Briggs and Stratton 10 HP OHV Gas Powered Portable Generator Review
briggs and stratton portable generator
Remember the old science fiction stories from the fifties and sixties? The future was going to be bright and shiny, we wouldn’t have to work, and there would be machines and robots to do all the hard work and the boring stuff. OK so we were going to have to wear very silly clothes but it would be worth it for a life of luxury and pleasure.
So here we are in the future! Not looking so rosy is it? Global warming, natural disasters seem to be on the increase, hurricanes and ice storms leave whole communities without power. Experts keep warning about power shortages and we rely so much on electricity these days. Looks like it’s time to get my own power source.
In future I might take at look at wind generators and solar panels but first I think one of the best short term solutions is a portable generator. I didn’t know there was so much to learn! After a lot of research it looks like one of the best on the market is the Briggs & Stratton 10 HP OHV Gas Powered Portable Generator it’s certainly one of the best sellers on Amazon.
So now I’ll share all you ever need to know about the Briggs & Stratton portable generator.
Things You should look for When Buying a Portable Generator
I soon found out there are some things that are really important when buying a generator. Such as:
- Engine
- Unit size
- Unit weight
- Gas tank size
- No of watts both running and starting
- No of outlets
- Surge protection for your electronic devices
- Noise Level
- Wheels
- Run time
- Servicing and spare parts
Don’t just shop on price if you want a power generator that’s not going to leave you feeling sorry you bought it. So let’s take a look at these important points in turn.
Engine
Did you know that Briggs and Stratton have been building engines for over 100 years? Their US workforce builds over 10 million engines a year, engines which are used to power all sorts of tools like lawnmowers, snow blowers and generators.
They must be doing something right as they outsell any other engine brand by 3 to 1, and 8 out of 10 of the leading lawnmower brands use their engines.
Easy to start with low maintenance and lots of power Briggs and Stratton engines are being constantly upgraded with the latest technology. The engines they make today emit 75% less emissions then the ones they sold before 1995. They are also 15% more fuel efficient then earlier models. The engines have a cast iron cylinder sleeve for durability and long life unlike most other generators which use aluminium cylinder sleeves.
Unit size and weight
The size of your portable generator is important, A lot depends onwhere and when do you want to use it. Do you need to carry it at any time? The Briggs and Stratton 10 HP generator is a pretty compact 28.2 x 22.6 x 24.1 inches in size. It weighs 179.4 pounds.
Gas tank size
The Briggs & Stratton backup generator has a generous 7 gallon gas tank, the bigger the tank and the more fuel it can hold means you get a longer running time without having to keep checking and stopping to re-fuel
Number of watts, both running and starting watts
The number of watts you need in a generator is figured out by making a list of all the appliances you need to run. In an emergency you might just want lights and a few appliances though some family homes also have medical equipment which needs power.
If you’re using your portable generator for recreational purposes like camping or fishing trips list what appliances you want to power, will you be using a cooker? Radio, portable TV. If you generator is for construction work how many power tools will need to be used at the same time? Will you need lighting?
You need to check the owner’s manuals for your tools and appliances to find the “running wattage” for each one and then add them together, now find the “starting wattage” for each appliance or tool.
Now add the highest of these “starting wattages” to you previous “running wattage” total. Now you know how much power your generator needs to start and run all your appliances.
Number of outlets
Once again you need to list how many appliances you want running at the same time so you can determine how many outlets you need. The Briggs and Stratton 8550 watt portable generator has no fewer than five outlets to power your appliances. What’s more the outlets are protected by a durable weather proof control panel to keep out rain, dust dirt and construction site debris. The outlets are all protected by circuit breakers.
Surge protection for electronic devices
If you’re going to be using your portable generator to run important and valuable electronic devices like laptop computers make sure they won’t get fried by a power surge. The Briggs & Stratton 10 HP generator has a “Power Surge” alternator which will protect your valuable electronic devices.
Noise Level
Have you ever tried to have a conversation next to a noisy piece of equipment like a generator? It would also be nice if the noise from your generator wasn’t louder than your radio or TV. So you want to make sure you choose a quiet portable generator.
The Briggs and Stratton generator has a patented “Super silencer” muffler and spark arrestor which makes it the quietest portable generator in its class. Now some users have said it’s noisy and some have said its real quiet, I guess some things, like noise levels are a personal judgement.
Wheels
The type of wheels your portable generator has may not seem like one of the most important features to look out for, but if it’s really going to be portable and it’s a little to heavy to carry than you’re going to have to pull it to where it’s needed.
If one of the tyres goes flat you could be in a jam. The B & S #030241 has “never flat” puncture resistant wheels, and they’re good size 10 inch wheels so you shouldn’t have trouble getting the generator over rough ground at a campsite or construction site.
Run time
Make sure you know how long your generator will run for, of course it depends on what you’re using it for, for instance if you’re a contractor then you should make sure you get at least 10 hours runtime to complete a days work. The Brigss and Stratton portable generator will run for 13 hours at 50 % load.
Servicing and spare parts
Briggs and Stratton portable generators are designed to be low maintenance and easy to look after, you should be able to do all the basic routine maintenance yourself. Regular care will mean easy starting and trouble free running. If you need a repair or a spare part there is a country wide network of dealers. You can also buy genuine Briggs and Stratton spare parts from their online store.
So how much does it cost?
I searched the Internet and found the best price for the Briggs and Stratton 10HP OHV gas powered portable generator was at Amazon right now you should get free shipping which makes it a great deal.
Does it include a warranty?
Yes the Briggs and Stratton 8550 watt generator carries a 2 year manufacture warranty.
What do users think?
This portable generator has some great reviews from satisfied users. In fact it gets a majority of 5 stars by a long shot.
Here are some of the user comments.
- “Easy start, lot’s of power and very portable”
- “Great buy for the money”
- “Buy it!!! Stop looking and get one of these……..”
- “Simple to assemble, start up, move around and store ~ I’m a 61 year old woman!”
- “Holy cow! I truly offer my highest recommendation for this product. It really works great”
Any complaints?
I found very few complaints on internet sites for this generator. As I said earlier some users complained about the noise, others didn’t. The only real complaints I found concerned shipping damage not the quality of the generator.
Where Can I buy the Briggs and Stratton 10 HP OHV Gas Powered Portable Generator?
Briggs and Stratton are strictly manufacturers, they don’t retail their own products but you can buy it from Amazon. When I compared prices on other internet sites it did seem that Amazon had the best price especially with the free shipping option.
Where can I see more customer reviews?
The most reviews I found from actual real users were at Amazon. Click here to read more
