Westinghouse 12500 Peak Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator, Remote Electric Start, Transfer Switch Ready, Gas and Propane Powered, CO Sensor

Great value for the money as it is a Tri-Fuel generator and can use gasoline, propane, or natural gas which is very useful in an emergency situation where you may not be able to get one or the other. Most kits to add propane or natural gas costs $150-$300 depending on the application so having this included already in the price is great. Amazon arrived fairly early at my house with 2 guys and a big dolly to take it back to where I wanted it by my garage, they did a great job getting it delivered to me and without any damage to the box or generator.It was easy to put the wheels and feet on by myself. You definitely won't be picking this up directly off the ground with some help as it is a bit heavy but with the wheels you can easily move it around with the handle bar anywhere on level ground.Noise is good for this size generator, it isn't whisper quiet but I have lawn mowers that are louder than the generator under load. Everything you need is included, a propane regulator and hose, a natural gas line with plenty of length, 10W30 oil for break in, a remote start key fob, and a couple tools.Overall this should work great for powering my house in an emergency or if I were to need to take it somewhere to use as a portable generator. It has a 3 year warranty and the price was definitely right for what you get. Hopefully there will be no issues with it in the future.

HISTORY, ITEMS PURCHASED AND THEIR INTENDED USE: We’ve owned and operated portable generators for years in connection with Texas farm and ranch operations. We’ve also owned several RV’s. We ordered 2 of these Westinghouse 9500Tfc (12500 peak) watt tri-fuel generators through Amazon to power essentials on the ranch (home, well, poly tanks, and guesthouse) during emergency outages.DELIVERY: Both items were delivered at the same time in separate boxes. The simultaneous delivery was appreciated, but the delivery was 8 days late. Not an extreme delay, but Amazon purchasers should plan accordingly. The final delivery process went well. We received a text the day before that provided a delivery window (2-5pm); then we received another confirming text the morning of delivery, and finally a phone call upon arrival - so be sure to carry your phone. The delivery truck was not oversized. No pallet was needed or utilized. The delivery people were polite and arrived early. They took directions courteously, dollied and placed each boxed generator into our garage work space for subsequent un-boxing, inspection and assembly.CONDITION, WEIGHT, AND START-UP: Packaging was good. Using a box cutter, we cut all the way around the bottom and lifted the box off. Each unit was clean and undamaged. Assembly was easy. The wheels are sturdy and roll well. However, the units are not lightweight, even heavier with a full tank of gasoline. I feel sorry for those who plan to regularly roll them around. Do yourself and your back a favor: Place the unit close to where you plan to ultimately use it.The generator engine batteries were fully charged. The battery wiring harness attaches easily, and each generator started on the first try. Be sure to fill the oil, and use EF fuel, if running on gasoline. The location of the “choke” setting (and lack of definitive markings on when it is open or closed) is an oversight on the unit. HOWEVER, the choke appears to be automatic (that is, we are finding that it automatically begins in the full "choke" position; then automatically moves from choke to run after the engine fires up; then returns back to choke again after shutdown). Nevertheless, be sure to confirm that the “choke” is open for cold starts, then confirm that the choke moves to run after the engine fires up. It would help if generator manual chokes (such as this one) had bold and conspicuous indicators of which position is the “choke” position and which is not, as well as panel-level visuals (or reminders) of choke status that cannot be ignored. The engine will run rough and stumble if it remains on choke continuously. Operators may not notice a forgotten choke left “on”, especially when electrical loads are being systematically applied and released (which can stumble the engine momentarily themselves). Nor is one constantly monitoring a generator during the entire operation in the same manner as one would be if he were operating a lawn mower (which, if it begins stumbling, alerts the operator that the choke may still be on).BTW - A great unpacking and assembly video is at: https://westinghouseoutdoorpower.com/blogs/westinghouse-blog/westinghouse-wgen9500-and-st-switch-review-by-randy-richard-in-the-shopALTERNATIVE FUEL SOURCES AND CONNECTION LINES: A 6 ft, 3/8” propane hose and regulator is provided for attachment to a small portable propane tank, and a longer (25 ft, 1/2") natural gas/propane line is also included for those intending to run on NG (or on propane attached to larger home tank storage). Our initial start up testing was conducted using EF gasoline, but we may ultimately draw from our large home propane tank which has hose connection points close to where each generator will be located.NOISE LEVEL: The noise level is acceptable. We would estimate the sound as probably quieter than many other generators in the same class. But don’t fool yourself: generators of this size and wattage are not quiet. In my opinion, the noise level of this unit is equivalent to a quality, new and smooth, well-running, push lawnmower. The sound is not bad, and its operation outdoors is actually hard to hear indoors unless you plan to operate the unit right up against your building exterior. It’s louder than your outdoor central AC condenser unit, but nowhere near as loud as an average running air compressor unit (the kind used to fill tires, etc). Although some users build styrofoam box covers to dampen the sound, I believe the effectiveness of doing so is questionable, and material cost high. A slight or barely noticeable “drone” from the outdoors during emergency use is of little consequence to most of us.CO SENSOR: At the time we ordered, we were concerned that the units' CO sensors could be too sensitive, and we did not want to have to deal with random shut downs. However, none of these concerns were realized, the units operated perfectly outdoors side-by-side, not more than a few feet from one another, and no problems were encountered with the CO sensors.KEY FOB: Unfortunately, on one of the 2 units, the key fob appeared to be used, and the fob battery (one of those small 3V, 2032 numbered, round shiny flat batteries) was dead. However, not a big deal. We installed a new fob battery, and it worked fine.So far, we are pleased with both units, and look forward to fully testing them over the next 12 months, including on propane. We may further update this review as circumstances warrant. We hope this helps everyone.

I live in Southern California and as of late, with the wind and fires our power gets shut down periodically for days at a time. Finally fed up with losing food, no lights or showers for extended periods of time, I decided to do some research on generators that could run my 4,000 sf home during outages. This Westinghouse kept popping up in my search. Took the leap and purchased it (had it shipped to my Daughter in Oregon because for some unknown reason, it isn’t approved in California) even though it will run on propane and natural gas. She was coming down for Christmas so she loaded it up and brought it to us. Took me all of about 45 minutes to wire it up to back feed my panel through a 220 volt 50 amp auxiliary circuit I have in the garage for charging my wife’s car, and since my electric service is right next to my natural gas meter, I plumbed it in to hook up to the gas line. Well, it didn’t take long before the recent fires had our power shut down for several days. I fired it up and it ran flawlessly for 3 straight days and ran everything in the house including the home heating units. I did disconnect my pool sub panel and did not attempt to run pool pumps, not necessary for a couple days anyway. I tried it with propane as well and it ran just fine. No need for gasoline unless I have my natural gas cut off as well, but I have a backup 5 gallon gas can for emergency. Very impressed with the quality and ease of use and starting options. Super easy, super handy and great piece of mind. The generator comes with both natural gas and propane hoses for simple easy connections. I was out of town when the most recent power outage occurred and my wife was able to easily roll it out of the garage, make the connections and get I going. Time will tell, but I’m loving the piece of mind and uninterrupted power when we need it. Great piece of equipment. I’m a general contractor so I know how to make the electrical connections, I understand most folks should and will need to contact an electrician to set it up, but it’s simple if you watch some YouTube videos and are not afraid to do a little work.. easy DIY. job if inclined.

Arrived in great condition and the assembly was simple with easy-to-follow instructions - it can be easily assembled by one person. I am using natural gas as the fuel source, with propane as an option. Generator started on the first try and the noise level is great for its size. Highly recommend Westinghouse generators, regardless of the size needed to meet your needs.