Skip to Main Content
Sams Club
Sams Club
Customer reviews for Generac 8917 GP18000EFI 18,000-Watt Gas-Powered Electric-Start Portable Generator for
Generac 8917 GP18000EFI 18,000-Watt Gas-Powered Electric-Start Portable Generator
4.6 out of 5 stars
stars1,696 ratings1,696 reviews
  1. 5 stars79% (1,332)
  2. 4 stars14% (245)
  3. 3 stars2% (40)
  4. 2 stars1% (20)
  5. 1 star3% (59)

Member photos

  • +99 images
Sort by |
Showing 401-410 of 1,696 reviews
Oct 5, 2018
Britta91
5 out of 5 stars review

Perfect for us

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've owned two Generac generators in the past (traded up) and always been pleased with their performance. Lately it's been harder to pull a generator for me, so when I found one with a push start I jumped at the chance. You're going to need some help with this as it is quite heavy but assembly was easy and after that I could pull it on my own. We typically run our sump pump and freezers when the power goes out and run a cord upstairs to plug in the fridge and charge our phones/electronics. I tested it out and it had no problem with that load. I'd compare the sound to that of a lawn mower, loud, but if you're inside it's not going to bother you. The start is a breeze, I can't believe all the pulling I used to do. I feel a lot better knowing that if the power does go out for an extended period of time, especially with winter coming up, we'll have everything we need to keep us safe and warm.

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Jul 29, 2012
Bobbyob
5 out of 5 stars review

Great and reliable system for the money.

Last winter was an easy one here in the east. I bought this product after some internet searching. I was told at Home Depot that it would be 6-8 weeks before it would be delivered. To my surprise I got it in 1 week. Set up was a snap, and all was right with the world. Now waiting for a black-out. Didn't happen until July. 14 hours without power. Fired up the Gen and turned on all that I needed. With the exception of the somewhat loud muffler system, I have no complaints whatsoever. As I put in the review summary, great for the money. I looked at cheaper ones, but was willing to spend a few more bucks for something that got great reviews and ratings from other owners. Well worth looking at a Generac. Plus I spent about $100 more for the Electric start just in case I was not home when a problem occurs to make it easier for my wife to just push a button and light up the house. Ain't love grand!!!

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Mar 26, 2021
Drchuck9792
5 out of 5 stars review

I'm 77 Years Old and I Unpacked and Assembled it By Myself!

My 17500E arrived and after helping the delivery associate get it up the driveway, I lifted the outer carton off the two, yes two, pallets on which it was bolted. First I removed the battery from its mount; and then placed a couple of furniture pads at the end of the pallet on the generator side (choose this because choosing the wrong end would place the generator weight on the electrical panel). Following that I pulled (jerked) the unit off the double pallets (save the bracket's & hardware) and let it glide off the pallets and onto it's frame. With little effort it pivoted up onto the end of the frame where I easily installed the wheels and the front leg assembly. That done I simply rotated it back to the ground, and was amazed that the balance of the unit actually helped bring it to a normal upright position. all that was left was install the handle, which by the way took Phillip's screw driver to hold alignment of the holes while the first one on each side was placed; and reinstall the battery. The reason I mentioned saving the pallet hardware will be evident as soon as you see them. I can imagine a million uses for the brackets down the road, and some of the bolts with locking nuts seemed to me to be a more robust choice for attaching the battery terminals than the ones' intended for the purpose. I can assure you that whining about the weight won't get the job done, but using one's brain makes an average afternoon's project out of the process.

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Feb 6, 2013
mack8656
5 out of 5 stars review

Can't wait for a power outage now!!

As a homeowner, I am thrilled to have the generac generator. It was really easy to set up and it starts so easily with the electric start. Having a quiet muffler was also important to me. It' a convenient size to store in my garage and pull outside as needed to use.

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Nov 12, 2021
DrTheopolis
4 out of 5 stars review

solid

heavy and durable. runs forever i would like to see someone try to start this with the recoil rope, though. if someone can actually do it they should probably be in the olympics or barnum and bailey's circus i tried it on fresh fuel and a hot engine ( right after shutting it down ), and there was NO CHANCE of this thing ever starting with the pull cord. keep the battery charged

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Dec 10, 2018
PanhandleStrong
5 out of 5 stars review

Comfort after the storm!

This product was a life saver for me and my family after surviving Hurricane Michael. It’s loud but it does it job and does it well. We were able to keep our house running for day without power. It runs about 10hrs on a tank of gas and it had enough power to run our whole home. Then after our power was restored it was used to help others until theirs was restored. This generator was a great investment, don’t be like my family and wait until you absolutely need it, buy one now and be prepared for anything!

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Oct 3, 2018
Stoopy
5 out of 5 stars review

Fantastic product that goes above and beyond my original needs!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] For camping trips and times when my neighborhood experience power outages, this generator is able to power my table saw, chop saw, circular saw, and keep my Fridge running without any struggles. My family took it camping this past weekend and we were all pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was! It is much lighter than my previous generator as well. With two small children and a small wife I needed a device I could easily lift into the back of my truck myself and this one fit that ask and all of my needs and beyond!

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Mar 27, 2022
DH360
5 out of 5 stars review

Ready for storm

After losing a fridge full of food, we bought a Generac inverter generator. Gp 2200. Ran a few hours break in then switched to synthetic 5w-30 for much better protection from high temps. Can run sump pump, fridge, freezer, washer and gas dryer. Obviously.not all at the same time, used watt meter and two at a time should be ok. Fairly quiet, starts easy, run dry after use. Turn carburetor screw with small hose on it to drain carb bowl. Most important, run ethanol free gas and add stabilizer!

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Feb 17, 2023
ET
3 out of 5 stars review

Great Generator if you can get it started and keep it going.

One reason I purchased this generator was for the ease of starting it with the electric starter when the power goes out. The first week I had it, it started right up, but once I removed the trickle charger that came with it for a couple days it wouldn't start. I figured it had a bad battery or a short in the system, so I took it to a Generac authorized repair shop to have it checked out and they said the battery was bad and replaced it. Sad to say the new battery was also dead after sitting a couple of days. I did some research on the internet and discovered that this Generac Model had issues of shorting out and causing the battery to drain and die. I installed an on/off toggle switch to isolate the battery when not in use and that fixed the shorting out issue. One other issue that I've ran into, is that this CO sensor is almost too sensitive, if the wind blows the exhaust back towards the generators CO sensor it will shut down unexpectedly, so I have to position the exhaust pipe towards the same direction as the wind is blowing. Now that I know what it takes to get this generator started and keep it going it's actually a really good generator and it performs well, it's just not user friendly.

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214
Nov 28, 2012
Mike33
5 out of 5 stars review

Well balanced and easy to operate.

I was concerned that the GP15000E would be hard to move due to it's weight. However, what I found was that it is balanced and is easily moved to wherever I need it. I'm not mechanically savvy by any means but this generator is so easy to operate that even I was able to understand and run it right away. I'm glad I purchased from Generac

Review from generac.com
Helpful?698EZRGTDSV513631905214