Slickdeal: Duromax XP10000E generator, $699 + FS

[kevm14]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DuroMax-10000-W ... rmvSB=true

This is about as low as this one tends to go (it is possible it was offered for $650 + FS once but close enough).

Here it is on Amazon ($1,000) so you can see reviews: http://www.amazon.com/DuroMax-XP10000E- ... s=XP10000E

It's a decent generator if you need up to 8,000W continuous.

Rated for 10 hours at 50% load, which means 10 hours @ 4000W continuous, which uses 8.3 gallons. That is a lot of gas. 0.83 gal/hr at 4000W.

But, my generator should be in the ballpark of 0.5 gal/hr @ 2000W (probably lower). And if it used 1 gal/hr @ full load of 4000W, then this XP10000E could be more fuel efficient if I thought I'd average closer to full load. But since I already tested that, I know I won't, which confirms that I don't want a 16hp generator running at 3600 rpm to put out like 2 kW most of the time.

This generator does have a killer app though, for certain applications: auto idle down.

Now this isn't like an inverter generator. Idle down is when ALL loads are shut off. The application is a job site, running power tools. For powering a house, it would never idle down. But, it is a somewhat unique feature among portable non-inverter generators.

[kevm14]

The importer (Duromax) can be hit or miss with customer service, but it is US-based. Since I'm on a budget, I would most likely roll the dice with this unit if I needed this kind of power.

Probably 90-95% of issues that I've noticed in the reviews are discovered upon arrival (shipping damage) or very shortly after/during first use.