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(More customer reviews)I was excited when I found out that Generac got back into the portable generator business. They sold their portable generator line to Briggs and Stratton a few years ago but they are back to producing portable generators again. I always liked the Generac portables. They were quality products at reasonable prices. I've owned a Generac 4000EXL for 12 years. It is a great little generator and the only one I knew of at the time with an OHVI engine. My experience with the 4000EXL is the reason I purchased the XP8000E.
I ordered my XP8000E over the Internet. Due to the bad ice storm in the Northeast, none of the local dealers had them in stock. I paid $50 less than Lowe's sells it for and that included free liftgate delivery, which was nice since this unit weighs 200lb. In retrospect, the ability to return it to Lowe's would have been worth the extra $50.
The XP8000E was well packed. The packaging is ingenious and if you follow the instructions, removal is really easy. On the down side, following the instructions means you are cutting all four corners of the box so if you have to return it, you have no box. The generator is mounted on top of a heavy cardboard support. It suspends the generator just enough so you can slip the wheels on without having to lift it at all. Once the wheels are on, the generator rolls easily out of the now flattened box. The only thing I didn't like about the old red Generac generators is that the wheels were under the motor end and the handles were on the alternator end. The alternator is the heavier side of a generator so you were lifting the heavy alternator end whenever you moved it around. I was pleased to see that the new models are designed so that the weight is over the wheels rather than the handles. This makes moving the XP8000E almost as easy as the 4000EXL, even though it weighs twice as much.
The next step was to fill the generator with oil. The XP8000E Operator manual specified 3 different oil viscosities depending on ambient temperature. There was no oil that could be used for all temperature ranges. This is a nuisance because in New England, temperatures can vary widely and I didn't want to have to change the oil 4 times per year (for each season). Conversely, the engine manual for this generator said 5W-30 full synthetic oil could be used from -20°F to over 100°F. Since this conflicted with the operator manual, I called Generac for clarification. They told me 5W-30 synthetic could be used at any temperature and that is what they use at the factory on their test generators. I picked up some MobilOne 5W-30 and proceeded. The first thing I noticed when filling the generator with oil is that the lower support (a U channel) is upside down from how it was on my old 4000EXL. The U is facing up. The support is also directly below the oil fill, the oil drain and the oil filter. What this means is that it will be nearly impossible to change the oil without getting some in the channel. With the old models, it would just run off and providing you had a strategically placed pan underneath, there would be no mess. With the new design, the channel fills with oil. Since the engine is directly over it, you can't get access to clean the channel so the oil will slowly drip out over the next few days. I'm not sure what the engineers at Generac were thinking but this is a very bad design. Next I gassed up the generator. When I removed the gas cap, I discovered there was a mesh filter cup in the fill tube. This interesting way of filtering the gas makes it difficult and slow filling the generator. The filter cup prevents you from inserting the fill nozzle of the gas can more than 2 inches into the opening. The filter also restricts the flow so the combination makes filling the generator very slow. Pour too quickly and you will spill gasoline everywhere. Considering this generator has a 9 gallon gas tank, this is a significant inconvenience and another design flaw.
I fired up the generator after filling it with oil and gas. It started right up but I noticed a few more design flaws. Generac went to great lengths to put all the controls on one panel. This makes controlling the generator easy because you don't have to walk around the generator to reach the various controls. Unfortunately, this arrangement is poorly implemented. The choke, which was easy and smooth to operate on the older models is now controlled by a cable. The choke positions are vague at best. Also, if you are not very gentle with the choke lever, you will pull it out too far and then it jams. If you don't pull it out far enough however, the generator won't start. It is near impossible to put the generator in the full choke position without jamming it. Then you must wiggle the lever to get it aligned so you can push it back into its socket. Also, the on/off switch and start button, which were separate on the older designs are combined into a single rocker switch on this model. Left is off, center is on and right starts the generator. It takes very little pressure to move the switch to any of the 3 positions. I could easily see someone inadvertently pressing start when trying to turn off the generator, thus grinding the starter mechanism. You have been warned so be careful! Last, the fuel shutoff valve is extended through the front panel via a plastic knob/shaft assembly. It is difficult to turn and I'm betting the plastic shaft will crack from stress over time. So that is at least two and possibly three more design flaws.
That said, as long as you get the choke to the proper position, the generator starts easily and it is as quiet as the 4000EXL - Pretty impressive considering the engine is twice the size. Next I checked the voltage and frequency. The frequency was 63.5 Hz with no load, which is excessively high. Most motors will not like this. My well pump specifically states that the frequency must be no more than plus or minus 1 Hz. Frequency in a generator is directly related to engine speed. Higher engine speed equals higher frequency. I applied a 6000W load to the generator and adjusted the engine speed to obtain a frequency to 60Hz. I called a friend who also bought this model and told him what I found. He checked his generator and also found the frequency to be 63.5 Hz. In conversation, he mentioned that his generator was running poorly out of the box. I told him to check to see that the foam element was oiled. If not, this can cause the generator to run lean. When he examined the filter, he found the foam element was not installed properly and was actually folded in half so it wasn't completely covering the paper element. He suggested I check mine, since he found it difficult to install properly due to the placement of the filter housing. I checked mine and sure enough, mine was folded over too. So far, I was not too impressed with the quality control. I ran the generator for about a half hour with various loads. Thankfully, it ran great without flinching.
I shut down the generator and stored it in the garage. A few days later, I went into the garage and noticed a strong gasoline odor. Since the generator was the only new addition, I went over to see if that was the source. It was. I examined the unit and found gas was leaking near the gas shutoff valve. I checked the tightness of the hose clamp on the gas line. It was properly tightened. Closer examination revealed the gas was coming from the valve body. There are two screws on the face of the valve. I thought perhaps they may be loose. I took a small Phillips screwdriver to snug them up. One of the screws was very loose and turned freely. It had obviously been stripped during assembly. I'm disappointed at this point but no big deal. It looks easy to replace so I'll just email Generac on Monday for a replacement part. Hopefully we won't have a storm before then.
I got a reply Monday with the names of 2 service dealers in my area. I called Generac because transporting a 200 lb generator to a dealer 30 minutes away would be a major pain in the back. Plus, I don't have a pickup and the generator was leaking gas. I had drained the tank over the weekend but I was unable to get out every last drop, so a 30 minute drive with gas leaking in my SUV was not an option. I explained this to the rep on the phone. She told me I could not replace the part myself because that would void the warranty. Excuse me? The manual tells me I must adjust the valve clearance after the first 25 hours of use and every 100 hours after that. I am qualified to adjust valve clearance but I can't replace a simple valve? Please!!! I pressed the issue with the customer service rep. She put me on hold. When she came back on the line, she suggested that I put a towel under the generator to catch the gas and bring it to a dealer for repair. My brain's internal filtering system shut down at this point as I asked her, "You expect me to drive 30 minutes with a generator leaking gas onto a towel in my car?" I was persistent and finally she agreed to order me a part. She questioned me about exactly what part I needed and I told her the fuel shutoff valve that screws into the gas tank. She put the order in and told me I'd have it the next day. I was happy and thanked her. The next day, nothing arrived. I got the part 2 days later. Not great but still not bad. I opened the box and prepared to install the part but it was the wrong one. She sent me the valve from the GP8000 instead of the one for the XP8000E. It would not work in my generator. Working in the service industry, I know how difficult it is to explain what is wrong over the phone. A picture is worth a thousand words. With that in mind, I took a picture of the valve she sent and labeled it "incorrect part". I also took a picture of the valve in my...Read more›
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Generac 5606 XP Series XP8000E 12,000 Watt 410cc OHV Portable Gas Powered Generator With Electric StartThis Generac XP portable generator features True Power utility-quality electrical output with an hour meter and maintenance resets. Surge Watts: 12,000, Rated Watts: 8,000, Start Type: Electric and recoil, Engine Displacement (cc): 410, Engine: OHV, Run Time: 12 hrs. @ 1/2 load, Receptacles (qty.): 5, Fuel Type: Gasoline, Fuel Capacity (gal.): 9, Low Oil Shutdown: Yes, Battery Required: Yes, Battery Included: Yes, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): 32 1/2 x 26 x 29 1/2
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