Generators. A word that almost every other person knows. In simple words, it is equipment that helps you power up your electric appliances when there’s a power outage due to whatever reason.
But what most of the customers do not know is that choosing a generator that accurately meets your needs is a tough task. There are several options that you get from the best brands in the market, but without knowing your exact needs, you will not be able to choose the one that gives you the cost-efficiency.
But if you are looking for generators that can power up most of your home appliances, your RV, etc., 5000-watt generators will be the perfect match for them. Our experts have come up with a list of some of the best 5000-watt generators that have different features which might meet your requirement.
We have also made sure that when it comes to choosing from the best generators, you get the best of the best, and you will be able to do it with an expertly crafted buying guide that will help you choose among the best.
| Westinghouse WGen6000 (Best Overall)
 
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| Champion 100519 (Highest Power Output Inverter Generator)
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| WEN 56475 (Cheapest)
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| Champion 100231
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| WEN GN625i
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| Westinghouse iGen4500
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| DuroMax XP5500EH
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Table of Contents
Best 5000 Watts Generator
1. Champion 100231 6900/5500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator
Champion has been a top choice for some customers when it comes to getting a generator that is high in performance and even better in longevity. You can use this generator in whatever you like, whether propane or gas.
Because the generator is 5500 watts, it can power up almost every other appliance in your house. Now because the generator is powered by oil, if the oil finishes and you haven’t filled it up, it will damage the engine of the generator, but with this generator, you do not have to worry as it has an auto shut-off system when there’s 1.2 quarts of oil.
You can quickly switch between the fuel sources very quickly with the Champion’s selector switch. There is one thing that you will only get in the Champion generator is its intelliguage which will keep track of the voltages, hertz, along with the runtime of the generator.
Moreover, this generator is quite easy to move around whenever required with the wheels that it has. However, you might require some help due to the heavy weight.
There are different outlets in the generator that are very helpful when it comes to connecting different devices to the generators. These outlets include 120/240V, as well as 30A locking outlets and four 120V 20A GFCI protected household outlets.
The starting watts of the generator is 6900 watts, and the running watts of the same is 5500 watts. For all, the generator’s engine is one of the most important things that you can check out before purchase, and this champion generator will not disappoint you with its 4-stroke 389cc OHV engine.
In addition to all of that, you get a 3-year limited warranty along with free lifetime support.
Pros
- Capacity for dual fuel
- Automatic voltage regulation
- Portable and the tires do not get flat
- Multiple outlets
- Selector switch to switch between fuel sources
- 3-year limited warranty and lifetime customer service support
Cons
- You will have to purchase the service breaker with outlets separately
2. DuroMax XP5500EH RV Ready Dual Fuel Generator
There are few names in the market when it comes to the great generator, and these brands are always coming up in the market as the most purchased and most trusted brands. One of the brands on this list is DuroMax.
This generator by them is quite useful, and you can use it for multipurpose, you can use it to power your RV, you can use it for your camping trip or in some scenarios you can even use it to power the appliances in your house.
With its capacity of 5000 watts, it will not fail in providing the best performance without any kind of power breakage.
The starting watts of the generator is 5500, and the running watts of the generator is 4500 watts. It is perfectly capable of handling heavy loads of equipment like refrigerators, lights, and even air conditioners.
The dual-fuel technology of the generator will let you choose the way of operation from gas or propane, and the powerful engine with 224cc OHV will make sure that you are receiving the best performance.
The MX2 technology lets you get the maximum power out of the 120-volt receptacles. You can choose between 120V and 240V simultaneously, and you will not be facing any issues in the power supply.
The generator is equipped with a fully-featured power panel to get you to use almost all the outlets that you will need. These outlets include 120V household GFCI outlets along with 120v/240v 30A twist-lock outlets. There is also one 12V DC charging post that lets you charge the external batteries as well.
Pros
- Easy to use with the dual-fuel capacity
- Quick start function for emergency use
- Low oil auto-shutdown to protect the engine of the generator
- Less noise compared to the other generators
- Multiple outlets and MX2 technology for better voltage performance
Cons
- You get less runtime in this generator even though the performance is better
3. Champion 100519 6250-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator
Next on our list is yet another generator by Champion because if we were listing the best 5000-watt generators, there was no way we were going to miss this amazingly easy-to-use generator by Champion.
If you are looking for a generator that has quiet technology along with the extended runtime, you might want to shortlist this unit in probable generator purchase. With its 6250 starting watts and 5000 running watts, this generator has the capacity to provide you with 12.5 hours of runtime on full capacity.
Champion has done some tests on the generator and has claimed that the generator is 50% quiet 20% light in weight compared to the other generators with the same power supply capacity.
Like we have already learned that Champion generators have intelliguage that helps you keep track of everything that’s happening in the generator, including voltage frequency, the running time, etc.
Because the generator is operated on fuel and the weight of the same is around 121 pounds, you can easily carry the generator on your camping trips as well.
They are very easy to use with the different outlets in the generator, including 120V/240V 30A locking outlet, there’s 120V20 GFCI household outlets, four of them in total, and there’s also a 12V DC automotive-style outlet.
If you have taken the generator on a camping trip, there is one USB outlet that you can directly use to charge your phone as well. We definitely cannot forget to mention that you will also be getting a 3-year limited warranty by the Champion and a lifetime of free customer support whenever you require it.
Pros
- Operates on fuel hence easy operation
- Multiple outlets for better and optimized use
- It starts easily with the quick electric start
- You get long runtime compared to the other generators
- It is also light in weight when compared to the other generators with the same capacity
Cons
- There’s no less noise as they claim; it is as loud as the other generators
4. WEN GN625i 120V/240V 6250-Watt Inverter Generator
WEN has been providing great and highly performing power tools for decades now; surely one of their generators was going to make its way onto our list. WEN is also known to provide all of that at an affordable price.
This particular generator with a 4-stroke 301cc OHV engine makes it great in performance. With the starting 6250 watts and the running watts of 5000, you can power up almost any home appliance with this generator.
The generator is operated on the gas, and a 4.2-gallon gas tank helps you have a running time of 8.1 hours. This generator will be the source of a clean and nonstop power supply whenever you will require it.
Even if you want to carry this generator on your camping trip or power up your RV, you will be able to do that. In addition to all of that, this generator is quite portable because of its less weight and wheels that never get flat.
There are multiple outlets that you can use, it includes 120V nema 5-20r receptacles, and there are two 5v USB ports that let you charge your smartphones directly from the generators.
There is one 120v/240v transfer switch ready nema with 14-30r twist lock and one more 120v RV ready tt-30r receptacle. What we like the most about the generator is that it is gas-powered, so you can easily start whenever you require. If you are looking for a generator that will power up your RV, your search might end with this generator.
Pros
- It is a lightweight generator
- It does not make much noise like the other generators
- It is quite compact in size; hence it can easily be carried anywhere you want
- The cost of this generator is less, and it is quite affordable
- Easy to operate
Cons
- You will have to make sure that you are not using the generator in the maximum load. It might not work
- Little less running hours compared to the other generators with the same capacity
5. Westinghouse iGen4500 Portable Inverter Generator
Westinghouse is known for providing the power tools that are amazing in the design as well as amazing in performance too. However, these generators have the starting watts of 4500 at their peak and with 3700 rated watts.
With the generator being gas-powered, you can easily use the generator as per your requirement and whenever you want it. In fact, with the weight of the generator being just around 93 pounds, you can even carry it on your camping trips. You can even start the generator remotely without much fuss.
There are different outlets in the generators that you can use to make sure it powers up the appliances and the gadgets that you want to power up.
These outlets include five 20R 120V Duplex household outlets, an RV-ready tt 30R 30 amp outlet, and there are two USB outlets that let you charge your phone directly from the generator itself. The generator is quite known for being one of the quiet generators that you can get.
If you are looking for a generator that gives you quite some long-running hours, your search might end with this generator as it can run on 3.4 gallons of gas for a total number of 18 hours at the maximum capacity.
There is even an economy mode that you can switch to whenever you require. When we look into the engine of the generator, we are sure that even the engine does not disappoint with being 224 cc and high performing.
Westinghouse is known for providing the best power tools that are always the same amount effective as they clam their generators to be.
Pros
- Smaller and better in design
- A perfectly portable generator that can power up your RV
- 224 cc engine
- 18 hours of runtime
- Multiple outlets in the generator with an easy access
- Light in weight
- The generator can be controlled with the remote
- LED display for better control
Cons
- Westinghouse has poor customer service
6. WEN 56475 4750-Watt Portable Generator
We have yet another generator by WEN on our list, and just like the other generator, this generator is quite popular among the customers for being high in performance and even better when it comes to the pocket-friendly price.
This 5000-watt generator is the perfect choice if you are looking for a generator that can be used for multipurpose. The 223 cc engine will power up most of your house appliances, and if you want to power up your RV, this generator has got your back.
With the surge watts of 4750 and the rate watts of 3750, you can make the best out of this generator. And like we mentioned, if you are looking for a generator that is highly portable, this might be the right generator for you, with weight being just about 112 pounds.
The specific reason that these generators are more preferred is that they are CARB-approved and meet the EPA III requirement to be sold in a total number of 50 states.
There are a number of outlets in the generator that makes this generator ideal for a number of customers. These outlets include a standard 5-20r household outlet of two 120V receptacles, 30-amp 3-prong receptacles of L5-30, and 120V RV receptacles.
You can even connect your television, refrigerator, etc., with the generator, and the generator will provide you with about a total of 10 hours of runtime in just half load, which is pretty ideal in this size of the generators with just a 4-gallons of gas.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Quite long hours of running time
- CARB and EPA-III approved
- A portable generator that you can use for camping
- Multiple outlets
- Lightweight
Cons
- The build is ordinary, and it might not last long
7. Westinghouse WGen6000 Portable Generator
Last but not least, we have a generator by Westinghouse that is perfect to power up your whole house. The Westinghouse is known for providing the best quality Power Tools that you can get at a very affordable price.
The powerful 420cc 4-stroke OHV engine makes sure that you are getting the best of the generator when it comes to great and high-end performance.
You do not have to spend much time setting up the generator because you can just use it as soon as you get it out of the box. There are multiple outlets in the generator, including two GFCI 5-20r 120V household outlets that are duplex receptacles.
There is one transfer switch ready for L14-30R 120V/240V twist-lock receptacles and a few more. And the best thing about these outlets is that they all have rubber covers for the safety locks and with that, you can easily avoid any accidents regarding the power and electricity.
The Westinghouse generator with 6000 running watts and 7500 peak watts capacity will make sure that the power that you are getting is clean and without any breakage. You will be receiving a 3-year limited warranty upon purchase of this generator.
The best thing about this generator is that it is EPA and CARB approved, and it does not emit any smell while it is working on gas, so you can rest assured that you will not be getting any foul odor emitting from this generator.
Pros
- Easy to use and maintain
- EPA and CARB approved
- Transfer switch ready
- There are multiple outlets in the generator
- You will receive a 3-year limited warranty
Cons
- The build quality of the generator is not impressive
- The portability of the generator is not much preferable
Buying Guide for 5000 watts Generators
When it comes to purchasing a generator, you will be faced with many options as well as hurdles. If you figure out what kind of generator you exactly need, you will face another challenge of choosing the right one from the number of options.
Generators are something that does not come cheap and take the piece out of your pocket; now imagine choosing the wrong generator. But we are sure that with the help of our article you can choose the generator that meets your needs perfectly and lasts you for a lifetime.
Before we can head any further into the buying guide, let us learn about the different types of generators that are available in the market.
Types of Generators
Portable Generator
Portable generators are mostly preferred by the customers who want a generator they can move around. They are compact and easy to carry around whenever and wherever they want. They are mostly run on gas propane or solar because as they are portable, you will need an energy source that is quite quickly available.
Most camping or road trip enthusiasts prefer this kind of generator because they can even put it in their car or use it at home whenever the need arises to use it. Portable generators are not an ideal choice if you want to power up your heavy household appliances.
Inverter Generator
Inverter generators are something that you look to purchase when you want to power up your whole house on generators. Most of the time, this inverter generator is purchased for houses that face power outage issues.
You will get a steady flow of electricity from this kind of generator. All you have to do is connect it to the operating source, and it will be ready to provide you with the electricity with its maximum capacity.
Although, what you need to learn is inverter generators produce electricity in three phases AC, DC, and once again via AC output. These phases of the inverter generator make sure that you are getting a steady output of electricity that does not damage your appliances, or you do not face any issues with the electricity supply.
Gas or Diesel Generators
Gas or diesel generators come in different sizes, and you can choose based on your requirement of the output that you want out of your generators. They run on different varieties of different gas, or some particularly work with only diesel; based on your requirements for the same, you can choose the generators that work on your preferred option for the power source.
They are quite lightweight and depending upon the weight and the capacity, some of these kinds of generators are portable as well. You just have to make sure that you are choosing the one that meets your needs the most.
Gas generators often come at a low price when compared to diesel generators because they have vast performance differences when it comes to running time.
Standby Generators
If the budget or cost-control is something that is not your priority when it comes to purchasing a generator, you can choose one of the standby generators. The reason that they are quite costly is that they are portable and highly efficient when it comes to performance.
You can use it however you want, whether to provide electricity to your home appliances, whether to carry it in your car in case of emergencies, whether to carry it on your road trip or camping trip or sometimes to power up your farmhouse too.
They have a large fuel tank which not only helps with a number of appliances, but despite that, they also provide you with a longer running time.
You can choose between these different types of generators based on your needs and choose the one that meets your budget as well as your requirement. However, these different generators will have different capacities of power supply, so you will have to check about those too.
How is it possible to power your house with a 5000 watts generator?
This is a question that you might have in your mind. 5000 watts generators are the most sold generators in order to power up the houses in case of emergencies.
Now we all know that every different house has different needs for the generators, you will have to figure out whether or not the appliances in your house match with the supply of 5000 watts generators. Even before that, you will have to figure out the difference between the starting watts and the running watts.
Technically the starting watts of the generator is usually the peak watts that the generators perform on, and the running watts of the generators are something that you will have to check on because that’s what you will be considering to use in the operating of the appliances. No matter which generator you purchase, you will always have to consider the running watts of the generators.
Now, let us look into the appliances and how you can use them,
If you have an air conditioner that you want to operate on the generator, it will take out a minimum of 3800 watts. After that, with the remaining 700 watts, you can use any of the small appliances which do not consume any more than 700 watts.
But when it comes to powering up your central heating system, it will require about 5000 watts or above, so when it comes to required power, you might have to check and compare the watts that are needed for the same. Now coming to small kitchen appliances,
The toaster will take about 800 watts; your refrigerator will take about 700 to 1200 surge watts, depending on the size of the refrigerator. Then there’s the coffee maker and the dishwasher, which might take about 800 watts and 300 watts, respectively. If you are specifically looking to power up these appliances, a 5000 watts generator might become your ideal choice.
If you have these appliances and you have already set priorities to the appliances of the house that you want to function on the generator, you will know whether a 5000 watts generator is sufficient for your house or not by now and you must have learned that it is sufficient enough to power your house.
What should I look for before deciding which 5000 watts generator to purchase?
There are so many brands that provide you with some of the best generators, and these generators might have different features than what you need. You will have to keep check of all the aspects of the generator before you select one that matches your needs. It is not necessary that the same generator that is quite perfect for your house might be perfect for your farmhouse.
The need for the appliances to power up is also one of the points that you will have to consider. Let us see some features and points to consider before you choose the perfect 5000 watts generator for your house.
Appliances you want to function
This is the topmost thing that you will have to consider before you choose and figure out which 5000 watts generator is the best for you. Depending on the surging watts and the running watts that the appliances need, you can check for the same in a 5000 watts generator.
Once you figure out the number of appliances and the performance level of the generator, you will know which generator is the right choice for you.
Fuel Capacity
You will have to figure out the purpose of getting the generator. Once you figure out how long you want your generators to run, you can know about the fuel capacity of the generator.
Some generators can work after you refuel the tank even if they have completed one cycle of running time, whereas there are those who will require a certain resting time before you can refuel them and start them again.
You will have to figure out the fuel capacity that the generators have based on it. If the fuel capacity of the generator is larger, you will get a longer running time, and if the fuel capacity of the generator is not high, you will have a short running time. Based on your requirement and ease of portability, you can figure out how much capacity you will actually need in your generator.
Source Switch
Most of the 5000 watts generator operates on fuel and propane, and there are those which let you switch between these two whenever you want it. Now, you know when the fuel in your generator is about to finish, and you will have to fill up the fuel again.
But when there’s an option with the switch that you can change between the source of an operation, it can give you even longer running hours. Although it is not something that might require a priority of function, if you’d rather have those generators that let you switch between two sources, then you should go for that kind of generator.
Noise
Most of the generators are operated on fuel, propane, gas, etc., along with an engine, so they are bound to make certain noises. But it’s necessary to know that some generators are louder than the other generators.
There is exactly no way to determine which one is louder than the other without just taking the seller’s word for it, but you can always get to know the noise in dB, so it is easier to figure out which generator actually makes less noise than the others.
You can also check if the generators have eco-throttle, which actually lowers down the voice even more than you expect them to.
Low fuel Auto-shutoff
It is one of the most important factors that you can check before you purchase or even shortlist the generator that you want to purchase. The low fuel auto shut-off function is useful when you want to make sure that the engine of the generator lasts longer.
What the generator does with this function is that it shuts itself off when there’s a certain level of fuel or oil remaining in the system. With this function, you can be sure that your generator will last you for a long time.
Intelliguage
Not all the brands that provide generators have the intelliguage feature in their generators. What this specific feature does is keep track of the hertz and the frequency that is being used with the generator, along with the running time of the generator.
This particular feature helps you maintain your generator better than before. With the running time and the frequency showing in the generator, you can easily know when there’s anything off in the generator. And when you do not have any idea about how much fuel or propane remains in the generator, it lets you track the running time leading to the ease of tracking and maintenance.
Running time
When you are getting a generator for your house, and you have a certain priority about which appliances you are going to function on the generator, having a clue about the running time that you can get from the generator is something that makes it easy for you to figure out which generator is best for your needs.
Even though we are looking into the generators with a 5000 watts capacity and almost all of them operate on fuel or propane, all of them will have a different running time. Some of the generators will only function for about 10 hours, whereas there are those which will give you a running time of about 18 to 22 hours.
Although, there’s a factor that affects the running time, and it is the capacity that’s being used. You can compare different generators with this factor before you choose the generator for purchase.
Engine
The engine of the generator is like the heart of the machine. If you end up choosing the generator with a weak and insufficient engine, the generator is not going to provide you the performance you wish it provided you.
You will have to check for the engine that has higher stroke capacity along with higher cc, and along with that, you will also have to check whether there are low or high emissions when it comes to the performance. When it comes to that, always choose the generators that have lower emissions; they are safer.
Auto start or remote start
This is a completely optional feature that you can avoid, but if you want your generator to pick up the power as soon as there’s a power outage, you can choose a generator that auto starts.
These kinds of generators are always connected to the appliances that you need to power on in case of emergencies, and what better way to do it than having an auto-start. There are some generators that also come with the remote that you can use to turn the generators on or off. They are more useful for places like hospitals and corporate offices.
Portability
This is also one point that you will have to consider if you are looking for a generator that you want for multipurpose use. You will have to check on the weight and the ease of the portability when it comes to that particular generator that you wish to get.
If you are looking for a generator that you want to keep in your car or use to provide electricity to your household appliances, you can choose that kind of generator. If you are spending money on the generator, why not get a generator that you can use for multipurpose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What can a 5000-watt generator run?
Ans– All the equipment which has a surplus of watts not exceeding 5000 watts can be run on these generators. For example, a coffee maker takes 1000 watts, and a microwave oven takes 1000 watts, a small unit of AC takes 1200 watts, the dishwasher takes about another 1500 watts. Now the surplus of all this is 4700 watts, now above this, you can only use an appliance that does not take up more than 300 watts.
Q. Will my 5000-watt generator run an air conditioner?
Ans– If your air conditioner doesn’t need any more watts than the running watts of 5000, then your Air conditioner will be run on the generator. If you know that your Air conditioner requires more than 5000 watts, and you are particularly looking for a generator that can power it up, you should purchase a generator that is compatible with that.
Q. Will a 5000-watt generator be able to power up my RV?
Ans– Yes. Generally, the 5000-watt generators are perfect to power up the RV units, but you will have to cross-check the surge watts and the running watts of the kind of RV that you have got.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to purchasing a generator that meets your requirement to power up your electric appliances without a fuss, you will have to check about all the different generators and the capacity of the generators.
What happens most of the time is that whatever generator you are getting is not compatible or sufficient for whatever you want to power up; you will be wasting your money. To ensure that it doesn’t happen, we have prepared this article after thorough research on different 5000-watt generators and different aspects that affect their performance.
With the list that we have compiled above, you can choose one among them without any worries as they are the best thing in the market at the moment and we hope that our buying guide will help you choose the one that’s very accurate to your needs.
