[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I purchased this unit last year and I have not had to use it yet. but I ran it for a couple of hours and tested it out and it seems that it will do its job. even if I don’t use it it’s just peace of mind to know that I’m covered just in case we do lose power.

Supply it with 200,000 BTU/hr of natural gas, and it will do as advertised. This is a V-twin engine, so no pull start. Be prepared to hook up a 12v battery maintainer to keep it ready to go.

This is my 4th Champion — upgraded from a #201075, a 500cc single cylinder gasoline-only. We have a 40amp Generlink, and this unit produces 42amps on natural gas. Here in southern Ontario 🇨🇦, Mar 30th 2025 brought us a wicked ice storm. The worst part of the 55hr outage was obtaining gasoline, so we’re going to natural gas and needed a tri-fuel. My break-in procedure may not match yours ….but I’ve watched the gospel of Lake Speed Jr, the Motor Oil Geek….and I start loading it up as soon as the oil is at operating temperature. Those rings need to seat before they harden, and get various loads on & off. So I filled it with the supplied oil, cycled loads up to about 50% for 10min, little bursts to 85% for 5min, unloaded cool-off, then change the oil and crappy OEM filter. With only 20min of run time, the oil looked awful. Greenish in colour (assembly lube?) with lots of glitter, and bigger ferrous metal flakes. Filled with Amsoil break-in oil, and repeated the 10%-50%-85% for an hour this time. Changed the oil & filter again. Not quite as nasty looking, but again…..glitter. Lots of wear metals in the drain pan. Filled again with break-in oil, repeated cycles for another 3.5hrs (now 5hrs total). Not as much glitter. Replaced filter, and filled with Amsoil Small Engine 5w30. It’s now ready for whole-home back-up. I used four 1500watt space heaters, and two 1850watt hairdryers for “bursts”. The garage felt like Miami. I used propane for this procedure, and seem to be burning about 7.4lbs/hr. I started out using a 20lb tank which lasted about 2.7hrs. PROS: -V-twin is less raspy than the single cyl’s -huge power, less drops when load hits -pressurized oil system with automotive filter (!) CONS: —Still very loud, but less bothersome than single —fuel gauge installed upside-down (donkey!!!) —inhales fuel at heavy load —oil drain plug is awkward, maybe a drain tube? —Mike Tyson installed the OEM oil filter FFS —‘Intelligauge’ is dated compared to market

Wow am i impressed. From packaging to proformance this Champion generator has it all. Started right up and lots of power. While you might not need all the power knowing its there makes all the difference. You cant go wrong buying Champion products.

Ran the generator for its initial 5 hour break in period on natural gas and kept turning things on until i reached 50% capacity. It ran a 4 ton A/C (with MicroAir Flex Softstart), 3 computers w/ 6 comp monitors, 3 tvs, Sound system, two refrigerators, lights, coffee maker and ninja air fryer. Outstanding job. Oil and filter changed and now we are ready for the next hurricane or random for no reason power outage here in Houston

Amazing. I had my contractor hook up a natural gas line and 50 amp outlet and after we did the break in for 5 hours we did a test run! Wow ! I haven’t received my soft start for my 5 ton ac yet but we tried it anyway and it didn’t even strain it whatsoever. Running my ac and lights , microwave all at the same time and it was only about 40% usage. Not near as loud as we thought either. Extremely happy with this generator!

After our last 12 hour power outage, we decided to look into buying one of the popular whole home generator systems. The Gen**ac system was going to be expensive and close to $20K so we decided to look into portable generators. We found the Champion model 201161 would power our AC along with everything else in our 2100 sq foot house with the exception of our washer and dryer. This model runs on tri fuel which means it can run on gas, propane and natural gas. This generator comes with a 25 foot natural gas line so the only thing you need to buy is the 30 foot 50 amp electrical line. We had a local electric company come out and add the needed switch over panel to enable us to run our house on natural gas during a power outage. If you want to, you can still run the generator on gasoline or propane and avoid the added cost of adding a 50 amp switch. It also comes with the oil and battery for the electric start so no pulling ropes to get it started. I would highly recommend this generator as an alternative to the more expensive Gen**ac whole house systems.

Versatile. The physical property does not lend itself well to a permanent 'stand-by' generator application for several reasons, i.e, utility easements, fenestrations, drainage. The unit will be used as an 'Emergency APU', with temporary placement in a UE. The 201161 was chosen for the Champion reputation and more specifically for the 717cc powerplant with pressurized oiling and the integral oil cooler. The unit feeds an Eaton 200 amp load center with interlock. Operation of a 4-ton HVAC with soft-start, and all 120vac loads witnesses < 50% on the Intelligage. This adequately satisfies 'Emergency' status, and proper load management allows usage of stove, oven, clothes dryer, &c. This is a Natural gas application.

Wow. What an impressive beast. I took three of us to lift it off the truck, but that said was very easy to move around because of the large wheels and handle. Directions were easy to follow and it started very quickly. I will be using propane. Very happy with the purchase.

This generator has met my expectations so far. It doesn't bogg down under load. It is about average for fuel usage and the CO2 sensor is a bit sensitive. It's important to make sure the generator has a clear buffer with air circulation.