Champion Power Equipment 4250-Watt Wireless Remote Start RV Ready Portable Open Frame Inverter Generator with Quiet Technology

This champion features 4250 peak watts of power and it's light at around 90 lbs. It's easy to carry because of the steel rail-tubing construction, and the gas valve and engine connector cable-plugs are easy to reach. The generator will run 6 or more hours on a single fill, which amount to under 1.25 gallons, despite their booklet stating it's a 4-gallon tank! My gas can holds 1.75 gallons and you can't empty it into the tank as it requires about 1/2" (I use 2") of clearance to safely operate. The generator runs quietly and the remote works, and is easy to reset, if necessary. My last Champion ran for over 2-years without any issues, but with yearly maintenance running around $200, it made better sense to buy a new model, especially when Amazon offered it at 50% off the retail price. I gave it a 5-star rating because of its reliability and overall features, however it is not perfect— (1) the wheels are cheap and wobble when pulled over dirt/gravel trails because they're held in place with cheap cotter pins. I removed the wheels, added 2" diameter larger wheels with short threaded axles at one end so I can lock the wheels securely with washers and lock nuts. Larger, beefier wheels allow for easier rolling up hills without any annoying lateral wobbling. But, when increasing the wheel diameter, you must elevate the front, short legs to keep the machine level on the ground. (2) unlike other Champion models, oddly, the ignition wires are too short, making it cumbersome to kneel next to the machine to view the wires when you're either connecting or disconnecting them. (3) the cheap plastic carabiner will eventually break and you could lose your remote control unit. I replaced it with a small, inexpensive stainless steel carabiner. (4) though the remote control works, when you change batteries, you'll be dismayed by the inefficient design in how the battery is inserted into the remote. I'm surprised they lasted for a couple of years without failure. Champion could have engineered a better remote as they are cheap to produce. Thicker plastic, how expensive is that. Think of automobile remotes. (5) the gas tank filter/fill gage indicator is a disaster as the filter slows the pouring of gasoline into the tank and the gauge is worthless, mine didn't work from the start and is unnecessary because you run the generator until it stops. No big deal.On the positive side, they build inexpensive generators that are quiet, reliable, some provide remote controls, and rail-tubing that makes transport easier and keeps the engine cooler and a steel loop to clip your remote control onto, in addition they are lightweight. I run a single demolition-type jackhammer on it without any issues, and it doesn't tax the operation of the generator. However, operating 2-tools simultaneously will tax the generator, thereby decreasing its lifespan. Finally, the steel tubing used to pull the generator along the ground works great, unlike some of their other models that incorporate plastic handles that flex, and are too short, which causes the generator to crash against the back of your ankles when you are pulling the generator. This version's handle is perfect in length and makes hauling it a breeze. I like using Champion's generators and all future purchases will be the rail-framed models. A great generator at an extremely inexpensive price. Thanks Amazon.

use at off grid cabin for back up to solar. works great, starts right up. keyless remote start function is a time saver. Plenty of power for saws, power tools....

I live off-grid on a ranch. My two story cabin is solar powered. I had a backup generator that I used for a number of years. It finally gave up the ghost so I ordered this Champion Power Equipment 200953 4250-Watt Open Frame Inverter with remote start to replace it.With six snowstorms back-to-back, we've had a few times that the batteries in the cabin got low and I needed to run this generator to run the cabin and recharge the batteries. Although rated at the same wattage of my previous generator, it handles starting surges much better and is much quieter. It can recharge my solar batteries in less time than the old generator.Living at 6,500 ft. (1,981 meters), I needed a high altitude main jet so I called the factory to order one. They sent me the jet along with instructions for free. I had it in a few days. Changing out the jet was very easy. I had it done in 10 minutes. The generator purrs like a kitten.PROS:• It meets its published specifications on power output, even at high altitude.• It is much quieter than a non-inverter generator.• It uses significantly less fuel compared to my old non-inverter generator.• It has a high current NEMA 30 Amp receptacle, which is ideal for the 30 Amp generator inlet for my cabin.• It also has an 8 Amp 12VDC cigarette lighter receptacle. However, it does not provide two or three stage charging for recharging lead-acid batteries. It is mostly suited to running lights and 12VDC appliances.• It has two 20 Amp 120VAC standard receptacles.• Each power receptacle has its own breaker.• It has a well filtered pure sine wave output, suitable to run sensitive equipment on.• The voltage is well regulated as I would expect with an inverter generator.• It starts up automatically even in temperatures below zero.• The remote allows me to start the generator from inside the cabin (see also my CONs)• It is smaller, lighter, and yet more powerful than my old generator of the same rating.• It comes with a wheel and folding handle kit included, which I don't use.• A synchronizing circuit allows it to be stacked with another generator of the same model for double the output.CONS:• If the generator has not been used for 12 hours, it will no longer respond to the remote. You have to go outside and press the start button on the generator once to wake it up so it can be started remotely. I wish there was some way to override this behavior. Since the generator is on my covered deck, this is not a deal killer for me.• The instructions say that if the generator has stopped responding to the remote, press the start button on the remote twice. I wish that worked but it doesn't. Perhaps I'm not understanding the instructions.• It does not come with a cover. That must be purchased separately. I think that is pretty standard fare for generators - not really a con but something to be aware of when purchasing.CONCLUSION:I really like this generator, despite its minor cons. It offers great power output in a small form factor. It is quiet comparatively, well regulated, and easy on gas. Product support is excellent. It offers good value for the price. I highly recommend it.

I have lived off grid for 9 years. Used it most of last winter. Uses about half the gas as a regular generator. The remote start is very nice. The downside is the remote start function only works for 12 hours after your last use. If you don't start the generator for more than 12 hours you need to go outside and push the start button for it to start.

offered to send me repair part and not really sure what is wrong with it. Internal part. Starter modual. many steps and lots of time to do. Ask for service center and i was told that i was responsible to carry the unit to the service center....very heavy and not able to put in car. They then said I was responsible for $60 pick up service....What da hek man! never worked from day one. Work very well pulling the cord but I paid for an eletric starter.Update: I had to take it to a servce center ( they would not pay to have it picked up) the is was a faulty Battery. I told them that days ago and they were going to send me a starter modual...lots of work to install. They want me to install....2 hrs I guess to remove gas tank and such...OMG Well a battery has been ordered and should have in a couple days. AGAIN runs great manual, I assume run great with new battery. I was not happy with Customer service....thing happen, I was ok with bad battery if they would have sent me one weeks ago. The firat call I made they blamed it on my charger...got 3 or them, kept sending back to amazon because of error code. I told them that, should have sent me a battery.