Its a 30 year old 5000 watt Generac with a 10 HP Briggs “IC” (industrial) engine. We bought it at Costco. It is hooked into the service panel with several different safety devices. It will run everything in the house but the oven, and we have to be careful not to run two high amperage devices that are both on the same side of a 120v branch. So we do not use the toaster and the microwave at the same time unless we plug the toaster into a dining room outlet.
A few years ago I bought a Honda clone powered generator that was quieter with a higher HP and wattage rating, in case this one finally died, but it just keeps going and going. I shut it down every 24 hours and check the oil, and then start it back up. It goes througb very little oil. I try to change it once every season. I have an aftermarket wattmeter and hour meter on it. We typically put a couple hundred hours on it every year.
Thanks. So for someone starting new would you recommend the Honda as first choice?