged everything and let it run with eco mode off. Three hours and forty-five minutes later it ran out of fuel so I could do an oil change. My initial thoughts and some drawbacks. * The machine is heavy. Specifications say it weighs 50 lbs. It feels heavier although I don't have a scale to confirm my suspicions. Shouldn't be a problem moving it around, but I sure wouldn't carry it down the street. * Access panels on both sides and the oil change door require a Phillips screwdriver. * It gets loud. Eco mode is fine but as the load increases, so does the noise, but that can be said of most generators. * Small gas tank at only 1.3 gal. If you need to run it all night better use propane otherwise, you'll be getting up early. * The display. Although it's explained in the manual it doesn't go into great detail. You have to use it to finally understand it. If the generator is on the ground, you have to get on your knees to read it. Bluetooth would be a great option here. That being said, I am very happy with this generator. For the price (I bought it on sale), but even at full price, it stands out from other more expensive generators. It has more than enough power to run the essentials, an RV plug, a display that actually tells you how it's performing, and the ability to run on gas or propane. I would definitely recommend this generator.

This generator is a great deal. Small size and runs on propane or gasoline. I was able to get it set up and running very quickly. I have not run it on gas yet, but it runs great on propane, which I prefer to keep.the carburetor clean and minimize maintenance. It has a slightly lower power rating while running on propane, but that is true with any dual fuel generator. It runs much quieter than I expected. Once it has run initially, it has started on a single pull of the chord. So far I've used it to test output and under load it does very well. When running a small load such as amateur radios and two operate battery chargers, it is very efficient. The power output is very clean as well with almost no variation in voltage or amperage. I would recommend this generator to anyone looking for a good value and for reliable starting and operating. It is light enough to haul around when needed and quiet enough for outdoor needs where it can run without being annoyingly loud like my other generator tens to be. Just get one!

I purchased the PowerSmart 2500 Watt generator and couldn’t be happier. From the moment it arrived, setup was straightforward and easy to get it up and running. It’s compact yet powerful, perfect for home backup, camping, or powering tools in remote locations. The generator runs smoothly and quietly, and I was impressed by fuel efficiently. The build quality feels solid, and it started up effortlessly right out of the box. I’ve already used it during a brief power outage and it kept my essentials running without a hitch. Plus, the price point is unbeatable for the performance it delivers. Highly recommend this generator to anyone looking for dependable, portable power. Great value, great product!

This is my very first generator I’ve ever owned. For me it’s a little bit heavy but when I watch videos, those guys just pick it up like it’s nothing. I bought a cart for it and a cover. When it’s a yucky day out and my solar isn’t working this thing does fantastic. I’m also running my portable air conditioner with it just to try to beat some of the Consumers Energy costs. I like it. It’s easy to use and it is pretty quiet.

I’m very satisfied with this generator. I bought it mainly for backup power and for occasional outdoor use, and so far it has performed better than expected. It starts easily, runs smoothly, and the noise level is noticeably lower compared to other generators I’ve owned. The build quality feels solid, and the setup was straightforward even for someone who isn’t a mechanic. I tested it during a short outage with several appliances running at the same time. I plugged in my refrigerator which draws around 150W while running, a 700W coffee maker, a box fan at about 50W, and some LED lights that used around 20W. All together the load was well within the 2500W capacity, and the generator handled everything without any power drops or hesitation. My only complaint is that the fuel tank feels a bit small for longer use. It works great, but if you plan to run it for many hours, you will need to refill more often than with larger models. Overall, this generator has proven strong, quiet, and dependable for real day to day situations. Even with the small downside, I would still buy it again with no hesitation.

Very impressed with the 3800 so far. Handles everything in my small camper at the same time including the 13,500btu air conditioner and microwave. I wouldn’t say it’s as quiet as some people brag (I wouldn’t try to break campground rules with it) but it’s not loud either. I haven’t tried the propane and we’ll see if it’s durable but first impressions are excellent.

Genuinely impressed. Bought to ensure we had power in an outage, even though not often. Added oil, hooked up to propane and ran a fridge, a medium chest freezer, lights, TV - to be safe, I unplugged the freezer while I ran a large toaster oven combo and separately, a Keurig. Thought I'd run out of propane based on reviews at the 4 hour mark (not eco) and swapped tanks. The new tank ran for 9 hours and still had propane left. Ran the first tank for another 4 hours for a total run time of 21 hours. Had backup gas and never needed it. Only annoyance is the screw holding the panel on the oil. Screwdriver didn't work and had to find a socket to loosen it.

I bought this during Amazon Prime days in June 2026. Then a few weeks later, on July 4th, we had a massive storm rip through and knocked out power for about 20 hours, requiring 8 hours of real world operation on its maiden start up, on gasoline (I was out of propane ATM). When performing the storage and 10 hour maintenance the following weekend, found it quite easy to service. It's not mentioned in the Chinesium-written manual, but found on a YouTube channel by the OEM, that draining the carburetor bowl of gasoline was simplified by it having a small drain tube and a screw valve already installed on the bottom of the bowl, which made draining it to prevent old fuel accumulation much easier than trying to remove a bolt and catching it. I still had to use a syphon pump to drain the tank, drain the oil and put a teaspoon of oil into the piston bore to prepare it for long term storage. But that's expected, and technically I could have drained the tank through the carb bowl as well. I took a star away because there is no oil drain plug; you will need to open the oil fill plug and physically tip the unit to pour it out. Also, because getting in to the unit to service required 4 Phillips screws to be removed and nearly stripped to get the side panel for maintenance removed. They could have used finger-knob screws for a commonly removed you must remove to service this generator every so many hours. But it performed well. During operation, I powered my refrigerator, chest freezer, a 5,000 BTU floor AC unit, and could recharged my 2kw and 1kw LiFe battery generators that got me through the first evening. I was managing power load by letting the batteries recharge first, then run the other loads. It ran very well, while I sometimes sometimes moved in and out of eco mode. Only once, when the fridge and AC compressors both try to insurge start simultaneously, while the generator was in eco mode, did I notice a severe current dip and could hear it gallup to meet the suden demand. I have not had the chance to use the 30 amp outlet or run on propane yet. But for the price (which can be found cheaper with other online retailers) and how well it performed on wandering power loads, it became the most positive part of my July 4th weekend (all the local fireworks and cookouts got cancelled because of the storm, but I was managing the heat comfortably).

Good Quiet little generator Fits nicely into our truck camper compartment ( you’d think it was made for it :) )

Problems runs great

Very nice generator, add oil and gas and started right up and very quiet.

Well I got it and filled it with oil and gas, put the choke on and in one pull it started then turned the choke off and it ran fantastic. Put it in eco mode and the thing is super quiet in fact I think it's quieter than a Honda. Now just to test it under load for what I bought it for but so far so good

Très bon , très silencieuse !