50 AMP Dual Fuel Generator Choices

[Gebo]

I am looking for a portable dual fuel generator that has a 50 amp connector. There are many choices and the prices are all over
the place. In my limited research I have sorta got to the point of choosing between Westinghouse and DuroMax. The
Westinghouse is a lot cheaper and has great reviews. I am assuming the DuroMax is higher quality? IDK??? Maybe this
is too subjective of a question? I will accept any anecdotal input.

My max is $1500. I will be using propane that has a hard line run from tank to side of house.

 

[alarmguy]

Looking forward to responses. We have been looking into this as well, many in my community do it and some go the whole route with a full generac system, we are not committed at this point. Same deal with the propane too.
What I am curious about is the "quality" of the electricity with the portable units. I read sometimes some generators produce noisy electricity and some clean electricity for sensitive electronics.

A neighbor recently bought this, hasn't had a need for it yet. Had the connection to plug into the breaker box installed too. It was onsale at the time for $799

https://www.costco.com/firman-7500w-running--9400w-peak-tri-fuel-generator.product.100840185.html

Looking forward to hear answers to your post

 

[4WD]

I am looking for a portable dual fuel generator that has a 50 amp connector. There are many choices and the prices are all over
the place. In my limited research I have sorta got to the point of choosing between Westinghouse and DuroMax. The
Westinghouse is a lot cheaper and has great reviews. I am assuming the DuroMax is higher quality? IDK??? Maybe this
is too subjective of a question? I will accept any anecdotal input.

My max is $1500. I will be using propane that has a hard line run from tank to side of house.

I have both brands - Chonda motors are fine - the carbs and switches can be cheap on both …
My WGen9500DF stays on propane and has been great after 3 years …

 

[Gebo]

Looking forward to responses. We have been looking into this as well, many in my community do it and some go the whole route with a full generac system, we are not committed at this point. Same deal with the propane too.
What I am curious about is the "quality" of the electricity with the portable units. I read sometimes some generators produce noisy electricity and some clean electricity for sensitive electronics.

A neighbor recently bought this, hasn't had a need for it yet. Had the connection to plug into the breaker box installed too. It was onsale at the time for $799

https://www.costco.com/firman-7500w-running--9400w-peak-tri-fuel-generator.product.100840185.html

Looking forward to hear answers to your post

I'm looking to get a slightly larger one. Does it have a 50 amp connector? I can't tell. When you look for a generator that
has a 50 amp connector, it starts to limit your search.

 

[Gebo]

I have both brands - Chonda motors are fine - the carbs and switches can be cheap on both …
My WGen9500 stays on propane and has been great after 3 years …

Did you run a hard line for the propane or are you using a tank?

 

[4WD]

Did you run a hard line for the propane or are you using a tank?

Tanks - I ordered a kit for NG - but when I opened the box it looked too cheesy - we are on a really good grid so outages tend to be physical damage and not brown outs - small tanks work Ok …

 

[4WD]

I'm looking to get a slightly larger one. Does it have a 50 amp connector? I can't tell. When you look for a generator that
has a 50 amp connector, it starts to limit your search.

Here is the 9500 panel - they also have good surge capacity (12500)

 

[oldcodger]

I would recommend you take after sale service into consideration. As far as I can tell most if not all the open frame generators are actually made in the far east. When you pick a model do some questioning to see if they have a service network in place.

 

[390pcode]

Don't forget to consider the downrating when running propane/NG.

 

[thastinger]

For anyone reading, just some things I've picked up over the years:

- There are lots of generators out there with 8500-10K stickers on them that only have 30A twist lock plugs...30x240=7400W
- US carb sells a tri-fuel kit which will convert a gasoline gen to run on either gas, propane or NG
- Engine life is debatable if the gen isn't designed to be duel/tri fuel. Intake/exhaust valves/seats may need the lubricity of gasoline which isn't present in propane or NG
- Spark plugs don't last as long running NG/Propane as they do running gasoline. I don't know why, they look almost new when you pull them out, I just keep a box of 10 on hand and change it when I'm changing the oil if the gen is on a long run. (this is a gasoline gen that is running ng or propane).

 

[Gebo]

Don't forget to consider the downrating when running propane/NG.

Yes

 

[spackard]

Also, everything with that NEMA 14-50 plug/receptacle is expensive.

 

[alarmguy]

I'm looking to get a slightly larger one. Does it have a 50 amp connector? I can't tell. When you look for a generator that
has a 50 amp connector, it starts to limit your search.

Yes, it’s in the specs, has both 30 and 50 amp connectors, if you get a good enough picture, you could zoom in on it and see it, I actually saw the generator itself in Costco and a neighbor has purchased one.
My wife was wanting one more than me, just because we live along the coast, and so many people have them
Yet it’s rare that this area loses power as testified by some people who have whole house generators, and my fear is the thing will get old before we even get a chance to use it, which is may be one or two times over 10 years

With that said, it’s impossible to predict. If all of a sudden you are going to have a couple years of severe storms, and one of those was just a couple years back where it was a good number of days without power for some areas.

 

[Gebo]

Also, everything with that NEMA 14-50 plug/receptacle is expensive.

But I am so tired of dragging my old generator around the house to get it where it needs to be and then running cords everywhere. Filling up Gasoline cans that are hateful as heck to pour. Lol.

I decided to bite the bullet but not go all the way to a whole house generator.

 

[alarmguy]

For anyone reading, just some things I've picked up over the years:
...
- Spark plugs don't last as long running NG/Propane as they do running gasoline. I don't know why, they look almost new when you pull them out, I just keep a box of 10 on hand and change it when I'm changing the oil if the gen is on a long run. (this is a gasoline gen that is running ng or propane).

Im curious your comment on Spark Plugs. Have you used both NG and Propane? I only ask as recently I have discovered that Propane carries close to the same BTU rating as gasoline and in a generator they will produce close to the same power Electric) output.

However powered with NG the generator puts out significantly less (electric) power. So that makes me wonder if the plugs in a NG would wear down faster as the engine has to work harder to meet demand. Meaning more stress on the engine trying to keep up with demand. Just a wild thought.

 

[alarmguy]

Don't forget to consider the downrating when running propane/NG.

The biggest hit by far is NG
I consider propane to be a nice compromise if you not having to bother with gasoline. Granted, much easier if you already have propane at the house.

 

[thastinger]

Im curious your comment on Spark Plugs. Have you used both NG and Propane? I only ask as recently I have discovered that Propane carries close to the same BTU rating as gasoline and in a generator they will produce close to the same power Electric) output.

However powered with NG the generator puts out significantly less (electric) power. So that makes me wonder if the plugs in a NG would wear down faster as the engine has to work harder to meet demand. Meaning more stress on the engine trying to keep up with demand. Just a wild thought.

I've got a Chonda 390cc clone motor on the generator we use for backup power. I've had it about 10 years. It may be something associated with the engine itself but the plugs seem to last about 50 hours on NG, they will run beyond that so long as the gen isn't turned off, but it will not start again without replacing the plug, once the plug is replaced it is back to running great. Took me a bit to diagnose it the first time it happened, but now that I know, I just keep a box of the NGK plugs that fit it (can't remember the number off the top of my head).
I haven't done any extended runs on propane so I shouldn't have included propane in the plug life description, nor have I done any extended runs on gasoline with this gen.

 

[thastinger]

The biggest hit by far is NG
I consider propane to be a nice compromise if you not having to bother with gasoline. Granted, much easier if you already have propane at the house.

View attachment 195378

Keep in mind that you'll need a decent sized propane tank to run that gen at half load or above. I have a similar gen and it will freeze a 20Lb bottle but runs fine off of a 100Lb bottle. I don't run it on propane primarily, just conducted a test to see what size propane bottle I needed for my 3rd fuel source.

 

[alarmguy]

Keep in mind that you'll need a decent sized propane tank to run that gen at half load or above. I have a similar gen and it will freeze a 20Lb bottle but runs fine off of a 100Lb bottle. I don't run it on propane primarily, just conducted a test to see what size propane bottle I needed for my 3rd fuel source.

Yeah, that thought crossed my mind. We have a 120Lb.. but I wonder in an extended outage that isnt going to last long, even worse what if it is between fill-ups?, yet if you have a gas can you could extend that time forever by switching over.

One thing for sure, your NG is an unlimited supply and a nice option (one that I wish we had) as you stated as long as you compensate for the BTU difference.
Im still on the fence if we get one, wife wants one but we are starting to calm down on the idea. New home on the coast this year, still, I hear outages are rare. But you can count on one big one every ten years or 2 moderates.
Our last home couple hundred miles inland, never had a black out lasting longer than 4 hours in 16 years.

Now in the new home my wife was the big push in this, until she made it through hurricane season will nary a breeze. *LOL* Santa gave her a Coleman propane lantern for Christmas *LOL* Kind of as a joke, as she was ready with candles every threat of a tropical storm.

 

[Rand]

I'm looking to get a slightly larger one. Does it have a 50 amp connector? I can't tell. When you look for a generator that
has a 50 amp connector, it starts to limit your search.