1. DuroMax XP4400E
4,400 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable
Generator With Wheel Kit And Electric Start

2. Customer Review of the PowerMax XP4400
We live in Southern Louisiana, smack-dab in the middle of hurricane alley,
and decided to purchase a backup generator to deal with power outages in the
event of an emergency. I wanted sufficient power capacity to run our
refrigerator, a small portable AC, a few lights, a small TV, charge our cell-
phones, and occasionally charge laptop batteries. We figured that around 3000
continuous watts and 4000 surge watts would be sufficient for our needs.
There are several generators sold by the hardware chains (Lowe's, Home Depot)
that fit this description, but they're priced around $600 - $700. After some
research on the internet, we decided that the PowerMax XP4400 would match
our needs, and suit our budget. Just before purchasing it, on an impulse I
decided to get the model with the battery powered electric starter, instead of
the one that has a rip-cord. Our purchase price (on eBay - from MaxTool - the
same company selling them on Amazon) was $469.99, including a cover for the
generator, and shipping.
The generator was shipped Fedex Ground and took about a week to arrive. The
external cardboard box showed signs of rough handling during transportation,
but the generator was well packed in foam, and not damaged during shipping.
The whole box weighs about 130 lbs, and it helped me considerably that the
Fedex driver wheeled it right into our garage. Unpacking took about 20 minutes.

3. There are a couple of shipping braces that support the engine during shipment
that take a little while to remove.
The first thing I did was to flip the generator upside-down on a mat to install the
wheel-kit. There are tools provided with the generator to get the wheels and
handles on. As shipped, the tires were sufficiently inflated to bear the weight of
the generator.
After flipping the generator right way up again, I filled it with SAE30 oil. We live
in a relatively warm climate, so I chose 10W30. If you use generator oil, make
sure you chose oil made for a four-stroke engine. The oil-fill tube is awkwardly
placed - I have a funnel with a tube at the end out it, and found that I had to use
it to avoid spilling oil. It takes about 20 oz of oil. To condition the engine, I
would suggest changing the oil after 6 hours of run-time, then twice after 8
hours, and every 20 - 30 hours beyond that.
After filling it with gas (there is a mesh fuel-filter underneath the gas cap, I
turned the fuel valve on, and started the generator. The engine turned right
away, but wouldn't start. This turned out to be an error on my part - it dark, and
what I thought was the fully-off position for the choke was instead the fully-on
position. After moving the choke to the correct position(fully-off), the engine
started up. It is pretty smoky and sputters until the choke is opened. After that
it runs very smoothly,with no visible smoke in the exhaust. I don't know what
the noise level is, but it is sufficiently low that it doesn't bother me when the
generator is running outside the house, and I am on the inside.
The control panel has two 120V outlets (20 Amp), and one 30 Amp outlet that is
switchable between 120V and 240V. There is also a 12V outlet to charge a car
battery. There is a circuit breaker and a voltmeter. During my initial tests,
between 60 watts and 2400 watts of load the voltage stayed at 115 volts, and
didn't drop. I haven't tested higher loads yet.
So far, we are quite satisfied. The PowerMax XP4400E is built well, works well,
and is less polluting that more expensive Honda, Subaru, and Yamaha powered
units sold at the hardware chains.
And a little tip - for any small engine that is run infrequently. Make sure you mix

4. the fuel with some anti-oxidant such as Stabil before putting it in the tank. Gas
mixed with anti-oxidant should last for about one year.
Six month update (August 2009) - the generator still works like a champ. Some
of the bolts worked themselves loose through the vibrations, so I've tightened
them. No other major problems.
Eighteen month update (September 2010) - no problems yet. But I finally got
around to installing a transfer switch to connect the generator to the main
breaker panel in our house. I recommend this highly - it is far better than
running cords all over the place, or back-feeding the main panel, which is illegal
and very dangerous for linesman working on the utility company's lines.
Reliance Controls makes a pre-wired six-circuit transfer switch (31406/30406)
that is perfect for this generator and is available from Amazon. Took me about 3
hours to install, 2 of which were spent flush-mounting it in the drywall.
Thirty month update (August 2011) - no major problems. I hadn't run the
generator for a long time, but with hurricane season here, it was time to change
the oil, fill it with gas, and make sure it still worked. The oil looked clean, but
had only been used about 8 hours since the last change (a year ago). The
electric start wouldn't work (battery was run down), and I flooded the engine.
The rip-cord start worked on the second or third pull. I ran the generator for an
hour, and will test whether that was sufficient to charge the battery within a
week or two. It would have been wiser to unhook the battery while the unit was
in extended storage.
Update (November 2011) - first problem with generator. One of the tires was
flat when I pulled it out today to power the leaf vac for the backyard. I hoped it
was just a question of the air leaking out, but the dang thing wouldn't retain air
when I filled it. For now, I've sealed the leak with a few squirts of tire
sealer/inflator, but I don't know if it will hold. A new tire is anywhere from $20-
30, and replacement tube is about $10. The generator engine/windings
themselves work fine.
42 month update (August 2012) - getting ready for Hurricane Issac. Generator
fired up and ran under load perfectly. I hadn't run the generator since
November of last year, so I had to pull-start it and was charged within an hour.

5. However, the green slime no longer works to fix the flats in the tires, so I had to
get two new tires. Harbor Freight has some inexpensive ($7.99/ea, item 47638,
8" non-marring rubbing tire) inflatable tires that are the same spec as the tires
this generator came with (270 lbs maximum weight load at 30 psi), expect
they're a relatively bright pink-red. So far - after almost 4 years, my
maintenance costs have been limited to generator oil and two tires. That's not
bad for a generator in this price range.
75 month update (June 2015) - getting ready for the Atlantic hurricane season.
Battery was dead, and will no longer charge. But the generator started up after
a few pulls with the rip-cord. Ran perfectly under load (through a transfer
switch) for about an hour and then I shut it down. Still totally satisfied.
Source - http://www.5000watt-generator.com/