The area in which I live is always losing power. I was looking for a small generator to just run the essentials, like furnace, air conditioner, refrigerator. But this portable generator runs the whole darn house! Of course, I don't have a very big house, but this is GREAT! And so easy to start! I'm very happy!

The generator started and ran immediately, looks like a substantial piece of machinery. We did have one short power outage where generator was put to use for a few hours, and it worked well. I overlooked the fact that the 120vac outlets are GFCI because they are solid black (reset/test buttons and face all same color, and my garage is dark), and the outlets were tripped. So, I initially called support reporting that those outlets were dead. Actually, they were OK. Incidentally, when I did call support, they did not think of that. I really wish there was a load meter. I just noticed today that the XP8000E has the load meter, but that model wasn't among those I found available when I shopped.

We lost power at home and had to buy one of these in an emergency for our fridge and freezer. It seems to work well. The only issue is that it says that it should not be left in the rain, but yet it has a CO sensor. We had to figure out a good ventilation situation in the garage to make it work, but it would be great if they could be left outside in rain storms. Oh well... Next design?

Our portable generator is the perfect size for our current home needs. We purchased it to run our home in emergencies. We have lost hundreds of dollars in freezer food in the past due to outages. We bought our portable Generac to make sure we can function in any kind of emergency; at home or, if we have to relocate temporarily for some reason, it can go with us. We also plan on getting a larger permanent Generac in the near future, to monitor our home all the time and run it when needed. We trust the Generac name and feel safe and protected knowing it is here.

I have used a Generac generator ( XL4500 ) for over 20 years and have been very happy. I purchased your new 6500 and will use the old generator as backup. Your 6500 starts easily, works well, and handles my power loads very well. The generator uses a bit more fuel than I thought it should. An idle mode when not in heavy use would be helpful to conserve fuel. Also, I have had many problems with the CO sensor tripping off, even when the generator was fully outside. With swirling winds it has shut down for CO sense too many times. Installing a bypass switch for the CO sensor, with appropriate instructions verifying that you are not protected from CO, would be helpful for places where people need to run the generator close to a building or under a roof away from rain/snow. It can be an easy redesign. I will use my generator in bypass mode successfully for a long time.

I am satisfied with this generator however if I had researched I would have bought a different unit. (The GP3300 is 120/240 volt and can be installed via a transfer panel). Only because after I bought it did I found out it is 120 volt only. My plan was to plug it into the dryer outlet and power up the circuit breakers in the main panel I only needed. BUT I learned this method is very DANGEROUS and you cannot connect it via a transfer panel. You can send your generated electricity to your neighbors home and potentially a lineman working on the power lines. Be aware of the liability. I hired an electrician to install panel on the outside of the house and manufacture a cable to connect it to the generator, he said this is legal and the right way. I tried it out and voila! I am able to power the exact breakers I wanted in my plan. I have lights where I wanted them and a 6000 BTU air conditioner. As far as I know this will not and cannot power anything 220 volt. The noise level is less than I thought it would be, but it's not quiet, it does not have that ear piercing high pitch rattling. The noise does not come from the exhaust as I thought, you don't hear the exhaust you hear the generator motor I guess. It's not too heavy, and with the wheels it moves anywhere. It tucks nicely in the garage under a 24" deep table. To sum it up: I like and will keep it because it does exactly what I wanted in the beginning. It's not too heavy and it's small enough to conceal in the garage when stored not like the large units.

September 11, 2017, Hurricane Irma headed to Georgia! We lost power at 7:30 a.m. that Monday morning and power was not restored until 11:30 a.m., Thursday (Sept. 14th). Seventy-six hours without power, but the Generac got us through it comfortably. I've never had/used a generator before, but it is easy to start and fairly simple to use.

Fires right up and hardly needs to be choked. The airless wheels make it easy to maneuver. The handle that raises/folds also makes it easy to move. Haven't had to use it for a power outage...yet, but have tested it on power tools and it ran them without any problems

Nowhere does Generac make it clear the RS8000E has a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) rating greater than 3-5% and technically not suitable/safe for modern Home Electronics such as LED TVs, smart phone/computer charging or typically HVAC systems with electronic control boards. If you need an 8000W Generac portable generator for home backup FOR JUST A LITTLE MORE buy the Generac XT8000EFI or XT8500EFI instead which have “TruePower” technology for a THD rating <5%, which is safer for modern home electronics. I would not have purchased the RS8000E if Generac had clearly stated in the specs or on the box that is not ideal or truly safe for modern home electronics. Ask Generac for the THD rating of the RS8000E and all they can say is the THD is >5%, and confirm it's not recommended for modern home electronics. It surprising, somewhat comical/sad, and inaccurate that on Generac's own website if for portable generators you filter for “home backup” + “5,000-9,999 watts”, the results DO NOT include the XT8000EFI or XT8500EFI with TruePower, but rather the results list GP & RS series generators that DO NOT have “TruePower” and are not technically safe for modern home electronics. This is very confusing. Generac to update their filters and be more forthright with THD ratings and electronics safety/compatibility for their non-inverter based portable generators.

I purchased this generator new approximately 5 years ago. I left an initial impression review at that time. Other than monthly test runs, I have not had to use it. Last night it was finally used to provide power for the entire house. It worked flawlessly. It was 28 degF. When I started the generator and it ran continuously for 16 hours with no shutdown. Temps got to a low of 6 degF. It's one thing to lose power in the summer. Losing power when it is in the single digits is an altogether different scenario. Our house has baseboard electric heat that had to work in some rooms not heated by the woodstove. In conclusion, and as a follow up,after five years it did exactly what is what purchased for.