Champion Power Equipment 41537 9,375 Watt 439cc 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator With Electric Start (CARB Compliant)

Champion Power Equipment 41537 9,375 Watt 439cc 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator With Electric Start (CARB Compliant) Description

The Champion 9375 watt portable generator provides dependable, portable power for your home or jobsite. 7500 watts Rated, 9375 watts Maximum output. Champion generator can run lights, TV, refrigerator, sump pump, furnace fan, security systems and Window AC all at the same time. Great for running 4-5 power tools or 2HP air compressor. Powered by Champion 439cc OHV engine with cast iron sleeve will run 9 hours on a full tank of gas at 50% load. Electric Start (Battery Included). EPA/CARB approved for sale in 50 States. Features durable frame with portability kit w/10-inch wheels, 2 - 120V DUPLEX outlets (5-20R), 1 -120/240V Twistlock Receptacle (L15-30R), 1 - 120V Twistlock (L5-30R), Overload Protection, Low Oil Sensor and Intelligauge which provides volts, hertz and operating hours information.. Engine Oil included. Dimensions: 31.5-inch (L) x 22.0-inch (W) x 22.5-inch (H). Weighs 235-pounds 2 Year Limited Warranty. Champion has the best Product Quality and Customer Service in the business. All Champion products are cover by our Lifetime Free Technical Support and 2 Year Limited Warranty.

Features

•     7500 Watts rated, 9375 watts maximum output; outlets: 2- 120 volt duplex outlets, 1 - 120/240 volt twist lock outlet, 1 - 120v twist lock
•     Powered by champion 439cc OHV engine with cast iron sleeve, electric start with battery
•     Runs for 11 hours on full tank of gas at 50 percent load, engine oil included
•     Fuel capacity 5.9 gallons; CARB compliant; frequency 60 hertz; single phase
•     Weighs 231.6-pounds; measures 27.7-inches in length by 27.1-inches in width by 26-inches in height

This review is from: Champion Power Equipment 41537 9,375 Watt 439cc 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator With Electric Start (CARB Compliant)

Champion Portable Generator - 41537, December 27, 2011 By Born Rich

I bought this generator after a passing hurricane and two tropical storms visited the Northeast (New Jersey) in 2011. Our basement flooded when the power went out rendering our sump pumps inoperable. An estimate for battery backup sump pumps was in the $800 range EACH. That made a generator very attractive, and I too began reading the reviews of generators and features that would be helpful if and when I purchased one (electric start, can be used in all 50 states (CARB compliant), solid wheels, high capacity, and long(er) warranty than most). The previous reviewers are absolutely correct about this generator being an incredible value for the capability you will buy vs the dollar spent. I had an electrician wire a 30a receptacle outside of the house to the circuit breaker box inside the garage with a breaker bar lock out for safety. I also bought a 1.5a battery maintainer ("floater") to keep the battery charged and ready for use (you can pull-start the unit if you desire to do so). I have tested this unit with my household load (two refrigerators, two sump pumps, lights, central heating fan, microwave, fans, etc.) and was very satisfied with the unit easily handling the electrical load. This generator started easily out of the box, came with accessories that other units don't, and has a large enough capacity to handle everything I would want to power in an emergency...with a substantial surge reserve if necessary. A great value and quite powerful. The next level of wattage capacity is far more expensive. Highly recommended, and these reviews indicate substantial ease of use and powerful performance with the Model 41537 Champion generator. Along with the 1.5a battery maintainer, I would also seriously recommend using a fuel stabilizer (StaBil)in your gas can and in the fuel tank of the generator). A value-added feature is lifetime technical support and delivery of the unit was quick (less than three days!) and careful. The delivery team placed it in my garage strapped to a wooden pallet

Nice unit with packed features., November 9, 2011 By BIRDPEN (MA USA)

I totally agree with other detailed review on every point. I have bought this unit from Costco, much cheaper than sold elsewhere, including via Amazon. Unit was easy to unpack, attached wheels and ready for run in 15-20 minutes. I like the solid wheels, no worry about air pressure or flat tire. This generator is little loud, as you would expect for this category, but no louder than a high end snow blower, and not much noticeable when you are inside the house. It came with battery and electric start, works flawlessly. Also included 25', L15-30R connector cable (worth $70-$100), engine oil and tools.
My first impression is very good, tested with voltmeter, it is generating 122Volts, on board display showing 61Hz. Tried bunch of electric loads for testing and worked great. Not tested with full load yet, but I guess for that I need to wait for next power outage :)

Champion Power Equipment Generator - Model 41537, November 9, 2011 By R. Stoer (Northern NJ United States)
(REAL NAME)

At the time of this writing there are no user reviews listed anywhere for this model. Therefore, I'm posting my initial impressions in the hope it will be of some use to those seeking information regarding this generator. Later I'll update the review as to how it performs in the long-term.

The first several paragraphs discuss some things I've learned while shopping for generators in this price/power range. The paragraph headings describe the topic. If you're not interested, you can skip right to "My review of the 41537".

Made in China vs. Made in USA:
I did a lot of research on generators and transfer switches after hurricane Irene left us without power for five days. The first thing I discovered was that it's difficult (if not impossible) to find a generator this powerful, made in the USA, for less than $1,200.00. Briggs & Stratton and Generac make some models in the U.S., but their homeowner lines are made in China. I also learned that when a model boasts of an engine by one of several well-known Japanese manufacturers, that engine is often made by the Japanese company in China. Whatever your personal preferences, good and bad products come from all countries, and the reviews of the Chinese made units seemed no worse than their more expensive USA equivalents.
Bottom line: American made generators exist. But if you want one, be prepared to spend at least 50% more. Since I will only be using mine occasionally, I couldn't justify the premium.

Differences (and similarities) between Chinese made generators:
There are dozens of brands of portable generators being sold in the U.S. A large part of the Chinese built units have brand names you've never heard of and they look nearly identical. The companies behind these brands are apparently importers, with no manufacturing capability of their own. They all seem to buy from the same factory and just slap their name on it. However, there are a few companies with their own manufacturing facilities in China. That sets them apart, as it gives them more control over the design and quality of the finished product. Although that product could be worse than the 'standard model' the assumption is they went their own way to be better than the pack, not worse. The differences in reviews of these generic models seems to come down to the level of customer service and warranty support offered by the company.

What drew me to the Champion Brand:
1)Generally good reviews. As I mentioned, I couldn't find any reviews for this particular model, but the smaller units from Champion get mostly favorable comments.
2)Value. They were hard to beat on price vs. (performance, features, warranty, & reviews).
3)Decent warranty: One year labor/Two years parts. Not the best available, but better than many.
4)They were one of a handful of brands claiming to have their own manufacturing facilities.
5)They've been around since 2003 - not a lifetime but longer than many competitors.
6)They claim to pride themselves on their customer service. Since lack of support is probably the largest complaint against other brands, I looked into that claim.
Here's what I found:

Like Sears, there's an exploded view and a complete parts list in the owner's manual. They also claim to keep a good supply of parts on-hand (I did not confirm this).

Before I made my purchase I emailed the company's sales department twice. Both times they got back to me in 3 or 4 days with satisfactory answers to my questions. Not really speedy but they did respond, and my questions were not service related. The technical department may be better (or worse). Hopefully, I'll never have to find out.

In the support section of their website, they have several technical bulletins offering help with various issues people may experience with their products. These range from broken starter cords and choke levers to engine adjustments and dealing with stale gas. Some may see this approach as an attempt to shift the burden of fixing their broken equipment to the customer, but I like it. These generators weigh over 200 pounds so it's not easy to schlep them to a service center, even when under warranty. Plus there's the time involved and loss of service while it's in the shop. If one of these tips can get you up-and-running again quickly (especially in an emergency) why not? - better too much information than to little.

My review of the 41537:
The model 41537 has an output rated at 7500W continuous with peaks up to 9375W. It's powered by a 15HP, 439cc OHV engine with electric or recoil start and splash lubrication. It has a 5.9 gallon metal gas tank (coated inside to prevent rust) with a built-in fuel gauge. The fuel cap is chained to the tank to prevent loss and there's a removable strainer in the fuel inlet. It has a drop-down `U' shaped handle at one end and rolls on a pair of 10" non-pneumatic tires. There's a low-oil shutoff and an over-voltage shut-off (Volt Guard). It has two duplex 120VAC outlets and one 240VAC 30A L14-30R receptacle. All outlets are protected by circuit breakers.

The unit arrived undamaged. It took about fifteen minutes to un-box it, assemble it, and add the supplied oil & gas. It took almost the entire container of oil, but not quite. There may be some oil in the reservoir upon shipping so don't just dump the whole bottle in without checking.

The assembled unit looked sturdy and it started up immediately (after I remembered to turn on the gas). The on-board voltmeter read 127 VAC (254/2) with no load and the frequency showed 63 Hz. My own voltmeter measured 122 VAC at the same time so the on-board meter may be about 5 volts high (I'll check it with a third meter soon and add my findings).

I gave it a quick load test by running a Skill Saw (900W running) and a rather large, single piston air compressor (1800W at 120VAC running). The air compressor caused the engine RPM's to drop noticeably upon startup but it recovered quickly and ran fine.

My first real use of the generator was to power an electric "JawSaw" tree pruner after a freak October snowstorm broke branches in several trees on my property. The generator was so heavy I realized I wouldn't be able to wheel it all over the property so I loaded it into a dump cart hitched to the back of my lawn tractor an drove it from tree to tree - I didn't even take it off the cart. It started right away every time and had no trouble with the small five-amp load. I admit that's not much of a test, but so-far so-good.

Pro's:
Comes complete with battery (Surprisingly, not all electric start generators include it), oil, funnel, spark plug wrench, glossy paper manual (though lacking some detail). It also comes with a 25', 10 gauge, 4 wire cord with an L14-30 plug and five 110 VAC receptacles. To buy this cable separately would cost $75-$100. I cut off the 110 VAC outlets and installed an L14-30 in-line receptacle ($16.99 from Amazon) to create a cord to run between the generator and the inlet box for my transfer switch. No other generator I've seen comes with a 25' cord like this.

Easy to Assemble. Bolt on the wheels, feet, and connect the battery. Add oil and gas. Done. Speaking of wheels, here's a small thing that I liked about this unit. Most other brands hold the wheels on the axle with cotter pins. I'm sure that works fine, but the nut, bolt, and sleeve used by this model just seems more substantial.

IntelliGauge: This digital display can be switched to show voltage, frequency (Hz) and hours-of-operation. Very useful, but initial tests show that at least the voltage part may not be terribly accurate.

Gas Gauge: Not an extraordinary thing. Most have it, but not all.

Volt-Guard over-voltage protection. This is a very useful feature that will shut down the engine in the event the Automatic Voltage Regular (AVR) fails, thereby protecting your equipment from receiving too high a voltage. It's not mentioned in the manual or the on-line specs but it says on the box that it has it. There's a video explaining it on Champion's website and U-Tube.

It has a brush type generator with copper windings. This type generator is more costly and heavier, but more efficient.

Con's:
Nothing much so far, but if I want to pick nits:

It's loud (as I knew it would be). It's has a 15HP engine running at 3,600RPM - It's going to be loud. Inverter type generators are generally much quieter but they're limited in output and cost more. Standby generators are quieter because they're in a box. They make enclosures for portable units but they're expensive and I don't know how well they work. Honda offers some relatively quiet (non-inverter) units, but none are as powerful as this and they're very pricey.

It's heavy and awkward to move. All generators this powerful are heavy but Ridgid has designed theirs similar to a hand truck, with a taller (folding) handle and the weight balanced over the wheels. If you'll be moving yours any distance you may want to consider one of those.

The manual could be more thorough (although much of what's missing is available on-line).

So far, I'm very happy with my purchase. My complaints are insignificant. If it continues to perform well I'll be a happy customer.

Update 12/9/11:
A note on pricing: When I said this generator was a good buy, I meant at the price Amazon was selling them for at the time, which ranged from $812 to $849 delivered. At that price or below I contend this model is hard to beat. There are also other Champion models that are similar to the 41537 but offer remote start/stop for about $75-100 more. Those models are: 41552 & 41535 (Cat 5 line). Anything said about the 41537 should also pertain to them.