Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

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!