Champion Power Equipment 4250-Watt Dual Fuel RV Ready Portable Open Frame Inverter Generator with Quiet Technology

Living in a state where every square foot is subject to hurricanes, a generator is a must have piece of equipment. So far this one has worked great, only 50 hours on the generator, cranks on the first or second pull and runs for hours on a tank of gas or propane. Cranking on propane does require choking and slowly opening the valve on the propane tank, plus a couple of slow pulls to flush out the air, then it will usually crank right up. Time and extended running will tell about the build quality, but for a back-up to run some appliances and a small window unit it fits the bill. Amazon used to run some good sales on these generators, but with the China thing going on who knows.

I bought this for the purpose of power outages. I based the purchase on 1. the dual fuel aspect and 2. the reviews for Champion where by and large good. I did not want to pay a premium for a Honda and then add a propane conversion kit. I chose an inverter generator to be kind to things with chips in them. Almost everything has chips in them, from refrigerators to TVs. A regular generators output has the potential of being to dirty. Also, the idea of being able to have propane on hand for an indefinite period of time and not go stale was appealing. Note that using propane the running wattage is 3150 vs 3500 for gasoline on this inverter generator.I followed the instructions upon unpacking the inverter generator and filled it with the supplied oil. The next step was to give it the recommended 5hr break-in. The set up was on my back patio . Hooking it up to propane was a breeze. This model is a pull start. On my first attempt starting it I did not tension the pull cord first (as instructed) and thought something was wrong. Checking the manual and found the user error, tensioned the cord and it started right away. Be sure to set up in an area where exhaust gas will not build up i.e. near windows, doors or to near people etc.The load I used was my home refrigerator-720 watts (running wattage), a 1/4hp fan about 400 watts, and a hair drier upward to 1200 watts. I used the hair drier to alter the output as recommended in the manual to help seat the piston rings. Shutting it off was as easy as shutting off the propane supply. After the break-in I let it cool enough to change the oil, I used 10W-30.Cons: 1. There is a red LCD readout that is difficult to read in bright sunlight.2. Does not come with a wheel kit. At the time of my purchase I didn't find one available so I used amoving dolly to get it around.3. Do not know if this counts as a con. It has a 30A RV plug instead of three prong twist lock plug.I bought an RV plug made by Conntek on Amazon it gave me two more outlets. Conntekmakes other plugs that will work too.4. Though on the quiet side for a generator it is still noisy. I plan on making a shed with goodventing, fan assist air movement and rockwool sound dampening.Please note that although I list these as "Cons" they would not have changed my mind in the leastand may be common with other generators, just the nature of the beast.Pros: 1. Being able to use propane is a plus. Although the generator gives a lower output I don't have toworry about storing gasoline, going stale or whether it has to much ethanol for my use.Propane can be stored laterally for years. Also, the exhaust does not have an overwhelmingobnoxious odor as it does with gasoline.Just a few ending notes. It is worth mentioning again about exhaust, placement is everything. Do not skimp on extension cords. Look at the wire gauge my guess is that my refrigerator at 720 watts (running) might pull 2160 when a compressor kicks on. I wouldn't run a 16 or 14 gauge extension cord for it. Think of it as if it where a water pipe. The higher number (gauge) of the wire, smaller the pipe. This is more restrictive to all of those electrons trying to move through the wire. The lower number (gauge) like 12 or 10, larger the pipe, easier flow, less restriction. If power cycles on what you plug in then account for it and have a cord that can handle it. Also, pay attention to the available Amps and what you are plugging in.I hope to update this in a year or so. A review on a brand new purchase doesn't really do justice.

Well, I’ve been using this for around a month now. It does good in all the tests and so forth I’ve done so far with one exception. It’s hard to start on propane. I’ve tried it the way it says to start on propane in the manual. I’ve had to pull the rope as many as 10 times to start it, maybe more, I didn’t actually count. I only have 4 hours on it now, it’s not even past the initial 5 hour break in period. Since I plan on using only propane, that’s a pain. I have an old generator I converted to propane, it usually starts on the first two pulls.I haven’t maxed it out yet. I will after the break in is finished. Everything works as expected other than the starting issue.Additionally, it is not quiet. If you’re looking for a quiet generator, this isn’t it. It’s only slightly quieter than my older non-inverter open frame generator.

I like that it can run on propane or gasoline. The first regulator didn’t work but the company sent a replacement right away.

First, let me say I have both the 2500w dual fuel inverter, and this 4250 dual fuel. I am extremely happy with the 2500w dual fuel, but it won't run my 15.5k BTU a/c on the travel trailer (even with a soft start). So I purchased this 4250 dual fuel because I only use propane in them, I am not a fan of the gas smell. The "low noise" part of this is a gigantic lie as it is incredibly loud for an inverter generator. There are plenty of YT videos showing sound dB, so I won't get into that. I placed this in the back of my '23 Tundra and it unscrewed the latches off of my hard tonneau cover from the vibrations. I could also feel (quite a bit) the vibration inside the trailer while this is running in my truck bed. Next was the random shutoff- plenty of propane, no load changes, but somehow it kept thinking it was out of oil. When trying to start it, you can see the oil light flash (through the sweat dripping because it was hot and pull-starting anything multiple times in the blistering heat is no fun). After I figured it out, I added a bit of oil (even though the dipstick said full) and it started right up. It ran for the 5 hrs I had it on, then I turned it off. The next day I tried to start it again and it said low oil again... I put two blocks up so it was on about a 5-10% grade and it ran fine every time after that for the rest of the 30 day trip for me. Amazon told me they couldn't return this when I called in a week after I purchased it, but some reviews say they returned it. I would try it out quickly and see if you can return it if needed. Again, I am super happy with the 2500w dual fuel, and although this unit does put out electrons, it's nowhere near the quality of the other champion product I have.