Champion 8500W Dual-Fuel Inverter Generator (Electric Start)
Champion's 8500W dual-fuel inverter generator (model 201175) runs on gasoline or propane, so you grab whichever is on hand when the power drops. On gas it starts at 8500 watts and runs at 7000, enough for a well pump, a fridge, and the rest of the essentials at once. Electric start off the included battery, and the inverter build keeps the power clean (under 3% distortion) so it won't hurt a laptop or a phone charger. The CO Shield sensor is the part that earns its keep: it shuts the generator down if carbon monoxide builds up, which is the accident that kills people every hurricane season. It also pairs well with a ChargeVerter and a battery, the generator tops the battery off during a long outage and the battery runs the house quietly the rest of the time. 420cc engine, up to 14 hours on a tank at quarter load, 64 dBA, about 214 pounds on wheels.