Generac 5735 GP17500E 17500-Watt Gas-Powered Portable Generator - Electric Start for Convenience - Durable Design and Reliable Power for Emergencies and Recreation - 49 State Compliant

This is an impressive machine. Our home's generator wiring was upgraded to 6/3 cable, feeding a transfer switch and dedicated sub panel with additional individual center-off transfer switches wired to it. I hadn't upgraded the inlet plug from 30 amps to 50 amps, yet. Got this generator delivered in front of our garage on a pallet. Slid it half way off the pallet and used a small hydraulic floor jack to lift it by one end, attached the wheels, then slid the pallet out from under it, attached the legs and rolled it into position behind our house. Added the included oil, some fuel, connected the battery and it started right up. This unit's muffler quiets down the exhaust noise surprisingly well. In-fact the most prominent noise coming from this unit, comes from the engine's mechanical noise and forced-air fan. When the idle control is enabled the generator spins down and gets really, comfortably quiet. When the idle control senses a load, it spins the engine back up to full speed. Plugged it into our inlet box via it's L14-30R socket, flipped every circuit over including our 65LRA/240V central air conditioner which connects to the generator via the sub-panel. Turned on every load I could think of, then engaged the A/C. I almost didn't notice when the 15,600w startup load from the A/C hit the generator, all I heard literally was a half second blip in engine noise.... in other words... with all the loads we currently have wired in (~8000w)... it was able to power them easily from a L14-30 plug... nice! It will be interesting when the L14-50 gets wired in and we add more circuits on the sub-panel. To deal with the noise, I'll be building a small shed for this unit, near the house. I'm on the fence as to whether I'll attach a secondary muffler to this unit, since the exhaust itself, is already pretty quite. The one draw back on this unit is that it consumes a good portion of fuel... 16 gallons in 10 hours @ 50% load. Update 9/11/2012: Since my original post, I did purchase a Walker Exhaust 22266 Quiet-FlowSS Muffler to use as a secondary muffler. Along, with some WALKER EXHAUST 40002 to connect the generac to the muffler... it's made HUGE difference in terms of quieting down the exhaust noise. BTW, the muffler exhaust port on this generator has an outer diameter (O.D.) of 1.5" inches. Keeping in mind that this thing weights 390lbs, I decided to build a small shed for this generator so that we'd have it available for use in extremely bad weather (where it would be difficult to roll this thing into position...). Also, while the muffler does an excellent job at quieting down the exhaust noise, the shed serves to cut down on this generator's air cooling induction fan & engine noise, as well. We ran 4 THWN 6 gauge cables ( through 2" SCHD 40 PVC conduit, 18" inches underground...) from the shed to our home, to support full 50 amp 240V service from the generator. Yes, this generator puts out a total of 72AMps at 240V, if we want to use that extra power in the future, I'll have to pull additional wires through our conduit and hook up to one of the generator's other power outlets. We also ran 2 THWN 10 gauge cables, from our home to the shed, to support a 20 amp 120v circuit. This circuit we use primarily to keep the generator's starter battery fully charged, it also provides us with a heavy duty outdoor outlet on that side of home, which comes in handy. In terms of performance, we've had a brief power outage recently, and the generator, inside it's shed, has worked flawlessly. Update 10/31/2012: Lost power during Hurricane Sandy, for about 20 Hours. Generator ran the entire time, without a problem. First long duration run. My wife, daughter and I were VERY happy with the outcome. Worth every penny.

First off, the other reviews help greatly in my decision to pick this one. My house is total electric and the decision to not get propane or natural gas was a tough one. I dont have natural gas but propane was seriously considered. Last year I was left twice for eight days without any power. The first outage July 3rd of last year when a funnel cloud tore through the valley. Realizing that a gas generator is of little use when you cant buy gasoline began me leaning toward propane. However when Sandy hit over Halloween and the propane and natural gas bills came in for all those that bought them, over $1000 dollars for 6-8 days of continuous service for many that installed automatic systems, I reviewed and rethank my purchase. I did just fine with a small gasoline generator that my friend loaned me. I filled it in the morning and it ran for six to eight hours and kept my fridge cold. But I needed more to power and heat my home in the winter, but not all day, just enough to keep me comfortable when I was home. Fill my tank only half full in the morning and when I return from work at night, or if sub zero temps prevail run it all the time to heat the house. With consumption at least a gallon an hour this is a plan I could live with and this unit can do the job. Like the other reviews, this unit is big and heavy duty. Its made in America and the craftmanships reflects it. Nothing about this portable generator is light duty... The other unit I considered was a Large Honda from a dealer in town but at $4600 and smaller in every way it was not a contender in the end. Gererac's parent company is Briggs and Stratton and their small engines are among the best in the world which was also a confidence builder. My generator arrived by a large motor frieght box truck to big for my driveway so I transfered it from their truck to my Explorer Sport Trac. So yes it will easily fit in a small truck like a S10 or Ranger. I left the generator in the truck bed on the small pallet it was shipped on and using a few blocks of wood and a 2X4 to lift it I easily installed the wheels and handle. Using a set of truck ramps I wheeled it off the truck onto my garage floor. Again this is a large, bulky and heavy unit that maybe two strong men could lift off the truck. But I did not want to risk this thing falling, it cost way to much to risk anything. I worked with a wheel barrow on a farm for many years so I was sure I could handle the ramps, but once we headed down the ramp it was all about control because there was no stopping. I will update this if there are any surpises, however there is no storm or outage in the forcast. I have yet to convert the Power Panal. And I expect to start the unit this weekend for a breakin period before the first needed run. I installed the oil supplied, will hook up the battery and refresh its charge, and add about six hours of fuel for the first run. I have to give it five stars, there nothing that makes this unit less. Its like the F350 of pickup trucks, you only buy one if you really need it for super duty use. Oct 2014, I finally was able to get an electician out to install the transfer switch on my power box, so fewer cords to run. Here is some additional information on the generator that most people will find helpful. First of all the large 50 amp plug is great for powering my panel, but it won't supply the entire house if everything comes on at once. So I had to pick and choose what would get power first. But the front of the panel has several other 30 amp and 120 volt outlets that I can run other cords to power my extra stuff like a deep freezer, garage refriderator, etc. So if you have a potential large power need like me then this unit could be the unit for you. I also attached a small solar battery tender that keeps this battery in top shape and has turned over without fail even in the coldest weather. While plug in units are available I like the these as they tend to cook the battery less (opinion, and are more green. I have had absolutely no problems with the location of the outlets, especially the 50 amp. January 17th, 2022 Last night a healthy winter storm with high winds knocked out power for 6 1/2 hours. I started the generator and ran baseboard heat on the 1st floor and watched the Wildcard game on internet. It was 22⁰F and the unit started without a problem. I need to replenished my standby gasoline but as for the generator it continues to operate well.

Bought this Generac product for Power emergencies. It worked fine for 70 hours but died after running during a 3 day power outage. Tried all recommendations for Crank No Start issues to no avail. Sent it to Repair facility who was unable to fix. Paid them $500 and had it sent to another repair facility. They spent hours trying to repair and calls to Generac Support and were unable to fix issue. NO ONE CAN FIX THIS INCLUDING CERTIFIED GENERAC REPAIR PERSON. GENERAC COPR WILL NOT HELP. We now have a $3000 450 lbs weight and no good for anything...Warranty ended after three years, problem occurred just over warranty period. All proper Maintenance was done to keep this in good shape....

This is a really professional generator set. The set is easy to assemble out of the shipping box; just install the wheel set, front support, and handles. A replaceable spin-on oil filter is a nice touch. Everything on the engine is well laid out, and is accessible for maintenance. The attached rubber oil drain line makes the oil changing a lot less messy. Runs smoothly, and "fairly" quiet for its size. The built in electronic hour meter makes maintenance a snap. With 17.5 KW continuous rating (= 72.9 continuous amps at 240 volts), and 26+ Kw available "surge" this set can run the entire house, including the 4 ton central AC unit. However, one still has to be judicious when selecting the connected loads. The largest connector is the 50 amp, 120/240 volt receptacle on the bottom of the "power outlet box". 50 amps at 240 volts = 12 KW. But, electrical devices such as plugs, receptacles, circuit breakers and fuses are only rated at 80% of the nameplate rating for "continuous" use. So the 50 amp receptacle is really only good for 40 amps continuous. Likewise with the other power box receptacles. Utilizing the full 17.5 KW output requires some forethought about how to connect various loads. What would be great for this size set would be a 70 amp, 100% rated output circuit breaker, to allow one connection into a manual transfer switch on the house, even if it were offered as an option. All in all, this set is fantastic for the money. "Thank you!" to the folks at Generac.

I purchased this generator Nov, 2011. That was 11 months before Storm Sandy. Long story short, I am very happy with it. Performed very well during 11 days of outage in Sandy, and numerous other outages. First of all, it weighs a bunch. So, the first thing I did was to discard the "foot" and replace that with an appropriate swivel caster, from Tractor Supply. Now I only push it to move it, no lifting. That "foot" is probably something the Generac lawyers thought up. Second thing is that it is loud, very loud. So, I had the electrician install two hookup spots, one one the driveway, with a 10K Connection, and one under my deck, with the full 17.5 connection. Reason being, that if the power is out for days at time, it is much quieter under the deck. Reason for me saying all of this is that our deck is up a hill. So I bought a cheap crank model boat winch, and made a crude holder for it under the deck. Then I installed a "Eye-bolt" on the chassis of the generator. Point of the story, I've had this generator for over 6years. It's a good machine. And if you run it under low load (1 refrigerator, lights, and TV) it's pretty fuel efficient. It sips gas. But if you have heavy stuff turned on (e.g. 6 Kw water heater, etc.) it will bog down at about 1 gal/ hour. It's a good machine. Adapt it to your needs

I'm going to let everyone else talk about how great the generator is. I'm going to talk about one very serious issue with this generator. PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS NOT A TRUE NEGATIVE. The issue I am going to mention is something you need to be aware of in order to plan around it. The 5735 (GP17500E) generator comes from the factory with a lifting hook. Let me be very clear about this... When your generator is equipped with a lifting hook from the factory you are SERIOUSLY pushing the meaning of the word "portable" to the limit. The bottom line is, this is a VERY heavy generator, and that's to be expected because it's BIG. It's essentially a 25KW (surge capacity) generator head with a cast iron engine big enough to run it and a frame beefy enough to hold it. It comes with a chassis equipped with two wheels on the front end and a monopod support on the back end; with a curved handle that you use to lift the back end up. In order to move the generator, you lift up on the handle so that the monopod bracket comes off the ground and then you move it around like a wheelbarrow. Sounds simple enough, but it takes some muscle to lift the handle up and push the generator. It also doesn't work too well unless you are on fairly level concrete, pavement or DRY and hard packed dirt. The tires are not suitable for any sort of soft terrain at all. I suggest anyone buying this generator understand that they may find it desirable to replace the stock tires and possibly even add another wheel or wheel-set at the back. In MY case I basically have the power inlet near my garage and only have to roll it over and hook up the (also heavy) power cord from the generator to the inlet. Again, this isn't a criticism of the generator itself, which as I said is a real powerhouse; it's a notice to buyers that this is NOT a small portable generator, this is a serious high capacity machine.

Bought this back in 2012 and it’s still going strong. I have 660 hours on the unit from emergency use during power failures. I have it hardwired into my fuse panel with an Interlock Switch. I have an all-electric 5400 sq. ft. home and I’m running two heat pumps, two freezers, a well pump and a septic pump off this generator. I cycle the heat pumps during the summer and winter for the upstairs sleeping and the main floor with no issues while supporting the rest of the house. Everything runs from a 50 ft 50 amp and 30 amp power cords connected to my main fuse panel. This unit has been working for 10 years and ensures I can definitely bug in and not worry about bugging out.

We have been running our old 15KW Generac Guardian Ultra-source gasoline generator for the past decade to power our home during after hurricane power outages. The Generac has always been dependable. ( Be on notice however, if there are huge amounts of ethanol in gasoline, the unit WILL NOT RUN. A thing that may or may not be an issue after a hurricane ). We only run non-ethanol as a standard with fuel treatment, bolster your reserves. With standard maintenance (oil, plugs, filters,battery,,,) and running for 30 minutes+ every month, it has aways been “at the ready”. After 10 years, we are pulling the 15KW from service to rebuild the unit and it will be a backup. The 15KW would run 1 of 2 Central Vac systems, the heavy amp draw well pump, kitchen, home theater, lights, water heater, etc,,. Naturally we can shut subsystems off to conserve fuel. We do have our property in the swamps of Florida, 2 miles from the main road, so we are the last place where propane will be delivered after an event of a hurricane or other crazy events, that is why we chose gasoline. We purchased the new Generac 17500 and was delivered yesterday. At unboxing, we realized that the wheel axle was missing. Fortunately we had our existing 15KW and we had a working axel to maneuver the new 17.5 Generac through the landscaping into position. I thought, “here we go!”. I called Generac Support the next morning and “Bam”! The support rep was an English Speaking American in the States (Chris) and the part is on its way,,, UPS! 15 minutes of may time, done! Wow! It’s a bummer that my new purchase was missing a part, but I am surprised at the quick phone pickup with a fix! We will see how the new Generac performs, as it is expected to a active hurricane summer in Florida, The El’Nino weather effect is drifting away again.