Generators come in many sizes, shapes, and power levels. Some are loud and obnoxious while others are quiet enough to take camping without disturbing nature. Whether you’re looking for a generator as the main backup for your home in an emergency situation or to power a job site full of tools, Generac generators provide a high level of reliability trusted by many.
Inverter generators are small and quiet but they don’t pack much power into their smaller frames. Other generators that weigh up to 400 pounds are mounted on wheels for transportation and can power a large home or job site all day. We’ve tested 10 of the best Generac models of all types and have written these in-depth reviews comparing them to help make your decision easier.
GENERAC XG SERIES 6500E PORTABLE GENERATOR
GENERAC XC SERIES 8000 WATT PORTABLE GAS GENERATOR
GENERAC GP SERIES 17500E PORTABLE GENERATOR
XT8000EFI PORTABLE GENERATOR
GENERAC GP SERIES 8000E COSENSE
GENERAC GP SERIES 6500 49ST
GENERAC GP SERIES 3300I
GENERAC IQ3500
Buyer’s Guide
At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of which Generac model is going to fit your needs best. To help make the point a little more clear, we’re going to briefly cover which features you ought to keep in mind when deciding which model to choose.
Intended Use
At the end of the day, what you plan to use your generator for is going to be the biggest determiner of which model you should choose. If you want a generator to quietly power your electronics while you’re out camping, then you’re looking for a small and quiet inverter generator. Do you need enough juice to run an entire job site of power tools? You’re going to need a much beefier generator. Once you know how you want to use your generator it will be easier to pick one that suits your situation.
Noise
Naturally, more powerful generators tend to make more noise. That’s not the end of the story though. Full-size rolling generators are much louder than the small and efficient inverter type. Although both types run on gas, they make very different amounts of noise. If noise is of utmost concern, you’ll want to stick to the inverter style generators.
Portability
All of the generators we’ve reviewed here are technically portable. That said, some are much easier to move about than others. Do you need to get your generator into a truck bed for transport from job to job? If so, a 400-pound behemoth may not be as portable as it looks, despite the pull handle and wheels. Inverter generators have a much smaller form factor and are therefore much more portable. Of course, they also can’t provide the same level of power. If you need the high-power of a rolling generator, make sure to pay attention to the overall weight of the unit.
Power
You are buying a generator for one purpose, to generate electricity. While every generator performs this function, they do so to varying degrees. For powering a home or job site, you can forget about the inverter style generators. If you just want to charge your electronics from your tent, then an inverter generator might be sufficient. Depending on how many electronics you plan to run at once, you may have substantial power needs. In such cases, a generator with 10,000 amps or more will be necessary.
Conclusion
If you felt lost reading the product description of generator after generator, hopefully, these reviews have helped you to narrow down your search. We think that the Generac GP220i inverter generator is the best choice overall. With near-silent operation at an affordable price with the ability to double your power by running two in parallel, it’s got a value that’s pretty difficult to top.
The GP15000E was our pick for best value. Packing 15,000 watts of power into a portable package means you can power all the tools on your job site or all the appliances in your home. Finally, the 17500E is our top premium choice. With enough power to run a 5-ton air conditioner, it’s unlikely you’ll ever max out this machine. Excellent dependability and a quick-start design round out its feature set to make it our favorite premium Generac generator.
