Tri-Fuel Generators

Why the third fuel changes what a portable generator is for

A gasoline-only portable is limited by how much fuel you stored before the event and how far you are willing to drive during it. Gasoline also degrades in storage, and a can filled last season is a common reason a generator will not start when it is finally needed. Propane removes the shelf-life problem entirely. A natural gas connection removes the refuelling problem entirely, at the cost of tethering the unit to one location.

The practical pattern most owners settle into is propane for storage and readiness, natural gas when the unit lives in a fixed spot beside the house, and gasoline held in reserve for maximum output or for running somewhere without a gas line.

Output changes with the fuel

The same engine does not make the same power on all three fuels. Gasoline gives the highest rated output. Propane typically gives somewhat less, and natural gas less again, because of the lower energy density delivered to the cylinder. Read the rating for the fuel you actually intend to run rather than the headline figure.

Size the generator against the fuel you expect to run most, not against the headline gasoline number. A unit chosen on its gasoline rating and then run on natural gas can come up short against the same load it handled on the test run.

Starting, running and connection

Every model in this collection carries electric start. Where a unit is intended to feed a house rather than extension cords, it connects through a manual or automatic transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician, never through a suicide cord into a wall outlet.

California

Most portable generators are certified for 49 states and cannot legally be sold into California. Nearly every model in this collection is a 49-state unit. Check the California status on the individual product page before ordering, because it varies unit by unit within the same family and a 49-state generator cannot be shipped to a California address.