WEN 5600-Watt Portable Generator Electric Start 224cc Transfer-Switch and RV-Ready with CO Shutdown Sensor GN5602X

Assembly was a snap, starts right up on gas or lp, I prefer lp as I am a little isolated. Did the break in like the manual said, had it two weeks and lost power for two days, ran great , kept the furnace fan going and tv Xbox and lights, quiet quieter than my vacuum, yes I tested it, can't give accurate decibel but very quiet for a generator, I definitely would recommend. Read more

This is the first generator that I have owned. I have not had a need to use it during a power outage yet, but I am very impressed with the design and operation so far. I am an engineer by degree (not electrical) but the design of this machine is impressive. The assembly was very straightforward. Actual small wrenches, not pressed pieces of metal, were provided in sufficient quantity to fully complete the assembly. The oil fill has a sufficient diameter inlet to visually confirm that the proper amount of oil has been added, and a funnel is also provided with the machine. You will need to purchase your own oil in a type to match the temperatures where you live. The fuel fill is a large diameter to help reduce spillage when filling the tank. It comes with a large microfilter to collect any debris, and the cap is connected by a chain to prevent you from dropping it and getting dirt and debris on the gasket which can harm the engine. The fuel fill is also recessed with a spillway so that if any fuel is spilled it is diverted away from areas where damage could be incurred. The battery has a quick connect so that you can easily prevent the battery from draining when not in use. The push button start works like a champ. Just open the fuel valve and slide the choke to run once the engine starts. I read one review that their generator didn’t stop when the run switch was turned off. I can only assume that they did not read the instructions and failed to close the fuel valve prior to switching the generator off. American made is always a huge plus. Overall, it is a very smartly designed machine. The manual recommends running the unit for 20 minutes per month. I intend to do just that and expect many years of operation out of this well-made machine. A solid 5-star piece of equipment. Read more

The media could not be loaded. I purchased this generator specifically for emergency situations and it's exceeded my expectations. My goal was to find something affordable yet powerful enough to run two electric heaters in the winter or a portable A/C unit in the summer—and still have juice left for essentials like a lamp, phone chargers, and our modem/router. This unit handles all of that with ease. It may not have the extra bells and whistles found in higher-end inverter models, but I didn’t need those. What I wanted was reliability and simplicity, and this generator delivers. It starts with one pull and hums along at a reasonable volume (around 50 decibels from 25 feet away), which is perfectly in line with similar units. One standout feature is the eco mode, which adjusts the engine speed based on the power demand—saving fuel and reducing noise when the load is light. I also really appreciate the open-frame design—it makes it super easy to drain the carburetor after use, a huge convenience. Unlike some models, this generator doesn't have a carbon monoxide shutdown sensor. Personally, I prefer it that way. I’m very aware of the safety rules when operating a generator and never run it indoors or in confined spaces. Without the auto-shutdown, I don’t have to worry about wind triggering unnecessary shut-offs. It is a bit heavier than I anticipated, so I picked up a folding hand truck and now it's fully mobile—problem solved. It comes with a standard two-year manufacturer warranty, and I opted for the extended protection plan, giving me four years of peace of mind. Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with this purchase. It gives me confidence that we'll have power in any situation. Read more

Overall it's a good generator. There's a few nueance things that are a little frustrating with it but not deal breaking or things you can't work around. It was easy to assemble and the instructions are generally easy to understand if your mechanically inclined. It's easy to put the handles on the wrong sides or forget to put the loops on for the pins. But again easy to fix that with the handles being 1 bolt and a pin. I have the electric ignition one (it was somehow listed at the same price as the pull start only) and it has the pull start as a backup. I haven't used the pull start so I can't say how well that works as of yet. The ignition works like a dream. The only downside to me, and again this is strictly personal preference, is it's a rocker switch. I would personally like a push button. But it starts almost immediately as soon as you rock the switch down. There were 2 things that kept me from making this a 5 star review of the generator. The 1st being the fine threads on the oil dipstick no matter what, wants to try and cross thread or go in offset. And if it does DO NOT, and I can't stress this enough, keep trying to tighten it. It's a plastic dipstick, it will cross thread easily. Instead keep struggling to find it's perfect spot and it will line up. There's no way to see if there is any lines to line up unless your laying on the ground or floor of your shop. The only other option is to have someone else help you lift it onto a table. The 2nd thing is that holding the rocker switch to off on the panel will not shut it off. Instead you have to grab the rpm handles below that and pull it all the way to the left or reach around and turn the gas off. I'm assuming the off on the rocker panel is for the power out of the outlets. Which should have a switch obviously. But it should have an off switch to turn the motor itself off outside of using the shutoff or rpm control. The fail safes do appear to work. Running it full blast with just a battery charger will make it shut off with a fault, as it should since it's sending a ton of power into 1 outlet. The noise level isn't terrible, I've heard way louder generators in my time. If I had to compare it to anything it's around the same level as a push gas lawn mower. Maybe a few db lower than a mower. So if your just starting it up and leaving it run while your not near it then you'll be fine. If your on a job site working near it most of the time I would suggest ear protection just because of the prolonged sound. Read more