Champions New 4000 watt dual fuel generator is nice, but left me wanting a little more. What are your thoughts? #generator #backuppower #inverter #rvlife Thanks for the support 😀👍🏼 Have a question you want answered fast: asqme.com/@johnnysweekends Affiliate links below Champion 4000 watt:amzn.to/4caP4b4 CA residents try here: walmrt.us/3yqCMxi Electric fuel pump:amzn.to/3YpIc6m 6G fuel tank: amzn.to/3WOASQj Oil Extractor: amzn.to/46tD9nv Other generator options…👍🏼 Pulsar 4000 DF: amzn.to/46w2gG6 WEN 3600: amzn.to/4fzaWjh Maxpeedingrods 4000GT: amzn.to/3AaQ01K Have a question you want answered fast: asqme.com/@johnnysweekends SAVE BIG ON NEW SOLAR PANELS HERE: signaturesolar.com/?ref=JWKNDS DISCOUNT CODE: JOHNNYWKND BUNDLE & SAVE SHOP SOLAR KITS ! shopsolarkits.com/1134 CHEAP USED CERTIFIED SOLAR PANELS HERE: www.santansolar.com/?ref=Johnnys%20Weekends CHECK OUT MY AMAZON STORE: www.amazon.com/shop/johnnysweekends
I have been waiting for this exact generator review for several months since I saw they were releasing it. Love their smaller suitcase but need a little more power. Would love to see a review/comparison with other similar size suitcase models. Thanks!!
Just got mine today. Ordered Tuesday from HD and used 10% off coupon for having HD credit card. They had 56 of these on Tuesday and 0 today. Might be one of the most sought after portable generators out there. I signed up with HD to get notified when back in stock, so I knew they had received a shipment. I will post my experience with it. Plan on connecting to my RV propane outlet with my 24 ft hose I use with my propane griddle. RV has two 30 lb tanks.
Just bought and used the Wen 3600 dual fuel generator (very similar to the Champion) during a recent power outage with it hooked up to the house using an interlock. Only used propane and the 20 lb tanks (really only 15 lb) lasted 10 hours at half load (two bars) running two fridges, one deep freeze, two sump pumps, lights and fans, etc. It will also run our RV's 15k btu Furrion A/C. I like the power and size of these units. Good compromise. I really wish the gasoline tank (1.5 gallons) was large enough (2+ gallons?) to run home back up or an RV's A/C all night, but with propane it's not a problem. Thanks for sharing.
@@myvenusheeler Not a problem because I energized the breakers one at a time when bringing them online. When running for 20 hours they never all cycled on at the same time, but guess they could.
@@lpadron13 Turn all the high draw breakers (fridges, freezer, sump pumps, etc) off, hook up the generator, then turn the breakers on one at a time so the generator takes the start up loads one at time instead of all at once. Mine is hooked up to the house via an interlock.
One thing that would be very useful to see as you test various generators of similar sizes is to put the sound readings in a spread sheet and post in the video, that way we could see a instant comparison of sound readings so we didn't have to go find the other generator videos and watch them again to see the sound readings
Glad I unloaded this thing. What a pain in the rear to start on propane. Yes I made sure I turned on the propane slowly, pulled 8-10 times slowly on choke, blah blah blah Runs awesome on gas. Defeated the purpose of having all this propane stocked. Hope the guy I sold it to likes it
Interesting, wonder if a kink in line or even a bad regulator. I have had one that was bad on arrival. Too bad you didn’t see what the problem was. Mine is about 4-5 pulls. most the others are 2-3 for propane. But I’ll see if anyone else says anything. Thanks for the feedback
Haven't seen this generator out on the market yet. I really enjoy some of the things it has to offer such as adding or removing the oil so cleanly. Not bad for the price. Appreciate you sharing!
Steel sleave for the cylinder walls is a large upgrade for engine longevity. Seems manufacturers are always trying to up their game.....good for the consumer
That is nice. My old Ai-Power Yamaha engine is a cast iron sleeve. I’d much prefer a steel sleeve for longevity even the cast iron has held up well so far.
Nice to see a video on it as there were none last week when I was researching it. Was in a time crunch with the storm that was potentially headed this way at the time. I was looking to purchase a generator for my parents to have as theirs stopped working, wanted them to have something with dual fuel capability the propane being the biggest selling point as they do not have easy access to non-ethanol fuel, and lastly ease of use. I was about to buy the Champion 2500 Watt model then I saw this one come up on Home Depots website for $100 more. Bring it home, put oil in it to start the break in process and put it through it's paces to make sure it works before my parents get it. Unfortunately there is something wrong with the propane regulator on mine, it would not start whatsoever following the directions; 1 hour later, a popped blood vessel on my finger and pull rope burn on my other hand (somehow) I gave up, and put it away, I was so frustrated that I didn't even try to start it on gas to see if it would run, but also didn't try it on gas as with another generator I purchased from Home Depot years ago that surged and didn't make power a week after buying it, when I went to return it they said they wouldn't take it back as I had put fuel in it and couldn't ship it back to the manufacture (they ended up taking it back) Mind you this is my first experience with a propane generator, started researching what it could be - found out that the secondary regulator has a small hole in the center where you can manually purge. Tried it again, purged for 5 seconds, and the generator started, I have to do this every time I start it on propane however, which is not the biggest deal as it still works just a bit frustrating, e-mailed support but never heard back. I will be calling to talk to support to see if they can send me a new regulator. So yeah, just an FYI for anyone that brings one of these home especially in a hurry after a power outage and maybe all they have is propane to use but can't get it started. Running it on gasoline there is slight miss/backfire every so often more so at idle, on propane it does not do the same thing so something may be up with the carb as well on the unit I got. Swapped the spark plug out to a NGK for good measure, after break in put Amsoil 10w-30 Small engine oil in it. Overall, despite those issues it's a decent unit for the price point, however it does show in some areas, I've got about a 1/8 inch gap where the 2 half's of the case meet at the front of the control panel, the plastic is the cheapest I've seen, especially the fuel cap, and as you mentioned no fuel strainer, and the propane regulator looks and feels cheap. Not all bad however, it was able to take the rated load without issue, the fuel gauge is very nice to have, and the propane I REALLY like, it is going to make me have to purchase a propane conversion kit for my Honda EU2200i now. Thanks for the tip on the propane setting to run it out of gas, I missed that part in the owners manual - makes storage so much easier.
@@dsmith2858 Certainly, I do not know if this is the same for every propane generator's regulator, but on the secondary pressure regulator (the larger puck that has the plastic mounting clamp installed in this video covering it) there is a small hole right in the center - take a paperclip or whatever else you may have that is small enough to fit, insert it in and apply some pressure on the diaphragm for 3-5 seconds where you should hear it hiss, then try to start the generator after that - if your having the same issue I had it should start, that is unless there is something else not working correctly. As far as a video that shows this process, there was not one available at the time I was researching, however there should be one now if you search for it.
Thank you for the detailed explanation and kind reply, good sir. It may be the issue with my unit as well but I chose to return for another unit instead of trying to troubleshoot it myself after working with customer support a bit… if I run into a similar issue again I certainly will try the “paper clip method”. Again, thank you
Thanks for doing this review. I'm looking at this for our outdoor movie business. For some of the mid-size events we do, we need about 2500 watts of power. And we want a lighter weight unit. While light, the Honda 2200 just doesn't have enough juice for everything we do. The Predator 3500 does. But it weighs 100 pounds. This Champion seems to solve the power need and the lower weight. It's a little bit louder, but we set these things up almost 100' away from the audience on grass, so that won't make much of a difference for us. The only question I have now is how reliable will it be?
Yup being a new model and newer engine that will be the question. Will it be a winner or a dude. Since it’s new I don’t have much hours or feedback from other users so will see.
I watch all your videos about generators and comment every once in awhile. My main goal is the decibels to power performance as I will be using a generator to top off Rv batteries or emergency Rv situations. The generator needs to be in the 50lbs range. Medical emergency surgery pushed back my purchasing of the Maxspeedingrods 4000GT. The Champion 4000 decibels is a little disappointing, but thanks again for you testing of all your generators, solar generators and solar panels. I like the videos when you revisit the test later to see how these products are continuing to function or if they fall short.
Thank you. I agree I dislike videos where it’s one and done. So I try to do follow ups a few months out on products I’ve used a lot. Thanks for sticking around for the good and bad videos 😂👍🏼👊🏼
Decibel to Running Watts Performance, the Predator 3500 Inverter in my opinion can't be beat. However, it's downside, is that it's 100lbs. I have one and I love it, but the 100lbs thing, is an issue.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 yes the 100lbs is what is keeping me from getting a prednator’3500 and the 5000 is just a few more lbs also. But I try to stick to the 50-70 lbs range. My wife can handle 50 lbs but mostly I do all the heavy lifting Right now I can do the 100lbs if the handle placement is right. Being 62 and classified as disabled and having 12 operations in the last 9 months. I have to plan wisely for our future rving adventures. What works well for others is not always conducive to my situation. Believe me I even looked at buying a dual fuel carburetor for the predator 3500 but again weight and warranty changed my mind. Thanks for the comment
Glad to see this video because I am looking at this generator and the very few others in this watt capacity and just as importantly weight capacity. Having gone through several days of power outage due to the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl all I am looking for is a dual fuel home generator that has the ability to run my 20.3 cubic foot Whirlpool refrigerator/freezer and a 5500 btu portable A/C on wheels. Problem is I don't know the surge watts of the refrigerator although it shows 6.5 amps FLA and the portable unit run wattage is claimed at 970 watts. The only other thing I would run is a light at 40-60 watts. Not wanting one of those 100 pound plus generators.
Just the review I've been waiting for! Thank you! I got my delivered the other day and ran it for the first time yesterday. Overall I like it and it will suit my needs fine, but it is a bit louder than I was hoping for. I shouldn't need to run it often while camping, but I don't want to be 'that guy' in the campground. I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison with other similar size units -maxpeedingrods and Pulsar to name a couple. Thanks again!
Another great review on a new generator! I would like to see a comparison video with yhe genmax 4600 duel fuel or 4600 efi. I know the power ratings are a bit different, but would be interested in a sound comparison between them as well.
Good video & really appreciate the channel! If you’re looking for additional generators to compare, would love to see a review on the “Firman” 4000 watt, electric start dual fuel gen, which I believe is still being sold at Costco.
Been waiting for a review on this unit! Would he great to include approx run time in your testing. Something like X hours at half load with a full tank. These smaller high watt generators are appealing, but the small gas tank makes me hesistate on them vs the other standard 4000watt options.
Thanks for using a real DB meter instead of an app on your phone like so many other generator testing people do. 7:45 She's pretty loud. I think I will keep my EU2200i
keep your honda. I put nearly 10,000 hours on mine with just oil changes, I know it's hard to believe. Then we switched to propane and needed more power and bought a 4000W Champion, it's about to die at 2000 hours. We also had a similar Firman that died at 600 hours.
Good video. Yanked my arm out the socket trying to start on propane. Horrible. Champion sent me an other regulator. Haven't tried it yet because my arm isn't healed. 😒
Johnny, it’s been a while since you’ve done a champion review, enjoyed the entire video! does it say where it was made it of curiosity? I have 3 champions and love all of them. I know two of the champions i have were made in Vietnam 😊
Johnny...you're doing great work as the go to guy for portable generator reviews (you and Gavin's Garage). One thing that might be helpful to your viewers is if you were to list all of the pertinent facts for each of the generators you have reviewed onto some sort of spreadsheet, and then maybe show it at the end of the video(s), and make a link to it for your viewers. Things like the starting watts, running watts, weight, single, dual or tri-fuel, electric start, remote start, information panel, decibel rating at 0%-100% load, available outlets on the front, etc. You don't necessarily have to make a value judgement that this generator is "better" than that generator (although it's your channel, and you can do what you want). You could also have a link to your review of that generator on the sheet as well. Different users are looking for different things, and having that all in once place that you keep adding to would be very helpful...or at least I think so. Thanks for your videos!
Thanks so much for the compliments! And you’re right I do. But honestly im horrible at spread sheets 😂 Funny all the things I can do but when it comes to charts and graphs im not great at it. But I do have a website I really need to get going and I will work on the graphs and slowly integrate into vids. Thanks again 😀👍🏼
I used to recommend champion to everyone and I really like my champion generator but the last time I had to call them for service I no longer was able to talk to a US-based customer support group. It was a foreign-based group that could barely understand me and isn't any better than any other support that I've dealt with in the past with other Chinese companies. Pretty disappointing that they changed it as the customer support was one of the main selling points for me.
Great video! How does this compare to the Pulsar GD400BN? While the fit and finish of my Pulsar isn't great, it runs well and starts right up on propane, no issues. How does the sound compare to the GD400BN?
I’ll be doing a comparison since it seems to be a popular request and unit. I love my pulsar and feel it’s a pinch quieter or maybe even a decent amount
Great review, very helpful! I’m seeing postings that people are having problems starting the generator on propane. Did you have any difficulties in starting on propane? I have a Champion 4250 Dual fuel, and my usual routine on propane is about 3 pulls on choke, until you get a short pulse, then choke off and 2 or 3 pulls to start, really not a big deal. I’ve seen reports of people spending 1/2 hr trying to get the 4000 Watt going on propane, also people starting it on gas then switching to propane. Thanks!
@@johnnysweekends OK thanks for the information. It’s hard to imagine Champion putting a product out there that doesn’t start . I’m torn between this gen and the Honda 2200i, which you also reviewed extremely favorably. The Black Friday sales might decide for me. Thanks!
@rorymiskimen5221 the Honda is a good unit but it just didn’t have enough power on the hotter days or elevation. I didn’t need much more. So these for the bill.
I like my Maxpeedingrods 4000GT too, but I've accidentally left the power switch turned on and run the starting battery dead. Company recommendation is to run on gas to recharge. I'd prefer to know what way can I use a trickle charger to bring it back to life. Or, what is a replacement battery part number?
Hi Johnny, I bought a Champion gas only 4350/3750 gen from Costco back in 10/2016. I took it out of the box and put it together last week. Yes,I'm serious. Should I run it for 1.5 hours before putting any load on it? Also, is synthetic 10/30 better than conventional? You seem like you know a lot about these things, that's why I ask. Thanks
All depends what you feel comfortable with. Some people do a couple hour break in with 50% loads and less and others run it all out on day one much like a lawn mower I never take more than a hour for any break in
Sir. Thank you for your content. I am learning so much. Also using your affiliate links. Question. In this class do you still recommend the Pulsar 4000DF as number 1 ? Have you tested the Heomaito 4300 watt?
The pulsar so far is giving good feedback overall. Sure there is a bad one or two but that can be with everything. Have not tested heomaito since its new brand I’m gathering some feedback. There are so many off label using same engines and more but offer no support. At least the models I test or try offer some. The wen and champion models are new so still early to see if they are truly good models
@@johnnysweekends Does the Genmax 3500 gas cap fit with your gas pump to supply extended run time ? How does it compare with Pulsar besides the excess cost?
Just ordered this one for our 16ft rv, didn’t like that very little info and reviews were available but appreciated the compact design, weight, and power output. However I am new to RVing. What is a safe run time (hrs) if we plan to do some offsite camping and want this to power the AC throughout the day maybe evening until we’re ready for bed and it’s no longer hot. We also want to lean more on propane use for longevity and maintenance, any thoughts here on when to switch and and off gas/propane? Thank you for the vid!!
Runs times will very on load and also temps out side. But a 16ft Rv I assume has a 13.5k Ac unit. Maybe a 15k If you running the AC unit a 13.5k will pull about 1100-1250 watts. If you have the converter on you are using power there as well. Or if the fridge is AC or propane you will be using power there as well. So make sure you know what’s on and not on as that all adds up. If it’s hot out the best thing to do is start AC early to keep trailer cool, if not you may never really catch back up and all RVs are not insulated that great. I normally run my front AC early and let it run all day. But mainly in solar and batteries then generator later in day to keep my batteries full for the over night
@@johnnysweekends wow thank you so much, is there a video where I can learn how to power my AC and other things off solar?? I would greatly appreciate some advice there to minimize generator use if possible
@andresherrera2648 you can browse through some of my videos to see the solar on my Rv and shows how much power the ac uses and more. I’ll be making a couple videos very soon on proper way to use generator with Rv and how much solar you need for AC units. Should be September sometime
The Honda eu2200i is still a great unit that’s portable but only has and rated at 1800 watts so you’ll have to consider if that’s enough power for you and if it will charge fast enough. And you don’t want to run them at full load constantly The new pulsar, champion and wen 3600/4000 all seem to be doing pretty well from many users
N one has really done a test on the Onan 4500i dual fuel. ( I want to run propane) It's expensive, swear it is quieter than all others. We have small trailer with 15K A/C. So confused. Best bang for buck. Don't mind paying more for quality. What are your thoughts please? I'm an old retired school teacher needing some guidance...haha
The onan uses same engine as Westinghouse 4500 and not a hundred percent sure but pretty sure the predator 5000 All use the same 224cc ducar engine. Gas or dual fuel same engine. I like the bigger units as I think they will last longer over all, but I don’t want to lift them. That’s where all the smaller units come in. I’m tired of moving heavy units
@@johnnysweekends Not sure, was religious about oil changes, ran it all last summer while I was in ND and SD off-grid(mostly on LP, some synthetic fuel), started exhibiting small issues, started going into overload at only 2400W(current input was limited to 20A), it started having problems while using a ground-neutral bonding plug, little things... Was running it the other day(first run after a fresh oil change), started to exhibit those issues again, checked it over, took the dogs out for a walk, when I got back it had stopped, thought it may have run out of gas, checked, had gas, pulled it over, felt "strange", took off the oil hatch only to discover that something internal had happened and the entire engine case was cracked, and that was that...Now I'm looking for another dual fuel, came to the conclusion that all these smaller gens are essentially the same, I have another 4000W Pulsar, gas only, was thinking of swapping that engine into the dual fuel case, along with the intake/carb setup and see if I can get it to run on LP...I really do need a dual fuel for when I'm off-grid, I carry 4-30# LP tanks, much simpler and safer than running gasoline...
@wipatriot510 the swap will work as the engines are the same. But yea you are the first that I know that has a major engine failure like that. Most people seem to be very happy with this unit. Made by dinking power/genmax I will be doing a comparison on wen and champion then all others as well. Will be a few weeks
@@johnnysweekends It's not as though I was displeased with its performance, when it was working as it should, it was a fantastic little generator, the gen I was thinking of doing the engine swap with was my backup gen all last summer, never had to run it once... The Pulsar GD4000BN was a great generator, but when it went wrong, it went wrong all the way... Perhaps I'll try another, but this Champion had me intrigued because the engine was from a different manufacturer...
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! People are griping about this generator being hard to start on propane. I have the 2500W version of this. Being a man I did the same thing as others I believe did, just connected it and selected the "propane" selection and started pulling the cord, and it was hard to get started. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! If you choke it first and pull the cord a few times slowly it starts on propane just fine. I pulled out the generator after it sat in the garage for a year and it started right up on propane in 3 pulls.
@@johnnysweekends I purchased at ACE and didn’t leak right away Same issue as with the company Outside warranty and nothing to be done. Going to switch to metal Eagle cans
@@6n518 yeah these portable generators are always advertised showing their high start power but in reality only half the running power. Starting to think it’s better to just get a big generator, make some diy sound proofing and be done.
@@johnnysweekends how does this compare to the WEN 3600 duel fuel? I had settled on the WEN but was waiting on this review from you. Your opinion means a lot, I watch a ton of your videos but don't do much commenting. Need a small generator like this for my (30amp)camper. Does the WEN have the steel sleeve as well? If you had to choose between the two which would you go with? Thanks for all your hard work that the rest of us don't have to do by sorting through all the weeds to find the right fit.
These cheap Champion generators only work for very short, occasional use. They won't last. It's been proven time and again. So if you need something that will work for 10 years just pay another few hundred for the Yamaha or Honda.
You have e to buy two Hondas just to have enough power of what this will do. Twice the fuel and maintenance. And tons of comments on many of these units with thousands of hours. Honda is great but missing a big big line
lol sorry I’ll explain. Honda eu2200i $1099…out of 1800 watts no dual fuel with out a kit need two units if you want more power. Many new units are capable of 2700-3000 watts but I think they will be stressed above 2600 ish. But if you need a little More than a Honda eu2200 these do really well running 2000 watts continuously and at acceptable fuel rates even 2200 watts do really well. After that it falls off for fuel efficiency I think and seems the motors are not as happy in the upper wattage range. Basically finding that good zone of engine balance/harmonics. If you go through my comments which I’m sure you won’t because there are thousands, but you will find many unhappy Honda owners. And several preppers and more who have moved away because they didn’t want to wait for parts or wait to have someone service it and with it being old, why put more money into a used unit. They can buy a new one and be on there way in a couple hours depending where or what you get. And many are into the thousands of hours 2000-6000 hours from small units. That’s more than acceptable if Honda only provides a little more life. And if someone needs a temp unit for occasional use these units are fine. Doing better and better. And currently around me I have never seen so many used eu2000 or eu2200i units for sale. And about 4 eu3200 units priced at around $2200 or less. There are many who believe the newer Hondas are not like the old that last 10-20 years. The newer units are much more problematic than they ever have been. Most are still fine. But again for every ten generators sold 8 of those are not Honda. So sure you will see more complaints from people for all the other brands because so many different units out there. Just numbers.
These will last plenty long if you take care of them. The Hondas are more than "a few hundred more". Hondas also need an aftermarket kit for propane afaik.
Champions New 4000 watt dual fuel generator is nice, but left me wanting a little more. What are your thoughts? #generator #backuppower #inverter #rvlife
Thanks for the support 😀👍🏼
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We dont get oil in the uk as its classed as a pollutant 🤬🤬👎
I have been waiting for this exact generator review for several months since I saw they were releasing it. Love their smaller suitcase but need a little more power. Would love to see a review/comparison with other similar size suitcase models. Thanks!!
Just got mine today. Ordered Tuesday from HD and used 10% off coupon for having HD credit card. They had 56 of these on Tuesday and 0 today. Might be one of the most sought after portable generators out there. I signed up with HD to get notified when back in stock, so I knew they had received a shipment. I will post my experience with it. Plan on connecting to my RV propane outlet with my 24 ft hose I use with my propane griddle. RV has two 30 lb tanks.
Just bought and used the Wen 3600 dual fuel generator (very similar to the Champion) during a recent power outage with it hooked up to the house using an interlock. Only used propane and the 20 lb tanks (really only 15 lb) lasted 10 hours at half load (two bars) running two fridges, one deep freeze, two sump pumps, lights and fans, etc. It will also run our RV's 15k btu Furrion A/C. I like the power and size of these units. Good compromise. I really wish the gasoline tank (1.5 gallons) was large enough (2+ gallons?) to run home back up or an RV's A/C all night, but with propane it's not a problem. Thanks for sharing.
And the surge starting from all those devices did not knock it offline??
@@myvenusheeler Not a problem because I energized the breakers one at a time when bringing them online. When running for 20 hours they never all cycled on at the same time, but guess they could.
@@wes326 could you explain what "energizing one at a time" means or how to go about it? Thanks!
@@lpadron13 Turn all the high draw breakers (fridges, freezer, sump pumps, etc) off, hook up the generator, then turn the breakers on one at a time so the generator takes the start up loads one at time instead of all at once. Mine is hooked up to the house via an interlock.
@@wes326 thanks!
One thing that would be very useful to see as you test various generators of similar sizes is to put the sound readings in a spread sheet and post in the video, that way we could see a instant comparison of sound readings so we didn't have to go find the other generator videos and watch them again to see the sound readings
I know, I’m working on it. I’m not great with spread sheets 😂
Glad I unloaded this thing. What a pain in the rear to start on propane. Yes I made sure I turned on the propane slowly, pulled 8-10 times slowly on choke, blah blah blah
Runs awesome on gas. Defeated the purpose of having all this propane stocked.
Hope the guy I sold it to likes it
Interesting, wonder if a kink in line or even a bad regulator. I have had one that was bad on arrival. Too bad you didn’t see what the problem was. Mine is about 4-5 pulls. most the others are 2-3 for propane.
But I’ll see if anyone else says anything. Thanks for the feedback
Very nice for the price. 😊
I like that regulator set up. Less bulk inside and overall.
Haven't seen this generator out on the market yet. I really enjoy some of the things it has to offer such as adding or removing the oil so cleanly. Not bad for the price. Appreciate you sharing!
That's a really nice sized and priced package. I have a 2000 watt dual fuel that I've run like crazy.
Steel sleave for the cylinder walls is a large upgrade for engine longevity. Seems manufacturers are always trying to up their game.....good for the consumer
Agree!
That is nice. My old Ai-Power Yamaha engine is a cast iron sleeve. I’d much prefer a steel sleeve for longevity even the cast iron has held up well so far.
My next champion will be inverter and EFi. 😊
Nice to see a video on it as there were none last week when I was researching it. Was in a time crunch with the storm that was potentially headed this way at the time.
I was looking to purchase a generator for my parents to have as theirs stopped working, wanted them to have something with dual fuel capability the propane being the biggest selling point as they do not have easy access to non-ethanol fuel, and lastly ease of use. I was about to buy the Champion 2500 Watt model then I saw this one come up on Home Depots website for $100 more.
Bring it home, put oil in it to start the break in process and put it through it's paces to make sure it works before my parents get it. Unfortunately there is something wrong with the propane regulator on mine, it would not start whatsoever following the directions; 1 hour later, a popped blood vessel on my finger and pull rope burn on my other hand (somehow) I gave up, and put it away, I was so frustrated that I didn't even try to start it on gas to see if it would run, but also didn't try it on gas as with another generator I purchased from Home Depot years ago that surged and didn't make power a week after buying it, when I went to return it they said they wouldn't take it back as I had put fuel in it and couldn't ship it back to the manufacture (they ended up taking it back)
Mind you this is my first experience with a propane generator, started researching what it could be - found out that the secondary regulator has a small hole in the center where you can manually purge. Tried it again, purged for 5 seconds, and the generator started, I have to do this every time I start it on propane however, which is not the biggest deal as it still works just a bit frustrating, e-mailed support but never heard back. I will be calling to talk to support to see if they can send me a new regulator. So yeah, just an FYI for anyone that brings one of these home especially in a hurry after a power outage and maybe all they have is propane to use but can't get it started.
Running it on gasoline there is slight miss/backfire every so often more so at idle, on propane it does not do the same thing so something may be up with the carb as well on the unit I got. Swapped the spark plug out to a NGK for good measure, after break in put Amsoil 10w-30 Small engine oil in it.
Overall, despite those issues it's a decent unit for the price point, however it does show in some areas, I've got about a 1/8 inch gap where the 2 half's of the case meet at the front of the control panel, the plastic is the cheapest I've seen, especially the fuel cap, and as you mentioned no fuel strainer, and the propane regulator looks and feels cheap. Not all bad however, it was able to take the rated load without issue, the fuel gauge is very nice to have, and the propane I REALLY like, it is going to make me have to purchase a propane conversion kit for my Honda EU2200i now.
Thanks for the tip on the propane setting to run it out of gas, I missed that part in the owners manual - makes storage so much easier.
Can you elaborate/explain the manual purge on the regulator? Or provide a link to a video that shows the process?
Thanks
I would like to hear about this as well… I’ve been having similar issues with mine and plan on running propane only. Thanks
@@dsmith2858 Certainly, I do not know if this is the same for every propane generator's regulator, but on the secondary pressure regulator (the larger puck that has the plastic mounting clamp installed in this video covering it) there is a small hole right in the center - take a paperclip or whatever else you may have that is small enough to fit, insert it in and apply some pressure on the diaphragm for 3-5 seconds where you should hear it hiss, then try to start the generator after that - if your having the same issue I had it should start, that is unless there is something else not working correctly.
As far as a video that shows this process, there was not one available at the time I was researching, however there should be one now if you search for it.
Thank you for the detailed explanation and kind reply, good sir. It may be the issue with my unit as well but I chose to return for another unit instead of trying to troubleshoot it myself after working with customer support a bit… if I run into a similar issue again I certainly will try the “paper clip method”. Again, thank you
Thanks for doing this review. I'm looking at this for our outdoor movie business. For some of the mid-size events we do, we need about 2500 watts of power. And we want a lighter weight unit. While light, the Honda 2200 just doesn't have enough juice for everything we do. The Predator 3500 does. But it weighs 100 pounds. This Champion seems to solve the power need and the lower weight. It's a little bit louder, but we set these things up almost 100' away from the audience on grass, so that won't make much of a difference for us. The only question I have now is how reliable will it be?
Yup being a new model and newer engine that will be the question. Will it be a winner or a dude. Since it’s new I don’t have much hours or feedback from other users so will see.
I watch all your videos about generators and comment every once in awhile. My main goal is the decibels to power performance as I will be using a generator to top off Rv batteries or emergency Rv situations. The generator needs to be in the 50lbs range. Medical emergency surgery pushed back my purchasing of the Maxspeedingrods 4000GT. The Champion 4000 decibels is a little disappointing, but thanks again for you testing of all your generators, solar generators and solar panels. I like the videos when you revisit the test later to see how these products are continuing to function or if they fall short.
Thank you. I agree I dislike videos where it’s one and done. So I try to do follow ups a few months out on products I’ve used a lot.
Thanks for sticking around for the good and bad videos 😂👍🏼👊🏼
@@johnnysweekends none are bad videos just informative as to the reliability of the product tested
@Capt-John-T-Moore Thanks Captain 🫡
Decibel to Running Watts Performance, the Predator 3500 Inverter in my opinion can't be beat. However, it's downside, is that it's 100lbs. I have one and I love it, but the 100lbs thing, is an issue.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 yes the 100lbs is what is keeping me from getting a prednator’3500 and the 5000 is just a few more lbs also. But I try to stick to the 50-70 lbs range. My wife can handle 50 lbs but mostly I do all the heavy lifting Right now I can do the 100lbs if the handle placement is right. Being 62 and classified as disabled and having 12 operations in the last 9 months. I have to plan wisely for our future rving adventures. What works well for others is not always conducive to my situation. Believe me I even looked at buying a dual fuel carburetor for the predator 3500 but again weight and warranty changed my mind. Thanks for the comment
Glad to see this video because I am looking at this generator and the very few others in this watt capacity and just as importantly weight capacity.
Having gone through several days of power outage due to the Derecho and Hurricane Beryl all I am looking for is a dual fuel home generator that has the ability to run my 20.3 cubic foot Whirlpool refrigerator/freezer and a 5500 btu portable A/C on wheels. Problem is I don't know the surge watts of the refrigerator although it shows 6.5 amps FLA and the portable unit run wattage is claimed at 970 watts. The only other thing I would run is a light at 40-60 watts.
Not wanting one of those 100 pound plus generators.
My Honda 2200 powers those items easily so I don’t think you will have a problem.
Just the review I've been waiting for! Thank you! I got my delivered the other day and ran it for the first time yesterday. Overall I like it and it will suit my needs fine, but it is a bit louder than I was hoping for. I shouldn't need to run it often while camping, but I don't want to be 'that guy' in the campground. I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison with other similar size units -maxpeedingrods and Pulsar to name a couple. Thanks again!
That will be coming 👍🏼
Another great review on a new generator!
I would like to see a comparison video with yhe genmax 4600 duel fuel or 4600 efi.
I know the power ratings are a bit different, but would be interested in a sound comparison between them as well.
great test, but you should try it and compare it with the Pulsar PG5000BiSRCO Dual Fuel, very curious about this model
It really looks and sounds like the same motor in my ecoflow smart generator. Great review by the way
Actually very different. The Ecoflow unit has a 80cc engine from Rato verses this is 149cc from shineray
I also meant to ask you about the Westinghouse 4000 watt dual fuel iGen4000DFc
You're good at this.... love my gensets... Thanks
My next generator is going to be something similar to this. Maybe a little bigger. Great review!
I am really liking these sizes. Really filled a gap from the Honda to say a large predator 3500 or something of that size
Good video & really appreciate the channel! If you’re looking for additional generators to compare, would love to see a review on the “Firman” 4000 watt, electric start dual fuel gen, which I believe is still being sold at Costco.
I’d love a Westinghouse igen4000dfc review if possible😊
Been waiting for a review on this unit! Would he great to include approx run time in your testing. Something like X hours at half load with a full tank. These smaller high watt generators are appealing, but the small gas tank makes me hesistate on them vs the other standard 4000watt options.
Can you compare this generator with Westinghouse igen4000dfc?
Would love to see you compare this to the Ecoflow duel fuel smart generator 4000
Thanks for using a real DB meter instead of an app on your phone like so many other generator testing people do.
7:45 She's pretty loud. I think I will keep my EU2200i
It does have a bigger engine so it will be louder.
keep your honda. I put nearly 10,000 hours on mine with just oil changes, I know it's hard to believe. Then we switched to propane and needed more power and bought a 4000W Champion, it's about to die at 2000 hours. We also had a similar Firman that died at 600 hours.
Good video. Yanked my arm out the socket trying to start on propane. Horrible. Champion sent me an other regulator. Haven't tried it yet because my arm isn't healed. 😒
Johnny, it’s been a while since you’ve done a champion review, enjoyed the entire video! does it say where it was made it of curiosity? I have 3 champions and love all of them. I know two of the champions i have were made in Vietnam 😊
It did say Vietnam but it’s a Chinese motor so assembled in Vietnam I assume.
Oh and thanks 😀👍🏼
This or the Pulsar GD400BN, in your opinion? Thanks for all of your awesome reviews!
Mmm I may be leaning more towards pulsar I’ll be doing a review and several all together in a few weeks
Johnny...you're doing great work as the go to guy for portable generator reviews (you and Gavin's Garage). One thing that might be helpful to your viewers is if you were to list all of the pertinent facts for each of the generators you have reviewed onto some sort of spreadsheet, and then maybe show it at the end of the video(s), and make a link to it for your viewers.
Things like the starting watts, running watts, weight, single, dual or tri-fuel, electric start, remote start, information panel, decibel rating at 0%-100% load, available outlets on the front, etc. You don't necessarily have to make a value judgement that this generator is "better" than that generator (although it's your channel, and you can do what you want). You could also have a link to your review of that generator on the sheet as well. Different users are looking for different things, and having that all in once place that you keep adding to would be very helpful...or at least I think so.
Thanks for your videos!
Thanks so much for the compliments! And you’re right I do. But honestly im horrible at spread sheets 😂
Funny all the things I can do but when it comes to charts and graphs im not great at it. But I do have a website I really need to get going and I will work on the graphs and slowly integrate into vids.
Thanks again 😀👍🏼
I used to recommend champion to everyone and I really like my champion generator but the last time I had to call them for service I no longer was able to talk to a US-based customer support group. It was a foreign-based group that could barely understand me and isn't any better than any other support that I've dealt with in the past with other Chinese companies. Pretty disappointing that they changed it as the customer support was one of the main selling points for me.
I know that’s been recent. Sad part is, hardly any of them are USA based now. I don’t know any that are really.
@@johnnysweekends lame.
Hoping you could do a head to head with the Honda EU3200i. These two seem to be similar in size.
Several coming 👍🏼
Great video! How does this compare to the Pulsar GD400BN? While the fit and finish of my Pulsar isn't great, it runs well and starts right up on propane, no issues. How does the sound compare to the GD400BN?
I’ll be doing a comparison since it seems to be a popular request and unit. I love my pulsar and feel it’s a pinch quieter or maybe even a decent amount
@@johnnysweekends awesome! Can’t wait!
Great review, very helpful! I’m seeing postings that people are having problems starting the generator on propane. Did you have any difficulties in starting on propane? I have a Champion 4250 Dual fuel, and my usual routine on propane is about 3 pulls on choke, until you get a short pulse, then choke off and 2 or 3 pulls to start, really not a big deal. I’ve seen reports of people spending 1/2 hr trying to get the 4000 Watt going on propane, also people starting it on gas then switching to propane. Thanks!
I haven’t had any issues with mine but only about 3-4 hours so far
@@johnnysweekends OK thanks for the information. It’s hard to imagine Champion putting a product out there that doesn’t start . I’m torn between this gen and the Honda 2200i, which you also reviewed extremely favorably. The Black Friday sales might decide for me. Thanks!
@rorymiskimen5221 the Honda is a good unit but it just didn’t have enough power on the hotter days or elevation. I didn’t need much more. So these for the bill.
Still liking the Maxspeedingrods 4000 dual fuel better. What about the Wen DF480iX dual fuel? Have you seen that model?
I like my Maxpeedingrods 4000GT too, but I've accidentally left the power switch turned on and run the starting battery dead. Company recommendation is to run on gas to recharge. I'd prefer to know what way can I use a trickle charger to bring it back to life. Or, what is a replacement battery part number?
Yes, it does!
Will it run a typical RV air conditioner?
Yes 👍🏼
Would love if you reviewed the wen3600 dual fuel.
Hi Johnny, I bought a Champion gas only 4350/3750 gen from Costco back in 10/2016. I took it out of the box and put it together last week. Yes,I'm serious. Should I run it for 1.5 hours before putting any load on it? Also, is synthetic 10/30 better than conventional? You seem like you know a lot about these things, that's why I ask. Thanks
All depends what you feel comfortable with. Some people do a couple hour break in with 50% loads and less and others run it all out on day one much like a lawn mower
I never take more than a hour for any break in
@@johnnysweekends Thanks, appreciate it
Sir. Thank you for your content. I am learning so much. Also using your affiliate links. Question. In this class do you still recommend the Pulsar 4000DF as number 1 ?
Have you tested the Heomaito 4300 watt?
The pulsar so far is giving good feedback overall. Sure there is a bad one or two but that can be with everything.
Have not tested heomaito since its new brand I’m gathering some feedback.
There are so many off label using same engines and more but offer no support.
At least the models I test or try offer some. The wen and champion models are new so still early to see if they are truly good models
@@johnnysweekends Does the Genmax 3500 gas cap fit with your gas pump to supply extended run time ? How does it compare with Pulsar besides the excess cost?
@michaellatham1971 he’s the pump fits because he max makes it.
And some of the pulsar units like the 4000 unit
Just ordered this one for our 16ft rv, didn’t like that very little info and reviews were available but appreciated the compact design, weight, and power output. However I am new to RVing. What is a safe run time (hrs) if we plan to do some offsite camping and want this to power the AC throughout the day maybe evening until we’re ready for bed and it’s no longer hot. We also want to lean more on propane use for longevity and maintenance, any thoughts here on when to switch and and off gas/propane? Thank you for the vid!!
Runs times will very on load and also temps out side. But a 16ft Rv I assume has a 13.5k Ac unit. Maybe a 15k
If you running the AC unit a 13.5k will pull about 1100-1250 watts.
If you have the converter on you are using power there as well. Or if the fridge is AC or propane you will be using power there as well.
So make sure you know what’s on and not on as that all adds up.
If it’s hot out the best thing to do is start AC early to keep trailer cool, if not you may never really catch back up and all RVs are not insulated that great.
I normally run my front AC early and let it run all day. But mainly in solar and batteries then generator later in day to keep my batteries full for the over night
@@johnnysweekends wow thank you so much, is there a video where I can learn how to power my AC and other things off solar?? I would greatly appreciate some advice there to minimize generator use if possible
@andresherrera2648 you can browse through some of my videos to see the solar on my Rv and shows how much power the ac uses and more.
I’ll be making a couple videos very soon on proper way to use generator with Rv and how much solar you need for AC units. Should be September sometime
@@johnnysweekends thank you so much I’ll be following!!
does this invertor generator put out a pure sine wave? specifically will it work to charge an Ecoflow deltra pro 3 battery? thanks
Yes I mention towards the end and yes can definitely charge Ecoflow or other types of LFP batts and more
Can you test the Pulsar 4000W dual fuel, especially on propane to start and run a 13,500 btu RV AC unit. Thanks
No problem, your wish is my command Pulsar Dual Fuel Generator GD400BN Load Tested with Honda EU2200i RANT!
th-cam.com/video/UAr7KJFMjCs/w-d-xo.html
Can you review the Genmax GM7500iaed?
I will try. Hopefully soon !
Can you hook this parallel to champion 2500 generator or do both generators need to be the same watts ?
Yes you can but it will only double the power of the smallest one.
What's the runtime on a 20 lb tank of propane?
Do you prefer this model or the Wen 3600??
Don’t know yet
What's the best non-Ecoflow fuel generator that I can run on my EF DP?
The Honda eu2200i is still a great unit that’s portable but only has and rated at 1800 watts so you’ll have to consider if that’s enough power for you and if it will charge fast enough.
And you don’t want to run them at full load constantly
The new pulsar, champion and wen 3600/4000 all seem to be doing pretty well from many users
What are your thoughts on this versus the Maxpeeding and the Pulsar? Dual fuel all?
I’ll be doing a comparison in a few weeks or less
Have you any thoughts on the propane conversion kit for the predator 2000? Amazon has them for about 30 dollars.
Haven’t used it. And that seems pretty cheap. You know what they says about the cheapest. I try to find middle priced options
Where is the link for that gas pump?
This is the pump amzn.to/4d9shh2
But it does not fit this champion unit
N one has really done a test on the Onan 4500i dual fuel. ( I want to run propane) It's expensive, swear it is quieter than all others. We have small trailer with 15K A/C. So confused. Best bang for buck. Don't mind paying more for quality. What are your thoughts please? I'm an old retired school teacher needing some guidance...haha
The onan uses same engine as Westinghouse 4500 and not a hundred percent sure but pretty sure the predator 5000
All use the same 224cc ducar engine.
Gas or dual fuel same engine. I like the bigger units as I think they will last longer over all, but I don’t want to lift them. That’s where all the smaller units come in. I’m tired of moving heavy units
How would you compare this to the Pulsar GD400BN(mine just died, cracked engine case)...???
Wow yours is the first I have heard having a major problem… can you explain what happened?
Loads and more? Hours ?
@@johnnysweekends Not sure, was religious about oil changes, ran it all last summer while I was in ND and SD off-grid(mostly on LP, some synthetic fuel), started exhibiting small issues, started going into overload at only 2400W(current input was limited to 20A), it started having problems while using a ground-neutral bonding plug, little things...
Was running it the other day(first run after a fresh oil change), started to exhibit those issues again, checked it over, took the dogs out for a walk, when I got back it had stopped, thought it may have run out of gas, checked, had gas, pulled it over, felt "strange", took off the oil hatch only to discover that something internal had happened and the entire engine case was cracked, and that was that...Now I'm looking for another dual fuel, came to the conclusion that all these smaller gens are essentially the same, I have another 4000W Pulsar, gas only, was thinking of swapping that engine into the dual fuel case, along with the intake/carb setup and see if I can get it to run on LP...I really do need a dual fuel for when I'm off-grid, I carry 4-30# LP tanks, much simpler and safer than running gasoline...
@wipatriot510 the swap will work as the engines are the same. But yea you are the first that I know that has a major engine failure like that. Most people seem to be very happy with this unit. Made by dinking power/genmax
I will be doing a comparison on wen and champion then all others as well. Will be a few weeks
@@johnnysweekends It's not as though I was displeased with its performance, when it was working as it should, it was a fantastic little generator, the gen I was thinking of doing the engine swap with was my backup gen all last summer, never had to run it once...
The Pulsar GD4000BN was a great generator, but when it went wrong, it went wrong all the way...
Perhaps I'll try another, but this Champion had me intrigued because the engine was from a different manufacturer...
Link to that fuel pump please!
Here amzn.to/46EMOr7
Affiliate link
@@johnnysweekends thanks so much!
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! People are griping about this generator being hard to start on propane. I have the 2500W version of this. Being a man I did the same thing as others I believe did, just connected it and selected the "propane" selection and started pulling the cord, and it was hard to get started. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! If you choke it first and pull the cord a few times slowly it starts on propane just fine. I pulled out the generator after it sat in the garage for a year and it started right up on propane in 3 pulls.
Watts the watt hour's on this?
It’s not a battery it doesn’t have any Watt hours…lol
Why the hell are all of the new generators only have a 25amp plug for rvs? Last time I checked a 30amp rv can use upto 30 amps. Not only 25
It’s a 30 amp TT R receptacle for a 30 amp plug.
The generator only puts out about 25 amps. You buy the size you need for your specific needs
Glad you got a good gas can, I purchased one and it’s Junk.
Leaks awful and no customer service
Return for another. Or try custom service again. Very rare people have issues with these
@@johnnysweekends I purchased at ACE and didn’t leak right away
Same issue as with the company
Outside warranty and nothing to be done.
Going to switch to metal Eagle cans
They all start when there new.
No hour meter, etc.
4000w starting and 2700w running? I'll pass....
@@6n518 yeah these portable generators are always advertised showing their high start power but in reality only half the running power. Starting to think it’s better to just get a big generator, make some diy sound proofing and be done.
why there is different watt ratings on the other generators that use the same engine? is it just marketing?
Could be marketing and could be different inverter boards
$782 at this time in Amazon....Excessively expensive...!!!
I’ll fix that in a couple days lol
$599 right now
@geov6311 😲
Wen Dual Fuel 4500
What model ? There are a couple
@@johnnysweekends DF451i?
@@johnnysweekends how does this compare to the WEN 3600 duel fuel? I had settled on the WEN but was waiting on this review from you. Your opinion means a lot, I watch a ton of your videos but don't do much commenting. Need a small generator like this for my (30amp)camper. Does the WEN have the steel sleeve as well? If you had to choose between the two which would you go with? Thanks for all your hard work that the rest of us don't have to do by sorting through all the weeds to find the right fit.
@HuntinTN I don’t know yet. I assume they are similar and again have the same engine. But won’t know till I get one.
Too loud.... Might sacrifice the for electric start... like maxspeed' ... But nope.
It’s a little louder than I was hoping for
Not California compliant.
I bought it from Walmart and shipped it to my house in CA..🤷🏼♂️ try here CA residents try here: walmrt.us/3yqCMxi
These cheap Champion generators only work for very short, occasional use. They won't last. It's been proven time and again. So if you need something that will work for 10 years just pay another few hundred for the Yamaha or Honda.
You have e to buy two Hondas just to have enough power of what this will do. Twice the fuel and maintenance.
And tons of comments on many of these units with thousands of hours.
Honda is great but missing a big big line
@@johnnysweekends What in the world are you talking about? Are you okay?
lol sorry I’ll explain.
Honda eu2200i $1099…out of 1800 watts no dual fuel with out a kit need two units if you want more power.
Many new units are capable of 2700-3000 watts but I think they will be stressed above 2600 ish.
But if you need a little
More than a Honda eu2200 these do really well running 2000 watts continuously and at acceptable fuel rates even 2200 watts do really well. After that it falls off for fuel efficiency I think and seems the motors are not as happy in the upper wattage range. Basically finding that good zone of engine balance/harmonics.
If you go through my comments which I’m sure you won’t because there are thousands, but you will find many unhappy Honda owners. And several preppers and more who have moved away because they didn’t want to wait for parts or wait to have someone service it and with it being old, why put more money into a used unit. They can buy a new one and be on there way in a couple hours depending where or what you get. And many are into the thousands of hours 2000-6000 hours from small units. That’s more than acceptable if Honda only provides a little more life.
And if someone needs a temp unit for occasional use these units are fine. Doing better and better.
And currently around me I have never seen so many used eu2000 or eu2200i units for sale. And about 4 eu3200 units priced at around $2200 or less.
There are many who believe the newer Hondas are not like the old that last 10-20 years. The newer units are much more problematic than they ever have been. Most are still fine.
But again for every ten generators sold 8 of those are not Honda. So sure you will see more complaints from people for all the other brands because so many different units out there. Just numbers.
These will last plenty long if you take care of them. The Hondas are more than "a few hundred more". Hondas also need an aftermarket kit for propane afaik.
@@johnnysweekends Conjecture.