Briggs & Stratton 30470 8,750 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit

Briggs & Stratton 30470 8,750 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Description

Briggs & Stratton manufactures small engines and outdoor power equipment. For 100 years, we've been building the engines that power the equipment people use to get the job done. That's the reason consumers look for the Briggs & Stratton brand when they shop for power equipment. Hurricanes. Ice storms. Wind storms. You've seen the after-effects, entire communities without power. A generator will ensure your family has the power needed when faced with unexpected outages. Two types of generators are available: portable generators and permanently installed home generator systems. Briggs & Stratton Elite Series products have heavy-duty components and features with a longer warranty to back them up. They perform tirelessly around the home, farm or on the job.

Features

•     8,750 Watts Surge/7,000 Watts Continuous
•     Four 120 volt AC outlets, one 120 volt 30 amp locking outlet
•     7 gallon fuel tank with gauge provides up to 8 hour run time at 1/2 load.
•     Non-CARB compliant/Not for sale in California

This review is from: Briggs & Stratton 30470 8,750 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit

Briggs & Stratton 30470 Review, January 3, 2012 By R. Davis "R. Davis" (Massachusetts)

Seems to have everything I want in a home backup generator - key start with trickle charger so it'll always start, very well designed wheel transport, gas gauge and works well once it's set up. Only caution is that it's a project to set up and you need the tools and time to put it together. It does NOT come ready to run.

Appears to be a keeper, December 10, 2011 By Ara

The wheel kit practically assembled itself; operating instructions were clear and wisely redundant; and the generator started at the first push of the button. I can only hope it's this easy and reliable if and when the need for it arises.

Generator review, December 8, 2011 By Sally

We received our generator after the severe snow storm in October. It was easy to hook up, easy to move around and provided enough power for refrigerators, furnace and some lights in the house. As with most generators, the only downside is it is very noisy. Otherwise, a great product.

Peace of mind, September 10, 2011 By Scuba_J "Dad of 3" (In front of my computer)

Living in a house that has well water with 3 young kids and the fact that neighborhood looses power frequently and a history of multi-day outages, made the purchase of a generator a necessary.
I spent weeks researching generators and kept coming back to the B&S 30470. I have had great results with Briggs and Stratton engines going back to a 1979 lawn mower that i could not kill (wanted my dad to buy a self-propelled or lighter unit after 10 years of use) I digress...
I had just got the unit hooked up to a transfer switch by an electrician the day before Hurricane Irene came and so glad that i did. Before I even put the unit to use I loaded the generator with Mobil-1 Synthetic 5W-30. The drain plug on mine was on super tight and was nearly a knuckle buster when I broke torque. Below is some tips and advice that I have gleaned from my research and hope that it helps others.

1) Purchase price of the generator is typically not your only expense to getting power to your house. You have to consider the cost of a transfer switch, electrician, cable purchase which can run about $150 for a 50ft run, shed cost (if you plan on storing outside). You can also cheap charlie it and just use extension cords. But in my case the hastle of dealing with bugs in the summer,heat escaping in the winter and kids yanking or tripping on cords zig zagging through the house made the cheap charlie route not pass the WAF (wife acceptance factor).

2) Oil Consumption -- I have read from Popular Mechanics that air cooled engines on average can consume 1 oz of oil per hour. I just changed after 5 hours and did not notice a drop in level. Knowing the potential for oil consumption, I am going to check oil level religiously during use and keep spare oil on hand.
3) Changing oil -- Getting a oil pan transport container under the drain plug is very difficult. My solution is to cut a reasonable size square opening say 2"X 2" in a 2L bottle and drain into the bottle first.
4) Use fuel stabilizer irregardless if you think that you are going to use it all up. Gas goes bad really fast especially E10 which is dispensed in most major metropolitan areas. Gas will turn to varnish and gum up the engine.

The cons:
The key to start is a little chintzy.
Noise, some might complain that it's too loud, I do not have any comparisons to other generators nor am i really close to my neighbors.
Oil change process.

Pros:
B&S reliability
Decent run time
A whole lot cheaper solution than a 12kw natural gas generator.

Damaged Generator, May 29, 2011 By Huntsville, AL

Briggs 30470 arrived with paint blistering up due to rust under the paint. Steel apparently was not properly prepared before painting. The unit received was manufactured 13 months prior to delivery date. I contacted Amazon customer service concerning the rust problem and they made it right.

Great generator, excellent transaction!, May 21, 2011 By B. Risko (Huntsville, AL)
(REAL NAME)

I purchased this generator after doing a lot of research and kept coming back to Briggs & Stratton due to the availability of repair parts (if ever needed) and the noted reliability of their products. The transaction through Amazon was flawless and they had the best price (after promotion) by well over $150. Shipping through ABF was perfect and the driver was polite and right on time. They unloaded the generator for me right into the garage.

I have already broken in the engine by running it for an hour and changing the oil. I have since had a heater and air compressor hooked up with no issues whatsoever. The generator comes packaged well and assembly is quick and easy. I would definitely recommend this model and Amazon as a seller to anyone who is in the market to purchase a generator.

Great Generator, March 5, 2011 By Walter Chorny (Chicago, IL United States)

Bought is Product after looking at many Reviews.
Real happy when I received the package. Took about 15 Minutes to install.
Fill the oil and added the gas. One push of the button and started right away. I put a load on it and instant voltage.
If you want a good product stay with the Briggs & Stratton Engine. Can't go wrong buying this product.
All so bought a Reliance Controls 31410CRK Pro/Tran 10-Circuit 30 Amp Generator Transfer Switch Kit With Transfer Switch, 10-Foot Power Cord, And Power Inlet Box For Up To 7,500-Watt Generators.With both products I am covered for any power outage.
Also bought the cover.