By: Tony Carrick, Deirdre Mundorf, Bob Beacham
Posted on Apr 11, 2024 2:19 PM EDT 4kva Diesel Generator
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When a storm strikes and the power goes out, a generator from one of the best generator brands can prevent hours in the dark and a fridge full of spoiled food. Depending on its size, a portable generator can provide up to 15,000 watts of energy, enough to keep the lights on and power the air conditioner and refrigerator. However, a generator is only as good as it is reliable.
With so many brands on the market, finding a model that provides dependable backup power without breaking the bank can pose a challenge. In this guide, we delve into the world of generators—both portable and stand-by systems—to identify the best brands in the business. We leveraged our own experience using generators as a backup source of power for home and RV, along with extensive research to inform our selections of the best generator brands.
Price Range: $$ to $$$$ Our Top Picks: Honda 2,200-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $999 and Honda 1,000-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $999.
Not only is it a manufacturer of some of the most reliable automobiles on the market, but Honda also produces some of the best generators available. Honda revolutionized the generator market when it introduced the now legendary EU1000i model in 1998, redefining the market for portable power.
Since then, the company has continued to improve on that technology, while others have sought to copy it. Though this generator is more expensive than others, consumers are willing to shell out the extra dough because of Honda’s reliability and reputation for quiet operation. The EU2200i produces around the same amount of noise as a coffeemaker at its loudest (between 48 and 57 decibels).
Shop Honda generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Northern Tool + Equipment.
Price Range: $ to $$$$ Our Top Picks: Generac 2,500-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $649 and Generac 22,000-Watt Standby Generator with Automatic Transfer Switch for $6,247.
Generac made a name for itself some 60 years ago when it began engineering and producing affordable generators for home use. In addition to producing a line of generators for commercial use, the company today puts out inverters, portable generators, and standby generators for home use. Generac also produces other home products such as pressure washers, heat towers, and water pumps.
It continues to stick to its mission of producing affordable products, with portable generators that fall within the $500 to $1,000 range and whole-house generator options that start at the $2,000 price point. Generac’s product line includes its inverter and portable generators, which produce up to 8,000 watts, and its Guardian series of home backup generators. Many Generac home generator models, including the 22,000-watt standby model, offer an automatic transfer switch.
Shop Generac generators at Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: Westinghouse 9,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $1,049 and Westinghouse 6,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $579.
One of the older companies on this list, Westinghouse was founded by George Westinghouse in 1886 as an electric company. The company produced its first generator, a steam turbine–driven machine, in 1901. Today, Westinghouse produces many different types of portable generators. Its products range from small inverters that generate about 1,200 starting watts to monster machines that produce 15,000 peak watts.
Westinghouse’s large product line, coupled with affordable prices (on a watt-per-dollar basis), allows the company to serve a broad range of customers. The company has been an innovator in the market: In recent years, it also developed a line of solar-powered generators. Westinghouse has also improved the efficiency of its gas-powered models, extending their runtimes to an industry-leading 12 hours. Dual-fuel options like the Westinghouse WGen9500DFc and WGen5300DFcv also offer great versatility.
Shop Westinghouse generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Menards.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: Champion Power Equipment 4,550-Watt Portable Generator for $566.27 and Champion Power Equipment 10,625-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $929.00.
Although Champion launched its generator line in 2003, it quickly rose to the upper echelons of the industry thanks to its innovations in dual-fuel technology and relatively low prices. Its generators are among the most affordable on the market.
The company’s dual-fuel generators, like the 10,625-watt model that made our list of top picks, can run on either propane or gasoline. Its generators also come equipped with a broad range of plugs, including 30-amp and 50-amp outlets in addition to standard 120-volt outlets. These versatile connections, coupled with their ability to run off propane, have made these generators popular in the RV market. Like its rival Westinghouse, Champion also boasts a broad line of generators that range from smaller 2,000-watt inverters to 12,000-watt beasts.
Shop Champion Power Equipment generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Camping World.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: Briggs & Stratton 2,400-Watt Inverter Generator for $799.00 and Briggs & Stratton 6,500-Watt Portable Generator for $1,079.95.
As one of the world’s largest producers of small gasoline engines for everything from lawn mowers to go-karts to generators, Briggs & Stratton should know about building durable engines. The company has a reputation for producing reliable and powerful engines for a broad range of equipment. In fact, its engines are so well regarded that the company provides the engines for several other popular generator brands.
Briggs & Stratton produces some of the top generators on the market. Although the company has a variety of generators to choose from, including portable, inverter, and home standby generators, it’s perhaps best known for its energy-efficient compact PowerSmart Series like the 2,400-watt model above, as well as its Elite Series of powerful portable generators that can produce as much as 9,000 watts.
Shop Briggs & Stratton generators at Amazon or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$$ Our Top Picks: DuroMax 13,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $1,499 and DuroMax 4,850-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $734.
DuroMax makes its own engines, which are renowned for their durability. Like its rival Champion, DuroMax is an innovator in dual-fuel technologies with many of its generators capable of running off both propane or gasoline. Several of its generators are loaded with a variety of connections, including 30-watt and 50-watt sockets, making DuroMax generators popular with RVers.
Some of DuroMax’s dual-fuel generators can produce up to 15,000 watts, thanks to a 23-horsepower V-twin engine. DuroMax generators also have innovative features, including the company’s MX2 power-boost technology, which doubles the amperage of a 120-volt outlet to 240 volts to handle heavier loads. Models like the DuroMax 13,000-watt dual fuel generator also offer the added safety of a carbon monoxide alert.
Shop DuroMax generators at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: Predator 9,500-Watt Inverter Generator for $2,299.99 and Predator 3,500-Watt Inverter Generator for $799.99.
Discount tool and equipment company Harbor Freight, which was founded in 1977, markets its own brand of generators under the name Predator. Like its other product lines, Harbor Freight makes generators that boast high performance at a budget price.
One of the company’s most popular generators is a super-quiet inverter that produces a maximum of 3,500 watts, which it sells at a fraction of the price of similar-powered inverters from other brands. The Predator line, which is popular with RVers as well as homeowners and contractors, also includes bargain-priced 4,000-watt generators and larger inverters that produce as much as 9,500 watts.
Shop Predator generators at Harbor Freight.
Price Range: $ to $$ Our Top Picks: Wen 3,800-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $774.06 and Wen 11,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $789.99.
Wen was a pioneer in the power tool market in the mid-20th century, helping to develop chainsaws, soldering guns, electric jigsaws, and other products since its launch in 1951. The company’s mission is to help woodworkers and artisans execute their wildest dreams.
Over the years, Wen has expanded to include a variety of other power tools, including generators. Wen produces home generators and portable generators, like the 3,800-watt inverter, that are among the least expensive on the market.
Shop Wen generators at Amazon or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$ Our Top Picks: Sportsman 4,000-Watt Portable Generator for $421.27 and Sportsman 2,200-Watt Dual Fuel Inverter Generator for $477.99.
Although Sportsman’s generators can be used as backup emergency power for a home, they’re designed for outdoor enthusiasts, with the largest generator topping out at about 4,000 watts.
Sportsman generators run off a variety of fuels, including gasoline, propane, and natural gas, making them one of the few tri-fuel generators on the market. Its generators, including the two we feature, have 30-amp hookups that work with RVs. This versatility makes Sportsman generators ideal for a variety of uses, ranging from tailgating to camping to emergency electricity during an outage.
Shop Sportsman generators at Lowe’s, Tractor Supply Co., or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$ Our Top Picks: Ryobi 2,300-Watt Inverter Generator for $699 and Ryobi 6,500-Watt Gasoline Powered Portable Generator for $899.
Ryobi launched in 1943 as an auto parts company before later expanding into power tools and generators. Today, the company’s power tools are sold primarily through The Home Depot. Like its line of power tools, Ryobi’s generators are relatively affordable.
Though the company produces just a handful of models, Ryobi’s generators feature innovative controls that make them more user-friendly than many other generator brands. Its most popular models like the 2,300-watt inverter feature digital displays that provide real-time data regarding fuel level, power load, and runtime, all of which can be monitored via Bluetooth from a smartphone. These generators also come with safety features, including a carbon monoxide automatic shut-off switch.
Shop Ryobi generators at Amazon or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: Firman Electric Start Extended Run Time Generator for $1,049.99 and Firman 4,550-Watt Recoil Start Generator for $535.46.
Though Firman has been making generators for years for such brands as Kohler and Ridgid, it didn’t start producing generators under its own brand until 2015. The company has made inroads into the market by addressing top customer demands.
No one likes having to constantly refill the tank in the generator, which is why Firman outfits its generators with gas tanks that are 25 percent larger than a standard gas tank, giving its generators significant runtimes of 12 hours on a half-load. It also knows that the second biggest gripe about generators is noise, which is why the company has an entire line of generators—the Whisper series—that is designed to produce as little noise as possible, with outputs of around 67 decibels. Firman’s generators range from 3,000-watt inverters for camping to models like the 10,000-watt generator featured here for homes or remote worksites.
Shop Firman generators at Amazon or Walmart.
Price Range: $$ to $$$ Our Top Picks: DeWalt 7,000-Watt Electric Start Portable Generator for $1,059 and DeWalt 6,500-Watt Manual Start Portable Generator for $999.
DeWalt started in 1924 with a woodworking machine called the “Wonder-Worker,” which was designed to help increase productivity and efficiency on the farm. By 1992, the company released its first portable electric power tools. Today, DeWalt is one of the most trusted names in the power tool industry. The company also offers a selection of traditional gas generators, battery-powered generators, and portable generators. While the company’s generator selection is not as extensive as that of some other manufacturers, DeWalt does offer a range of options to meet the varying power needs of different customers. Several models, including the 7,000-watt portable, meet stringent CSA and CARB emission regulations.
Shop DeWalt generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.
Price Range: $ to $$$$ Our Top Picks: Jackery Explorer Solar Generator 1000 and 2 SolarSaga Panels for $1,649 and Jackery Explorer 240 Portable Power Station for $219.
Jackery was founded in 2012 to spread the use of clean energy to combat climate change. The company—which is now one of the top-selling solar generator brands in the world—was the first to launch a line of lithium portable power generators. The Explorer series is designed to deliver power for outdoor activities, travelers, mobile families, or anyone else in need.
Following the release of the Explorer series, Jackery debuted its SolarSaga solar panels. Harnessing the power of the sun, this line of solar panels can help boost the effectiveness and longevity of Jackery’s generators. The SolarSaga panels are designed to be portable with their folding design, and they set up in seconds with the integrated kickstands. They then just need to be plugged into models like the Jackery Explorer 1000 to start collecting free energy.
Shop Jackery generators at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$ Our Top Picks: A-iPower 2,000-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $376.09 or A-iPower 15,000-Watt Heavy-Duty Portable Generator for $2,799.00.
The A-iPower brand is a relative newcomer in the generator market though it has quickly established a reputation for affordable and reliable equipment. Although it is an American company headquartered in California, all manufacturing is based in China. It is the preferred generator brand of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), which is the governing body for drag racing in the U.S. and Canada.
The range is extensive, with everything from an ultra-lightweight 1,500-watt inverter ideal for tailgating or camping to the 15,000-watt heavy-duty generator featured above. A-iPower focuses on high efficiency, low emissions, and safety with GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupters) as a common feature. Many of the A-iPower generators are also RV-ready.
Shop A-iPower generators at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $ to $$$. Our Top Picks: GenMax 1,200-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $299 or GenMax 10,500-Watt Tri-Fuel Inverter Generator for $2,899.99.
Those looking for feature-rich, budget-friendly generators will want to check out the range offered by GenMax. The company has been around since 2010 and produces an extensive selection that should satisfy just about every need.
The brand is known for innovation. The 10,500-watt generator we selected as a top pick was the first tri-fuel inverter generator on the market and is capable of running off gasoline, propane tanks, or mains natural gas. GenMax’s inverter range uses Quiet Technology to keep noise to a minimum, and its Open Frame models offer competitive performance, the ability to run in parallel for double the output, and up to 40 percent weight reduction when compared to traditional models.
Shop GenMax generators at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.
Price Range: $$ to $$$. Our Top Picks: Powerhorse 4,500-Watt Inverter Generator for $849.99 or Powerhorse 27,000-Watt Generator for $3,299.99.
Northern Tool + Equipment is a family-run business that started trading in 1981, and in addition to its online business, it now has 120 stores nationwide. Powerhorse is one of several house brands, and it’s focused on durability and value for money.
The range of generators offered isn’t as extensive as some, but it includes a lightweight portable inverter at 2,300 watts in addition to the 27,000-watt monster with a 999cc V-twin motor we chose as a top pick. Reliability is enhanced by copper-wound cylinder heads that prevent overheating. User-friendly features include an electric start and an ESC (Engine Smart Control) that varies the throttle to save fuel.
Shop Powerhorse generators at Amazon, Walmart, or Northern Tool + Equipment.
Price Range: $ to $$$. Our Top Picks: Pulsar 1,200-Watt Portable Generator for $179.99 or Pulsar 7,200-Watt Dual-Fuel Inverter Generator for $995.00.
Pulsar is based in Ontario, California, and claims to be one of the fastest-growing brands in the industry. Quality and reliability are underlined by the fact that it is also licensed by Ford to build that company’s generators.
The brand’s range is impressive. It includes both inverter and traditional generators, all with very competitive price tags. Pulsar produces gasoline, dual-, and tri-fuel models from the low-cost 2-cycle 1,200-watt model we chose as a top pick to a 15,000-watt electric start model with carbon monoxide safety alert. Other features include a digital readout for performance monitoring and low oil shutdown to prevent motor damage.
Shop Pulsar generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Acme Tools.
Price Range: $$ to $$$$. Our Top Picks: Yamaha 2,200-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $1,275.00 or Yamaha 6,300-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $4,599.91
The Yamaha corporation has been around since 1887 when it originally made reed organs and pianos. The brand still makes a wide range of musical instruments but also produces everything from motorcycles and outboard motors to industrial robots and water purification systems.
The Yamaha generator range focuses on quiet, user-friendly portable inverter generators like those featured above, each of which is RV-ready. The company also manufactures traditional models with auto decompression for easy starting, and diesel generators that, according to the manufacturer, offer up to 40 percent better fuel economy than gas-powered alternatives.
Shop Yamaha generators at Amazon, Walmart, or Acme Tools.
After extensive product research reviewing the variety of types of generators on the market, we are able to offer this collection of recommended products. These generators from the best generator brands were selected based on several criteria including value for money, portability, flexibility of use, and popularity with users. While reviewing the generators available on the market, we specifically looked for and chose products that provide a range of features from electric generator start options, dual-fuel (and unusual triple-fuel options), remote start, and safety features.
Runtime, durability, ease of use, and the number and types of outlets provided were also valued features we considered when reviewing the available generators from the top brands. The selection in this guide includes generators at a variety of price points that can ably power part or all of a home during an outage; some can power an RV, and others are designed to power a tailgating event or camping adventure.
Tony Carrick is a freelance writer who has contributed to BobVila.com since 2020. He writes how-to articles and product reviews in the areas of lawn and garden, home maintenance, home improvement, auto maintenance, housewares, and technology.
Bob Beacham is an engineer by trade and has spent 35 years working on everything from auto parts to oil rigs. He is also an avid DIY enthusiast. Bob started writing for the Bob Vila team in 2020 and covers tools, outdoor equipment, and home improvement projects.
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