20 Best 3500 Watt Inverter Generator (2022 Updated)

Bought two. Built well inside [electrically and mechanically]. I converted both to dual (tri-fuel?) fuel by just teeing off the PCV hose to a generic external propane fuel gas conversion regulator kit, -and a hose tee.

The two would fit in the generator compartment of the RV where the missing Onan 6500W used to sit, but safety concerns for fuel gas and CO fumes must be resolved. Only thing I haven’t done was remote start, but the intention here was backup power with the two gensets sitting outside.

Ridiculously easy to accomplish this, and left the gensets mostly unmodified (just replace the PCV hose). Fed both generators from single propane tank/regulator setup. I also parallel connected these to run a 50Amp RV.

At first I used the HFT parallel kit, but most of these parallel kits use banana plug interconnects. Those do not have sufficient ampacity (pushing 15Amp each), so I fabricated a junction box and heavy conductor rubber cordage, using appropriate L30 plugs and socket for the 50Amp RV (std dryer socket).

Final cost was about the same as the HFT parallel kit. Reliable but not exactly safe unless used outdoors where heat, fumes and fuel gas can safely dissipate. I would not allow these to sit in wet conditions, but I did have one running in the back of a pickup while towing a 36′ RV -in a raging hail/rainstorm (just my luck, jeez Colby Ks!).

Someone had asked about how tall these are. just under 19. 5 inches with the wheels removed. I dont recommend operating these without the wheels because the cooling air intake is along the bottom front edge, and wheels-on provide barely enough space between floor/ground for breathing.

If you block that off, then you compromise the cooling system. I learned this the hard way by rolling around in grass and leaves, that accumulated in the intake area. Tip: keep THAT area clean! These are not smart enough to sense overtemp and auto shutdown so you risk burning something up while operating under heavy loads and/or high ambient temperatures.

I have a hardtop tonneau cover that is flat flush to the top of a 2013 Super Duty, and these just barely fit with a slight protrusion under the tonneau, but at least I can lock the rear gate and have security that my Predators dont get stolen.

Sorry for the length. k.

I have been wanting an inverter generator because they are quieter, lighter and cleaner power. I bought a travel trailer and it increased the need. I didn’t want to spend the $1k+ for smaller units and after speaking to several buddies who have run these Predator 3500s for several years in their trailers, one of which runs his Cpap all night for the last 3 seasons, I picked one up.

Filled with fuel and oil, I can load this into the back of my Ram by myself, but 2 people would be easier. The wheels are straight line, not rotating. Do your research, there are several useful articles out there about the Predator 3500.

Like everything else out there, you have to follow directions, keep things in mind and maybe accessorize a little. I bought one, took it home, added oil, stabilized fuel and connected the battery. Pulled the start cord gently to prime, then a quick pull and it fired right up.

58db within a few feet. Let it run about 10 minutes then hooked my 4 halogen bulb work lamp up and it pulled 1187w, barely a noticeable increase in sound. Neighbor who is interested in one came over and we carried on a conversation right next to it between 2 houses.

He was sold too. Down side, I shut it off, then attempted to use the electric start. Starter spun but did not engage the motor, electric start fail. Took it back, swapped for another, no questions asked other than did I drain the fuel.

Went through all the above procedures again, but this time I connected the battery and tried the electric start before doing anything else. Everything seems to work just fine. This one actually runs a little smoother even.

So I won’t knock it for the starter issue, only because the store handled it without any hesitation. I have the magnetic dip stick on order from Amazon and plan to run it another hour, then do the first oil change.

Again, check out the articles on the web.

This Inverter generator exceeds all expectations. Super quiet and a fuel miser. This thing fired right up on the very first pull and I was amazed how quiet it runs. The electric start battery is included and only needs to be connect using the provide hardware to make it a breeze to start.

Use fuel stabilizer in your fuel as recommended and you should be fine. I have had mine for a week now. This product runs easily on one tank of fuel for 8 hours not missing a beat. It’s rated at 25 amp maximum.

Using it for our Shaved Ice business here in Buckhannon, WV. I’m going back to Harbor Freight for another one tomorrow June 9, 2021. I’m going to run them in parallel with a Firman 1201 50 Amp parallel kit I just ordered.

Don’t forget to add 20 ounce of oil prior to starting. Oil not included! Break in this generator and change the oil again and then once a year thereafter and it will last many years to come. I also ordered two magnet oil drain plugs to pick up any metal fragments from initial break in period.

There are an abundance of videos on YouTube that have rave reviews go and check them out and decide for yourself whether or not this product is top of the line and priced very reasonable compared to high end competitors.

I have included a YouTube link here in my review. I highly recommend this product giving it 5 Stars in all categories. Thank Harbor Freight! Mountaineer Concession Company LLC. See photos of the parallel kit I will be using to run two of these bad boys side by side.

Also these inverter generators utilize pure sine wave technology making them the safe alternative for all of your sensitive electronics. We use Square Retail register and it functions very well under this products power!.

The long and the short of it is although this generator is on the heavy side, it is one the best inverter generatos on the market. Direct competition to the Honda 3000i, this iQ3500 is quieter, has more features, looks better and is half the price.

I purchesed my iQ3500 to power our 30A Springdale 5th wheel camper and I couldn’t be more pleased. I wanted a generator that would power the RV properly, but even higher on the priority list was the sound – I wanted a very quiet generator.

This generator is deffinietly quieter than all 3 of the Honda inverter generator’s in the groups we’ve camped with so far. I spent weeks reading and watching reviews on a plethora of different generators and these Generac’s were consistently in the top.

The only complaints with them was weight and some reporting poor quality control, however, I guess I got a good one. The fit and finish is exactly what you’d expect from an American made product. I love the looks of this thing, the fuel gauge, output readings, estimated remaining run time, electric start, very strong Econo Mode and the 30A plug.

This unit runs the entire RV in Econo Mode with no problem at all. It kicks the A/C on without issue (no soft-start installed) – just a slight dimming of the RV lights when it kicks in as you’d expect.

With a little over 200hrs on ours so far, here’s what we’ve found: -Super super quite for a gas powered machine. -Rated at 14hrs run time at 25% capacity – we are easily able to achive this with the RV if we’re not using the A/C.

-Rated at 9hrs run time at 50% load, we usually still see 12hrs with lots of A/C use. -I only run premium fuel in it and it starts perfectly every time, it’s even easy to start with the pull-rope. -It is also very easy to maintain.

I highly recommend this Generator.

The iQ3500 Generac generator is awesome. It provides superior power while maintaining the low noise output of the 2000-2500 Watt generators. I slept like a baby with the generator 2 feet from my truck camper.

It had no problem handling the load of my internal/external lighting, refrigerator, water pump, coffee maker and air-conditioner all at the same time. It ran for 12. 5 hours straight on a full tank of gas.

The only con is the weight of the unit. It can be handled by one person, but you can’t carry it to far. Also if you are small, you may need a cart to get it where you need it. Considering the versatility, power output, and low noise profile (impressive), I would buy again it is well worth the money.

I always like to start with the one star reviews when purchasing anything over $1k. For the most part on this site it seems as though those reviews are one off type issues with many having nothing to do with the integrity of the generator.

I bought my Honda at Camping World about 4 years ago to use in the discovery, set up and operation of a mining claim l work 8 months of the year. We keep it covered against sun, rain and snow but it’s still outdoors.

The first year I carried it on my quad, frequently using it to power lights, power tools, water pumps as well as a coffee pot, hot plate and radio. It has never let me down. Once, a defective ratchet strap that was holding the generator on my quad broke and when I slowed to take a corner the generator was thrown into the curve tumbling end over end about 20 feet.

Picked it up, dusted it off and it started right up. I’ve worn grooves into the plastic housing around the pull cord starting the generator from every angle possible and usually starting on the first pull.

That said, the pull cord is all I’ve had to replace in terms of parts. In 4+ years I’ve changed the oil 3 times which consisted of emptying it out and putting fresh oil in. I use conventional 30wt oil from Honda.

I continue to clean the original air filter twice a year. During the off season the generator powers our 32ft travel trailer with no issues. It isn’t big enough to run the AC although it once helped to run it when I purchased the Predetor 2000 from Harbor Freight along with the kit to run them parallel.

The Honda has outlasted the Predetor, a dual fuel Champion and is currently backing up a Predetor 6500 which really only runs the AC or my large shop air compressor. This generator is a fantastic product that is reliable enough to provide consistent power under the worst conditions whenever needed.

Smartly used, ie LED lights and low wattage appliances and tools and the less than one gallon of gas will last almost 9 hours. Use the eco feature and half load and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well it does.

This little generator is what I expected. It starts easily, is pretty quiet and it’s easy to carry. I also appreciate that you can cut off fuel from the fuel tank, but continue to let the engine run until the fuel in the carburetor has been used up.

But. the crankcase breather heater kit (which I purchased separately and is necessary to operate the unit in cold weather) was more difficult to install than I had expected. Seems like Honda should either a) provide the breather heater pre-installed, b) make it easier to install or c) revise their design so that the breather tube won’t ice up in cold weather.

One more minor complaint: The oil fill neck is almost horizontal. This means that only a tiny amount of oil needs to be added between the point where oil is just visible at the far end of the neck and when it is overflowing out the neck.

I suggest Honda make the oil fill neck a little more vertical. That would give you a little more time to stop adding oil before it overflows. But maybe that’s just me, though.

I just spent 2 weeks deer hunting in a canvas wall tent using the Honda EU2200i. All I can say is if you can afford it, you will not regret buying it. I absolutely love it for the ease of starting, quiet operation, fuel economy, and reliability.

My best acquisition for both camping/hunting and our frequent storms here in Louisiana. Why run a noisy 8hp generator sucking 5 gls of gas a night when I can run a room window AC on this for less than a gallon? Easy to convince your wife that this purchase isn’t for deer season, it’s really for those nasty storms that take out power when she needs that blow drier for her hair in the morning, or so she can have a quiet night’s sleep with a window air conditioner keeping things cool.

If she complains about cost, tell her after a storm with no electricity for a week or month, she can turn it off if she still thinks it was too expensive and you will sell it. That will never happen, trust me.

Enough said…except get you one guys!.

I bought this to power critical loads at my house in case of an extended power outage. After the initial break-in procedures I backfed the generator power into my house breaker panel and selectively closed breakers to power up the essential loads.

I was able to supply power to the furnace, refrigerator, freezer, sump pump, garage door opener, and living area lights and outlets simultaneously. It looks like to run the Microwave I will have to make sure some of the bigger loads, like the refrigerator and freezer are not running at the same time.

The power is ‘clean’ enough that the sensitive electronic components of the furnace controls, the television, and the computer modem worked perfectly. The generator starts easy and runs smoothly. It has just the right power output capability to do what I need.

The smaller 2200 unit was just a little underpowered and a larger unit was overkill for me. The digital display is a feature I really like. It is nice to know the actual voltage and watt output. I suppose in an extended period of use the remaining run time and fuel level will also be helpful.

Total run time will be useful for keeping a good maintenance schedule. The sound level is low enough that it is barely noticeable from inside the house. The neighbors may not even know it is running.

I tried to check decibel levels but I am not sure how much was generator noise and how much was normal ambient noise. It seems that with birds, wind, traffic, etc. I have about 60 decibels of constant sound outside.

With the generator running the decibel level increased to 85-90 decibels. I don’t have any long term experience with this unit yet but so far it seems like it is just what i hoped for emergency use.

Purchased the iGen2500 in early May 2022 to replace a 2000 watt generator purchased from Harbor Freight, which is used for emergency home backup and to run boat air conditioning unit when underway. The 2000 watt generator struggles with startup power draw of air conditioning unit.

The additional amps provided by the iGen2500 should eliminated this issue. I have just begun breaking-in the iGen2500. The documentation provided with the unit is printed on quality glossy paper and card stock, and well written in proper English.

The side panel covering access to the air filter, fuel bowl and oil drain/fill port, was a tight fit requiring strong fingers to free it from 3- plastic compression posts. An adequately long fuel hose connects to the fuel bowl drain plug, which will provide an easy and clean way to drain the bowl when needed.

A cheap flexible oil filling funnel is provide. But, the funnel has a threaded end, which screws into the oil inlet, and has an “O” ring to seal off any possible drips. It worked very well. The oil bottle provided had the exact amount of oil needed to fill the oil reservoir and will be saved for future oil changes.

Startup was easy, and the unit ran smoothly when no power draw was applied. As of now, I am very pleased.

This is the first generator I ever bought. I’ve used them quite a bit at work. I got it to mostly power My food in the two fridges in the freezer we have in case we have power outages since there’s a lot of money in there I.

did some research online combined with the owners manual and decided to do a 5 hour break in. I saw some guys recommending that they just left it idling for 1 to 5 hours but just like my car and from some other recommendations I decided to vary the speeds.

Actually the owners manual says to do that also. I kept it under 900 w. I wasn’t sure how to do that so I went and got one of those plug-in watt meters which was really nice. The blow dryer and a heat gun work perfectly.

I varied between all the hi/low cool/warm/hot settings and was able to get it to go from about 100 w all the way to about just under 900 w. I’d run anywhere from about a minute to five minutes or so under load and then idle it for 10-15 minutes or so And let it cool down.

I used high-octane 93 gas. With some fuel stabilizer in case it sits there for a little while. After the break in I also added some oil additive to my full synthetic 5W-30. One thing I wanted to do but forgot was use conventional 10W-30 for the break in.

But I accidentally used my full synthetic for the first two hours. I also bought a magnetic oil cap because that supposed to capture the oil shavings during the break in time. When I first started it it was a pretty good cloud of smoke for a couple minutes.

And it was a little rough. But once it got rolling it seemed to run pretty smooth. For some reason when I Used about 350 W on the blow dryer it ran a little uneven and rough even at the very end of the break in period so I’m not sure what that’s about.

But during the last 15 minutes [after the 5 hrs] when I went full blast on the dryer it was up to 1600 W and sounding really smooth and also smooth idling. That was on my final oil change with the full synthetic and I even put a little additive in there One thing I was a little surprised about was how loud it was.

Everyone talked about how whisper quiet was so I was a little surprised but I think that’s because our work ones were a little quieter. I’m really happy with it so far. I hope it lasts. I tried to do everything I could during the break and to make it last for a long time.

Very happy with this little generator. I bought this ahead of hurricane season and just for its intended purpose, Ian came along and killed the power for two days. It kept our essentials running without breaking a sweat and it does so with amazing fuel efficiency.

During the night, only running a fan in the bedroom and our french door fridge/freezer (which is energy star), it ran all night on 3/4 of a tank which is less than 2 gallons. Very quiet, my neighbor’s big contractor style monster was drowning it out from over the fence.

Keep it away from the house, as you should, and it’s barely noticeable under a light load, nothing that will keep you up at night. My only recommendation is to change the oil well before the manual’s recommendation.

The break in period according to the manual is 25 hours and that’s good practice to maintain it with a low amp load for that time, however, I changed the oil at 7 hours and that 20 oz of a Amsoil small engine oil I put in it was BLACK after 7 hours.

That’s to be expected as it breaks and burns off all the manufacturing gunk out of the internals of the engine. After I refilled it however, When checked it periodically the oil was very clean all the way through the 35 hours I put on it through the outage.

They have these dipsticks that have magnets on the end available for it but I’m more worried about that magnet falling off into the engine than the $5 or so to change the oil more often which probably does it better.

Anyway, great machine and especially for the price. Wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again.

Bought this Predator 3500 generator to replace a loud portable 5KW generator we’ve used for years as emergency power. This Predator is quiet and provides enough power for camping or RV air conditioner use.

Only had it a couple weeks. I haven’t had the opportunity to fully test its capability and performance. I did run the generator to verify that it worked as advertised, running it for a couple hours over several days with a light electrical load.

Set up of the included battery was easy. Used manual start with a pull cord the 1st startup; then, the electrical start worked very easily. Don’t know how long the battery will last and don’t know if the generator provides a charge to the battery.

it is not discussed in the owners manual. I am concerned about the generator performance. when i ran it for the first 30 minutes, the generator “overload” light came on without any load and the generator motor sputtered and died.

Oil and gas checked ok so i restarted the generator and it ran with intermittent changes to RPMs without any load, and at times it seemed to want to sputter and die again. That is why i ran it over several days to see if the issue continued.

It appears that the more i ran the motor the more even it became. Hopefully, this will not be an issue going forward. The only other drawback is the weight at 104 pounds (without fuel). It is a little heavier than i want, but the power it provides was the deciding factor.

We purchased this generator after a storm knocked out power in our neighborhood, and the power co expected it to be out for 5 days. Our requirements were pretty simple: 1) power our refrigerator, 2) an 8000btu AC window unit or a space heater, 3) internet gateway, WiFi router, TV, & streaming box, and 4)a lamp and device chargers.

We camped in our bedroom and had all the comforts we needed for a 6 day outage. The generator itself was easy to set up. I filled it with oil, mixed the gas and stabil, filled the tank, and plugged in the extension cords.

We were pulling 1500 watts max which was within the recommendations for break in period. It ran for 10hrs overnight without needing fuel. The unit is really quiet, significantly more so than our neighbor’s, which kept us up all night the first night we were without power.

Electric start is handy, although I used the pull to start it the first time and it only took 2 pills for its first startup. This is my first generator. I’d say go for this over the 2000 watt model just for the overhead.

Running the generator, or any engine for that matter, at a lower load will be more reliable than pushing one to the max for your needs. I’d prefer a whole-home generator, but the price of this model is a lot less than one of those installed.

The maintenance and warranty language seems a bit intense, but we’ll do it and take care of the unit.

The reason I bought this model is that I need to power my RV. It has to be powerfull enough and still fit under my rigid pick-up truck tonneau cover AND had a remote start. This specific unit is not available in Canada.

So I ordered it from Camping World in the USA. Charged the battery using a trickle charger then connected the battery. Added an inductive Hour Meter (it does not have one built-in, it is about 15$ on internet) so it easier to track usage and service life.

The metet does not require battery. Fill the tank with Supreme gas (no ethanol) Breaking-in – Step 1 I added 20oz / 600 ml of 10W30 oil in the crank case, removed the spark plug and put 1 table spoon of oil in the upper cylinder cavity.

Slowly cranked by hand about 10-15 times so piston and rings do not dry run. Did not use original spark plug, I prefered to replace it with the recommended NGK. Ran generator with NO LOAD on eco mode for 1 hour.

Breaking-in – Step 2 Changed oil and ran generator with NO LOAD on eco mode for 1 more hour. Breakin-in – Step 3 Changed oil and ran for 1500 WATTS load on eco mode for 3 more hours with 15 minutes on-off cycles using an electric patio heater with a timer.

( 5 hours of run time so far) Breakin-in Step 4 Changed oil and ran a 3000 WATTS load on standard mode for 3 hours with 15 minutes on-off cycles using TWO electric patio heaters with a timer ( 8 hours of run time total) The generator ran flawlessly even with the 3000 watts load.

Everything worked as advertized. Noise is low, much lower than my previous 3500 champion open-frame. Remote starter worked at 1st attempt. Electric start as well. Hand crank start was easy too. A full tank ran the generator for about 7.

5 hours. Should come with a built-in Hour meter. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE !.

My experience with this inverter is a Very bad one. I bought this from Camping World about 3 years ago because it claimed to start and run a 15k A/C. My Travel Trailer only has a 13. 5k A/C so it should certainly work when we go down to land in southern Ohio and use this generator to keep the A/C running for the kids during the occasional summer weekend.

I had always used traditional generators and never had any issues but with this unit promising the low noise and efficient fuel consumption I decided to get it. I ordered online and CW shipped to my home, the first weekend I took this with us down to the river lot we had nothing but issues, everytime the A/C would try to kick on the inverter just tripped overload and everything had to be shut down and restarted just to have the exact same thing happen.

After 3-4 attempts (20 minutes or more of frustration in heat) of shutting it down, restarting it would turn the A/C on and run for a short time before kicking the inverter back to overload as soon as the A/C would start again.

This became such an issue, (no A/C overnight as generator stayed running all night but in overload so no power to camper and onboard battery dead in morning) I drove 35 minutes into town and bought another “normal” generator at the local hardware store, since my other generators were at home 3 hours away, to get us through the rest of that trip.

The following week after arriving home I called Champion, after several phone calls they finally sent me a part that looked like a big silver heat sink with instructions on how to change out. I followed the instruction and even had an electrician friend come over to help me do it.

It was straight forward enough to swap out. On the next trip to southern Ohio I took a “normal” generator along with this one just in case. Thank Goodness I did because in the end the inverter did the same exact thing after replacing this part as it did before.

I called Champion again and they said I needed to take it to a repair center 2. 5 hours from my house, that’s not happening. This door stop has been now sitting in my garage for the last 3 years collecting dust because I cannot bring myself to sell such a worthless item to anyone and I cannot just bring myself to throwing it away.

I learned a valuable (and costly) lesson with this, DO NOT BUY CHAMPION. I bought another well known brand’s inverter and have been using it with ZERO issues for the last three years. I only am even here writing this review as I am researching current inverters to buy another one and came across and it hit a nerve with me so I had to warn others.

This is our 4th Generac product (and counting). Having installed a 22kW Generac Guardian as our whole-home backup generator, we no longer needed our Generac XG6500, which we donated to the in-laws. We did, however need a mid-sized generator to power our hunting camp and to handle remote farm work.

The iQ3500 filled that need perfectly. Unbelievably quiet for the hunting cabin and transfers easily into the bed of a side-by-side for off-grid power tool use. The 3500 ran a circular saw and hammer drill with no lag or audible burden.

Sensitive enough to charge devices via USB. Only downside (as mentioned in other reviews) is the spark arrestor being misaligned with the plastic grate, which may become deformed over time but doesn’t seem to impact performance.

So far so good. I bought this generator to provide electricity to my house during construction. It has been running 24/7 since I purchased it. My other generator had numerous noise complaints, especially at night.

With this one, it is so quiet that I don’t even hear it from 20 – 25 feet away. The electric start is fantastic. I have 2 minor issues. 1, it doesn’t have wheels. Transportation is difficult. It’s nice for me since it’s stationary, but I had to use a dolly to get it there.

The second issue is the gas gauge. It seems a lot of models come with this gauge. It’s not the best when filling up the generator. At the end of the day, those are not show stoppers and I am very thrilled with my new generator.

GOOD SOLID UNIT. STARTED ON THE 3RD PULL OF STARTER ROPE. FAIRLY QUIET 84 db @ 5 FEET. DOES A GOOD JOB AT 20 AMP DRAW ON OUTLETS. OVERLOAD CIRCUT BREAKER WORKS AT 22AMPS. LIKE THE PULLING HANDLE & WHEEL KIT.

REALLY EASY TO ASSEMBLE.

I purchased the generator from BJ’s at a very good price. Assembly was extremely easy and only took a few minutes. There was a handle clip missing in the box and the oil cup was crushed. I contacted the company and they are mailing it.

I have not used the generator yet it was purchased in the event of a hurricane power outage.

Truthfully, I didn’t even start it up. Bought it for a small camper and found it was too small on amps. Seems like a decent little generator though.

When I got the machine, I done exactly as requested by instructions. I pulled the starter cord and it would not retract. I called the sportsman number and they told me to take it back to the store that I purchased it from.

I returned it and Walmart was fantastic. Thanks Walmart for the hassle free return. I have 2 other sportsman generators and they work great, but this particular machine did not. Service was great from the phone call.

You may get a good one, you may not.

Overall, I am pleased with my purchase of the Sportsman Dual Fuel generator. It is relatively quiet and starts easily (now that I know the secret). On the control panel is a switch labeled “Power Off” I assumed that to be engine running but Outlets Off.

Otherwise it would be labeled “Shutoff” or “Off”. Power Off is an engine kill switch. if it is not On, you will not get the engine to start.

Saw this at a great price and read reviews and sorry to say, I took a chance. Received new in box, read manual front to rear, followed instructions and could never get to run longer than 40 seconds. I spent more time reading, filling with fluids and draining fluids, talking w/customer service and returning unit than this thing ever ran.

Not mentioning the hours of pull starting to no avail. Maybe just a fluke bad one? I’ll never know, or buy another. I spent $100 more than this one on another brand and very satisfied. Sorry Buffalo Tool.