Westinghouse 9500 Peak Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator, Remote Electric Start, Transfer Switch Ready, Gas & Propane Powered

This unit is heavy and it starts, runs and smoothly switches between propane and gasoline while running. Using selected house critical circuits, we had electric heated water and adequate power for over 64 hours. Easy to maintain and well documented. Carburetor gasoline solenoid stuck closed once but otherwise starts and runs reliably on either fuel.

Amazon delivered the generator in a large box and it was pretty easy to unbox it and assemble the generator - instruction manual is are pretty easy to follow. Everything you need to prep it is included, including tools and oil. You just need gasoline or a propane tank. It took me about 20 minutes to unbox and assemble the unit. Adding oil is fairly straightforward - it just takes slow and careful repeated filling using the little "bent-elbow" funnel and checking levels to get enough oil in (but not too much).Once everything was done I added about a half tank of fresh gasoline, turned the little gasoline delivery switch to flow (on the side of the unit), checked that everything was ready, turned on the power and hit the Start button. However while it would crank it simply would not turn over and run. I checked, double-checked, and triple-checked everything (even checked spark plug gap)... but I just couldn't get the unit to run. I finally gave up for the weekend and moved on to other chores. A couple of weekends later I called up the Westinghouse help line number in the manual -- while waiting on a call back I set the generator back up, went thru everything and hit the start button. This time the generator fired up instantly. When I eventually spoke with the technician (very friendly and knowledgeable, btw) he said that a very very small number of units get something in the carburetor stuck as a result of sitting for a long period of time after shipping out of the factory -- I guess they drain the gasoline but somewhere in the carb residual gasoline seizes something in the carb that prevents any gasoline from getting thru. But when a customer gets the unit and adds gasoline in the tank that gasoline slowly "eats away" at whatever that residue had seized up and eventually frees it. So, if this happens to you (everything is done correctly but the unit won't start) just let the generator sit for a few days and that may solve the problem. And their help line techs seem fantastic and I only waited about 10 minutes to get a hold of one.So I haven't actually needed the generator in a real storm or power outage situation yet, but running the unit for a bit and testing a few things has me feeling comfortable that I'm ready should we get a power outage. I haven't played with the remote start button but I don't see me needing to use that (you have to keep the generator turned on which will drain the battery). I can see running this in the dark that it might be nice to have some sort of light on the panel -- I'm thinking of using one of those goose-neck LED lights (or a pair) that are usually used on grills. I'm also looking at something like GenTent to cover the generator in the event that I'm running it while it's raining or snowing.All in all, a very nice generator with plenty of power, easy start (minus the gasoline seizing issue) and operation, nice built-in handle to maneuver it, and I like the duel fuel option if/when it's needed.

Decided to buy this based on fantastic reviews because I want to be prepared for the really bad weather we can get in the NE area, especially during Winter. It's a great price and arrived as promised in pristine condition.Easy to unbox and minor assembly of pressure pads and pretty substantial wheels. Instruction manual is easy to follow; and the genny comes with the attachment for using propane which is really appreciated.Has plenty of power to run my furnace, living room outlets, kitchen outlets and upstairs bathroom and sump pump (the transfer switch kit has 6 circuits). Started first time using propane (my preferred fuel). Noise level is what one should expect from a portable generator (it's not quiet). It also comes with a trickle charger for the battery and a quart of oil to get you started + a funnel! It even has a remote starter fob for convenience!I highly recommend this unit, and it will provide our family with peace of mind in the event of future outages.

It arrived a few hours early and uncrating it was easy. The only things you need are a utility knife to open the box and some gasoline; everything else, including tools and oil, is included in the box. There isn't much assembly and the directions are clear enough except for one point I'll get to. The manual is printed in a large enough font to actually read it - a big point with me.There were two minor glitches, which is why it gets 4 stars.One of the holes tapped for a bolt (which holds the rubber feet on) wasn't tapped properly, so the bolt refused to go all the way in and is a little crooked. This won't affect the running of the generator - it's just a minor fit and finish thing.And second, once it's assembled, the oil is in (they even include a long neck funnel, which is handy because the oil port is tucked well inside the frame) and has some gas, you pair the remote starter (slightly fussy process) and fire it up. It starts without a problem.And then no electricity is present at the AC ports and you want to scream. And the manual is not much help. Arrrgh!The trick: The outlets are GFCI outlets and for whatever reason, both outlets were tripped out of the box. The reset button is on the outlet as they usually are, but are black on black and not as obvious as you'd like. Push them for a moment and small LEDs on the receptacles light up green, and you're good to go.Things to know - the included battery looks to be a lead/acid model, which means you'll be replacing it every few years. I wish they'd gone with a lithium for something this critical, but it is what it is.The unit can tale synthetic 5w30, but it ships with generic 10w30 - if you're going to use it in very cold weather, consider your choices.Importantly, the remote starter only works if the battery is hooked up and turned on. When it's turned on, a little light glows to tell you the battery is good, which means if you leave it on, the battery must eventually die. So your choices are to keep it off, and then trudge out into the blizzard to start it, or leave it on and keep it plugged into a battery charger, which if you're like me, you don't have a power outlet in your generator tent, so that won't work. The solution is to plug the battery charger into a generator outlet, and run the generator every couple months for 30 minutes or so, so the battery stays charged. You should run a generator periodically anyway, so this is the right solution, but it's important not to forget [see edit below.] The unit has a pull-to-start for when you mess up.Why the outlets are black, with a black-on-black reset button, when it's likely to be dark out when you need to fuss with the generator, I do not know. Any other colors would have been better. But other than that, this appears to be a well thought out unit with all the right stuff included. This would be 4.5 stars if I could. I will, of course, update the review if it fails to deliver power anytime in the next 20 years.EDIT: I start the generator once every month. This January, the remote start failed and it look a lot of manual pulls to get it going. The problem is the battery; if you leave it switched on (you must, for the remote start to work) and the weather is cold, the battery gets much too weak to start the generator. And I didn't like how many manual pulls it took to get it started. 10+. It ran fine once started. My workaround is to run an extension cord out to the generator tent, and plug the battery charger and a little electric space heater in before storms arrive. If I do that for a few hours, the remote start works. Of course, power can go out with no warning, so I'm resigned to the fact that at some point I'll be doing manual starts on the thing. Older folk take note; it takes a good number of hefty pulls.4 stars, and if it ever fails while running it will go to 1 star.