Welcome to our DuroMax XP4400E Review. If you’re looking for an inexpensive portable generator that you can depend on when you need backup power then I think you’ll be quite happy with this 4400W Duromax generator.
For the money, you’re actually getting a good quality generator. Now, having said that, it’s not comparable to a Honda or a Yamaha but that’s not the point. It’s a great little generator for power outages or emergency backup situations.
Let’s take a closer look at this underrated generator that could.
Intro | DuroMax XP4400E Review
Today we shall take a look at one of the finest medium duty home backup/ jobsite generators on the market – the DuroMax XP4400E. The “E” in its model name stands for electric start, there are other versions of the XP4400 platform being sold under different names. For example, you have the basic XP4400 which is simply the XP4400E without an electric starter system. Then, you have the XP4400E – CA featuring a tuned exhaust to match the CARB emissions regulations, so it can be sold in the state of California. For those who prefer to pay slightly more for a dual – fuel option, there is the XP4400EH which can run on both gasoline as well as liquid propane fuel.
Duromax XP4850EH | EPA and CARB approved
Apart from the highly popular XP4400E, we are also going to review two more generators – the DuroMax XP4850EH (a dual fuel alternative), and the Westinghouse WGen5500 (a brilliant jobsite generator). Which of these 3 generators is perfect for you? That is what we are here to find out, by reviewing the features and unique characteristics of each model. In then end, we believe this article will help you make the best choice in purchasing a 4000/ 5000 watt generator for home backup and jobsite applications.
Note : These are conventional open – frame generators, hence we don’t recommend that you try powering any sensitive electronic equipment such as computers or phones with these three generators. The voltage ripple and simulated sine wave AC current could damage microchips or reduce the lifespan of complex electronic circuits. If you need a generator that is quiet and produces clean sine – wave AC power for computers, consider something like the Honda EU3000iS or Generac IQ3500.
DuroMax XP4400E | 4400W Portable Generator
For the money, this is one of the best generators you can buy. DuroMax has created a budget generator that homeowners will love. Ideal for emergency backup situations or power outages.
✓ View or download the MANUAL for the DuroMax XP4400E.
Features:
- Powerful 7 HP Engine is able to accept high wattage loads with ease..
- Endless Applications; from Home Standby, Jobsites, to a Weekend with the RV.
- Equipped with Low Oil Protection, AC and DC Regulators, and a Spark Arrestor, Your unit will remain safe and in top operating condition.
- This unit was designed to allow anyone to start and operate. This model comes with an easy Electric Start.
- Voltage Selector switch allows the user to get maximum power from each of the 120 Volt
- Receptacle. It also allows the user to choose between operating the Generator at both 120V and 240V simultaneously, or at 120 only with full power.
- Heavy duty steel frame comprised of 1-Inch steel tubing.
- Generator sits on frame with four point isolated motor mounts for smooth operation.
- Designed to run on 87 octane gasoline for maximum convenience.
- Wheel kit w/ front handle for easy transporting.
- Full power panel with engine shutoff , volt meter, circuit breaker and power outlets.
- Fuel Consumption, 8 Hours on gasoline depending on load.
- Super quiet muffler reduces engine noise.
- Idle control (Auto Throttle Switch) holds RPM at a constant level even under heavy loads for fuel savings and noise reduction.
- Low oil shut-off protects engine.
- Full EPA and CARB Compliance allows for operation in all 50 States
Overview
Designed to be used on jobsites and for home backup, the DuroMax XP4400E is one of the most value for money portable generators on the market. With 4400 surge watts and 3500 continuous watts, it packs enough power to run your 12000 BTU window AC and a medium sized 21 cubic foot French door refrigerator at the same time. Or, you could use it to power the 1/2hp sump pump in order to prevent your basement from flooding when there is a power outage. People living in remote locations will appreciate the fact that this generator is super easy to start up, because in an area with frequent power cuts the last thing you want is a generator that needs a dozen pulls on the starter cord.
VIDEO | DuroMax XP4400E and the DuroMax XP10000E
And in case the battery isn’t charged, you can always rely on the good old fashioned recoil starter to get the 7hp OHV engine running. Based on several customer reviews we have found that it doesn’t take more than 2 pulls to get the XP4400E starter, even in really cold climate. The choke is located in a convenient spot, right above the air filter and next to the fuel petcock. We really love the self – charging battery system, it will charge itself as long as the generator is running with the battery leads connected. Make sure to unhook the battery when putting the generator into extended storage, otherwise it will discharge over time.
An interesting feature of this generator is the 12V DC outlet on the main control panel, which is great for recharging 12V automotive style batteries. The user manual strongly discourages people from jump-starting their cars with this DC outlet since it could overload and damage the generator. All the controls are fairly easy to access, especially the engine start/ stop. There is a light beneath the ignition that notifies you of low oil levels, and automatic low oil shutdown prevents the engine from damaging itself if oil levels run too low. Choose the right oil for your DuroMax XP4400E, don’t use 2 – stroke engine oil or unnecessary additives.
DuroMax suggests that you change the engine oil once for every 20 hours of operation, which can be a bit tedious if you operate this generator on a regular basis. The reason you have to change oil so frequently is because DuroMax generators use a splash oil lubrication system that splashes oil inside the crankcase at 3600 rpm in order to cool and lubricate the engine. After 25 to 30 hours of splashing around at such high speeds, the oil starts losing its viscosity and doesn’t perform at the required levels. This can cause the engine to overheat and will eventually shutdown the generator.
For most of you reading this article, SAE 10W – 30 is the recommended oil type. It is good for any temperature between 0 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (-17 to 26° C). If you are operating your XP4400E in sub zero temperatures (below 0° F), use 5W – 30 oil instead. Draining the oil is fairly easy, all you have to do is take a 10mm hex wrench and unscrew the drain plug located at the base of the crankcase. Keep an oil pan underneath and wait for all the oil to drain away, after which you need to fill the oil tank with new oil. Now, this is the part we don’t like – unlike most other open frame generators from Generac or Champion, the oil fill cap is located really deep and in an awkward spot on this DuroMax generator. You will almost always end up spilling some oil if you don’t use a funnel and hose. Thankfully, DuroMax does provide a funnel and hose to help you out (even though the funnel is really cheap looking).
Weirdly enough, even though they tell you to fill the oil tank with 20 oz. of 10W – 30, they don’t provide any oil inside the box. Well at least assembly is really easy, so you spend less time unpacking the generator and can get it running within 15 to 20 minutes of removing it from the box. Just turn it upside down and attach the included wheel kit using the wrench and screwdriver that they provide you with. Then you can bolt in the two front handles, just don’t bolt them too tight. Finally, you fill up the 4 gallon gas tank, add engine oil and connect the 12V battery to get the electric starter ready. And now you are good to go. For a cold start, you need the choke wide open. Hold the ignition key in start position for about 5 to 10 seconds if this is your first ever start. Once the generator is warmed up and the carburetor has fuel inside it, you can start without using the choke.
So how does this generator perform? Well, it doesn’t show any signs of stress when powering a 1500 – watt space heater on maximum heat settings. It will easily power the furnace, sump pump, refrigerator, washing machine, and any tools you have in your workshop. There are plenty of DIY enthusiasts who own a DuroMax XP4400E to power the compressors and table saws in their workshops. And on the barn, you can use one of these to power the milk cooler or electric fence. The rated load is 3500 watts, and it doesn’t drop below 115 volts even at 3000 watts. The old fashioned analog voltmeter is there to tell you how much voltage it is supplying, but we did notice flickering while powering some lights. It is certainly not the best at maintaining steady voltage when you connect and disconnect appliances from the system, after all this is a conventional open frame generator.
Don’t try using it with computers or microwaves that have processors inside them, or else you might fry the digital circuits. There is no GFCI protection for the 120V duplex outlets, so this isn’t exactly an industrial jobsite generator. And at just under 69 decibels, it may be a tad bit too loud for campgrounds. Mobility is okay, considering the fact that this thing weighs around 120 pounds. You certainly need the wheel kit and handles if you want to move it around the house or on a jobsite.
Overall, the DuroMax XP4400EH is a brilliant performer for the money. It features a rugged 7hp OHV 4 – stroke engine mounted on a frame made from 1 inch thick steel tubing. The runtime at 50% load is 8 hours, and users have reported that this generator can run a small AC along with a TV and some lights for 11 to 12 hours. You could power the fridge overnight in case of a power failure, so your food doesn’t get spoiled. You can also have a poolside party with your friends on the weekends since this generator will easily handle an electric grill along with fans and radios.
DuroMax XP4850EH
3850 Running Watts / 4850 Starting Watts Dual Fuel Electric Start Portable Generator
Features:
- Powerful 7 HP Engine is able to accept high wattage loads with ease.
- Ideal For : Home Standby Power, Jobsites to a Weekend with the RV.
- Equipped with Low Oil Protection, AC and DC Regulators, and a Spark Arrestor, Your unit will remain safe and in top operating condition.
- This unit was designed to allow anyone to start and operate. This model comes with an easy Electric Start.
- Simply use the E-Z 1-Pull Recoil Cord to start the Generator.
- Full power panel with engine shutoff , volt meter, circuit breaker and power outlets.
- Full EPA and CARB Compliance allows for operation in all 50 States
Overview
The main attraction of this generator is its dual–fuel functionality. We believe this feature is crucial to any generator that is intended for emergency backup, since it gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of fuel options. And as we discuss later in the article, propane as a fuel source has many significant advantages over gasoline, primarily the fact that it is much easier to store for long periods of time and can be obtained easily during storm season. Unless you have a couple 5 gallon cans of gas lying around with fuel stabilizer mixed in, your gas from 1 year ago will probably not work very well when the storm hits, and the power goes down.
Gas with ethanol in it is especially bad for long terms storage, since the ethanol in gas will bond with water in the air and this will create a layer of gunk floating on top. This can clog fuel lines and corrode the engine. Another problem with gas is that its most volatile components evaporate over time, reducing the ability of gas to combust properly and decreasing fuel efficiency.
If you don’t want to bother with any of this stuff and need a generator that starts up whenever you want it to, get one with a dual – fuel mode. The DuroMax XP4850EH is our personal favorite for home backup during storm season, it packs just enough power to run critical appliances such as the sump pump, TV, fridge, lights, and heating/ air conditioning system. Interestingly, even though the XP4850EH uses a 7hp OHV air cooled engine just like the XP4400E, it is actually rated for 3850 watts continuous instead of 3500 for the XP4400E.
Note that the engines are similar, but not the same model because the XP4400E uses a 196cc engine while the XP4850EH engine features a larger 210cc displacement. Surge power is also boosted from 4400 to 4850 watts which means you have a little extra headroom when running two power consuming appliances at the same time, such as a fridge + air conditioner. When both of their compressors kick in at the same time (which will happen at some point in time), your generator will not hang up on you.
A neat little bonus is the fact that the XP4850EH is both EPA and CARB compliant, giving it the coveted 50 – state badge. On the other hand, the XP4400E is EPA compliant but cannot be used in California because it fails to meet CARB emission regulations. In terms of controls and outlets the XP4400E and XP4850EH are fairly similar with a couple differences — the XP4850EH has a start/ run/ stop switch instead of a turn – key ignition. And it has a receptacle for accepting a propane hose, along with a built in regulator.
There are two 120V 20A outlets with individual breakers, a 120/ 240V 30A twist lock outlet, and a 12V DC outlet. The runtime on gas is 12 hours at ½ load. But on propane, it will do 16 hours at ½ load. Note that it says 8 hours runtime at ½ load on the website, but 12 hours in the user manual. And users who actually tested product have reported that the number is closer to 12 hours, so we shall go with that one.
Westinghouse WGen5500
This 5500 watt portable generator from Westinghouse can run for up to 20 hours on a single tank of gas to get you through a major power outage or emergency. Personally, I recommend having a little more power than you ‘think’ you need, especially when it comes to emergencies. Who knows when the power will come back on. Westinghouse generators are very well made and their customer satisfaction is high.
Features:
- 5500 Running Watts and 6850 Peak Watts; Recoil Start; Up to 20 Hours of Run Time on a 6.6 Gallon Fuel Tank with Fuel Gauge; Hour Meter; Oil Capacity – 1.1L
- Features Two GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) 5–20r 120V Household Duplex Receptacle and One L14-30R 120/240V Twist-Lock Receptacle; All Outlets Have Rubber Covers for Added Safety
- Plug-and-Play: Comes With Oil, an Oil Funnel, a Tool Kit, and a User’s Manual to Get You
- Started Right Out of the Box (Minimal Assembly Required)
- Powered by a 420 CC Westinghouse 4-Stroke OHV Engine Featuring a Long-Lasting Cast Iron
- Sleeve With Automatic Low Oil Shutdown and Digital Hour Meter
- EPA, CARB, and CSA Compliant; Backed by a 3-Year Limited Warranty; Nationwide Customer
- Service and Support Network at 1-855-944-35
Overview
This is a true jobsite – ready generator with GFCI protected 120V outlets, 3 year warranty and a dedicated roll cage over the gas tank. The two DuroMax generators we reviewed can be used on jobsites if needed but are more suitable to home backup since they lack GFCI outlets and a full roll cage. But this beefy Westinghouse model was designed with jobsites in mind. The first thing you will notice is that it is much heavier and bigger than either the XP4400E or the XP4850EH. At 174 pounds dry, it weighs over 40 pounds more than the XP4400E. But it also generates a lot more power – 5500 running watts and 6850 peak watts.
You know how to tell if a generator is truly heavy duty? Its model name will contain the rated wattage instead of the peak wattage. Now this is not true for all heavy duty generators, but a lot of them do it like this. Their rated wattage number is big enough that they are confident with displaying it on the front of the generator and all over the box. And what can you power with 5500 watts continuous? A whole lot of stuff. Like most of the essential appliances in a 2000 square – foot home, or a bunch of equipment in your workshop. The WGen5500 packs enough juice to start and run a 3hp capacitor start industrial induction motor. It can also power a 60 amp battery charger or 3hp concrete vibrator.
On the jobsite, you can use this generator to power a 1hp air compressor or electric chainsaw. It will also handle a 10” table saw and ½” hand drill at the same time. Even though the WGen5500 will have no trouble running a 15000 BTU RV air conditioner, we don’t suggest that you take it to the campgrounds. Not only because 72 decibels would be very loud for your fellow campers but loading and unloading a 180 pound generator is really hard.
The wheels do make it a little more mobile, but you still need a crane to lift it up which is why you have that overhead roll cage. It isn’t there just to protect the gas tank when this generator accidentally rolls over. All of the outlets are covered with rubber flaps which is super good when you are on the jobsite and there is dust all over the place. You don’t want any of that getting into the outlets. A digital readout lets you monitor important data such as volts, frequency, and lifetime hours on the fly.
What can you power with a 4000/ 5000 watt generator?
Before we start discussing what you can and cannot run with a 4000/ 5000 – watt medium duty generator, let us take a look at what the power figures on a generator really mean. Say you purchased a 5000 – watt generator from a certain company expecting it to power your 32 – cu. ft fridge, 12000 BTU window AC, TV, and lights all at the same time. But whenever your AC and fridge turn on their compressors together, the circuit breaker on your generator trips and it stops supplying power. Does that mean the manufacturer tricked you into paying more for a low capacity generator? Did they print fake numbers on the box to lure you into making a purchase? No, but they did use the larger number to make their product look better.
This is what we are talking about – there are two different power figures you need to consider when buying a generator. You have starting wattage and running wattage. Starting wattage is the amount of power that the generator can supply for a short burst of time (usually up to 30 minutes), it is also called surge wattage to represent a temporary surge in power. And a generator’s surge wattage is ALWAYS going to be higher than its rated wattage. For example, a 3500 – watt generator might be rated for 3000 watts and an 8500 watt generator will probably make 7000 watts continuous. On average, the surge wattage will be 10 to 20 percent higher than rated wattage.
Any device that is equipped with an induction motor will draw a much larger amount of current initially while starting up. Same goes for compressors, since they use motors too. Once the appliance or tool has started, the current draw settles down. Surge power draw can be up to three times higher than the continuous or “rated” power draw. Why should you care? Well, if you plan to run any kind of equipment that has electric motors in it, the surge wattage is a very important number to know. Otherwise your generator cannot start the equipment and it will cause an overload, triggering the circuit breakers.
Common Electrical Devices | Generator Wattage Chart
Air compressors, sump pumps, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. will need high starting power. If you are working on the jobsite or want to power both the refrigerator and air conditioner at the same time, get a generator with high surge rating. Note that some heavy duty generators such as the Westinghouse WGen7500 (7500W running, 9500W peak) actually state the rated wattage in their model name.
Other factors also need to be considered, such as the efficiency of an appliance. For instance, you have a space heater rated for 1500 watts. But in reality, it could be drawing 1800 watts from the wall depending on the efficiency rating of the model. Same rule applies to microwaves, light bulbs, and pretty much any appliance with a resistive load. Manufacturers rate their ovens and heaters based on the amount of the heat energy that it generates, not the amount of electricity in watts that it consumes from the wall.
Finally, you must consider the quality of power being supplied because it plays a huge role in determining whether or not you can use the generator to power electronic equipment. Any appliance with microchips inside it will be highly sensitive to fluctuations in voltage or current levels. Conventional or open – frame models aren’t considered to be the best when it comes to power quality – they use an AVR (automatic voltage regulator), which is a very crude way of keeping voltage steady.
Inverter generators are far superior at keeping voltage steady, and they also generator pure sine wave AC thanks to inverter technology. These days you can also purchase “Digital Hybrid” generators which embody qualities of both inverters and conventional models to deliver quieter, cleaner power at a much more reasonable price compared to fully – fledged inverters. Check out the Champion 100302 and Generac GP3500iO which are both excellent digital hybrids.
This table shows you what you can power with a budget of 4000 to 5000 watts :
Advantages of owning a dual–fuel generator
Gasoline isn’t always an option, especially when a storm takes down the electrical grid and all nearby gas stations are closed. In such a situation, you will wish you had a dual – fuel backup generator. The same 20lb propane tank that you use to power your barbecue grill can be used to run the generator during an emergency. Or you can simply walk into the nearby store and purchase a couple tanks of propane. Not only does propane burn cleaner than gasoline, but it is also much easier to store since the chemical composition of liquid propane doesn’t change over time.
Gasoline on the other hand can degrade over a period of just 1 or 2 months, and when that storm hits your gas from 2 years ago will gum up the fuel lines and clog the carburetor causing the generator to seize. Which is why everyone prepping for storms and other natural disasters must add fuel stabilizer and store their gas in Jerry cans approved for gasoline storage. Dual–fuel generators can also run on the natural gas supply that goes into your home. If you hook up the utility natural gas supply to your home backup generator, you now have a system that can function all year long without needing any refueling. And since both propane as well as natural gas burn cleaner, your generator’s engine and spark plug are going to last longer (less maintenance in the long run).