Preview Generac 5800 XG8000 10,000 Watt 410cc OHV Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit

Product Features

• Professional-quality portable generator with advanced 410cc OHVI engine and full-wrap frame tubing
• Reliable 8,000-watt power supply; 10,000 surge watts
• Illuminated control panel for improved visibility; Power Bar monitors wattage usage
• 9-gallon steel fuel tank with incorporated fuel gauge; runs up to 10 hours at 50% load
• Non-CARB Compliant/Not For Sale In California

 I finally had to replace an old Generac 5500XL after about 12 years of service including a couple of weeks heavy use after Hurricane Ike. Decided on the XG8000 because I needed more steady state and starting power based on my hurricane experience, and I felt that the Generac was a good unit. One thing I liked immediately about the XG8000 is the power meter which graphically shows roughly how much steady state power you are consuming. I also liked the engine hour meter with reminders to change the oil. My old Generac had neither of these features. Also, this unit has rubber covers over the outlets, although you shouldn't be running this generator in the rain in any event. All in all, this unit seems better built than my previous Generac, and the price is great. So what's not to like?

The unit has one big flaw that had me tearing my hair out until I discovered the problem based on a review on another site. I could not get this unit to start no matter what I did. It would fire up, run for maybe three seconds, and die. After trying all sorts of combinations of choke (full, half, none) and even starting fluid, I was ready to give up and seek warranty service, when I decided to do a comprehensive search on Generac generator reviews that identified hard start problems. There are a number of instances of this, but only one person mentioned that they had discovered that their fuel line between the shutoff valve and fuel filter was kinked. I ran out to check my fuel line, and sure enough, it was kinked near the outlet of the fuel shutoff valve. You can't see this area very well unless you are really looking closely, but the line came off the valve at almost right angles, which only allowed a tiny trickle of fuel to get through. As soon as I fixed this the generator started immediately and ran perfectly! Generac needs to fix this problem, as there is nothing to prevent the line from moving in such a way to cause it to kink again in this same location. I restrained mine with a cable tie!