Top 10 Best 10,000-Watt Generators 

Things You Should Know Prior to Buying a 10,000 -Watt Generator

Purchasing the right generator can be a difficult process for anyone. This is especially true if you aren’t entirely sure what to be looking for when buying one. That being said, you will be able to take complete control over it and find the right generator to fulfill your needs by following this checklist. This checklist will go over some of the things that you should be looking at in order to pick the right one for your home.

• Figure out your wattage requirements – You need to understand how much power you will require. You can do this by adding up all of the things that you need to power. For additional help with this, check out our wattage guide worksheet.
• Come up with your budget – Understanding how much you are willing to allocate towards the purchase of your next generator is important. You will find generators in various price ranges.
• Select the right generator – For something that can prove to be a home backup, you will be able to choose from either a Standby or portable option depending on all of the factors that influence your purchasing decision. Also, don’t forget that you will need to have a transfer switch in order to safely provide power to the circuits in your home.
• Check out the features – Generators come with a lot of different features that can make the unit more convenient to use and even safety features that make it safer. Knowing what features you want and need will help you find the right unit.

Know Your Wattage and Run-time Requirements

There are two distinct power measurements that you want to know about generators. First, you need to know about the starting watts and second, you need to know about the running watts. The starting wattage is the amount of energy something like an appliance requires once you start it up or at its peak usage. Whereas, continuous power is the number of requirements to keep the appliances running under normal operating conditions. Each of these is measured in terms of wattage.

Engine

This is what powers the entire generator. If the generator has a powerful engine, it will operate with greater overall efficiency. While the performance may not always coincide with the size of the engine itself, you will typically get greater performance and capabilities the larger it is. An example of a generator that goes along with this idea is the HONDA EB10000. This is a generator with a huge engine and it is easily one of the top generators in terms of performance on the entire marketplace. However, there are generators that have smaller engines that are more powerful than their larger counterparts. Checking the rated and peak power marks is the very best way to determine how good the engine actually is.

Fuel Tank Capacity

If your generator has a huge fuel tank, the longer it is going to be capable of running without having to refill it. Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that a smaller tank is going to require a lot more refueling. Because of this, if you are planning on using a generator in shorter spurts, you might not have any issues with a smaller tank. For those who are looking to run the generator for several hours in a row, you may want one that is much larger. However, some may prioritize performance over fuel tank capacity.

Run-time

This is the total amount of time the generator will run prior to the fuel reserve getting depleted. In general, 7 to 8 hours is good enough. While some do deliver less, some give as many as 11. You want to try to choose a run-time that is as long as you plan on running it.

Outlets

The majority of the generators you will find come with multiple 120V outlets, a 120V/240V outlet, and even a 12V DC outlet. This makes it very possible to run all kinds of different electronics, appliances, and products. However, if the unit doesn’t have the right outlets, you will likely be stuck with only being able to power appliances that have smaller requirements and you won’t be able to charge batteries.

Noise

You may be concerned with the noise level that the generator produces. Some generators will be noisier than others. Typically, you will find gas generators to be much noisier than propane alternatives. However, portable generators usually have a noise level ranging between 72 dBA and 80 dBA. Therefore, you will want to stick to choosing as quiet of a generator as possible if you are looking for something that isn’t going to disturb the entire home or if you are using it for an RV. After all, you don’t want your generator to cause a disturbance in your neighborhood. However, if you aren’t in a neighborhood that has a lot of houses or you are very far apart, you may opt for a louder generator to get a better performance out of it.

Size, Weight, Portability

If you plan on doing a lot of moving around with the generator in question, you are likely going to want to choose one that has greater levels of portability. While you shouldn’t look for one that you can lift on your own, you do want to try to find one that has a lot of portable features including wheels and even handles that make it easier to move around. You will find many 10000 watt options on the market that have good portability features.

Warranty

You don’t want to purchase a generator that doesn’t come with a warranty. Even when you are diving in the bargain bin, you want to have a warranty. Luckily, every major manufacturer is going to offer a warranty with the purchase from an authorized dealer. You will find warranty periods ranging from 1 to 3 years. Some will offer limited warranties and some may offer full warranties. Therefore, you should be certain you know what the warranty covers if this is a factor in your buying decision.