Side by Side Comparison of: WEN vs Champion Power Equipment vs STABIL

GOT ME THROUGH HURRICANE HERMINE. RAN MY FRIDGE, FREEZER, SOME LIGHTS. A PORTABLE HONEYWELL AC FROM AMAZON, MY DSL AND COMPUTER AND AMAZON FIRE BOX. COOKING WAS ON PROPANE OUT ON THE PATIO

So, I read dozens and dozens of product reviews before buying this generator. I'd like to clarify a few issues that people said they had with this generator.#1: Sound levelSome people reported that their generator was obnoxiously loud. It is only loud until you turn the choke off. Turn the choke on to engage the engine, but make sure you turn it off once it is running. It is quieter than most small lawn mowers I've heard.#2: Issues startingSome people also reported they had issues cranking their generator. First, I'd say again to make sure the choke is on first and you actually put oil in the crank case. IT DOES NOT COME WITH OIL. This generator has a low oil shut off, so it won't even start if you don't have oil in it. Second, my generator started on the first pull of the starter.The only issue I had was with the packaging. The box was torn up when it arrived, and the air cleaner assembly was cracked fairly badly. When I called Amazon, their customer service was amazing!!! They got my issue resolved to my COMPLETE satisfaction. The only caution I would offer is to check your generator thoroughly after it arrives. If there are any issues with packaging damage, call Amazon or WEN directly.

Bought as replacement for 20 year old generator that crapped out during recent ice storms. Quick delivery had us back up before power company was able to restore service. Am ordering another as a back up and to put on truck for camping and construction

A nice compact unit that was easy to assemble wheels, handles, etc., and to fill with oil and gas. A solid manual that can be followed easily. It took two pulls for the first start and I've run the generator a couple times since and getting it and started has been a breeze and it runs quite smoothly. I have not needed it yet for a power outage and only have about 35 minutes running time on the unit. But, so far, it has operated well. PMD

nice generator left the gas in it too long went bad very easy to drain I filled it with fresh gas about 2 months ago and added stabil that keeps the gas good to go for about a year. Yesterday was the first day of hurricane season so I took it out and started first pull. ran the window ac a fan and small tv for an hour to test it all good remember to get a GOOD extension cord and splitter with any generator voltage drop on any generator is a drain with cheap cords I bought a 50 ft 10 gage and it is great

This smaller-sized generator is just what the doctor ordered for those times when the storm rages, the power goes out and you don't need to power your whole house. I am surprised at how reasonably quiet it is. Delivery came within a couple of days, but most of the "accessories" (handles, axels, feet) were not included. I immediately called the WEN people and had them in less than a week. I haven't had to use it yet for an extended period of time, but judging by how quickly it starts and how smoothly it runs, I believe it's going to do the job when asked. I bought it based on the great price and the customer reviews and I'm not sorry I did.

Solid unit. I put a propane conversion kit on it and have not run it on gas. It starts quickly and runs smoothly. Pretty loud, so make friends with your neighbors haha. I have it connected to a Generac Homelink transfer switch and this thing will pretty much run the whole house, minus the central AC of course. Doesn't have a wattage output display, and I can't figure out the hour meter - it appears to be a simple timer and doesn't appear to be cumulative, hence docking a star.Some tips:1- Get a propane kit, gasoline is a pain. Get a couple 40# tanks to go with it. Propane stores forever and won't gum up the carb, I a guy who went to start their generator only to have it crap out on him and it's most likely because he didn't maintain the gasoline and screwed up the carb. They were without power for a week, staring at their generator.2- Get a decent transfer switch. Don't plug this into your dryer outlet. You will kill someone.3- Ground it properly! An 8' grounding rod is only $124- Do all this well before an emergency is expected.5- For the love of Pete, DON'T RUN IT IN YOUR HOUSE OR GARAGE. We had like 10 people die in their houses after Irma because they didn't know running an internal combustion engine in an area without proper ventilation is a bad thing.. No, opening the doors and windows will not be enough. It will kill you in minutes and by the time you figure out what's happening you're already dead (one member of a family that died made it as far as the front sidewalk, too late.). Get a chain, bolt it to the ground, whatever, just leave it outside.Hope this helps!

product was as expected, started on the first try

I've only started the generator once so far. After reading the manual, and following the setup instructions, this generator started up first time using the electric start. The assembly was straight forward, and I really appreciated the included set of tools. The generator looks solid build, but was also easy to move around.The delivery process could have been better. The delivery took longer than expected, as it got stuck at Fedex w/ some shipping label error. After watching the Tracking status not move for a couple of days, I contacted Wen, and they took care of it.Overall, I'm satisfied so it's first use, and look forward to having power during the next outage.

We purchased this for our pop-up camper. It is a great size in order to charge up our batteries. It is also easy to move around because of the wheels.

Bought this right after Iselle. Was without power here south of Hilo, HI for 11 days. Amazon got it to me within 2 business days and it really helped us through a tough few days here on the island. Ran our catchment pump, TV/DVD, fans without a problem. Would have run the fridge as well, but we didn't have a need as we lost all our food within the first 4 days anyway. If I had it to do over again I would have purchased the next size up, the 4750 watt or whatever it is. That would run everything we have in the house at the same time and it is only like $60 more. My only complaint, if that, is the noise. Lets just say it is not quiet. That is a small tradeoff for the price and power.

this was purchased as a power backup in case of emergencies, and it seems to me to be a super value for the price. i have not needed to use it yet, but for a first-timer, i was impressed with the features of this unit. it started up on the second pull and runs quietly. i can barely hear it from inside the house. it came with all the necessary attachments, instructions, cables and connectors, and it's lightweight and reasonably small - it was purchased to provide power to the well pump and it fits inside the little well house perfectly.

Bought for Hurricane Matthew. We didn't lose power until 12 hours after the hurricane passed. Put the legs, handles and wheels on. Added the oil and gas and then discovered that the cover to the spark plug leads was shattered in 5 or 6 pieces---no way to connect it and get it to start. Very upset. Solved the problem by wrapping it with tape. Was able to get it to start and ran it for maybe 15 hours. It is VERY loud. I asked Amazon to send the replacement part and they are sending a whole new generator. It did keep the fridge and a few lights in the house on, but of course, I worried about it all night long and checked on it multiple times. Did well on gas. Prob half load it lasted over 9 hours and maybe longer.

Received this 3500 Watt generator today, follow the instructions on the manual correctly. The engine start kicking havely right after its on. Then it turns off right away. Found the problem... The tiny rubber gas hose was bent, blocking gas to the motor. It is now running after buying a longer hose from lowes. Contacted Amazon! impressed with their customer service!

Very loud, does not ever kick down. Runs full out all the time, not just under load.

I like the generator and it seems to be good quality for the price. It arrived with some dents in the frame but nothing that impacted the operation. I followed the simple instructions for assembly and it started immediately. PS....use quality synthetic oil as its a cheap insurance policy against ruining your new gen. I'm very unhappy with the battery on this unit since it only lasted about 6 weeks and it no longer holds a charge. I now have to pull start the unit to get it running. Even after an hour of operating the unit the battery still is unable to start the gen. I haven't followed up with the seller about the issue but it would be a 5 star rating is the battery wasn't bad.

I got the generator back in May. All was well after it was unboxed. I fill the oil to the appropriate level and let it run about 10 minutes unloaded. As others have mentioned it it easy to start and pretty quiet. I put it in my garage and mostly forgot about it. During the last week in July I had to move things around in my garage so I rolled out the generator and there was an oil spot around 4 inches in diameter directly under the air cleaner. I checked and the frame had oil that came from above somewhere. I rechecked the oil level and it was still okay. I started it up a few more minutes and all was well. I had registered the unit online so I called the 800 number and got Francisco. He needed me to email a copy of my Amazon invoice before he could tell me what the plan of action would be. He said someone would get a hold of me in a few days. Well it's been 10 days so I emailed them again to see what would be done. Francisco also ticked me off giving me the "are you sure you're not too stupid to operate this?" crap by asking if the oil level was over filled or the air filter dirty. I get that they read from a script but it still annoys the hell out of me. I checked today and it is still leaking a small amount of oil. So I ran my generator less than an hour and now I'm at the mercy of some phone support people before I escalate the issue to higher ups. If they treat me right and it gets fixed promptly I will update my review, but for now 3 stars is the best I can give.UPDATEI got an email a few days after I posted this from Francisco. It was a return slip for UPS so I can send it back to Ill. for free. Great right, only I don't have the box and this weighs well over 100lbs. So I call Francisco to request a box to send it back to them in. (I know it's a stretch and out of the norm, but it's worth a try) I get his voicemail, and explain the dilemma. He calls back the next day, when I'm not at home, and says in broken english, "just send it back in any old box you can find and we will fix it for free". Well I'm not about to send a $320 generator in a cardboard box via UPS so they can tell me they can't fix it because it was damaged in transit, or whatever other excuse they could come up with. So I will most likely just repair it on my own if it doesn't require any parts. I guess I can't change my rating because I still feel slightly screwed because it leaks oil, and a little more screwed because there is not service center I can take it to in the entire DFW area. So my advice is to keep your box because you may need to send it via UPS to Ill. if you need warranty work done.

So I bought this generator back in December 2010, but didnt get the chance to fire it up until last week. When I prepped the generator with oil and gas back in December the gas tank started leaking. I contacted Amazon customer service and they sent me a new replacement within two days. I never opened the new unit but had the manufacture send me a replacement gas tank since thats all that was wrong with it. I installed the gas tank but work distractions pulled me away from actually wanting to crank it up until recently. I filled up the tank and adjusted the choke then notice that the spark plug boot was cut. Contacted the manufacture and had a new boot sent out within a few days. Replaced the boot and the power went out last weekend when it was 101 in the North East. I ended up opening my 30' Jayco Eagle Super Lite and connected the generator. The generator ran my entire camper without any problems ( A/C, Microwave,TV and DVD player ). Ran for a total of 3 hours until the power came on and barely burned much gas. I would rate a 5 but the defects degraded the rating.

Bought 4750 watt generator in October 2016 and with Irma lurking decided to conmect battery and try it. Went to put oll in and lo and behold no washer on oil plug! Oil leaked on my garage floor. Tried a metal washer; oil leaked again. Called com toll free number twice (12 th on hold then 5th; held 10 minutes did not move up!) Went to Lowe's and bought thin rubber washer; so far so good ! Wen has not returned my voicemail yet ; spent 3 hours on a 15 minute task!! Generator started right up and ran great! I'm probably the only customer who did not get their drain plug washer!!!! 😂Worth Heath Kinston NC

I did a review earlier for 3 stars and it got rejected = -1 starShipped in a box that shows exactly what it is = -1 starIts Prime took 4 days to get here = -1 starManual shows complete breakdown and wiring diagram. It also has many options for self troubleshooting as well as a very detailed parts list.Comes with all the tools to put it together and work on it

Packaging was only factory original. Opened it upon arriving and no damage to it. It took me about 15 minutes to put it together and fill it with engine oil. Tried the electric starter option only at this time. It started up on first try. Sounds a bit loud, but for this price this is what we can get. Will build a small wall around it to block noise. Let it run for 10 minutes and it ran smooth.Will update in a few weeks after its first real run. May have to install the high elevation kit since it will run mostly on 6000'.Downgrading to 2 stars.Installed the 6000' elevation kit to try to get better efficiency for a power tool. Tried to run my 14.5 Amps air compressor from this generator with no success. It actually killed my compressor (hopefully only the starter capacitor) which is really disappointing. 14.5 Amps in a 20 Amps outlet.... it didn't even pop the breaker on the generator.Well, called tech support on 11:53am CST on Friday which is supposedly middle of their shift. Answer I got that is the office is closed and had to leave a message. If no call back by Monday, then generator is going back to seller and downgrading to a shiny 1 star.

Generator came via FedEx 2-day service. I needed to order a generator ASAP due to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Iselle that hit the Puna district of the Big Island in Hawaii. High winds toppled large albizia trees, which in turn took down transmission and distribution lines. We were out for a total of 7 days without power. I borrowed a generator from my brother in law, but it was so difficult to start, averaging 15 minutes in trying to get it to start each time! And the generator was not well taken care of, so it was extremely noisy.Since the hurricane hit, it is impossible to find a generator in the store! I also couldn't find anyone else who had a generator that I could borrow, so I had to resort to purchasing one. Thank you to Amazon Prime, us Hawaii people are able to purchase a generator and have it shipped relatively cheap. To ship this generator to Hilo, it cost $28 for 2-day service, or $33 for next-day service. I chose 2nd day service.... ordered the generator on Saturday morning and the box arrived on Tuesday afternoon.This unit was a little on the heavy-side, but what do you expect for a 3kW generator. If you need to lift this generator into a trailer or a pickup bed, expect to use 2 people minimum. Luckily the generator was not dented due to being shipped all the way from the mainland. After unboxing and assembling the wheel-kit (which requires tools that are included in the box), I filled it up with engine oil (I used 10W-30 since that is what I had on-hand and the instructions manual said it can be used). I also filled it up with 2.5 gallons of ethanol-free gasoline (89 octane here in Hawaii, if I opted for 92 octane, it would have ethanol in it). I followed the instructions to start it up, flipping the on/off switch to ON, sliding the choke lever to CHOKE, turning the fuel switch, pulling the starter cord. Other reviews stated their generator took 1-2 pulls to start up. I pulled on mine about 10-12 times and nothing!I took the spark plug out and tested for spark (connecting the disconnected spark plug by touching the engine ground to the spark plug and pulling the starter cord). No spark! The ignition coil was shorted to ground (thus disabling the engine and preventing spark). I had to repair the ignition coil. Luckily I had the tools to take things apart.After repairing it, I allowed the generator to run for 1/2 hour with no load on it.PROS:1. Easy to start, even when cold. The day after it's first use, it took 1 pull to get the generator started.2. Digital hour meter. Good to keep track on when to do maintenance.3. Convenient cigarette lighter socket, so you can easily charge cell phones, etc.4. Affordable price. 3000W generator for under $400 shipped.5. Convenient LEDs to tell you if there is voltage at receptacles. Also tells you which side of receptacles has voltage, so it is not necessary to look at the toggle switch.6. Comes with one NEMA 5-15 plug (common household type of plug) as well as with one NEMA L14-30 plug (4-pin locking round connector). The L14-30 plug is extremely hard to come by, as everyone in Hilo/Puna is looking to connect their generator directly to their load center.7. Ships to Hawaii. If the generator has a battery (for electric start), Amazon will not ship it to Hawaii.8. Comes with tools to maintain this generator (as well as assembly of the wheel-kit).9. WEN manufacturing provides spare parts on their website. A lot of generator manufacturers do not offer spare parts for some of their generator, thus making it difficult to maintain down the road. We'll see how long WEN keeps spare parts on-hand for this generator.10. 8.3A max for the 12V DC lighter socket. More than enough to charge cell phones.11. Comes with schematic diagram for troubleshooting and repair.12. Comes with parts to operate this generator at altitudes above 3000ft. I don't see a personal use for it, but at least they provide the parts instead of forcing those people (who lives in high altitudes) to purchase an additional parts kit.CONS:1. Came broken with shorted ignition coil. Most people wouldn't be able to do such a repair. *it was not the low oil level sensor*2. Stupid design in voltage output for receptacles. You can only select the 120V duplex -OR- the 240V/120V L14-30 connector. I wish you could have both be powered up (all 3 receptacles to be powered up at the same time). (TO ME, THIS IS THE LARGEST DOWNFALL FOR THIS GENERATOR).3. If you're expecting a quiet generator like a Honda/Yamaha, do not buy this generator. It is considerably louder than either one of those two manufacturers. Even the open-frame Honda generator is 1/2 as quiet as this unit. The EU series Honda generators are 1/4 as quiet as this.4. The rubber connector over the DC lighter socket looks flimsy and looks like it will break off with repeated use. They should've used a hinged plastic cover rather than a rubber one.5. If you have 120V appliances/tools/lights, you cannot utilize more than 25A worth of "stuff" at the same time (120V x 25A = 3000W). You can't run a 1HP water pump and large refrigerator off of this generator, which is what most Puna people would want to run. I ended up using two 3000W generators to power necessities.6. Pull-start only, no electric-start.7. Does not come with fuel filter. A fuel filter is highly recommended to be installed in between the carburetor and the fuel valve.8. Does not come with covers over the outlets. So this means, do not use this generator in less-than-ideal weather. Or you need to provide shade from the rain/drizzle.9. 4Gallon capacity is not true. I put in 2.5Gallons and that seemed to be the limit. Someone made a HUGE mistake when labeling this generator's fuel capacity. Makes you wonder if it can really produce 3000W of power?

I had this generator in the box for 3 months before I checked it. It was my fault not checking it after receiving. I just didn't have the time. Had a few broken parts. Called customer service and they told me that they are very sorry, you're on your own...Took me another month to research the parts and order them. Very poorly made. Price reflects the quality... Don't recommend this...

I did receive it quickly, within 3 days of placing the order. It arrived at my front and the box looked liked it had been dropped, there was a large tear it it. I opened the box and it was broken in several places. I called and entered a complaint with Amazon and the seller.Amazon processed a refund to my account , this all took place within 2 days. I give amazon 5 stars and the shipping company1 star.They did not ask for the generator back, I have tried to repair it but have not had any luck doing that, it must have broken some internal parts also that you cannot see.I would recommend doing business with Amazon all day long, they are a wonderful company.

4 plastic straps on generator box and 2 of the 4 were busted open. Generator frame was bent, not realized until assembled (empty generator in its end to place wheels so assembling in this fashion didn't not see bent frame, foam protector was still on covering bottom).I won't have generator replacement until Monday. Glad I got it as precautionary. But packaging was very poor. An item as heavy should have had outer boxing.

It leaked gas. The gas line connector was loose and almost off. It makes a grinding noise after I let off the starter.

Item arrived broken and will not function. It's very difficult to return due to its size and weight. By it in an actual store.

Green light went out right away. Not as happy as I thought I'd be. Plugged RV into it but struggled when turned on microwave. So I'll use it elsewhere.

When something goes wrong with your product is the time to establish a relationship with your customer.Reasonable people know that things go wrong, get missed in QA or break in shipping.What not to do is to waste as much time as possible, stalling and making your customer repeatedly inquire in order to get an issue resolved. Or even shipping them parts at seemingly random and expecting every one of your customers to have the mechanical skill, space, and tools necessary to replace a carburetor.Three months after purchasing this generator (3500 watt), I finally have a functional unit. It works ok, I guess ... the time I needed the generator was 3 months ago during a power outage.

I purchased this generator new(WEN 4050), and ran it for about an hour under load to break the engine in. I then changed the oil, and put it away. It began leaking oil from the crankcase gasket. To be sure, I cleaned the bottom of the engine up and ran it a little to see if I could see the leak. Sure enough I can see a slow drip.So I called Menards, which is where we purchased the generator from. They told me that I have to use the warranty and go through the manufacturer and could not return or exchange it. So I called WEN, told them the crankcase gasket was leaking oil and they told me I had to take it to a certified service center to get it repaired. The three closest to me were all about an hour away. So I took it to the service center(missing four hours of work because the service centers are not open on weekends and their hours conflict with the shift that I work). Today I get a call back and the service center told me WEN won't authorize them to fix it because 2 hours of labor to replace the gasket would cost too much(I told WEN on the phone exactly what the problem was, so they already knew what had to happen). They then told me that I had to take it back to the store that I purchased it from and WEN would authorize a replacement generator or a refund.Well the store I purchased it from is also an hour away. So now I have to miss another four hours of work to go pick up the defective generator from the service service center, driving two hours round trip. Then I have to take it back to Menards, which is an additional two hour round trip. So in total I'll miss 8 hours of work, and drive 6 hours because WEN shipped a defective product. I explained the situation to WEN and they would not authorize the repair for me despite it saving me considerable time and money. I understand that defects happen, but don't make your customer incur losses because you'd rather replace a $330 Generator vs paying $148 for labor.UPDATE:WEN screwed us. Menards doesn't even carry this brand anymore and the manager said that this is probably why. All we are able to get is an in store credit.