Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I live in Houston and as hurricane season approaches I started researching emergency generators. Consumer Reports recommends inverter generators, plus the more I read about propane, the more I liked it. Like many, I was attracted to the Hondas, but there was a recall on some and others do not accept propane. I REALLY wanted a propane option to avoid messing with old gasoline, stabilizers, gummed-up carburetors and fumes. Propane's energy output is 10% lower than gasoline, but I'm willing to take the hit for a clean engine. Eventually I discovered the Champion 3400 Dual Fuel Inverter Generator with Electric Start at half the price of a comparable Honda. Amazon delivered this bad boy in five days and it comes ready to rock and roll with minimal setup. You connect the (included) battery, add 20 ounces of oil for the initial five hour break in and it's good to go. I found small 20 ounce bottles of 10-30 weight oil at Home Depot, eliminating leftovers or over- or under-filling the reservoir. ACCESSORIES: The Champion 3400 dual fuel is a feature-rich machine, but I added a few goodies. For some reason almost no generator sports an hour meter. I found the Docooler® Inductive Hour Meter on Amazon for under ten bucks. It's a snap to install with no cutting. I replaced the standard dipstick with an nicely-machined aluminum dipstick tipped with a powerful magnet for keeping the oil free of metallic shards. I don't own an RV, so I can't use the RV outlet on the Champion 3400. Yet half the generator's power diverts to this socket. I picked up the rugged five dollar Camco PowerGrip Durable Electrical Adapter that even matches the yellow color scheme. I ran a 12 amp, 1440 watt electric lawnmower off it for 30 minutes and it didn't even get warm (I checked). An alternative suggestion is the Epicord RV Y Cable Adapter that feeds two 15 amp standard outlets from the RV outlet. Sweet! The Champion Weather-Resistant Storage Cover is kinda "meh." It's fine for a stationary machine, but much too flimsy for road warriors, work sites or campers. A tarp offers superior protection. FIRST EXPERIENCE: After adding oil and connecting the propane tank I followed the simple instructions for the electric start. The generator wouldn't quite catch--I figure the battery might be a bit sluggish from storage. I used the manual pull rope and the generator fired up. DOWNSIDES: The battery must be kept charged if you use gasoline--the pull rope will NOT work if the battery is low! If you only use your generator for emergencies the battery should be kept on a trickle charger. I keep an inexpensive Black & Decker charger connected to mine. The built-in folding handle and wheels allow easy transport of this near 100-pound machine on smooth surfaces. I wish it offered a bit more ground clearance for rough surfaces, however; the bottom drags when tall guys (I'm 6-foot) lift the handle too high. NOISE: I was surprised at the quiet purr of the Champion 3400 Dual Fuel. Seriously, you can hold a normal conversation standing six feet from the running generator! I placed it about 40 feet from the house and I could barely hear it with the door closed. POWER: This thing runs like a (excuse the pun) champ. During the five hour break in period, I connected my refrigerator (7 amps, 840 watts) and ran the generator on the economy setting for hours. It easily powered my 12 amp, 1440 watt electric lawnmower through the RV adapter plug when I mowed the lawn. My 1000 watt microwave worked fine. I changed the oil after the five hour break in period. Champion improved this model so you can now drain the oil through a flexible tube instead of out the bottom. You still need to tilt the body to get the last few drops, though. The Champion 3400 Dual Fuel Inverter generator is precisely what I was looking for. I have little experience with generators or motors, but Champion put some real thought into making their quiet, powerful generator user-friendly. Five stars! --------------------UPDATE AFTER TEXAS ICE STORM!--------------------- O.K., Texas just suffered a near-total collapse of our power grid for almost a week. I live in Houston, so don't get me started. This was the first time I've given the Champion 3400 Dual Fuel a real-world workout. The engine started the first time I pressed the button and ran for almost a week in sub-freezing temperatures and a little blowing ice/rain. I was able to keep my lights on, refrigerator running, cook with the microwave and make coffee with absolutely no issues. I also ran a 100' 13-amp line to my neighbor whose wife is on an oxygen machine, so I've made a good friend. On maximum power the Champion 3400 Dual Fuel typically went though a bottle of propane every 5-6 hours. On "Eco" mode, it ran an astonishing 17-18 hours per tank. That was fine for normal use, but remember to buy extra tanks. I could hear the generator running at night since I kept it on the patio out of the rain, but the noise wasn't bad at all. In better weather (after a hurricane, for instance) I'll place it out in the yard and probably not hear it at all. I'm still delighted with my purchase and it keeps the 5 stars! A literal life-saver.