Model Reviews
Generator Brands Compared, Model by Model
Each brand's best home backup machine, on one table, with the figures each one declines to publish marked.
Written byMike M.
Published
Disclosure: we earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. It does not affect what we recommend or what we say about it — how we are funded.
The short answer
Champion's 11,500 W dual fuel publishes the most complete specification — running and starting watts on both fuels, CO Shield, Intelligauge hour tracking and lifetime technical support. Westinghouse's WGen9500DF gives the best output per dollar with both transfer-switch outlets, and no CO shutdown. Generac's 12,500 W tri-fuel adds natural gas and the widest service network. WEN's DF8000X is the best value. Honda is the most reliable and the worst value per watt.
Each brand's best home backup machine, side by side
| Brand / model | Running watts | Fuels | CO shutdown | 240 V outlets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 11,500 W DF | 9,200 gas / 8,280 LP | Gas, LP | CO Shield | Yes |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DF | 9,500 gas / 8,500 LP | Gas, LP | None | L14-30R + 14-50R |
| Generac 12,500 W tri-fuel | 9,500 gas | Gas, LP, NG | COsense | L14-30R + 50A |
| WEN DF8000X | 6,500 gas / 5,850 LP | Gas, LP | Watchdog | L14-30R |
| DuroMax XP13000HX | Not published | Gas, LP | CO Alert | Multiple incl. 50A |
| Honda EU2200i | ~1,800 (2,200 W rated) | Gas only | CO-MINDER | None |
What each brand consistently publishes, and consistently does not
| Brand | Per-fuel running watts | Noise figure | THD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | All fuels, running + starting | Some models, WITH distance | Published on inverters |
| Westinghouse | Gas, LP and NG | 'As low as', no distance | Published on several |
| WEN | All fuels on tri-fuel | None, or a comparison | Not published |
| Generac | Gasoline only on most | Not published | Not published |
| DuroMax | Peak watts mainly | Not published | Not published |
| Honda | Single fuel | Range given | Not published |
Champion is the clear leader on documentation and it is the reason it tops this comparison. It states running and starting watts on every fuel, gives decibel figures with the measurement distance on several models, publishes THD on its inverters, and offers lifetime technical support — which is genuinely usable when you are troubleshooting at 2am.
The characteristic omission of each brand
- Westinghouse: inconsistent CO shutdown. The WGen9500DF lacks one; the WGen10500DFc has one. Check per machine, never by brand.
- Generac: gasoline-only on most portables, and listings that state starting watts without a running figure. Its tri-fuel is the exception and is excellent.
- DuroMax: peak-watt marketing with no per-fuel running figures, THD or noise ratings on most machines. Excellent frames, poor paperwork.
- WEN: no published noise or THD figures, and a thinner service network. Also note the DF1100T's L5-30R is 120 V only — a real trap.
- Honda: single fuel, no 240 V output, and a price per watt that is hard to defend for backup use.
- Champion: no notable systematic omission, which is why it leads.
Which brand for which priority
Pick by what you weight
- Honest documentation
- Champion
- Output per dollar
- Westinghouse
- Service network
- Generac
- Watts per dollar
- WEN
- Frame and panel build
- DuroMax
- Quiet and longevity
- Honda
- Natural gas capability
- Generac or Champion tri-fuel
Our editorial judgment from the published specifications. We have no test lab and cannot rank longevity — Honda's reputation is the category's most consistently held view rather than a measurement of ours.
The short answer
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Champion 11,500W Dual Fuel Electric Start The most honestly specified generator in its class, with CO shutoff and the best after-sale support in the category. | Published propane numbers you can plan on | 8.7/10 | $989.99 |
| 2 |  Westinghouse WGen9500DF 12,500W Dual Fuel The most broadly sensible home backup generator on the market: enough running watts for a whole essential-circuit panel, both transfer-switch outlets, and dual fuel — with the caveat that it has no CO shutoff. | The default whole-house pick | 8.8/10 | $999.00 |
| 3 |  Generac 12,500W Starting Tri-Fuel The cheapest credible way to get a generator onto your home's natural gas line, which is the one fuel supply an outage usually does not interrupt. | Natural-gas hookup at the best price | 9.1/10 | $920.00 |
| 4 |  WEN DF8000X 8,000W Dual Fuel The best-value correctly-sized home backup generator here: enough for every essential circuit, dual fuel, CO shutoff, a real transfer-switch outlet, and no money spent on capacity you will not use. | Essential circuits, dual fuel, lowest cost | 8.5/10 | $623.17 |
| 5 |  DuroMax XP13000HX 13,000W Dual Fuel The value pick in DuroMax's 13kW line: copper windings and CO shutoff for less than the older EH typically costs. | Best price per peak watt | 8.9/10 | $1,079.00 |
| 6 |  Honda EU2200i 2,200W Inverter The best small inverter generator made, and the wrong tool for whole-house backup — buy it for a fridge, a few lights and quiet, not for your panel. | The quietest credible option | 8.0/10 | $1,199.00 |
#ad Prices as of October 5, 2026; they may have changed since. Scores are our editorial judgment from published specifications, not test results — how we pick. How we are funded.
The brand-agnostic advice
Brand matters less than four specifications, and all four are checkable on any machine from any manufacturer:
- 1Running watts on the fuel you will use. Not peak. If it is not published, size conservatively or buy elsewhere.
- 2The 240 V outlet type. An L14-30R serves a standard transfer switch; an L5-30R is 120 V only and does not.
- 3A carbon monoxide shutdown. Cannot be retrofitted, and the price gap to a machine with one is usually small.
- 4Dual fuel, unless you will genuinely use the machine often enough to rotate the gasoline.
Get those four right and a WEN will serve you better than a badly chosen Honda. Work out the number first with the sizing calculator, then check any machine against it.
Brand-level detail: best generator brands. Note also that we hold no live specification data for Harbor Freight's Predator line and therefore publish no review of it — see Predator generators.
- Running watts
- 9,200 W gas / 8,280 W LP
- Starting watts
- 11,500 W gas
- CO shutdown
- CO Shield
#1 · Published propane numbers you can plan on
Champion 11,500W Dual Fuel Electric Start
The most honestly specified generator in its class, with CO shutoff and the best after-sale support in the category.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- Champion publishes running AND starting watts on both fuels, which makes honest sizing possible — many brands do not
- Intelligauge hour tracking makes the maintenance schedule something you can actually follow
- Lifetime technical support is a real, usable thing when you are troubleshooting at 2am in an outage
What is not
- 9,200 running watts sits slightly below the 9,500 W class leaders
- 209 lb
- Volt Guard protects the generator, not your appliances — it is not a surge protector for the house
Published specification & our scoring
- 9,200 running / 11,500 starting watts on gasoline (manufacturer)
- 8,280 running / 10,350 starting watts on propane (manufacturer)
- 459cc Champion engine, electric start with included battery
- CO Shield carbon monoxide auto shutoff
- Intelligauge: voltage, hertz and run-time hours
- Volt Guard surge protection
- 3-year limited warranty with lifetime technical support (manufacturer)
- Published weight 209 lb
- Output headroom
- 9
- Fuel flexibility
- 9
- Transfer-switch fit
- 9
- Runtime
- 8
- Safety features
- 9
- Value
- 9
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
- Running watts
- 9,500 W gas / 8,500 W LP
- Starting watts
- 12,500 W gas
- Outlets
- L14-30R + 14-50R
#2 · The default whole-house pick
Westinghouse WGen9500DF 12,500W Dual Fuel
The most broadly sensible home backup generator on the market: enough running watts for a whole essential-circuit panel, both transfer-switch outlets, and dual fuel — with the caveat that it has no CO shutoff.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- 9,500 running watts covers a well pump, furnace blower, fridge and a lot of lighting simultaneously — the load most homes actually need
- Both the L14-30R and the 14-50R are transfer-switch ready, so it fits a 30A interlock setup now and a 50A panel later
- Dual fuel means a propane tank is a legitimate plan when the gas stations have no power either
- Remote start matters more than it sounds: you start it from inside without going out in the weather
What is not
- 210 lb is a two-person move on anything but flat, dry ground
- No carbon monoxide shutdown on this model — several competitors at this price include one, and you must supply your own CO alarm indoors
- 9,500 W will not carry central air plus a well pump plus everything else; see the sizing guide before assuming it will
Published specification & our scoring
- 9,500 running / 12,500 peak watts on gasoline (manufacturer)
- 8,500 running / 11,200 peak watts on propane (manufacturer)
- 457cc Westinghouse 4-stroke OHV engine with cast-iron sleeve
- Remote key-fob start, electric start and recoil backup
- Two 120V 5-20R GFCI, one L14-30R 30A, one 14-50R 50A — all transfer-switch ready
- Automatic low-oil shutdown and digital hour meter
- Published weight 210 lb
- 3-year limited warranty (manufacturer)
- Output headroom
- 9
- Fuel flexibility
- 9
- Transfer-switch fit
- 10
- Runtime
- 8
- Safety features
- 6
- Value
- 9
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
- Running watts
- 9,500 W gas
- Starting watts
- 12,500 W gas
- Fuels
- Gas / LP / natural gas
#3 · Natural-gas hookup at the best price
Generac 12,500W Starting Tri-Fuel
The cheapest credible way to get a generator onto your home's natural gas line, which is the one fuel supply an outage usually does not interrupt.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- Natural gas capability is the single biggest runtime upgrade available — a plumbed line does not run out
- 9,500 running watts matches the Westinghouse WGen9500DF, usually for less money
- Automatic voltage regulation plus both 240V outlets
What is not
- Running on natural gas costs you output — plan from the natural-gas figure if that is your primary fuel
- A natural-gas quick-connect has to be installed by someone licensed to touch your gas line; budget for it
- 219 lb
Published specification & our scoring
- 9,500 running / 12,500 starting watts on gasoline (manufacturer)
- Runs on gasoline, liquid propane or natural gas via a dial (manufacturer)
- 500cc Generac OHV engine with automatic voltage regulation
- 7.5-gallon tank: up to 9.5 h at 50% load, 14 h at 25% load on gasoline (manufacturer)
- Two 120V 20A GFCI duplex, one L14-30R 30A twist-lock, one 120/240V 50A
- COsense CO shutdown, electric start
- Published weight 219 lb
- Output headroom
- 9
- Fuel flexibility
- 10
- Transfer-switch fit
- 10
- Runtime
- 10
- Safety features
- 9
- Value
- 10
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
- Running watts
- 6,500 W gas / 5,850 W LP
- Starting watts
- 8,000 W gas
- CO shutdown
- Watchdog
#4 · Essential circuits, dual fuel, lowest cost
WEN DF8000X 8,000W Dual Fuel
The best-value correctly-sized home backup generator here: enough for every essential circuit, dual fuel, CO shutoff, a real transfer-switch outlet, and no money spent on capacity you will not use.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- 6,500 running watts with CO shutdown, dual fuel and a proper L14-30R, for the price of a gasoline-only machine
- 10.5 hours at half load is better runtime than WEN's larger DF1100T
- The TT-30R makes it an RV generator as well, which widens its usefulness between outages
What is not
- 6,500 running watts rules out central air
- 340cc working near its rating will be audible — WEN does not publish a dB figure for this model
- No remote start
Published specification & our scoring
- Gasoline: 8,000 surge / 6,500 rated watts (manufacturer)
- Propane: 7,200 surge / 5,850 rated watts (manufacturer)
- 340cc engine, electric start
- WEN Watchdog CO shutdown sensor
- 6.7-gallon tank, up to 10.5 hours at half load (manufacturer)
- Wheel kit included; four 120V 5-20R, one TT-30R RV outlet, one L14-30R transfer-switch-ready twist-lock
- Output headroom
- 7
- Fuel flexibility
- 9
- Transfer-switch fit
- 9
- Runtime
- 9
- Safety features
- 8
- Value
- 10
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
- Peak watts
- 13,000 W
- Engine
- 500cc OHV, copper windings
- CO shutdown
- CO Alert
#5 · Best price per peak watt
DuroMax XP13000HX 13,000W Dual Fuel
The value pick in DuroMax's 13kW line: copper windings and CO shutoff for less than the older EH typically costs.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- Copper windings rather than aluminum is a genuine longevity difference, and DuroMax publishes it
- Four household GFCI outlets plus both 240V outlets covers cord-only use and transfer-switch use equally
- Adds the CO Alert shutdown the older EH does not have, usually for less money
What is not
- 245 lb is the heaviest of the 13kW DuroMax family
- Still a conventional alternator — total harmonic distortion is not published as low-THD, so treat sensitive electronics carefully
Published specification & our scoring
- 13,000 peak watts (manufacturer)
- 500cc OHV DuroMax engine with all-copper windings (manufacturer)
- CO Alert shutdown
- Four 120V GFCI household outlets, 120V 30A, 120/240V 30A twist-lock, 120/240V 50A
- Front-facing fuel interface, push-button start
- Published weight 245 lb
- Output headroom
- 10
- Fuel flexibility
- 9
- Transfer-switch fit
- 10
- Build quality
- 9
- Safety features
- 8
- Value
- 10
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
- Output
- 2,200 W peak
- Noise
- 48-57 dB(A) (mfr)
- Weight
- 46.5 lb
#6 · The quietest credible option
Honda EU2200i 2,200W Inverter
The best small inverter generator made, and the wrong tool for whole-house backup — buy it for a fridge, a few lights and quiet, not for your panel.
#ad Price as of October 5, 2026; it may have changed since. How we are funded.
What is good
- 48-57 dB(A) is the quietest rating in the class, and Honda's figures have historically held up to independent scrutiny better than most
- Honda's small-engine reliability and dealer network are the best in the category — this is the generator that still starts after five years in a shed
- 46.5 lb is one-hand-and-a-grunt portable
What is not
- 2,200 watts will run a fridge OR a space heater, not a house — this is not a home backup generator by itself
- Costs roughly what a 6,500-running-watt dual fuel machine costs
- Gasoline only, and no 240V output at all
Published specification & our scoring
- 2,200 watts, suitable for microwaves, refrigerators, hair dryers and small AC units (manufacturer)
- Operates at 48 to 57 dB(A) (manufacturer)
- CO-MINDER carbon monoxide detection with automatic shutdown
- Bluetooth and the My Generator app for remote monitoring
- 3-year residential warranty (manufacturer)
- Published weight 46.5 lb
- Noise
- 10
- Power quality
- 10
- Reliability
- 10
- Portability
- 9
- Output
- 3
- Value
- 5
Specification figures are the manufacturer’s published values. Scores are our editorial judgment from those figures and are never published as structured review data — how we pick.
Questions people actually ask
Which generator brand is best for home backup?
It depends on what you weight. Champion publishes the most complete specifications and offers lifetime technical support; Westinghouse gives the best output per dollar; Generac has the widest service network and the best tri-fuel value; WEN is cheapest per watt.
Which brands publish their propane running watts?
Champion, Westinghouse and WEN publish running and starting watts for every fuel their machines support. DuroMax, DuroStar and Generac's tri-fuel do not state per-fuel running figures, which means sizing for propane or natural gas on those machines is guesswork.
Is Westinghouse or Champion better?
Westinghouse gives slightly more running watts per dollar and better outlet combinations. Champion publishes more complete specifications, supports more fuels, includes CO Shield consistently and offers lifetime technical support. For sizing confidently from published data, Champion.
Does brand matter more than specification?
No. Four specifications matter more: running watts on your intended fuel, the 240 volt outlet type, whether there is a CO shutdown, and dual fuel capability. Get those right and a value brand will serve you better than a badly chosen premium one.
Which brand has the best service network?
Generac, by a clear margin — the widest dealer and parts coverage in the category. That is worth a great deal five years in, when a part is needed and the question is whether anyone stocks it. Champion's lifetime technical support is a different but useful form of support.
Why is Honda ranked low for home backup?
Price per watt. The EU2200i costs about what a 6,500-running-watt dual fuel machine costs and delivers under 2,000 running watts with no 240 volt output and no propane option. It is the best small inverter generator made and the wrong tool for backing up a panel.
Sources
- Eugene Water & Electric Board — Generator Sizing ConsiderationsPublished appliance running and additional-starting watt figures used to judge what this machine's output actually covers.
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission — Portable Generator Information CenterThe placement and carbon monoxide guidance referenced in the safety notes on this page.
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