Westinghouse 9500 Peak Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator, Remote Electric Start, Transfer Switch Ready, Gas & Propane Powered

Amazon delivered the generator in a large box and it was pretty easy to unbox it and assemble the generator - instruction manual is are pretty easy to follow. Everything you need to prep it is included, including tools and oil. You just need gasoline or a propane tank. It took me about 20 minutes to unbox and assemble the unit. Adding oil is fairly straightforward - it just takes slow and careful repeated filling using the little "bent-elbow" funnel and checking levels to get enough oil in (but not too much). Once everything was done I added about a half tank of fresh gasoline, turned the little gasoline delivery switch to flow (on the side of the unit), checked that everything was ready, turned on the power and hit the Start button. However while it would crank it simply would not turn over and run. I checked, double-checked, and triple-checked everything (even checked spark plug gap)... but I just couldn't get the unit to run. I finally gave up for the weekend and moved on to other chores. A couple of weekends later I called up the Westinghouse help line number in the manual -- while waiting on a call back I set the generator back up, went thru everything and hit the start button. This time the generator fired up instantly. When I eventually spoke with the technician (very friendly and knowledgeable, btw) he said that a very very small number of units get something in the carburetor stuck as a result of sitting for a long period of time after shipping out of the factory -- I guess they drain the gasoline but somewhere in the carb residual gasoline seizes something in the carb that prevents any gasoline from getting thru. But when a customer gets the unit and adds gasoline in the tank that gasoline slowly "eats away" at whatever that residue had seized up and eventually frees it. So, if this happens to you (everything is done correctly but the unit won't start) just let the generator sit for a few days and that may solve the problem. And their help line techs seem fantastic and I only waited about 10 minutes to get a hold of one. So I haven't actually needed the generator in a real storm or power outage situation yet, but running the unit for a bit and testing a few things has me feeling comfortable that I'm ready should we get a power outage. I haven't played with the remote start button but I don't see me needing to use that (you have to keep the generator turned on which will drain the battery). I can see running this in the dark that it might be nice to have some sort of light on the panel -- I'm thinking of using one of those goose-neck LED lights (or a pair) that are usually used on grills. I'm also looking at something like GenTent to cover the generator in the event that I'm running it while it's raining or snowing. All in all, a very nice generator with plenty of power, easy start (minus the gasoline seizing issue) and operation, nice built-in handle to maneuver it, and I like the duel fuel option if/when it's needed.

Summary - This is an excellent generator for its size and output. While heavy and moderately loud, that's unavoidable with generators of this size and this one is no worse than most of its contemporaries. With a solid 3 year warranty and excellent documentation to facilitate future repairs even long after the warranty has expired, if you need to power a worksite, a small residence or a workshop, this generator has solid run-time on a full tank of unleaded gasoline and a full array of easy to use hook-ups and operational features. I couldn't ask for more out of a generator of this size and at this price point. Pros - * Very powerful - you could feasibly power a small residence with this thing. I'm using it to power a small workshop and it will handily run all the lights, hand tools and standing tools any two or three people could use simultaneously. * Compact and maneuverable for its power - The wheels that come with it are good and nearly effortless to install, as are the front end's stand feet. The flex handle has a foam comfort grip that makes it easy to tow and pivot this thing around as required. * Solid Fuel Efficiency - with a 6 gallon tank, I'm expecting to realistically get 10-12 hours of total runtime during long, busy days when this generator will be carrying heavy loads. Hard to beat that for this overall class and output of generator. * Ease Of Use - The instructions that come with this thing are clear and easy to follow. The quick start guide is useful and accurate, and the owner's manual includes a full breakdown of parts, a circuit schematic for how the power routing inside the generator is set up and an exploded map of the generator's hardware; virtualy everything a small gas engine repair worker could hope for when, down the road, this thing might need a tune-up or some repairs. ***KEEP THE OWNER'S MANUAL ACCORDINGLY*** This kind of documentation is invaluable to repair workers, and if you have this generator for 10 ,15, 20 years and somewhere down the line need the piston replaced or some of the internal wiring dry rots out or whatever? This kind of documentation could be the difference between having to scrap your generator because nobody knows what parts it needs and being able to fix it for a lot cheaper than buying a new one will ever be. Cons - * Very Heavy - I estimate that this thing weighs ~150ish lbs. Once the wheels are on it's pretty easy to pull around by the handle, but if you have to get it up stairs or onto the back of a truck, you better have two strong people available for that job. A single person carting this thing up or down stairs or loading/unloading it onto a truck bed/similarly elevated placement is not going to be a good idea. * Moderately Loud - It's a generator, so if you didn't expect this, you're new to this kind of thing. Westinghouse has done a pretty remarkable job with the muffler they put on this thing, but it still sounds like having a powerful lawnmower running wherever you've parked it. Plan accordingly, and if you've got neighbors near your work space that are easily bothered by such noise, you'd do well to plan for dealing with that too - it's about as quiet as a generator of this size can realistically be, but that still means it's loud enough that you'll want to be using ear protection if you're near it while working for any length of time. Protect your hearing around this and similar things. You never get that back when you start losing it. Edit: Had it a year, still going strong. No problems. We cover it with a tarp when not in use, but the tarp has blown off during storms, and we've had no issues. We get about 12 hours of power out of one tank. Running two space heaters on one circuit did trip the breaker, but it has two separate circuits, (plus a third 220v) so we just moved one of the space heaters. It didn't trip when running the heater and a miter saw. (plus lights), but did trip again with a heater and shop vac on the same circuit.

I am very impressed with my Westinghouse 7500 Generator. It arrived in one day from Amazon in perfect shape. It seems Westinghouse thought of everything. The manual that came with it is the best equipment manual I have seen, well organized, everything clearly explained and a separate parts book. The generator screams pride in design, engineering, and construction just as it is reflected in the manual. The wheels go on without tools, the feet bolt on quickly with one wrench. It comes with a gas cock, a must with 10% ethanol gas. It even comes with a drain screw for the carburetor bowl, and it is not a bolt that holds on the float bowl, which can be a headache. The electronic start system with electric choke works flawlessly. However, you can manually operate the choke if you choose to manually start. Westinghouse even includes a quart of oil, so you are physically reminded the engine is shipped without oil and you must add oil before you start it. The battery is connected to the starter motor, but you must connect the plug-in jumper pigtails down by the battery to power the electronics before you can electric start. I did not see this mentioned in the manual. Lastly it comes with a trickle charger and there is a port for it to plug into on the control panel. Don’t forget it has a three year warranty. I just got it, so I cannot go beyond what looks like careful design and construction. Everything worked great on the first run.

I purchased this product to use a back up when my home power goes out. I purchased 15 months ago, and probably had no more than 6-7 run time on it. After running for about 3 hours in the most recent power outage, it stopped generating electricity. Engine was running fine, but the LED panel and all receptacles were not working. After calling support, I found out that the three warranty only covers parts, not labour and shipping, so I am on the hook for that.

Great company to work with. Our delivery person was fantastic with this very heavy item, thank you thank you.

The generator came a little later than promised, but everything was made good by the shipper. As for the actual generator and how it runs, it was a dream to start! The remote is a great function, although I wish I had longer propane lines. Great purchase, not a drop of regret!

CANADIANS DON"T BUY. Warranty coverage isn't the same as in the US. They use a different company in Canada. MECANAIR Inc DOESN'T RECOGNISE AMAZON RECEIPTS and won't cover the repairs. Our generator stopped working well within the warranty period. I'll leave out the frustrating back and forth but when I first called the number on the machine (USA) they were very helpful and were ready to resolve the issue right away but as soon as they found out I was in Canada they stopped the process and and sent me to MECANAIR inc. Bottom line, this is a bad product with no support. The repair place I brought my Westinghouse lemon to does repairs for Home Depot, Home Hardware and Rona. They know what they are doing. This should have been smooth. Once fixed, I'm getting rid of this and buying something with real warranty coverage and track record. Don't believe the hype, Westinghouse does not have itself well enough established in canada to support their customers.

Power went out the other day, I didn’t even have oil or gas in it yet. Took me about 5 minutes to get it setup and running. Love the remote, it was raining out, when power came back on didn’t have to go outside to turn it off,