Side by Side Comparison of: DuroStar vs DuroMax vs Coleman Cable vs Porch Shield

I live in Florida so I thought I should get a generator before the hurricane season as I have put it off for too long and I can imagine they will be very scarce if a hurricane arrives and after looking at the ones in Home Depot etc this one seemed to be a very good price at $297 with Free Shipping and no tax.

My generator arrived about 7 days after I purchased it and after unpacking I was surprised at how well built it looks, fitted the wheel kit first then oil and a small amount of gas and it started on the second pull and run sweet! I plugged in two lamps plus two large fans and a drill and it didn't miss a beat.

I decided when I purchased this generator that I wanted one big enough to run my fridge/freezer, a few lamps and a few fans in an outage and I think it will do that fine as I do not want to power the whole of the street lights.

My generator came with a gas gauge and a black gas cap which is not a problem as its one thing less to rust, it also came with the small toolkit and also a small angled funnel so filling with oil was not a problem and when I change the oil the funnel will fit under the drain hole so I can empty into a small flat container without having to tilt the generator.

The wheel kit instructions are very poor but it's very easy to see where to fit the parts if you just think about it first.

The noise level is about what I expected, just like a mower. I would definitely purchase the wheel kit as it is not easy to move about especially with 4 gallons of gas. Because i am storing it in the garage i cut the flaps off the top of the shipping box and placed over the generator and it makes a good cover at no expense. Let's hope I do not need to use it but its there if needed.

I purchased this generator right after hurricane Irene. After hurricane Irene had damaged power lines in my neighborhood and being without power for 4 days I relied on my car battery to power lamps in my home using a power converter which included battery clamps. I decided to buy a generator as using a car battery during power outages can only go so far. Enter hurricane Sandy, I lost power again for 7 days where my new generator came into play to be used for the first time. I never operated or owned a generator before so I thought listing my experience here on Amazon in detail will help others like me.

This generator came with two open end wrenches, a screwdriver and a spark plug wrench. Once you open the box you will see that there is a block of wood inserted in the engine and tied down with a nylon strap. It also has a metal shipping brace attached to the bottom of the frame of the generator. These will have to be removed before you can use the generator. As per the manual you would have to turn the unit upside down on top of the foam pad that was shipped with this unit to remove the shipping brace. Removing the nuts and bolts from the shipping brace was impossible for me using the included cheap wrenches or even with my own pliers and open end wrench. The bolts connecting to the nuts were small and hard to turn. I had to use a large ratchet with a long handle using a 10 MM adapter which helped the bolts come off easily. Once everything was removed I then installed the wheel kit (DuroStar DS4000S-WK Wheel Kit for DS4000S) which I also purchased from Amazon. It helped me move my generator from my backyard to my garage when I was done using it at night. The generator is pretty heavy so moving it around without the wheel kit will be a challenge.

I purchased a funnel with an extension flexible clear hose with attached plug. The clear hose helped me know when the oil compartment was full. The attached plug on the end of the clear hose is convenient to use as well when you're done filling your generator with oil. Simply close the end of the hose with the plug to avoid any continuous oil drips after using. Another great thing about the plug end is that in fits exactly into the oil drain/fill hole on my generator which minimized spilling oil while filling. You will have a small amount of oil leaking at some point (removing after its full) so place something (a plastic mat or sheet) under the work area to avoid a messy cleanup and stains. This funnel was bought on Amazon for $5 with free shipping which is an awesome deal. It's listed as "Hopkins TF-1 Heavy Duty Transmission Funnel, 18" Hose, Red". This generator can only hold 20 ounces of 30W oil but when you have to add more oil after multiple hours of use the clear hose then becomes very helpful. My first oil change was done right after I went through one full tank of fuel. I chose to change the oil at that time as other reviewers indicated as to remove any metal debris that probably came loose during use to avoid damage to the new motor. Draining oil from this unit can be a pain since it drips directly onto the frame. What I did to avoid a mess was to lift the generator on the wheeled side before opening the oil drain cap and placed one of the legs under the generator on top of a brick. This helped keep the flow of oil from making any contact with the frame as it drained. Once I saw that the oil had slowed I would then tip it towards the opening of the oil drain hole to completely drain. I used a small metal bowl to catch the dripping oil to then discard the oil into an oil canister for transporting. I disposed of the oil at my local car mechanic shop. The oil drain cap has a built-in oil dip stick for checking how much oil has burned. Convenient little piece.
One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your generator is on a leveled surface while it is running. I accidentally left mine at an inclined angle (wheeled side higher than leg side) due to an elevated portion on the ground which caused oil to slowly spew through the air filter while it was running. I thought something broke but after further inspection I realized what I have done. I powered it down and wiped everything clean with a couple of paper towels. I washed the foam air filter in dishwashing liquid and warm water and replaced everything after it has dried. No oil has dripped since.

After a few days of using my generator I then noticed it was creating "clanging" noises while it was running. I turned it off and noticed that two nuts on the top corners had become loose. The top portion (yellow metal top) was creating this noise while the motor ran. I simply tighten them down (after powering down of course) which eliminated the noise and has not come loose as of yet. I assumed it became loose during shipping or just did so on its own since the motor is constantly running for hours. This generator vibrates quite a bit as I assume all portable generators do. After hours of use I suggest you inspect the nuts and bolts connecting the top panel to the frame to ensure nothing has loosened.

Below are the steps to get this generator running.

Remove all packaging from generator.

If wheel kit was purchased install now before adding any fluids (gas and oil).

Fill with 20 ounces of 10W-30 oil with funnel.

Add 4 gallons of fuel. I purchased a gas can on Amazon with an extension tip which has a built-in close/open push valve to avoid spilling while filling. (No-Spill 1450 5-Gallon Poly Gas Can (CARB Compliant))

Make sure you ground the unit using copper wire on the grounding wing nut for safety reasons. Copper wire or the ground stake is not included in this package.

Make sure Choke switch is set to "Off".
Makes sure gas valve is set to "On".
Make sure circuit breaker switch is set to "On".
Make sure power switch is set to "On".

Pull recoil starter cord firmly (might take 2 or 3 pulls) to start generator motor. Mine initially took two pulls when I first tried. It now takes just one pull to start her up.

*First time running when brand new*: As stated in the manual, when the starter cord is pulled and motor begins to run, leave in "closed choke" position for a minute then move lever half way to open for another 30 seconds before moving lever slowly again all the way to "open" position. Allow the motor to run for several minutes before attaching any power cords.

*Thereafter*: Once motor begins running, slowly move lever from "closed choke" position to the "open" position. Generator noise will increase once in open position as motor kicks into high gear.

Now you can plug in your extension cords into the outlets. 12/3 gauge is ideal since thin cords will get extremely hot and can drain power to your equipment. I purchased two 50 foot cords using one for each outlet and surge suppressors attached to each cord with multiple outlets. Search "US Wire 65100 12/3 50-Foot SJTW Orange Heavy Duty Extension Cord" on Amazon.

If you want two more 120v outlets then I suggest you convert the 3 prong outlet (L5-30P) into two 120v outlets (5-20R) by using a Y splitter cable adapter. The one I purchased on Amazon is called "Coleman Cable 01915 3-Foot Generator Power Cord Adapter, 10/3 Splitter Y Adapter, L5-30P to (2) Lighted 5-20R". This will help distribute the load of power from the generator.

For storage, I also purchased a small cover for this generator on Amazon. Not sure how long it will last since I just bought it but it received good reviews. It's water resistant and has an elastic hem with drawstring. It was difficult finding one that fit this generator but this one fit like it was custom made. The size of the cover is 26 x 18 x 20 which is the small size. The vendor name is "The-Cover-store" who sells it for $20 plus $5 shipping.

This generator came in handy when I needed it the most and has performed like a champ. I had a refrigerator, electric start stove, charged 3 smart phones, a battery charger charging 8 AA batteries, 4 lamps using energy efficient bulbs, 2 laptops, an LCD TV screen, Blu-ray player and brewed a cup of coffee running all at the same time and this generator didn't struggle at all. It can handle more than what I used it for. My generator ran for 14+ hours before I needed to refuel. Obviously, the less power consuming equipment you use the longer it will run.

For $289.00 purchased in 2011, backed by Amazon's return policy (only refunds as anything that has had fuel cannot be shipped back) and overall helpful reviews on Amazon I couldn't go wrong. If I was to buy this generator at my local Home Improvement store right after a natural disaster it could easily sell out for $800+. If you don't need to power NASA then this generator will help you when you need power. I'm very grateful for all of the reviews (good and bad) that were listed on Amazon to help me and my family make a wise and cost effective choice to help get through our power outages. I hope my review helps others as well. If I have other info to share (ex: fuel cup cleaning and spark plug changes) I will post my experience. I highly recommend this generator to run your basic needs.

Ordered Wednesday at 11pm and received Friday morning at 10am so can't say enough about Amazon.

Regarding the unit, I did not order the wheels and it was lighter than I expected even with a full tank of gas. Added oil which was somewhat difficult to do at the required angle without turning on its side (made a paper funnel and with a 2nd hand, it was no problem though).

Fired up on the first pull every time and ran flawlessly for five days of 4-6 hours per day. Gas usage was good - seemed like it ran longer than it stated specifications. I powered two refrigerators, a few lights, cable/wifi, alarm system and tv and I'm sure it could have handled more. This was my first generator purchase so I was a little concerned about power vs. right value. I can't imagine getting better performance at any price point.

I ordered this generator after the last season of hurricanes and storms in Northeast USA. My house is in a flood prone area and I wasn't going to go through another entire hurricane season with sleepless nights. My old generator stopped working last year so I knew I was in the market for a new one.

I paid $299 for this generator off of Amazon and another $39 for the wheel kit (DuroStar DS4000S-WK Wheel Kit for DS4000S). As of writing this review, the generator is down to $289.00. Either way, I would have paid $350 for this unit!

The packaging was great. There was no damage to the unit during shipping. My biggest complaint about packaging is that some oil seemed to seep out of the unit and onto the box so I had to be careful when opening it up. I ended up having to wipe the units frame down with a rag to dry it off. The unit does not ship with oil, but someone must have put oil in it at one point to test it out because there was a lot of oil in the box. One other note, be sure to remove the shipping mounting bracket! The easiest way to do this is to use the provided tool and loosen the nuts and bolts while the unit is sitting level.

We have not had to use this unit yet (thankfully) but I did get it running. I recommend purchasing an all purpose or transmission fluid funnel from your local automotive shop - this will help you to fill the oil tank without getting oil all over the place. The location of the oil fill is not very convenient, but with the proper funnel it isn't much of a headache. I imagine in the middle of a storm though that this could prove to be a huge design flaw. Once oil was added, I threw in some Unleaded 87 octane gasoline and it started up on the second pull. I let it run for about 5 minutes. The unit is QUIET! Very quiet. I would even go as far as to say that my lawn mower is louder than this generator. I was able to put my head right next to the generator without issue, and I could not hear it running from inside of my house. Very impressed with the volume!

Attaching the wheel kit was a pain to say the least. The location of the bolts is a problem, and the bolts and nuts are different wrench sizes which is another problem. It makes installation a bit of a pain. I would say though that having this generator on wheels is very helpful. I would recommend the wheel kit to anyone interested in this generator.

Thanks - I hope this was helpful.

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UPDATE AFTER FIRST USE (HURRICANE SANDY - 10/29/2012)
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Hurricane Sandy hit us hard and we were estimated to be without power for 5 days. I prepared the generator the day before it hit, filled it with gas, checked oil level, and then started it up. It started right up! I then followed the instructions:
- Let generator run for a few minutes before plugging in any load
- Plug in all load starting with most intensive first
- Flip breaker to ON

It has been 4 days without power now and this generator has powered the following (at different times):
- (2) 1/2HP sump pumps
- (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) microwave
- (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) HVAC system for heat
- (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) Verizon FiOS system
- Miscellaneous items [cell phone chargers, hair irons, radio, etc.)

The unit does not have a wattage meter to show you the current load but you should do your due diligence to know how much power various items draw. I can judge how must stress I put on the unit by keeping a note on how long 4 gallons of gas gets me. The unit says 4 gallons = 8 hours on full load. I am getting 4 gallons = 16 hours so I am only putting the unit through half load.

I changed the oil 20 hours into running per the manual. From what I understand this is very important! Don't skip this step. I had a hard time removing the oil drain plug (10mm hex wrench) so I ended up removing the oil cap and tilting the unit to the side to drain the oil which removed almost all of it. Again, it started right up afterwards with no issues.

Lastly, compared to all of my neighbor's generators, this one is the quietest by far!

Bottom line - if you treat this generator right and maintain it, it should return the favor and save your butt in times of need. We have a 1 yr old daughter and without this generator it would have been a difficult few days.

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UPDATE AFTER STORAGE (Fall 2012 - Fall 2014)
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I recently pulled the generator out of storage to turn it over and let it run for a bit. When I stored it in 2012 I changed the oil and emptied the gas tank, so all I had to do was put a bit of gasoline in and start it up. I'm happy to report that it started up on the first pull without issue. I let it run for about 5-10 minutes, then closed it down for storage again (drained gas tank). I am extremely satisfied with this purchase!!

PLEASE MARK THIS REVIEW AS HELPFUL IF YOU FOUND IT HELPFUL!

Got a super fast delivery on this product. Unpacked it and had to wait a day to check it out. Removing the shipping braces in the bottom of the unit can be tricky because the nuts and bolts are really tight (thats good) but the metal used to make these particular four nuts and bolts is just a little on the soft side and care must be used that a good wrench doesn't strip the shape of the corners on the nuts when removing. Be sure to read the manual prior to starting. I put the unit on the deck and funneled in some oil (It says it holds a quart but be sure you don't overfill with that quart). I then set up a ground wire and installed a quart of gas. I just wanted to do a test run and didn't want to leave gas in the tank when I stowed away the unit. I found my good heavy load extension cord and a double burner hot plate that had been stored in the garage for too many years. Next I set the gas valve to open and put the choke lever to choke, flipped the red rocker switch for engine start / stop operation then moved the breaker flip switch to the on position and pulled the starter cord. One pull with the choke on and it started right up. I flipped the choke to the off position and it was crusing. I hooked up the two burner hot plate and varied out the burner operation as I ran one burner on its limit of med, then the other burner on high and watched both burners get red hot. It would vary the speed of the generator as I tinkered with the hot plate switches. That particular hot plate information show it draws 1750 watts. I had it on most of the time and the quart of gas lasted about 20 minutes under that load. It looks good and it works fine. I didn't order the wheel kit and was able to lift and slide the unit as needed but sat it on another wheeled unit (that I already had)and it works pretty good for now, but I may order the wheels kit and cover later. This unit measures appx. a compact 17.5H x 17.5W x 23.5L and is a neat fit in a cozy corner. (I am currently storing mine in the dining room) The price was $370 with free shipping and it turned out to be a pretty good deal so far.

We lost power for a little over 24 hours a couple of months ago. It was so annoying to have no cable, no internet and no refrigerator! This generator should solve those problems when the next outage occurs. When I attempted to fire it up for a test run, I could not get it to start until I pulled the choke off. But then it started on the next pull. It's fairly quiet and has enough output to get you through your next outage without losing your mind or your frozen foods.

I just received this DuroStar generator, unpacked it, and found no owner's manual. This gives one pause when a sticker states, DO NOT OPERATE BEFORE READING MANUAL. Amazon was NO help, saying their was no separate manual to mail. I think the unit is very nice, well made, probably runs great, and has excellant reviews. If I get a manual, or figure out how to use it safely, I may revisit this review. It's probably just some poor Chinese worker who had to much sake at lunch before packing this up, and YES, the packaging is a bit flimsy carboard.

UPDATE: I was very kindly forwarded a pdf manual by AbsoluteGenerators.com. Thanks to them, this should work just fine. And Amazon gave me a nice credit back for the missing manual.

I ordered it on 10-31-2012 and it took quite a while to get it. It was right after Sandy hit the Northeast.

It was advertised to have a fuel gauge, there is none. It did come with a funnel, after reading the reviews I had ordered a funnel to go along with it, it wasn't needed.

Put oil & gas in it, pulled the cord about 15 times before my Wife looked at the manual & asked if I was using the choke. That stung a little bit! Choked it and it started on the 1st pull.

We ordered it while it was still isted at $299. They honered that price however by the time we got it, it was going for $479. As of this writing it's listed at $349. That seems a little unfair, supply & demand I guess.

The manual says oil should be changed every 20hrs. That's pretty inconvenient. The main reason we got it was for our sump pump so if theres an outage we will be running it continously. I'll be using Mobil 1 synthetic oil and let it go for 40hrs or so betweeen changes. Hope it holds up.

I pulled the trigger on this after loosing power for 5 days in late June and early July. It will be used strictly for back-up during power outages to keep the refrigerators running as well as the furnace in the winter.

It arrived quickly (3 days) and was simple enough to unpack and set-up. Braces removed, oil & fuel added and it was ready to go. Mine didn't start quite as easily as some of the other posters reported but was still up and running within a dozen pulls. I let it run about 5-10 minutes, plugged in some appliances to make sure it could handle a load then shut it down. I've drained the fuel and changed the oil and it's now sitting waiting for the next power outage.

The muffler is substantial and I had high hopes that it would be truly quiet however that was not the case. When running it was clearly audible in the house behind closed doors 40' away. I'm guessing it's at least 80db at idle. At this point this is my only gripe and it's a small one. The price is fantastic for what you get but only time will tell if this was a worthwhile investment.

I bought this generator in preparation for hurricane Irene. Ordered it on Wen., it arrived on Fri., just in time to set it up before the storm (can't beat Amazon Prime!). The generator was easy to set up and started in one pull. This generator provided power sufficient to run the refrigerator, a mini-split a/c unit, TV, and a couple of fluorescent lights for two days. Under this load, a full tank (4 gallons) lasted around 12-14 hours. This unit appears to be a Chinese import so I do have my doubts about long-term reliability, never the less, the DS4000 appears surprisingly well-constructed and capable for the price.

Pros:
Inexpensive
Easy to Operate
Relatively Quiet (compared to a 22" lawn mower)
Compact
Easy to read fuel gauge

Cons:
Recommended oil change interval of 20 hours (change the oil every other time you fill the gas tank?)
Oil drain obscured by frame below (as oil drains it runs along the frame and makes a mess)
No watt or amp meter (Has volt meter, but why?)
Earth grounding post and hardware (nuts and washers) are too small
Packaging is inadequate for UPS Ground Shipping (operating panel was dented on arrival)

Update 9/18/2012

It's been a full year since I've used this generator. After Hurricane Irene, I drained the fuel tank and changed the oil. This evening the power went out, so I filled the tank and the generator started on the second pull. I love this thing!

Update 11/5/2012

Just got the power back after 7 days; this time it was Sandy The DS4000 proved itself as the little generator that could, running 16 hrs/day for seven days without a problem. I've been using synthetic oil (Royal Purple SAE 30) and extending the oil change interval to once every 2 days (32 hours of use). Doesn't seem to use much oil, maybe down one or two ounces in this interval. I really do love this generator!

This is a great gen and I would give it 5 stars but it is not as quiet as stated. I got this for camping and fellow campers really like giving us a hard time about the "noisy racket of the neighbors" when we fire it up.

If you are looking for quiet and camp ground complaint, upgrade. If you are dry camping in the middle of nowhere, this one will be great.

Hope this helped. Happy camping!

Worked for a year, then hard to start. Started again, worked for another season then muffler blew. It still works but boy is it LOUD. And NOBODY wants to fix this brand. Feeling like it was a waste of money.

Not a terrible generator, you do get what you pay for. The main issue is starting it. It's kind of like that old lawnmower everyone dreads starting because it takes two people to start it.... one for the first twenty pulls and then someone to take over for the next 10. It does eventually start up, runs everything just fine on our travel trailer. Just rest up before you have to start it up.

The on/off switch broke so I can't use it. I ordered another one and it's been over three weeks and still having gotten the part. I called they said it was back ordered. Must be a problem with this generator, with this long of a back order. Would not buy again!

Once up and running, it appears to be a pretty good little generator. Surprisingly quiet for 7 horsepower. Engine bogs down when skil saw is engaged. Doubt it would run 2 skil saws without damage to saw armatures over the long run unless care is taken to not start two at the same time. It will run two saws started one at a time. The problem I had was poor packaging. There is a wood block in the box which was probably supposed to brace something but it was just loose in the box. The plastic air cleaner housing was broken along the side and top edge exposing the filter element, and the nipple connecting the gas tank vent to the air cleaner was broken off. I am working with Amazon to see if I can get another housing. We'll see if that works out. Overall, for a 100 pound generator, its a nice, tight package and a pretty good bang for the buck.

Very disappointed in this machine. It's not a honda that's for sure.Hard to start. Now a few months later and gas is pouring from carb.

worked great until Nov 2016. Bought March 2012. used twice a year for hunting (1 week each trip). and it did not run the continuously. This year it ran a couple days, then a catastrophic break down beyond a minor repair. needs a complete engine!!!!! Buy one with a Briggs & Stratton or Honda engine - worth the extra money!!! Very disappointed. It was well taken care of!!

Can be really difficult to start. Also the handle that controls the choke is made of plastic which does not seem like a good choice to me.

I have had this unit for just over a year and I am disappointed with this unit, when it works it does a wonderful job, but the unit easily becomes plugged up even with fuel stabilizer ran through it. I have had to clean this unit twice now to get it to run correctly, and I constantly use stabalizer to prevent it from having carbon build up. But went to start the unit again and it will not start, changed spark plug, cleaned air filter and still nothing. The design leads me to think that this will be a constant issue. I bought two of these units and my father is having the same issue.

Update to below after 2 years and 2 uses. Stored empty and with the lines cleaned out. No good instructions in the manual for long term storage so I took some youtube advice on this and other like models from Durostar. Went to use it again and nothing. Oil and Gas full, spark plug clean and correctly measured. Took to an army generator mechanic friend and he couldn't figure it out either. Also, had a problem finding parts for it. The air filter line (plastic end) snapped off doing routine maintenance. Couldn't find another assembly in the catalog (they want you to buy another generator I suppose). When it worked, it was great. When it quit, there was no mend for it. Will take it apart one more time (when it warms up) but for a "easy" use backup generator, this was not the solution I would have liked to have had. All this happened days before a blizzard. Enough time to fix the generator, but not to replace it. As there was no fix we could figure out, had to rely on luck that we did not lose power. Time for a home back up generator.

End of first necessary use during outage: So far so good. Comes completely assembled, unless you want the wheel kit too. Took 5 min to put that on. Quiet and reliable. Oil change out regularly after the first few uses due to metal shavings (like most lawn mowers and other small engines). After that, very low maintenance. Powers everything I need to include 2 fridges, all kitchen electronics, 2 TVs and other devices at once.

ZERO STARS. BRAND NEW OUT OF BOX FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS PERFECTLY. OPENED GAS LINE AND GAS POURED OUT FROM UNDER ENGINE.

Excited to get the generator ran half a tank of gas thru filled tank and started spewing gas. Complete wait if money. No power for hunting camp.

Received with broken parts and covered in oil. Returned and bought a bigger one locally.

Broke down! can't get help with warranty, need to run air con !)) 7/14/2014

This arrived with a cracked air filter cover. Beware! Once you put gas and oil in a generator, you can't ship it back if it's damaged.
Also the choke lever is a filmsy plastic piece of toy-like quality. I tried for 6 days to reach the tach support number listed in manual since the generator wouldn't start, backfires with flames and was told if I took it to a small engine repair, had it diagnosed, I could get a replacement part sent to me under warranty but I'd have to pay the shipping and pay for the engine repair--problem started within a few days of use.