3,600-Watt Gasoline Powered Recoil Start Portable Generator with CO Shutdown Sensor

4Cycle Oil HomeDepot

I obtained the 3,600-Watt Ryobi Portable Generator to maintain power to our two refrigerators, one small freezer, a few lights and a fan or two should we lose power during a hurricane. We were very fortunate to have been spared from the impact of any hurricanes this year. But, I did thoroughly test the generator in anticipation of having to use it. Each time I tested it, it started after only one or two pulls. It ran great and didn’t appear to burn an abundance of gasoline. I have two complaints with the generator, it lacks a 220/240 volt plug and an hour meter. The generator could run my water well pump if it had a 220/240 volt plug. And, I am accustomed to using the hour meter on my old generator to determine when to service the unit. It is almost impossible to remember how many hours something like a generator has run without an hour meter.

We lose power here during storms, so I thought it would be a good idea to (finally) get a generator for those blackouts. This was perfect timing as we had a Nor'Easter blow through taking out power for miles around and for almost 3 days! First of all, the kit was incredibly easy to put together. The axles for the wheels use a cotter-pin to lock into place, and the only tools needed were for the rubber pegs in the front (nut driver needed). Took less than 10 minutes from unboxing to running! BTW... don't forget to add oil (included in kit). I wasn't sure how this particular generator would handle typical home loads (like microwave, refrigerator, or coffee maker) but I was willing to try. The surge rating of 4500 watts seems to make a big difference in overall load handling as I didn't see the sag that I've seen with other generators. I could easily power any single device in the house, and took turns from fridge to freezer to microwave to keep things from spoiling and giving us an ability to heat food and coffee. I'm VERY happy with this generator and Ryobi gives it a high-value at reasonable price.

I'll go over some specifications and features of this unit and then share my experience using it. This generator has a 212cc OHV engine. It takes a NGK BP6ES or equivalent spark plug. This unit takes approximately 20 oz. of engine lubricant and holds up to 4 gallons of fuel (gasoline). The generator is rated 120v 60hz @ 30amps. Volts x amps = watts. So this unit gives you 3,600 running watts and 4,500 starting watts. The generator has single phase, 60hz outlets: two 120v ac, 20amp duplex receptacles and one 120v ac 30amp RV receptacle, great for recreational vehicles like campers. Each socket has a circuit breaker to protect the generator from electrical overload. There is an air filter that helps keep dirt and debris out during operation. The engine switch, fuel valve, choke lever, is used when starting, running, or stopping the engine. There is a ground terminal used to assist in properly grounding the generator to help protect against electrical shock. This unit has a carbon monoxide sensor that will power down the unit automatically if it senses unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. There is a low oil sensor that will shut down the generator when the oil gets to low to help protect from damage. Checking the oil level is easy with the built in cap/dipstick. Ryobi made this generator easy to drain the fuel or oil with drain plugs. You start this generator just like a lawn mower with the recoil starter grip. This unit has some assembly required. The assembly is minimal and very easy. You attach the wheels with the included washers and a hitch pins. You attach the feet with the included bolts. Then pour in the included lubricant and add your gasoline and you are ready to go. With the easy to read starter's guide I had this unit up and running in just a few minutes of opening the box. It also comes with an owner's manual for more details. It powered my chop saw, table saw, and some of my other high power consumption tools. I live in Massachusetts and just got hit with a northeaster storm. We lost power for a couple days but this generator kept us going. I used this unit to power my refrigerator, 2 TV's, a few lights, charge my tool batteries and to charge my portable electronics. This is my second Ryobi generator, I also own a smaller portable unit. I love both of them. I use the other unit to power my shed because it has no electricity and I bring it camping. My smaller Ryobi generator is super quiet but this unit is pretty much on par with other units in it's class. You are going to have a loud machine when you are getting this much power. When I first received this product the box was heavy and it took 2 of us to carry it to my shed. Once I got it out of the box and put the wheels on it is super easy for 1 person to move it around. The handle folds down making it more compact for storage. If I didn't have this generator I would have lost everything in my refrigerator and freezer this week. I am so happy I got it. I think you would be too. If you are looking for a generator give this a shot. You will not be disappointed. I am going to try and make a video review as soon as I have some free time.

Have someone with you when you unpack this beast. It’s about 120 pounds and the wheels come separate which means you’ve got a put those things on yourself, otherwise you’re not gonna move it far. It doesn’t take long to put the feet and the wheels on. Have two socket type wrenches on hand. One will be a 9 mm and the other will be a half inch for the feet. The wheels just snap on with cotter pins . The wheels are very nice and beefy. If you’re planning to pick this item up, it will fit in all small SUVs and beyond with the seat down. It won’t fit small car trunks unless you have straps for the trunk lid. Oil comes with it and I would save that bottle for in the future you may need to know the quantity needed. Have a good 5 gallons of gas handy if you plan to fire this thing up right out of the crate. Also be sure that you have some stabilizer for the off-season storage. And as far as the gas is concerned, all you need is regular gas and nothing more. Just be sure it’s a good grade gas as opposed to cheap gas. The cheaper gas always seems to have a bit more water content in it and it’s never good for a carburetor on a generator.. And it leads me to another important point that if you buy this unit, you have to be aware that if you rarely use it and even if you are in an area where you get a few uses, it will still be far less than using a snow blower. Take a careful look at all the warranty issues that come with this product. You’ll be OK, as long as every year you stay on changing the gas or stabilizing it and running it at least a couple of hours. The fourth photo I provided shows a thing that I completely missed. After filling it up with gas and making sure all the oil was in there, I pulled on this thing about 6 times with no results. I looked in the manual to see what I could further do, and I saw nothing. Then after looking on the side of the engine where the photo shows I found a red kill switch that was in the off position. Once I turn that thing on, it fired right up. There’s nothing in the manual on this feature or the quick start guide. After waiting about an hour, I decided to test the easy run feature and found easy to start. As far as the sound is concerned, it’s really not that quiet but it is a little quieter than most for its size. I plugged in an air compressor with a couple of outlets to see how far of a load it would take and It performed flawlessly. It’s really a nice machine…just be sure you find that kill switch to start the thing up.

your service sucked No longer am I HD customer

Great generator when it is running, but if you need to find parts, good luck. Ryobi doesn't support it, and there are no parts out there (i.e. gasket started leaking, should be an easy fix but no one sells the part). This is a lot of money to spend on something that can't be maintained and with today's ethanol based gas, will need parts replaced within 36 months.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bought in 2019 used for a fundraiser set in the garage till 2022 was hard to start but once it started it ran for 4 hrs. Now it starts on the 2nd pull

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We had a freak storm come through and take our power out. Home Depo just got these in and I was skeptical. However, this generator ran for five days straight. It powered Products in three trailers and an RV. That included three refrigerators, two deep freezers, multiple fans, cable, internet, some lights and a TV.