Westinghouse 5000 Peak Watt Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator, Remote Electric Start with Auto Choke, Wheel & Handle Kit, RV Ready, Gas Powered, Parallel Capable

I live on an isolated Island off the grid in the Pacific Northwest and depend on solar for all my power, but during the winter months there is not enough sun to supply our power needs, so we depend on a generator to give us power and charge our battery bank, I have been using a Honda EU3000iS for over 15 years and have never had a problem with it until now, so I started to research other generators and liked what I saw in the Westinghouse IGen 4500, I did a long break in period varying loads and changing oil often and hope this will help the engine last a long time. What I like about this generator: 1-It's very quiet, maybe even more quiet than the Honda, 2-Has more output than the Honda in about the same size and weight, 3-the remote start is a great feature, 4-the digital data center is really helpful and is lacking in the Honda and will help with maintenance, 5-the automatic choke is great, and it starts right up every time, on the Honda you always have to choke it manually for it to start, 6-I like the wheels and handles to help move it around. Things that could be better, 1-the charging system for the starting battery, they could have just made it charge the starting battery automatically like the Honda and a 12 volt outlet would be nice, 2-Draing the oil is not the easiest, 3-the plastic case could be made to fit together better, these are just minor issues that I can easily live with, the question now is will it be as dependable and as long-lasting as the Honda, only time will tell that, but for now I couldn't be happier with this generator, I don't think you can go wrong for with you get with this unit. UPDATE-12/30/2023, After using the generator for about a year now I can say it's a real workhorse, this time of the year I use it almost every day, I charge my battery bank and at the same time I can run the microwave or washer-dryer or the dishwasher, when batteries are charging I run only one at a time, but it is also running the rest of my house, light, frig and other smaller loads, the Honda couldn't handle those kinds of loads, I did a long break in period with gradually increasing loads and changing oil often, now I have over 200 hours on the generator and change oil with a quality synthetic oil every 50 hours, the only issue I have had is the data center stopped working, I contacted customer support, and they sent me a new circuit replacement board, the generator worked fine, but I really like knowing the output and hours, now everything is working fine again, starts right up every time and the remote has changed my life, now I don't have to go out in pouring rain or snow to start and stop the generator, I'm hoping the engine and bearings are machined well enough to last for years, and changing oil often with quality oil should help.

When you see this go on sale, don't hesitate, just but it! I don't know how often it goes on sale but it did at least once when I bought it pre-black Friday sale for $300+ less than normal list price. Wish I had bought 2 before they went out of stock. I'm replacing a champion 3100w remote start Inverter generator that has faithfully served me for many camping seasons without a hiccup other than a failed battery. But it would only run my AC and battery charger, but not enough juice to run the microwave and had small gas tank. Enter this Westinghouse unit. This baby will run the AC, all my lights, and the microwave at the same time. It's a real beast literally and figuratively. It's bigger, wider, and heavier than the unit I replaced it with so I have to find another storage spot for it since it won't fit in my rv bathroom like the champion did. That's all worth it though This unit is stupid quiet at idle and will run many more hours in between fillups because of the larger fuel tank. I only wish I could have gotten the dual fuel version but for the price I paid, I'm happy just the same. It comes with .6 quarts of 10w30 oil and a nice funnel that screws into the oil fill hole with rubber oring to prevent leaks. The instructions say to dump it all in, but it won't all fit and some will leak out when you unscrew the funnel. Be prepared by stuffing some paper towels underneath the funnel prior to filling it up to catch the excess. Other than that, I put half a gallon of ethanol free stabil treated fuel in, plugged in the battery SAE connector inside the battery door, and pushed the start button. It fired right up! I had removed the side panel to observe the auto choke lever moving at startup as some of these shipped in the past with the auto choke unplugged from the front panel. Plenty of YouTube videos showing how to plug it back in again but I think they've since remedied that issue. I plugged in my rv and turned on all the lights and fans and a shop vac and ran under load for an hour for break in. This unit ran perfectly, adjusting idle as needed for the power demands. I then plugged in my Sawzall and used it to cut up a pallet I had laying around and it ran that too. It had to really scale up RPM for the Sawzall at full tilt but it worked (Sawzall says 7.5amps). The power guage indicates my RV AC (13.5k BTU) to draw less than 1600w while running which surprised me. It takes 2500 surge to start the compressor and then the generator quiets right down. The handle and rubber wheels make moving this thing around a breeze, though I wish it were a top mounted handle like my champion rather than having to bend down and push the release button down on the ground. Also be aware this is the SAME generator as the Cummins branded unit the camping stores are selling for $1300 so save your cash and buy this version instead. It arrived flawless in the box from shipping although the delivery guys left it in the middle of my driveway instead of wheeling it up to my porch like every other delivery from Amazon. Good thing I was home when it was delivered or it could have easily grown legs and walked away since my ring doorbell can't see the driveway where it was left. Also, Remote start works great and I'll never own a generator without it again. Great for starting the coffee machine on cold mountain mornings when camping off grid.

I discovered this gene completely by surprise, I didn't even know it existed. I had in mind to get one of the competition (if it can even be considered competition) in the Red (H) or Blue (Y) BIG NAME brands but I was going to have to do it another time as these brands tend to be a bit pricey. The closest H makes is a 3 kW peak 2.8 kW running wattage, the next is a whopping 7 kW so it's not even a consideration for our needs. The Y is the same peak kW @ 4.5 kW, so it is a closer match. The H retails for about $2300.00 and the Y for about $3,000.00, both more than I was ready to pay. I will not take away anything from either the H or the Y, both are very respectable units. That said, the Westinghouse brand gives them both a run for the money. It is quieter, 52 dBA advertised vs. 58 dBA both H and Y, it is lighter at 97 lbs. vs. the H at 131 lbs., Y at 194 lbs. The Y does have a higher rated running wattage but the Westinghouse is more than adequate for our needs. It is clear that the Westinghouse is going after that "midrange" to higher kW market and they've done an excellent job of it, the retail price being about $950.00. The Westinghouse has an excellent warranty comparable to the H and Y models as well. I'm really impressed that the Westinghouse model with the owners manual comes with information I would think would be "proprietary" in that they give you maintenance information I'm not sure H or Y would give. Valve adjust info and how to do as well as a complete schematic including the wiring diagram and engine exploded view with parts and part numbers. That seems to me to be unheard of these days. MFG's want you to take their equipment to their dealer for maintenance & repair, that to me is HUGE that Westinghouse would do that! I unboxed my new gene yesterday, performed the necessary setup requirements which really just included adding oil and connecting the battery at the "quick connect," filling it with gas and simply hitting the start button. Started right up without hesitation. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to charge the battery first but it proved itself in that I didn't. I connected an external earth ground (just to be safe, questions about that) and connected my travel trailer to it. I turned on the 15K BTU A/C unit and it picked up the load no problem, I then proceeded to turn on the microwave oven and again it picked up that load as well, no problem. I so far am very impressed with this Westinghouse gene and would highly recommend this unit to anyone looking to purchase a mid to high range kW inverter generator. I got this for two reasons, originally as a backup to keep my refers running God forbid we have a power outage for any length of time and 2nd for my TT to take with us for camping (RVing). For the money, you really can't beat this unit. If you are considering, read over the spec's and see if it is something that meets your requirements and then check out the competition. It speaks for itself!

This is a great generator! This is second one I have bought in three years very dependable running, very quiet, starts every time without fail. I have put over 2200 hours of running on the first generator. A full tank of fuel running at 85% capacity can run for about 22 hrs. Display screen is very useful to see how much power is being used and to keep track of running time, in order to know when to change oil and do regular maintenance. The only complaint I have with this new generator is the battery is dead. When using the pull cord, it starts right up, but if I want to use the remote start, I'll have to get a new battery.

The product arrived in a well-protected shipping box and appeared exactly as pictured. Today I fired it up for the first time after connecting the battery and adding oil and fuel. I am very satisfied with its ease of operation, user friendly control panel (see pic), and easy to follow instruction manual. The generator is enclosed in a hard plastic shell (which greatly reduces the noise level) and has two panels to access the battery and add oil. This machine weighs in at over 90 lbs., so the rear wheels and retractable telescopic handle (similar in design to those on large pieces of luggage) are greatly appreciated for moving it around. I tested the 3 ways to start the generator and they performed flawlessly. First with the manual pull-cord, then the electric start, and then the remote electric start (my favorite method!). The generator comes with a 0.6L bottle of 4-stroke small engine oil, an AC power adapter to charge the battery if needed (though once the generator is fired up it automatically charges the battery), a funnel to add oil, and a socket tool for changing the spark plug. I purchased 4 extension cords: (2) 25 Foot Lighted Outdoor Extension Cord - 10/3 SJTW Yellow 10 Gauge Extension Cable with 3 Prong Grounded Plug, (1) 25 Foot Lighted Outdoor Extension Cord with 3 Electrical Power Outlets - 10/3 SJTW Yellow 10 Gauge Extension Cable with 3 Prong Grounded Plug, and a 50 Foot Lighted Outdoor Extension Cord - 10/3 SJTW Yellow 10 Gauge Extension Cable with 3 Prong Grounded Plug to ensure they will handle the loads without getting hot. The 10 Gauge size was recommended by Westinghouse for the load I'd be drawing in relation to the length of cord (see pics). One final note, though the generator is encased in a strong plastic cover, the manual warns not to use it in rain or snow. I therefore built a wooden enclosure to house the generator since I live in the Pacific Northwest where we have lots of rain and wind storms. I added breathing vents and a large vent for the exhaust. I then covered the entire box with Flex Seal to protect it from the elements. All in all I am very satisfied with this generator rated at 3700 Running Watts/4500 Peak Watts which will allow me to run my full-size refrigerator, operate an indoor ceramic heater and some smaller appliances and/or lights.

Very quiet for its size, from inside the house I really needed to listen to hear it running. Easy set up, poured in oil and gas and it started on first push of the button. I bought this to replace an inexpensive Champion 3500/4000W generator that I bought at BJs a while ago for $269. We have some expensive home appliances and I was really nervous about the voltage regulation on the old generator, the inverter should alleviate that concern. This also gave us a few more amps to add a few more circuits through the load side transfer switch I installed in our house. A few comments - It’s heavier than I thought it would be but the telescopic handle makes it manageable to move around, my 110lb wife should be able to man handle it if necessary. The digital display cycles through voltage, remaining run time, fuel level in liters, output in kilo volts, and lastly total run hours. The display is more of old school 1980s style LED calculator lights but get the job done. I saw a fancier LED display on the cheap Predator generators that I think would be more at home on this more upscale unit. It continuously cycles and you can’t just choose which you would like to see. My unit hasn’t experienced the choke issues or upside down 30A TT-30 connector others previously mentioned so hopefully those issues are in the past from a manufacturing standpoint. Not mentioned in the description it come with a charging cord for the onboard battery so you can just plug it into wall without disconnecting anything. The oil recommendation chart is sort of odd in that it recommends 5W-30 below 35F degrees, 10W-30 from 35F - 80F, and 15W-40 over 80F. Since most of us in the USA and Canada live in areas that are both below 35 and yet also above 80, the recommendation seems difficult to follow. I'll probably just put 5W-40 in it and be done with it. Overall I’m very happy with the purchase so far.

I just received the Westinghouse Geni5000 generator with remote start. I started the generator and this has to be the quietest generator I've ever owned. This one is super quiet. Filled with oil and gas and everthing worked smoothly. Great price for this size generator.

Best generator I’ve ever had! This is my 2nd one. Dependable, very quiet, love the remote!

Only 5 hours on it but runs great. Could be a bit quieter but it doesn’t cost 3500 like the Yamaha equivalent. Remote and electric start work well. Only issue I had was the auto choke wiring came lose in shipping so it wouldn’t start on a cold morning but I manually choked it and it was fine and after connecting the auto choke harness again it never skipped a beat on a zero degree day.

Loved it but it quit working within a year. Took it to the repair service they referred us to four months ago. Still not done. Says its a parts issue. Will research repair options before I buy another Westinghouse product.

UPDATE: Received a new gas cap under warranty this week from Westinghouse directly. Their service is awesome as they sent me the part right away without any hassle or questions. Fill it with gas and it started up right away. After letting It run for a bit with a 10% load I hooked up my portable air compressor that pulls 15 amps initially on startup. This generator handled it like a champ. I’m giving this review 5 stars now. I like the generator, however the gas cap was on too tight and broke while trying to add gas to it for the first time. Very flimsy plastic that could not take the stress. Wish it was a better design with a steel interior instead of flimsy plastic. How am I going to get a new one to replace the broken part?

I really like the product but have been trying for three weeks to get a new battery tether as it was in pieces and have sent 3 or 4 emails and have had no response.

This generator arrived just in time for a snowstorm that had our power off for 12 hours. I had ordered it so we could use it with our travel trailer this summer. On the day it arrived a snow storm hit and we lost power for about 12 hours. I hopped out to the garage, opened the back door for ventilation and after just a few minutes of setting up the generator it fired up right away and we had power and heat. I have no doubt that this summer it will be perfect for our trailer when we boondock.