Customer Reviews for RYOBI 2,300-Watt Recoil Start Bluetooth Super Quiet Gasoline Powered Digital Inverter Generator with CO Shutdown Sensor

(Reviewed August, 2021) To explain my first comment: It's clear that the "promotional" reviews are skewing the ratings. I'm sure many were very happy with the product, but some of the comments seemed a little over the top and perhaps disingenuous. Now that I've actually owned this generator, I'm quite sure of it. I'll try to make this brief. I owned this generator for exactly one week, and took it camping with our 21' travel trailer in upstate NY to campgrounds that had no electricity. Upon return from the trip, I took it back - and I'm buying a different generator. PROS: - Lightweight (not the lightest in its class, but still quite light, with a wonderful luggage-handle and wheels. Very nice. - Built-in USB charging (didn't think I'd use that, but I did and it was super convenient). - The iPhone app (again, didn't think it would be useful; but being in the trailer and monitoring the generator was great, particularly since our generator was out of view. - Super quick start. Effortless. CONS: My band played a gig a month ago at a park, and we borrowed an inverter generator that was a competitor to this one, made by Generac. So I had something fresh to compare it to. In addition, when we were camping, these little inverters were EVERYWHERE. So I was able to walk around the campgrounds and compare how ours held up. Ours was the noisiest one of the bunch, in this category. No question. To be clear, the bigger generators (that require 2 people) are usually louder than these little inverter ones. But among the little guys, this one was the loudest one I heard (even though the DB listed is only like 5 DB or so above the competition. But it's not just the overall volume. It's the "sound" of the engine. It makes a high pitched metallic sound sometimes - when it's under a full load. And yes, before you ask, I did put oil in it... and this sound didn't sound defective, it sounded like "this is the way the engine sounds". Others have written that the engine idles roughly. That is accurate. It never seems to get smooth until it's under a bit of a load, and then this whirring sound kicks on. Then off. Then on.... it was actually embarrassing. I was self-conscious of it, and kept moving the generator around the campsite to not annoy too many neighbors. There aren't many settings on this, but the eco setting made no difference. I was incredibly disappointed, because I REALLY wanted to love this thing and have it forever. I took movies to show the folks at Home Depot when I returned it - they were great. Let's hope the Home Depot website folks don't censor this review because of my critical comments about the other reviews. PS: I thought the color was going to annoy me. It didn't. I actually thought it looked cool. Photo enclosed of it in the back of my car. had less features, but was noticeably quieter. Even though the DB rating was very close (I think 5 db difference) this one had a noticeable, high-pitched whine

Runs my AC and microwave in my camper trailer. Not at the same time, but still impressive. Love the app. It is also really quiet. Super impressed!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bough this today and I am very happy with the purchase I made. This is just what my family needed for camping trips.

This is a great product. I just used it for the first time. Having the ability to shut the generator down via bluetooth, is actually a great feature. I love it!

Note: This is my first generator, so I don't really have a good basis for comparison. Pluses: + Bluetooth connectivity + Digital display + "Moderate" price (at least relative to the gold standard of Honda) + Relatively lightweight Minuses - Pull start - Slightly rough idle - Near horizontal oil filler neck (difficult to pour in oil without making a mess) - Digital load meter doesn't seem accurate - reads strangely low I bought this for the recent Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events in Southern California. My parent's house lost power and it was out for going on 24 hours when I decided to buy this. I've owned it for maybe a month and a half. I ran it for 5 hours during the initial outage. Otherwise, it's sat in my garage until I fired it up this past weekend to do a test run, oil change, and drain the fuel. All in all, it seems to work fine. A few niggling things: the idle seems a little rough - even with nothing connected. The oil filler neck is almost horizontal, which makes adding oil a messy fair. The noise level is about what I expected. From what I have read, this unit is relatively quiet. Your neighbors will still be woken up by it if you start it up in the middle of the night. Based on my limited experience, one thing I would have done differently would have been to add fuel stabilizer *first* to the 5 gallon fuel tank before fueling the generator. We generally don't have super-long outages here, so 5 gallons should last a long, long time. Since I didn't add stabilizer before I initially fueled the tank, to had to drain it out again to mix in stabilizer. The Bluetooth is a nifty feature. I installed the app on my iPhone and it displays the fuel and load levels and estimated run-time left. (It basically mirrors what's on the built-in screen the generator.) One thing that surprised me is that there's a button to shutdown the generator on the app. It works, but failed on me once. All in all, based on my limited experience, I'd buy this again.

This inverter is LOUD. But it does seem to generate the power it says it does. I was able to run a fridge, heater, 75 inch tv, and all the network gear in my home for around 30 hours. The generator seems to kind of “miss” when in its auto idle mode and the fuel hose has started to wear a divit in it where Ryobi has a clamp “securing” it in place. Hose would need repair before its used again so im on the fence as to if ill keep it or not. But it seems to be a good price for a 4kw inverter generator.

Lightweight, easy to start. Pretty quiet but not as quiet as I thought, but still very nice and easy to use. Bad storm last week so we used it and it got us through.

Bought this for a camper but decided to wire it up into the breaker panel at home for emergencies. Was able to power a portable heat pump unit, tower space heater, fridge/freezer, tv, xbox and various lights and plugs for charging phones throughout the house all at the same time. Granted, we were riding the overload switch and it did trip a couple times but for a small generator like this, I cant ask for any more. Used almost two tanks of fuel in a 20 hour time span

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this to run 2 sump pumps yesterday during a power outage and it saved me! The bluetooth connection was a snap and allowed me to check the status while inside. The unit is very portable, but not super quiet. I don't have any other generator to compare it to, but I guess I was just hoping for something extremely quiet... which probably doesn't exist. This unit was easy to start and was able to handle 2 sump pumps and 2 phones. I ran into some issues with lights dimming so just keep that in mind when you're planning which appliances to use. You will need to pick/choose a few appliances at a time.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought it yesterday. It's compact, simple and easy to use.

Very nice generator. I ran 2 refrigerators And a sump pump for hours during a power outage with no problem. Still had room for more. The only thing I can say about it is it is a little noisy.

I bought this generator because of the price and weight. it's big enough to run my fridge, freezer, tv, and some lights when the power goes out. It is fairly qwiet and was easy to assemble. I've only had this for 2 mounths so I can't say alot about it but I have a ryobi 4 stroke weed wacker for over 12 years and that still suns great so I'm hopping this will last just as long. I have all kinds of ryobi tools and would recommend all of them. wish it had a 12 volt out put but it wasen't a deal braker for me. I would probly give it 5 stars if and when I have it longer.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] After experiencing my buddies while out on a camping trip, I knew I had to get one!! Quiet and reliable is what hooked me!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Everything about this generator is just easy... Simple controls and well designed... The Bluetooth feature is spot on from the installation on my cell phone, pairing with the generator and shutting down the generator when it is running... A-Plus for this tool!!!

This inverter generator is a great one. I'm replacing with it a Generac IX2000 that worked for only 2 years. When you open the box all you have to do is to install the wheels and the front shoes, to fill the motor oil (all included in the box) and to fill the 3.2 gals of gasoline tank. Then it is going to run for 12 hours approx. with a reasonable low level of noise. I'm so happy with this purchase and ready for the next hurricane season.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Great little powerhouse of a generator. Power went out for 24 hours and like others, we panicked. Went out and purchased this generator and after a bit of research determined it could run our refrigerator/freezer and standalone freezer at the same time. Saved $800 plus of food, so well paid for itself just in one use. Quiet and very easy to use. Also very compact and clean looking. Not bulky and has rollers, so easy to move. Highly recommend!!!

I have a 1969 42 ft Chris Craft Commander it has a full kitchen full frigerator stove oven 2 air condition condensers all the household products that a house has flat screen TVs video games computers it has two bathrooms all the lighting lamps also has a heat pump on it the generator handles all of it it works like a champ and it hardly makes any noise now I can sail the seven seas not worrying about running out of power

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I never thought I would use Bluetooth on a generator, but it has come so in handy that I feel silly now for not considering it.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Used for ice fishing and the job site. Works awesome and very quiet under load. Awesome product!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this product and i am so happy for. Great product, super silent, and is very eficient

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I purchased this unit 5 or 6 weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised when I unboxed the unit. Solidly built and ready to provide. All I had to do was read the directions, and add gas. I did that. Then I pulled and pulled and pulled the starter rope. Nothing! Upon further research I discovered that a worker at Ryobi installed the gas supply line incorrectly. After 2 hours of stressful repair I got the thing running. Quiet and ready for the next power failure. Notice the pinched gas line that did not allow any gas flow to the carburetor. Mistake by an employee in a hurry? I dealt with it and it now works.

This 4000 watt gasoline powered digital inverter generator requires very little assembly before you can use it. It was a lot lighter and quieter than I expected with the power that it allows. It can be easily moved on it's hard rubber wheels that never go flat. It is also equipped with a carbon monoxide detector that alarms when levels get too high and has an automatic shut off.

This is a nice unit that is perfect for a jobsite or campsite with your camper. 4000 watts provides enough power and a power outlet specifically for a camper hook-up. For the job site, there is plenty of power for your saws or other power tools. The large wheels make moving this generator easy but it is a bit too heavy for one person to lift into a truck. I'd recommend two for lifting. Assembly was easy as you only need to attach the wheels and the feet.The generator started up on the first pull and I was surprised how quiet it is when running. Overall a good purchase.

We camp in tents and with an RV so the Ryobi 4000 watt inverter generator was selected for 1) the safety of the carbon monoxide and 2) for the clean power of the inverter. Never really thought about carbon monoxide issue when running the generator for outdoor camping, however, it is good to know that protection is there for when we tent camp since carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. The Ryobi arrived in good condition. Only minor assembly with the wheels and feet. The Ryobi included the 18 ounces of engine oil and the funnel to help get it in. From unboxing to topping off the oil took roughly 20 minutes. Loaded the fuel tank with fuel and placed the choke in the start position. About 5 pulls and she started right up. I let the generator run for about 5 minutes to burn-off oil and paint then shut it off. A flip of the choke lever shuts the engine down. Later I tested the performance of the Ryobi on our RV. We have a 25 foot unit with A 30 amp shore power cord. I started the Ryobi and plugged in the shore power cord. I checked the voltage at my EMS (electrical management system) - 123 volts - perfect. Because of the floating neutral of the generator I could not leave the EMS in the circuit while on the Ryobi so I bypassed the EMS protection so I could run the air conditioner in the RV. The Ryobi kept right up. With the A/C and other loads I was pulling about 18 amps. The Ryobi naturally had to pull out of the auto idle to keep up with the load, but once the A/C compressor cut off and the amps dropped to 10, the Ryobi settled back to auto idle. I ran 4 hours and can't really see that much fuel was consumed - maybe 16 - 20 ounces. The generator construction is good - the engine and generator components are all-in-one. If you damage either, the entire set it likely totaled. It is heavy @ 85 pounds but it is about in-line weight wise with comparable 4000 watt inverter generators. It is a slightly louder than enclosed inverter generators, but not as loud as non-inverter or commercial type generators. Pros: -easy to cart around thanks to the solid tires and the folding handle design -because of the open chassis, there are several grab points for lifting -inverter technology - good clean power -safeties built in: low oil and carbon monoxide shutdown -easy to access power plugs -carburetor bowl fuel drain with hose -well built chassis -fuel tank supply shut-off incorporated with the choke/off lever Cons: -filling with oil is tricky. Ryobi includes a paper funnel which after one use its trash. Getting a regular funnel to the fill port is going to be tricky. I recommend the snorkel type -lacking a fuel gauge or window -draining the oil is almost as bad. Confined space to fit a wrench to reach the oil plug then when it drains, it runs onto the support bar -the 20 amp outlets have re-settable circuit protection but does not appear to have one for the 30 amp outlet. There is an overload but that is different than how the circuit breaker works Overall this is a good generator for camping or tailgating.

We have frequent power outages in our area so having a generator is a necessity. The Ryobi 4000 watt generator is the next best thing to a whole house generator and a lot less expensive. It was very easy to assemble. It is very easy to move around and starting it took very little effort. As generators generally are, it is noisy(72 db) but is comparable to other ones I have heard. Engine lubricant is included with the unit. It has a three year warranty. I have some other Ryobi products which have lasted awhile so I imagine that this generator will be a durable product as well. I am very satisfied with it.

I think I will like my new Ryobi generator (Model RYi4022X), but everyone should read the fine print in the Operator’s Manual about operation of the generator above an elevation of 3000 feet. Quoting from the manual “Your engine must be reconfigured for operation above the preconfigured altitude”’ either 2000 ft. or 3000 feet. I’ve included the entire High-Altitude Operation instruction from Operation Manual (page 15) for Model RYi4022X below. 1. HIGH ALTITUDE OPERATION “Your engine is configured for operation below altitudes of 2,000 feet for 099930628, or 3,000 feet for 099930627 at the factory. Your engine must be reconfigured for operation above the preconfigured altitude. Operating the engine with the wrong engine configuration at a given altitude may increase its emissions, decrease fuel efficiency, degrade performance, and cause irreversible damage. Engines configured for high altitude operation cannot be operated in standard altitude conditions. A qualified service center should ensure that your engine is properly configured for your location.” The other surprise I found in paper work that came with the generator is a statement that says the spark arrestor that is installed on this product has not been evaluated by the USDA National Forrest Service and the product cannot be used on U.S. forest lands. A picture of this notice is in my pictures. I have many Ryobi tools and the assembly of the unit was straight forward and well documented as is normal with Ryobi tools. First, you install the 2 front supports. I used a 2x4 under the frame of the generator to provide clearance to install the front supports. Second, the rear wheels are installed. Again, a 2x4 is a great aid in lifting the generator up high enough to easily install the rear wheels. The pictures in the instructions were very clear showing which parts go where. The third step was to add the engine oil through the dip stick port. The engine oil was provided in a separate box. You will need a long spout funnel to add the oil. The last step is to add the proper gasoline. It is a 4-cycle engine so “No” mixing of oil and gas is required. On my generator, I put the engine start lever in the start position and pulled the engine starting rope. The engine started on the second pull. The generator has many great features. An AC CIRCUIT BREAKER is provided to protect the generator against electrical overload. The circuit breaker may be reset by pressing the circuit breaker reset button on the front of the unit. To restore power, remove the last electrical load added, then depress the reset button. A low AUTO IDLE SWITCH is used to control the speed of the engine and conserve fuel. When the switch is in the ON (I) position and no appliances are connected to the unit, the engine will idle. If an appliance is added, the engine speed will increase to power the item. If the appliance is removed, the engine will return to idle. The generator has a carbon monoxide sensor for AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF. This sensor is designed to monitor the level of carbon monoxide present during generator operation. If the unit is positioned incorrectly and carbon monoxide levels rise to an unsafe level, the LED on the sensor will flash red and the generator will automatically shut down. Best of all, a LOW OIL SHUT DOWN sensor causes the engine to stop if the level of lubricant in the crankcase is insufficient. The engine may not be restarted until sufficient engine lubricant has been added to the generator. I like all the of the safety features and easy start lever on this generator. However, I live in Denver at a mile high and will have to get the high-altitude configuration installed. I plan to use the generator with my camp trailer so I will also have fix the spark arrestor. It would be nice if you could order a high-altitude version with a proper spark arrestor and not go through this additional set up through a Ryobi Service Center.

This is a super nice generator from Ryobi. Great generator to have if you only need one for camping or in the event power goes out and you are not trying to power your whole house. The generator starting watts of 4,000 and a 3,400 for running watts. That really is plenty to power if you are trying to power something like your fridge and an AC unit after a power outage with wattage left to power some lights or other electronic devices. I really like the features that the generator comes with like CO Detect. This really seems like a great feature Ryobi has added to protect people from potentially harming themselves by mistakenly putting their generator in an enclosed space. The CO Detect shuts the generator off if high levels of carbon monoxide are detected. Additionally, the generator has an ideal down feature for better fuel efficiency and reduced noise levels. Now granted it still sounds like a generator when running so it is loud. I also really enjoy the easy start feature on the generator which makes starting this thing up a breeze. The generator itself has 4 120v/20amp outlets and one 120v/30amp outlet, so that gives plenty of plug in capabilities. The wheels are rubber airless wheels so you do not have to worry about flats or anything like that. The generator comes with a sturdy and protective roll cage if it were to drop or roll over. specs wise it weighs in about 85lbs so not super light but also still manageable especially if you have 2 people moving it. the gas tank holds a little over 3 gallons and you can get about 12 hours of run time at 50% load. Overall this is a super nice generator that a homeowner really could get some use out of and shouldn't be afraid of the maintenance requirements. The only downside to the generator is you need to be careful when getting gas. The generator requires E10 or E0 gas and using anything higher than that voids the warranty and can cause damage to your generator.

With RYOBI I am ready for this hurricane season! This RYOBI 4000 watt portable inverter generator is an easy to use little powerhouse. Running at 72 db (compare to vacuum cleaner at about 70 db), it is as quiet as my neighbors pool pump when placed at the recommended 20 ft or more from home to avoid carbon monoxide. It has an auto shutoff if high carbon monoxide levels are detected. Just add feet and wheels upon arrival, requires socket wrench and combination wrench. Comes with 16 oz bottle of 4 cycle engine oil and paper funnel. Add ethanol free or up to ten percent ethanol gasoline only, along with stabilizer. The gasoline cap has a spill area that will run spillage off the side. It has an auto idle on off switch. Folding cushioned handle for easy storage. Simply pull pin out to fold down. Engine start directions are easy to read on side of generator with switches and buttons within easy reach. Just move lever to start, pull recoil (easily started first time after second pull), wait 15-30 seconds and move lever to run position. Comes with four 120v outlets and one 30A for campers, etc. A circuit breaker will prevent overload with easy reset button. This will easily run my fridge/freezer combo, a box fan, my tv and a light with wattage to spare. It is safe to use with small electronics like a computer, slow cooker, radio. There are electrical guides in the user manual to give you an idea of wattage and start up watts for appliances, tools, lights, fans, etc. It also includes cord/cable recommendations for this unit as well. Step by step directions on how to connect appliances to the generator. Low oil shutdown protector. Holds 3.3 gallons of gas per operating manual, at 50 percent load runs approx 12 hrs on a tank. Overall weight approx 85 lbs. RYOBI answered every question I had concerning the use and maintenance of this little gem.

After 'Irene', I developed an interest in generators. By the time 'Sandy' hit, less than a year later, I was fully prepared. While the rest of the town was out of power for almost 10 days, I was out for 10 minutes. Since then, I have watched as the power company does everything they can to avoid doing their job, which is making sure the power stays on. I finally gave up - even the most obvious threats ( trees & branches ) are simply ignored. You need a generator. This is an 'inverter-generator', rather than just a 'generator'. A regular generator runs at a constant 3600 rpm to produce 60-cycle power directly. It throttles up and down to match the load, with a minimum throttle setting to maintain 3600rpm, which can be wasteful at low loads. An inverter-generator is different: it also throttles up and down to match the load, but can run at variable speed, meaning it can drop down to a true idle when not needed. It can do this because it generates DC which is fed to an inverter to make AC. A generator typically produces two-phase power and is capable of making 240 volts. An inverter-generator typically produces only single-phase power, limited to 120 volts. This is not the type of generator you can connect to your house with a transfer switch. That does not mean it is not useful in emergencies, you will simply need some long extension cords. That's still a lot better than sitting in the dark. In a blackout, this generator has enough capacity to power lights, computers, small kitchen appliances, refrigerator, and even small air conditioners. That makes it useful far beyond its purpose as an RV generator. This unit is fairly basic, manual start only. That means you cannot mount it in your RV and start it remotely. On the other hand, that means less stuff to break - no starter or battery. The engine has just a single control lever that integrates fuel and ignition. There are three positions: to the left cuts off the fuel and ignition. Center is for starting, with choke I suppose. Once it comes to life, throw the handle to the right to run. It started for the first time on the second pull. A switch on the front lets you select auto-idle or full power. You would only use full power if you are expecting a constant heavy load, otherwise auto-idle will save a lot of fuel. Speaking of which, the gas tank is pretty generous for a unit of this size, and it claims a 12+ hour run time at 50% power. I suspect it will run a lot longer than that at low power, and should easily go overnight between fill-ups. I tested it with some shop tools, and it huffed a bit and carried every load I threw at it. To shut it down, throw the control handle all the way to the left. This automatically cuts off the fuel, which is a very nice feature that Ryobi really got right. On a gravity-feed system like this, if you forget to turn off the fuel valve, the entire fuel tank will slowly drain through the carbeuretor into the crankcase, and eventually the entire oily mess will overflow on the ground. The whole system then needs to be drained and flushed, a real bother. Ryobi headed that off nicely by not only integrating the fuel valve, but making it pretty much impossible to forget. Noise-wise, well, it's a generator. It's going to be noisy. It is not as quiet as a fully-enclosed model. At load, it is about as loud as my bigger open-framed Honda, which is a lot less noisy than your typical Briggs & Stratton. Of course, it is not as loud when it drops to idle, which most generators can't do. For emergency use, you want to keep the gas tank full and use fuel stabilizer. That way, you have a ready supply when the lights go out. A couple of 5-gallon gas cans are a must; fill them if the forecast is dire, you can always siphon the gas into your car if you didn't need it. A generator is no use after all the gas stations have shut down !!! Change the fuel once a year, you can burn the old stuff in your lawnmower, etc. Keep the fuel tank full to minimize water condensation. Some other points: the never-flat non-pneumatic wheels are nice on a unit that you probably won't be paying much attention to; not so good for off-roading though. Assembly is easy - just the landing gear. Two people can easily pick this thing up and move it around, it is much more portable than my 'hurricane' generator. I was able to bear-hug the box from my truck down to the ground. Get a couple of spare spark plugs and the right wrench to change them. Spark plugs are the usual show-stopper for small engines like this, and it's too late once the power goes out. The regular oil change interval is 100 hours, or about 4 days of continual running, so get some extra oil as well. Also, get a good lock and chain for it and figure out where you can place it secure and out of the weather. Generators get stolen, especially when the lights are out. My only complaint is that the oil filler is poorly positioned right below the cylinder, and the oil drain is over the frame, which will make a mess. A long funnel takes care of the oil filler, Ryobi should include that. Otherwise, I think this is a compact and well-designed unit; I especially like the way they goof-proofed the fuel cutoff. Good for its intended purpose of RV'ing, and big enough for emergencies as well.

The Ryobi 4,000 watt digital inverter generator is probably the best portable power solution I've ever seen. It's very lightweight when compared to typical 4,000 watt generators. It's easy to move, easy to start and it is very quiet. With the RV hookup this unit will be on road with us for many weeks of the year. Low power spikes makes it safer for use with our electronics plus typical power wants when at home or out of town. Assembly is simple and the unit is shipped with the necessary oil for its first fill up.