Blue Max GEN 4000 4,000 Watt 6.5 HP OHV Gas Powered Generator (Non-CARB Compliant)

I live on the coastal side of Houston, and ordered this generator as Tropical Storm Eduard approached. I am an Amazon Prime member so I opted for the $3.99 next day delivery! Sure enough as the storm hit and the 40 mph wind blew rain sideways, the ol' UPS truck delivered the little genny to my door! The power never went out with Eduard, so I simply filled it with oil and gas and cranked it up and checked it with an electric drill, then put it away.

Next came Hurricane Ike. I loaned the Blue Max to my son and his family (son + wife + 2 small children) the day after the storm, since they had no power. They ran it 16 to 24 hours a day for 15 days, running a 9000 BTU window unit air conditioner, a freezer, TV, and various other small loads. It has performed flawlessly. It starts on the first pull and runs like a champ. It is relatively quiet, too. Probably too noisy for a campground, but for emergency power failure use, it is not even noticable if you are indoors and it is outside. Even outdoors, it is not objectionable if your are 20' to 30' away.

It used enough oil during the first couple of days for the low-oil shutdown to work (good thing it had a low-oil shutdown!), but I reckon that was the piston ring break-in period, as it has not used any detectable amount since.

I was a little leary of a Chinese lo-buck piece of equipment, but I can't argue with the performance! The value of this little sucker over the last 2 weeks alone has exceeded the price I paid for it!

Right after Hurricane Ike hit we were told to expect to be without power for 2-4 weeks. I knew we would need a generator to survive this Houston heat but all the stores from Houston to Dallas were sold out (of course). So, while still in Fort Worth at my sister's house, I hopped online and ordered this unit with next day delivery from Amazon (BTW this order alone made my Prime purchase worth it). Called UPS and explained that I needed the generator ASAP so I could return to Houston to start the cleanup process. They dropped it off in the morning instead of the usual afternoon time and we were on our way.

* Pros
- CHEAP! even with a separate wheel kit it was cheaper than the cheapest I could have bought at a home store. BTW BUY the wheel kit as this is a heavy thing.
- It works! We have a frig, A/C and TV!
- starts first pull every time

* Cons
- It is a noisy - this ain't no Honda but then it doesn't cost nearly what a Honda generator does.
- Overall quality is poor
> voltmeter is not close to accurate
> the A/C power produced is a dirty
> the gas gauge stopped working after a single fill-up
> starter has a long pull and only engages towards the end of the spool (but that little bit is enough to start the engine)
> fuel valve doesn't work (thankfully it is always open)
> total poor fit and finish
- Instructions leave a LOT to be desired.

Overall I still recommend it but wish they would work on the details and make this a much better unit.

I ordered this generator the day after losing power as a result of IKE,even though I live in KY! We had tremendous winds that knocked the power out to almost 300k homes. I got mine in a day thanks to Amazon Prime! Added oil and filled the tank and it started on the first pull. It has almost a weeks worth of running on it and the only complaint I have is that is appears to be using a little oil I don't know if that is to be expected? Some oil use during a break in period may be part of the process, but I do know the low oil shutoff works. It's too bad there isn't a light to tell you why it shut down.

I used this little guy for a couple of days and it was loaned to a friend for 4 more. No problems other than the oil being low on two occasions. Like I said, this may be part of the break in process.

Once I get it home I plan to drain the current oil out and replace with synthetic oil and run it some more as a test. We don't lose power that often, but when we do I'll be ready.

Excellent generator. It is easy to turn on not very noisy and extremely dependable. I use it as a back up for my fridge and some power tools and would recommend it. Its not too big and fairly easy to move.

It has a run time of about a day and half. I think its one of the best on the market. I paid about 275.00. I think its one of the best deals out there for under $300 I dont think you can go wrong.

Bought this just before hurricane Ike hit Houston. Starts with one pull and runs like a champ. Didn't get to use it for the house supply, as we left town, but used it for power tools to clean up yards after our return.
As in other reviews, it ran quieter than expected but had no damage from shipping. It's a terrific unit and easy to operate. Used a funnel with a flexible hose to add exactly 1 pint of oil with no mess. Attached wheel kit with cute little pneumatic tires for convenience. The handle that comes with the wheel kit is totally useless, though. After assembly, you can only pull the handle end of the generator straight up, but you cannot walk with it or pull it that way. Someone needs to rethink the handle design. The generator was great - had 500 more kilowatts than my brother-in-law's generator and got it $100 cheaper! Bigger toys mean more points, right?