4650-Watt Electric Start Gasoline and Propane Powered Dual Fuel Inverter Generator with CO Shield and Quiet Technology
In this post, I’m going to review the 4650-Watt Champion Generator, Dual Fuel Generator. I’ll review basic specs as well as my thoughts on these. Also, I will highlight the good and bad of this generator and safety precautions.
Basic Specs:
From Champion’s Website:
“4650-watt inverter generator features Dual Fuel allowing the 212cc engine to run on gasoline or propane. Enjoy the quiet 61 dBA for up to 14 hours on gasoline or up to 21 hours with a 20-lb propane tank and increase your power with the optional Parallel Kit.”
Gasoline Starting Watts | 4650W |
|---|---|
| Gasoline Running Watts | 3650W |
| Propane Starting Watts | 4650W |
| Propane Running Watts | 3285W |
Outlets | 12V DC Automotive, 120V 20A Duplex (5-20R), 120V 30A (TT-30R) |
|---|
More Specification Info and My thoughts:
In general, the generator has several key features, I will highlight. The generator is dual fuel, propane and Gasoline. There is no switch to flip back between the two (nice feature). It is also quite quiet. I was able to run the generator and have a conversation only a few feet away. The generator is generally safe. With a CO shield, if the machine senses poisonous Carbon Monoxide, it will shut off. This is great to have from a safety perspective, although it’s important that you don’t solely rely on this. Carbon Monoxide is deadly and cannot smelled, so one must exercise extreme caution and ensure that fumes cannot enter their home. I know how sensitive the CO shield is too as the Champion generator was ran in a sunroom outside with only a few windows open (the door to the home and all windows to the home were closed). With not enough fresh air in the sunroom, the generator shut down several times and needed to be moved fully outside. I would suggest moving it at least 20-30 feet from home and pointing the exhaust away from your home.
On the photo below you can see other features on the generator which aren’t necessary to have so much, but nice. For example, the covered outlets are great to have especially if you were running the generator outside on a humid day for some time and didn’t want to get condensation in there. On the photo below, you’ll see the screen just above the EZ START BUTTON. This will give lots of useful information but most helpful is the running wattage. To the right of this you’ll see the oil light which will let you know when you are getting close to needing to change the oil.
One key thing about the Champion generator is the running wattage. It was able to easily power two fridges, and several other devices. And this makes sense. If you look up a the specifications above, the peak running wattage with propane is around 3200 watts (less than gasoline). A fridge uses about 800 watts of power. So, this generator can power three fridges as long as none of them are massive or large. That said, if you lost power and have multiple fridges, a better plane than trying to run multiple fridges all day long is to run one for several hours and then alternate to the other fridge. This will allow you to conserve gas/or propane. Of course, if you live somewhere very hot and its summer, you might be forced to run more often.
Oil
The machine uses 10w-30 oil. It is easy to both drain and fill. It also will let you know your oil level. The hose below with the yellow cap is where you drain your oil. The black twist cap is where you fill it. There is an oil gauge, so make sure to fill to the correct level.
First time use:
When you first get the generator, the manual will instruct you to run the machine for 5 hours and then drain the oil. There is a quick start guide, which will have you connect the battery too and also Champion provides oil for the initial start. As stated, you will have to connect the battery, undo the plate below and do some other things for the initial run.
Starting :
There is both a Manual start(cord) and Electric start. I only have used the electric start (on front), but it is very convenient. The manual cord is shown in the pic below. To the right of the cord below, is where the propane cord connects. This cord is provided by Champion. Simply attach one end to your propane tank and connect the other end to the generator (it will pop on easily). Turn on the propane before starting the generator.
Always start the generator with no loads. Then slowly add item. This allows the motor to warm up and slowly and surely you can increase the wattage.
Transporting: There is a nice convenient handle that allows one to move this easily. The generator weighs around 100 pounds so it’s not easy to carry around. However, there are wheels on the back side which make rolling it around very easy.
Propane vs Gas
The generator can use both propane and gas, so I’ll discuss the advantages of each. Gas has the advantage of giving you a higher running wattage (and starting), so that you can power more items. Propane has the advantage of being able to be stored longer than gas (unless fuel additives are used). In general, I find propane is the better option here as storage is much easier. I personally don’t want to mess with adding fuel additives as it’s simply more work. If forced too though, I’m sure I would do it. Below the knob that turns in the center is where you pour the gasoline.
My Needs:
(Read about my thoughts on the Kobalt Cement Mixer here)
My reason for selecting this generator were simple. I needed a generator in case the power goes out.
There were several that I knew that I needed in a generator and there were only a few options that checked all the boxes. The First thing I wanted was to be able to use both propane and gas. The Second thing I needed was a generator that was relatively quiet. The third thing I wanted was a generator from a well-known company. In using this generator, I will say that this checks all the boxes.
Below is a picture of the back where the exhaust comes out. Stay away from this section and point outside and away from your home (the exhaust). As mentioned, Carbon monoxide is deadly, and these fumes MUST be outside your home, and one must be VERY careful not to allow them to enter their home.
Also, do not run the generator in an attached garage as this could allow carbon monoxide to enter the home.
There are several advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
It is quiet and you won’t have your neighbors complaining about the noise. Another advantage os the amount of wattage you get. It’s enough to power several household appliances and keep things running in your home. We have a stand-up freezer and 2 fridges. We could power them and several other items. This makes this generator ideal in case your power goes out for a short time. I was able to lend this generator to family who lost power due to storm. They were able to power several fridges and other items without issue. The CO detector is very nice but don’t rely solely on it. In particular, ensure that fumes cannot enter the house.
Disadvantages:
All this said there are several disadvantages that might make this machine unsuitable for you. First, you might need to run multiple extension cords to the generator. This can quite messy as having extension cords running around the house can get quite annoying. To complicate things, the generator needs to be outside and not near the house, so you’ll need to be able to run the extension cords from outside to inside the home, and making sure the exhaust is not getting in. Even more messy, is if there is bad weather and the generator is on a patio or somewhere not covered. I will discuss workarounds for this next.
The most ideal situation is to have a transformer switch installed by a qualified electrician. This is the most expensive, and essentially would allow you to plug the generator outside into a wall socket, and close all doors. The transformer switch would be able to control the wattage and ensure the generator doesn’t use too much. If this is done, all electric outlets inside the home could work. Still, this probably won’t include things like Air Conditioning and hot water, but it depends on your home. Talk with a qualified professional if you want to do this though.
A simple easier workaround is to buy a rain cover for the generator ($100-$200 approx) and also an extension cord for the generator. The extension cord might be able to go under the door and it would turn the 2 120V AC into 4. Champion sells this product on their website. Every home and situation is different in terms of how to run the extension cords inside your home.
Another option might be to buy a solar powered generator. It has the advantage of endless supply, but solar powered generators are expensive. Also, they don’t supply the high wattage like propane and gas in many cases. Still, they are a safe option.
The Verdict:
This is a solid product that can really help if you lose power for a short time. Please comment or let me know any questions!
