Yamaha EF6300iSDE, 5500 Running Watts/6300 Starting Watts, Gas Powered Portable Inverter

Great machine. Super quiet Great machine. Super quiet. There was a lot of question going on about how to set it up. Turned out to be a piece of cake to install battery and get it running. I power my 26' camper trailer with it and use it occasionally around the house when power goes out. It is more than enough for the camper. It's a typical trailer with 2 tvs, 15000 air conditioner, and microwave. Couple things I don't like about it. First maneuvering it around is difficult. It has wheels, but they do not turn. The handles are so close to the body of the machine that changing directions is difficult. Also, I think the cost of the unit is a bit high. It is cheaper than the Hondas I found and better quality than virtually any other unit of this size that I found. But $3900 is too much for 6000 watts. That having been said, I have 60 hours on the unit and it is quiet, powerful and clean. Great quality, just still stinging a bit from the cost.

Great Generator I've had the EF6300iSDE for over a year, not having a major power outage, I run the generator for minutes every month or so, It started fairly easy in 15 deg. F weather. It runs smoothly, quietly, with a power down option as power is needed.Two conventional 20 amp plugs, one 30 amp plug are protected by overload protection which trip when exceeding 20, 30 amps.The 120V/240V plug is used for a transfer panel which will require analysis and balance of house circuits between the 2 poles.In theory, all four plugs can be used simultaneously if not exceeding 6300W.For me, the bottom line is the quiet operation, especially in the power down mode, which enables me to run the generator at night in my neighborhood without disturbance. Also, I breath easier when watching 42" plasma TV and working with my computer understanding that the clean energy delivered surpasses that of any conventional generator. When not in use, it easily rolls back into storage.A meter keeps track of the total hours in use which is a great maintenance tool.Because I use the generator sporadically, before storing, I allow the carburetor to empty by turning off the fuel valve and allowing the generator to run until the carburetor empties. To start, I feather the starter once or twice before starting. Works that way every time. This powers 10 circuits in my house through a transfer panel during emergency use.Edited 6/23/2014: During my regular maintenance on the generator, I found the battery dead. I used a conventional 12V charger in the 2 amp charging mode which is excellent for the 18AH battery. This took about 2 hours.

Quiet, clean power. I saved a long time for this generator but think it so worth it. It starts easily thanks to the electric starter and runs so quietly that you can barely hear it 25 yards away. No hearing protection required standing next to it and you can maintain a normal conversation just 10 feet away. This is a big factor if you're worried about theft during prolonged outages or a bedroom will be near where you run it.First of all, if you're buying one of these, be sure to get the "liftgate service" for the extra $50. The generator arrives strapped to a pallet and weighs 250 lbs. The driver lowered it to the ground and rolled it to my garage with his portable jack. He told me that if I had not ordered the liftgate service, his obligation was to move it to the edge of his truck and I had to take it from there. Believe me, you will need a lot of friends (who will no longer be your friends) to move it from there. Well worth the $50!I unstrapped it from the pallet, added oil, filled the battery*, added gas and it was ready to go. It took me about a half hour to do all that. I then rotated the fuel switch to "On" and then turned the key. It turned over for a few seconds and then started. It sounds like a very husky sewing machine. Not at all like a typical loud, roaring generator. The only tools I needed was a cross-tip screwdriver to remove the generator cover and a pair of shears to cut the pallet strap. I also found a long funnel useful when adding oil to be very helpful too.Since I've gotten it, we have had one power failure when a drunk driver took out a power pole. I rolled it out of my garage, attached the power cable from my generator to the transfer switch**, checked the fuel and oil levels, turned the fuel switch "On", and turned the key. We had lights!Take a look at your needs. What do you really have to/want to power in the event of a long term outage. I don't have to worry about a well pump or sump but many on the east coast do. Do you want to get by with the minimum power or do you want to have more than enough? The larger the generator the more gas you will use. Inverter generators are much more expensive but they also burn less fuel and provide cleaner power if you have a lot of expensive electrical equipment (TVs, computers, etc) that you wish to run.*The battery arrives "dry" so you have to add the battery acid to it. The acid comes in clear plastic packs that look like juice bottles. Read the directions twice, pause to think it over, and it's a piece of cake. You just line the packs up with the cells, press down (which punctures the packs), and the acid drains down into the battery. Do this in a level place with good air circulation and it's that easy. After all the acid fills in, carefully remove the packs and seal the battery with the black lid. You're done.**If you don't want to be running extension cords all over the place, it really is best to install a generator transfer switch. This box attaches directly to your electrical panel and shuts off outside power when you use your generator. It prevents your power from going out and possibly killing the power crews working to restore your lines. The generator comes with a 10 foot power cord and I found that really useless. I ordered a much longer power cord so I could roll my generator to an outside covered area. Never run your generator inside your house or garage even if the doors are open.Some other considerations you will have to think about is how much fuel you are willing to store. Storing gas can be very hazardous and that has to be balanced with how likely you think gas will be available when the lights go out. I have some very good quality fuel cans that I've filled, added some Sta-Bil, and now have stored in a cool, dry, well ventilated area. In 6 months, I will dump it in my truck and refill them with fresh fuel. I put a piece of masking tape on the side with the current date of fill on it to help me keep track.So the bottom line is that this generator is very quiet, easy to start, and the Yamaha name means reliability (or at least higher odds of it).UPDATE (Aug 2015): The battery on this generator just died. I don't know if I let it go between charges too long or three years is the normal lifespan. I put it on my refresher charger and the red lights indicate that it was dead. So I ordered another battery off of Amazon and it's working fine again.The only downside with having this generator is having all the neighbors come over with extension cords during power outages. Seriously, what is wrong with these people?