My philosophy when it comes to generators and inverters. If you constantly use more than 75% of the power, you have the wrong size. Size does matter; you want to stay within 75% to 80% of its true power band, perform well, and the longevity of its components. The small suitcase generators have their place and understand why people parallel them, but you have the wrong size if you need more power! Just this test proves my point. The Igen 4500 performed flawlessly and with ease.
This review couldnt have been more tailored to me, I thank you sir! Having one iGen2500 already, while it "could" run one of the rooftop AC units, the RPM that it needed to turn to maintain was ridiculous, and the droning was horrible, so I was looking at getting another one to help with the load. So glad I saw this video, the RPM required of the two smaller units is still so much more than the one larger unit with the larger engine, it does make a world of difference to keep the RPM down! Was always amazed when at the track, guys with those Predator 3500 inverter units running whisper quiet while running rooftop ACs at night, so nice. Affirmed my decision to move to a larger fully enclosed unit with a larger engine, to keep the RPM down. Weight be damned, staying away from that noise is worth lugging around an extra 60lbs.
Thanks for the review. I bought 2 Igen 2500 last year for all the reasons you just described. There is no way I’m loading and unloading the 4500 in the back of my pick-up truck. Thanks again Gavin.
Hi, Gavin! Just got back from a two week RV trip to Arkansas and am getting caught up on your videos. I have an iGen2200 generator. I always thought I would get a second one but, after this video, I'm having second thoughts. That noise would drive me and anyone around me crazy. You demonstrated a couple of 3,000+ watt suitcase generators that were appealing and not nearly as noisy. I think I might go that route since by the time I buy the generator and the parallel kit the price would probably be pretty close. Great video. Very eye opening.
Thanks for the comparison. I got a 2200 dual fuel inverter generator a couple years ago and I had been thinking of getting one more for parallel connection. Then I found a 4000W dual fuel on sale at not much more than the typical price of my 2200W dual fuel, so I bought that one instead. Your video just supported my decision.
I own two of the 2,500 models. And although I do wish I could’ve opted for a single bigger one, I got mine each at $350 and I’m happy I can split the power if ever I need it. Here in Houston sometimes we all lose power due to weather. Last summer my sister and parents house lost power for 36 hours. Glad I could lend them each one and kept them cool with window acs and a small freezer so food wouldn’t rot. Wouldn’t have been able to do that with a single one. That being said I will def try to buy a larger “quiet” one in case I run into one. Thanks for the comparison. If anyone is thinking of buying either set up, I’d recommend the single larger but if you choose two smaller like I did, it’s still a great option and I don’t regret it
One thing to add is read about the voltage dip on the larger one. Someone saw it dipped to as low as 107! While the parallel smaller ones only went down to 118… that’s a big difference and if you value your electronics, please look into what the dip may mean to you….
Fantastic video. The two smaller were loud but I saw multiple videos where the THD running inverters in parallel are under 1% and voltage drop is significantly less with two in parallel. I think having two for redundancy is a benefit as well. Also if in a long term grid outage, running one will use much less fuel than the larger 4500.
Thanks Gavin....:) It would be interesting to see what the difference in fuel efficiency is.... At those high RPM's I would guess it's fairly significant?
Nice comparison Gavin, I think I would prefer the 4500 over the 2 smaller one. Yes it’s heavier, but I always have someone else with me so loading and unloading really isn’t a problem. And the 4500 is a lot more quite then the two 2500. Some places might ask you to turn them off if they’re that noisy. Great 👍 job buddy.
I r4eplaced my iGen 4500 with two Champion 2500-watt inverters and a parallel kit because of arthritis in my hands and shoulder. They're much easier to move for me.
Hi Gavin, Great video thanks for detailed comparison… I recently went the other way with a 3600 Evo Delta Pro solar generator. After some initial testing I found that I can only run a 13,500 but AC FOR FOUR HOURS BEFORE I NEED TO HAVE AN INPUT FROM AC OR SOLAR. From testing you have done what would you recommend @5500 watts dual fuel with low db’s… Thanks again for your diligent analysis…
@GeneratorReviews I have a question, I noticed there is now an igen5000. Other than the very small difference in starting and running wattage, I cannot figure out which is better between that or the igen4500 or if I should choose one over the other. I mean, we are talking a total of 200 running watts difference, so why even make the 5000? I would LOVE some info and maybe even a comparison. It just blows my mind they’d make an identical in every way unit with 200 running watts more. Is there something I’m missing? Should I avoid the igen5000? Thanks!
Hi have the new Igen4000dfc and noticed that the wheels in the back have alot of play and as a result they rattle. I know you have the 4500 which has the same wheels, I believe, do they rattle? I'm wondering if there is alot of play between the wheel and the washer. I would really appreciated it...Thanks !!!
I own dual Honda EU2000i generators to power my house & even under full load they're not too loud. I have very picky neighbors who have called the police on me in the past with various other generators running during the day while with my two Hondas I have been able to run them 24/7 with no complaints. That said, I have sized my generators to suit my requirements with headroom to spare. What I mean by that is I don't have to run my generators anywhere near their maximum running watts to reach my power requirements. If you need to run your generators running watts nearly flat out to reach your needs then you should be going up in size in your generator(s).
Happy I got great neighbors because I run generators every other day 😅 I liked what you said about sizing your generators because most people undersize and complain about the power output. Just taking some time to determine what your loads are really helps with picking the right size genny. Thanks for watching and sharing this comment with us.
@@daredelois8402 No, I built my own parallel kit. I did record the process & intended to upload the video onto UA-cam just as I uploaded the videos showcasing the making a couple versions of my extended run fuel systems but the video of the parallel kit was corrupted & unable to be uploaded. However, it is shown in a number of videos I did upload to UA-cam.
So I got the iGen2200 because it was on sale for $300. I got it mainly to power my gaming pc setup (along with starlink and cell phone booster) during power outages because my brother who lives with me doesn't want to deal with getting his big one out of storage shed for short outages. Also I can carry this small one in the trunk of my car easily. But I read in the manual that I can run it in parallel with the igen4500 (or the igen2500 or another igen2200). But I'm really confused on this whole parallel thing. My question is if I got another one and ran them in parallel, let's assume I reduce the load below 1800W (i.e. the smallest generator), do I have to disconnect the entire load before turning one off? Or could I turn one off, add more gas, turn it back on and then repeat on the other one? I see people say never fill it with gas while its running (I'm assuming that's just more of a precaution of spilling gas on hot parts and it catching fire), but I did I could get like a 6gal external tank with hose and new fuel cap to extend the fuel supply. I was just trying to plan on a scenario where we'd be out of power for a week or two and would like continuous power for deep freezers and lights
I just bought a 2500 and noticed when I have a 1500 w load on it that the side covers vibrate a lot of noise. Do either of your 2500s have that issue? It doesnt sound like it through the video.
Good video. I wonder if you can parallel the two smaller generators with the larger generator? Also, can you parallel two small 120V generators with a 240V generator...for example 2 EU2200i with an EU7000is? I'm thinking this may work if you used two 120V suicide cords to connect them, making sure each was on a different leg of the larger generator. Start up the big gen, then start up each of the smaller gens one at a time. Use the 240V output of the larger generator to power the loads.
When paralleled 2 generators, and i decided i only need to run 1 generator at the time of a light load, can i just shut down 1 generator or do i have to disconnect 1 generator?
Gavin, if I parallel two igen4500 generators using the ports in the generator, how many watts will I get? Would it be 7,400 watts? How do the amps play into these watts? 30amp vs 50amp?
@Gavin’s Garage so I've been watching your videos and I'm trying to make an educated purchase. I need a generator to power my fifth wheel. 240v feed. 50 amp. And would like the comfortability of two smaller gens. Than 1 huge one. my understanding is I can use two 120v 30amp. Inverter generators parraleled together with 50 amp kit And be able to get both the 120v 50 amp legs in my rv powered? Of course limited by how many watts the two generators are. But they will power BOTH 50 amp legs in the rv? Is that both legs powered with 50 amps each? BUT because the generators are 120v rated they only produced 120v. But that's okay cause rvs are only 120v. You just couldn't use two 120v gens to power an appliance or shop tool that is 240v?
You can parallel two small generators together to power your 50 amp RV but you won’t be able to sync the two generators together to get 240 V for your shop. The smallest 240v generator so far is the Genmax 5k or 6k ua-cam.com/video/bD_HLCCdw34/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/1YP43d_A1MM/v-deo.html Check out this to see what you think should be light enough to carry in a compartment
@@GeneratorReviews nice ill check those out. Your personal opinion what would you go with two igen4500df with 50 amp kit? or two champion 4500df with 50 amp kit? Also I noticed with the westinghouse 50 amp kit it's just one plug there's no circuit breaker. What would happened in the event of the generator overloaded would it just shut it down?
I have all these. And 2 champion 4000k open frame . I was wking at the Coachella music festival for the past 2 week. My 2 westinghouse 2500 are LOUD AF. I have a toyhauler with 2 15k ac 50amp. The 4500 df is much quite. But need more power. So I ran the 4500&2500 the 2500 is so dam loud. So I ran my 2 4000 champion open frames inverters. Way more power and alittle quite than the 4500& 2500 and the 2 - 2500 together.
@@GeneratorReviews . It looks like the generator on the right is in the choke position? I don’t have one of those but the dials are on two different settings
I was having some technical difficulties with the first one it wouldn’t allow me to use my surge protector like I wanted. But I never use the first one so it’s not like I switched while it was testing
I’ll agree they are louder, but voltage drift was down to 105 with the 4500 and i only saw 118 on the duel 2500’s. That is unacceptable dip in voltage on the last test.
My philosophy when it comes to generators and inverters. If you constantly use more than 75% of the power, you have the wrong size. Size does matter; you want to stay within 75% to 80% of its true power band, perform well, and the longevity of its components. The small suitcase generators have their place and understand why people parallel them, but you have the wrong size if you need more power! Just this test proves my point. The Igen 4500 performed flawlessly and with ease.
Well said! 👌🏾
I couldn’t have said it better myself..
This review couldnt have been more tailored to me, I thank you sir!
Having one iGen2500 already, while it "could" run one of the rooftop AC units, the RPM that it needed to turn to maintain was ridiculous, and the droning was horrible, so I was looking at getting another one to help with the load.
So glad I saw this video, the RPM required of the two smaller units is still so much more than the one larger unit with the larger engine, it does make a world of difference to keep the RPM down!
Was always amazed when at the track, guys with those Predator 3500 inverter units running whisper quiet while running rooftop ACs at night, so nice.
Affirmed my decision to move to a larger fully enclosed unit with a larger engine, to keep the RPM down. Weight be damned, staying away from that noise is worth lugging around an extra 60lbs.
Happy this was able to help you out 👍🏾😊
Thanks for the review. I bought 2 Igen 2500 last year for all the reasons you just described. There is no way I’m loading and unloading the 4500 in the back of my pick-up truck. Thanks again Gavin.
Thanks Ernest👍🏾
Incredible video, I almost went the smaller generator route and I’m super glad I didn’t! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Gavin! Just got back from a two week RV trip to Arkansas and am getting caught up on your videos. I have an iGen2200 generator. I always thought I would get a second one but, after this video, I'm having second thoughts. That noise would drive me and anyone around me crazy. You demonstrated a couple of 3,000+ watt suitcase generators that were appealing and not nearly as noisy. I think I might go that route since by the time I buy the generator and the parallel kit the price would probably be pretty close. Great video. Very eye opening.
Hey Tom
Hope your trip was safe and fun. Yeah they sounded like bees and I couldn’t stand that noise all day
Thanks for the comparison. I got a 2200 dual fuel inverter generator a couple years ago and I had been thinking of getting one more for parallel connection. Then I found a 4000W dual fuel on sale at not much more than the typical price of my 2200W dual fuel, so I bought that one instead. Your video just supported my decision.
Yessir 😎👍🏾👌🏾
Thanks for doing the test. Much to consider.
You’re welcome
I own two of the 2,500 models. And although I do wish I could’ve opted for a single bigger one, I got mine each at $350 and I’m happy I can split the power if ever I need it. Here in Houston sometimes we all lose power due to weather. Last summer my sister and parents house lost power for 36 hours. Glad I could lend them each one and kept them cool with window acs and a small freezer so food wouldn’t rot. Wouldn’t have been able to do that with a single one. That being said I will def try to buy a larger “quiet” one in case I run into one. Thanks for the comparison. If anyone is thinking of buying either set up, I’d recommend the single larger but if you choose two smaller like I did, it’s still a great option and I don’t regret it
One thing to add is read about the voltage dip on the larger one. Someone saw it dipped to as low as 107! While the parallel smaller ones only went down to 118… that’s a big difference and if you value your electronics, please look into what the dip may mean to you….
This is exactly the question I had been wondering. This video is awesome
Fantastic video. The two smaller were loud but I saw multiple videos where the THD running inverters in parallel are under 1% and voltage drop is significantly less with two in parallel. I think having two for redundancy is a benefit as well. Also if in a long term grid outage, running one will use much less fuel than the larger 4500.
I want to see the igen 4500 and igen 2500 paralleled together at a lower RPM. Thanks for your video!
Great video! I've got a few generators, you've confirmed my tests. I'd be curious to see the decibel ratings running two Honda EU2200I generators.
Thank You. I was considering 2 inverters. Probably will just use one bigger one now.
Thanks Gavin....:) It would be interesting to see what the difference in fuel efficiency is.... At those high RPM's I would guess it's fairly significant?
Nice comparison Gavin, I think I would prefer the 4500 over the 2 smaller one. Yes it’s heavier, but I always have someone else with me so loading and unloading really isn’t a problem. And the 4500 is a lot more quite then the two 2500. Some places might ask you to turn them off if they’re that noisy. Great 👍 job buddy.
Hey buddy! Yes they are easy to move around but noisy and the extra setup will drive me crazy 🤪
Awesome review/comparison. Someday, I want you to look at small, low rpm diesel gensets. would make a great comparison..
I r4eplaced my iGen 4500 with two Champion 2500-watt inverters and a parallel kit because of arthritis in my hands and shoulder. They're much easier to move for me.
Calvin, do you have soft starts on your AC unit? And were you running those with a 50 amp electrical cable to your motorhome?
Yes I have soft starts and I did use the 50amp cord with adapter
I think you're right, the proof is right there nice job !
Thanks buddy! 😎
Hi Gavin,
Great video thanks for detailed comparison… I recently went the other way with a 3600 Evo Delta Pro solar generator. After some initial testing I found that I can only run a 13,500 but AC FOR FOUR HOURS BEFORE I NEED TO HAVE AN INPUT FROM AC OR SOLAR.
From testing you have done what would you recommend @5500 watts dual fuel with low db’s…
Thanks again for your diligent analysis…
Is your Rig 30 amps or 50amp?
@@GeneratorReviews 30 Amp. With onboard 5500 Generac Guardian Generator
@GeneratorReviews I have a question, I noticed there is now an igen5000. Other than the very small difference in starting and running wattage, I cannot figure out which is better between that or the igen4500 or if I should choose one over the other. I mean, we are talking a total of 200 running watts difference, so why even make the 5000? I would LOVE some info and maybe even a comparison. It just blows my mind they’d make an identical in every way unit with 200 running watts more. Is there something I’m missing? Should I avoid the igen5000? Thanks!
Pretty much the same Generator larger Inverter
The igen2500 burns .10 GPH at minimal load (10hrs), but how much does it burn at 2200W (max rated amps)?
I bet that number triples at high power output
Hi have the new Igen4000dfc and noticed that the wheels in the back have alot of play and as a result they rattle. I know you have the 4500 which has the same wheels, I believe, do they rattle? I'm wondering if there is alot of play between the wheel and the washer. I would really appreciated it...Thanks !!!
Yes it does the exact same thing you just described
Sorry
Hi Gavin. What did you use to hook up the Igen2500s in parallel? I noticed it is not the parallel cord that Westinghouse sells. Thanks.
I used Generac IQ 30 amp parallel kit
What about comparing fuel consumption?
I own dual Honda EU2000i generators to power my house & even under full load they're not too loud. I have very picky neighbors who have called the police on me in the past with various other generators running during the day while with my two Hondas I have been able to run them 24/7 with no complaints. That said, I have sized my generators to suit my requirements with headroom to spare. What I mean by that is I don't have to run my generators anywhere near their maximum running watts to reach my power requirements. If you need to run your generators running watts nearly flat out to reach your needs then you should be going up in size in your generator(s).
Happy I got great neighbors because I run generators every other day 😅
I liked what you said about sizing your generators because most people undersize and complain about the power output.
Just taking some time to determine what your loads are really helps with picking the right size genny.
Thanks for watching and sharing this comment with us.
Hi
What parallel kit do you use ? Is it with a companion 2000i ?
@@daredelois8402 No, I built my own parallel kit. I did record the process & intended to upload the video onto UA-cam just as I uploaded the videos showcasing the making a couple versions of my extended run fuel systems but the video of the parallel kit was corrupted & unable to be uploaded. However, it is shown in a number of videos I did upload to UA-cam.
@@MrNightro thanks for the quick response - I' ll check your videos !
Sorry but How do i find them ?
Another great vid! Thanks for sharing
So I got the iGen2200 because it was on sale for $300. I got it mainly to power my gaming pc setup (along with starlink and cell phone booster) during power outages because my brother who lives with me doesn't want to deal with getting his big one out of storage shed for short outages. Also I can carry this small one in the trunk of my car easily.
But I read in the manual that I can run it in parallel with the igen4500 (or the igen2500 or another igen2200). But I'm really confused on this whole parallel thing. My question is if I got another one and ran them in parallel, let's assume I reduce the load below 1800W (i.e. the smallest generator), do I have to disconnect the entire load before turning one off? Or could I turn one off, add more gas, turn it back on and then repeat on the other one? I see people say never fill it with gas while its running (I'm assuming that's just more of a precaution of spilling gas on hot parts and it catching fire), but I did I could get like a 6gal external tank with hose and new fuel cap to extend the fuel supply. I was just trying to plan on a scenario where we'd be out of power for a week or two and would like continuous power for deep freezers and lights
Amazon has a great sale right now.Westinghouse
3700 for 470
4500 for 728
I just bought a 2500 and noticed when I have a 1500 w load on it that the side covers vibrate a lot of noise. Do either of your 2500s have that issue? It doesnt sound like it through the video.
No I don’t have that issue but its the valve cover probably touching the cover
@@GeneratorReviews thanks for the idea, I'll check it out. Drives me nuts.
@@whosnext2005 use some of that 3m foam right where its touching
@@GeneratorReviews great idea. I'll let you know what I find.
The xtra noise and no remote start is a deal breaker for the 2500s. What parallel kit were you using?
I used the Wen parallel kit
Agreed
Good video. I wonder if you can parallel the two smaller generators with the larger generator? Also, can you parallel two small 120V generators with a 240V generator...for example 2 EU2200i with an EU7000is? I'm thinking this may work if you used two 120V suicide cords to connect them, making sure each was on a different leg of the larger generator. Start up the big gen, then start up each of the smaller gens one at a time. Use the 240V output of the larger generator to power the loads.
No you can’t parallel a 120v with a 240v generator
They won’t sync
@@GeneratorReviews Check out the Michael Vaughn UA-cam channel video titled "Parallel operation of Honda EU 7000 inverter and Honda 2000 W inverter"
Have any fuel consumption comparisons during this kind of test?
I don’t have any videos showing the parallel fuel consumption
Hey Gavin, for an ev that can charge at a max of 32amps on 220v. Which generator do you recommend?
ua-cam.com/video/9c_YJ4jhB2g/v-deo.html
To charge an EV with a level two chargers you’re going to need at least 9000w generator
Dang they sounded like a power boat with twin outboards going 80mph 🤣
🫣I couldn’t say it Shanwar
When paralleled 2 generators, and i decided i only need to run 1 generator at the time of a light load, can i just shut down 1 generator or do i have to disconnect 1 generator?
Yes, that is possible
Can you pair up a igen4500 with a igen2500 ? Or do both generators need to be the same size? Thanks
They should be closer in size to actually help each other with the load. Like a 4500 and a 3000
Not much to add, but your numbers pretty much confirm what my ear tells me.
Thanks 😊
Gavin, if I parallel two igen4500 generators using the ports in the generator, how many watts will I get? Would it be 7,400 watts? How do the amps play into these watts? 30amp vs 50amp?
Hey Richard
9000 W starting
7400 W running
You will get over 50 amps but only 120 V
@@GeneratorReviews Do you get 50amps out of the 30amp outlet on the generator?
@@rrgrantham only on the parallel kit
Big size can use at the house, small one can use for travel.
@Gavin’s Garage so I've been watching your videos and I'm trying to make an educated purchase. I need a generator to power my fifth wheel. 240v feed. 50 amp. And would like the comfortability of two smaller gens. Than 1 huge one. my understanding is I can use two 120v 30amp. Inverter generators parraleled together with 50 amp kit And be able to get both the 120v 50 amp legs in my rv powered? Of course limited by how many watts the two generators are. But they will power BOTH 50 amp legs in the rv? Is that both legs powered with 50 amps each? BUT because the generators are 120v rated they only produced 120v. But that's okay cause rvs are only 120v. You just couldn't use two 120v gens to power an appliance or shop tool that is 240v?
You can parallel two small generators together to power your 50 amp RV but you won’t be able to sync the two generators together to get 240 V for your shop.
The smallest 240v generator so far is the Genmax 5k or 6k
ua-cam.com/video/bD_HLCCdw34/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/1YP43d_A1MM/v-deo.html
Check out this to see what you think should be light enough to carry in a compartment
@@GeneratorReviews nice ill check those out. Your personal opinion what would you go with two igen4500df with 50 amp kit? or two champion 4500df with 50 amp kit? Also I noticed with the westinghouse 50 amp kit it's just one plug there's no circuit breaker. What would happened in the event of the generator overloaded would it just shut it down?
I have all these. And 2 champion 4000k open frame . I was wking at the Coachella music festival for the past 2 week. My 2 westinghouse 2500 are LOUD AF. I have a toyhauler with 2 15k ac 50amp. The 4500 df is much quite. But need more power. So I ran the 4500&2500 the 2500 is so dam loud. So I ran my 2 4000 champion open frames inverters. Way more power and alittle quite than the 4500& 2500 and the 2 - 2500 together.
They are perfect by themselves but once you parallel them it’s unbearable.
@@GeneratorReviews So tru. My 2 open frames are more quite than the 2 2500.
No the great video my brother
Thanks buddy
Is one of the gas dials not open fully on the smaller generator?
They were both open from what I can remember
@@GeneratorReviews . It looks like the generator on the right is in the choke position? I don’t have one of those but the dials are on two different settings
Good realistic video
I’d love to see you review generator zombie boxes
Generator zombie boxes?? I think I know what you mean
Great video. Luke 9:62
Why did the parallel kid change halfway through the video
I was having some technical difficulties with the first one it wouldn’t allow me to use my surge protector like I wanted.
But I never use the first one so it’s not like I switched while it was testing
another excellent test
Thanks
I’ll agree they are louder, but voltage drift was down to 105 with the 4500 and i only saw 118 on the duel 2500’s. That is unacceptable dip in voltage on the last test.
Yes I guess that’s one plus the two inverters helps with the surge a lot better you get a clean power output.
If u turned them a little the sound would have been much less the way the little ones were set up caused all the nothing especial the middle one
🤔 after years of testing generators, it always sounds like that no matter if it’s turned in opposite directions