DuroMax XP5500HX 5,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator - Gas & Propane, Electric Start, RV & Emergency Ready

So I owe this generator a review. 2 years late but better later than never. I only ever ran this on propane. it's never seen gas in its life. It starts strong. it runs smoothly. a little loud but it's a large open frame so comes with the territory. Moving it is okay its heavy again not a negative. I have it set up to run off of one of my 100 LB propane tank. It back feeds into the house through a 50 amp service. (please don't attempt unless you have experience doing this or consult with a local electrician) it effortlessly handles whole house AC. water heater and electric stove I switch off high demand appliances as needed but leave the small stuff on all the time. It starts good 90% of the time on electrical start reason I give it that rating is once in a while it backfires after sitting a while when trying to start on propane sometimes it has to try a couple times to start. Again this is not a red flag just feel like it should be said. Something else I noticed is the choke is electric. so you set it to choke before you hit set start button, and after its running it automatically moves the choke to run honestly did not know it did that when I bought it. For what is is definitely a solid choice. Last time I ran it I ran non stop for about 15 hours. then the main power came back on lol.

Okay, you are clearly eyeing the HXT version of this generator to run natural gas…or at least have that option, right? Otherwise, you can spend significantly less and get the dual fuel version. If you are like me, you would like something that runs off natural gas, similar to a whole-house solution…but without spending the $15K of that whole-house solution. This unit offers a good compromise. It is not as powerful as a whole-house generator, and it requires a bit of effort to get it up and running each time you need it, but it is far less expensive. My goal was to run the smaller of my two AC units, the associated furnace fan, and most other appliances (e.g., refrigerators) when we next lose power in the Houston area for whatever reason. I was comparing this option against the considerably less expensive Champion 100416 tri-fuel generator, which also looks well-designed. The problem with the Champion unit for my purposes is that, while the wattage is good enough, it only has a 30-amp outlet, which is likely not enough to start even my smaller AC/furnace fan. This DuroMax has a 50-amp outlet which definitely will do the job. Also, the digital gauge is a nice-to-have feature that will prove useful in assessing the load. However, the challenge with a bigger generator is that you do need a natural gas line with a hefty volume of BTUs…the manual says it consumes 225,000 btus per hour at full load. Initially I had the thought to hook it up to my existing 1/2-inch natural gas line on the back patio, which was originally installed to support a grill. However, most grills only need 50,000-100,000 BTUs per hour, and that 1/2-inch line runs a long way from the meter (thus lowering the volume), so that connection seemed likely to be inadequate. Instead, I decided to install a connection off of a 3/4-inch line that supplies my pool heater. The pool heater requires 400,000 BTUs per hour, so I knew that that natural gas line would provide enough BTUs, and the existing regulator was the appropriate size, too (6.0 - 9.0 inch water column according to the manual, which you can find on the DuroMax website). Anyway, I mention the above because I am a very average DIYer, and I had to think through these considerations carefully. Other lessons learned… You are going to need about a quart of 10W-30 SAE motor oil. I don’t know exactly how much because I combined two partial bottles. The point is that it does not come with the oil, so order some if you do not already have it. I also would recommend a trickle charger in case you do not fire up the generator very often. Trickle chargers are cheap and will keep the battery in healthy condition. It helps to have your own tools when taking off the shipping brace, putting on the wheels, et cetera. For example, having a socket wrench made some steps easier. I felt like the supplied tools were a bit lacking. The biggest challenge I faced was that the natural gas hose came with what appeared to be a 3/4-inch to 1/2-inch reducer attached on one end, and goodness gracious was mine on there tightly! It is nice that it has that reducer for those who plan to screw it onto a 1/2-inch gas line, but I didn’t need it, so I had to take it off…which should have been quick and easy…but was not. It took my (admittedly inconsiderable) strength as a 48-year-old guy with a 24-inch pipe wrench and a 12-inch crescent wrench (a.k.a., adjustable wrench) to break it free. Once I had it hooked up to my natural gas supply and the switches in the right positions, I pushed the start button. While the battery did its bit, it failed to crank. It would automatically stop trying after a couple of seconds, then it would automatically retry after a few more seconds. It did this 4-5 times before it finally caught and began to run. Was this because it took a little time to fill the hose and “prime?” I am not sure. I just mention it in hopes offering comfort if your unit does not start on the first attempt either. That’s as far as I’ve gotten at the time of this writing because I still need to have the interlock kit and 50-amp receptacle outlet installed on the house. If I learn more that I deem valuable, I will provide an update. Hope this helps! ********* Update: I did get the interlock kit and 50-amp receptacle outlet installed, and I am happy to report that this setup did the job of running my smaller AC unit, two refrigerators, and all the small stuff in the house (lights, two computers, Internet modem/router, ceiling fans, et cetera). With all of that going, it showed 3 out of 5 bars...so approximately 60% load. Time will tell how well it holds up, but for now I remain pleased with this generator. Well done, DuroMax.

I purchased this generator to replace an ailing 17-year-old Aurora 6800-watt diesel generator. I purchased a Diesel model for the same reason most people buy propane or natural gas models; gasoline has a very short shelf life. I did much research, and it seems DuroMax has an excellent reputation for reliability and durability. I picked this model as the Aurora 6800 model couldn't run my heat pump and other things at the same time. Most complaints on the DuroMax models are related to noise and shutting down because of the CO sensor. It is a 20hp motor and is going to be a bit noisy, it is much quieter than my diesel generator. As far as the CO sensor issue many people believe the sensors are too sensitive, many complain of it being triggered even when running out in the open. I have only run mine for the 8-hour break in period so far, 3 continuous hours 1 day and the rest then next day with a 24-amp load and it didn't shut down. The CO sensor issue is not exclusive to DuroMax, almost all manufacturers are having similar complaints. apparently even if the wind blows against the exhaust, it can blow back on the sensor and cause a shutdown. You have to wait 5 minutes before it will start back up if that happens. Hopefully they will improve on this issue, there's always going to be people who will try and run a generator in their house or garage so I see the need, but I also will be very irritated if mine starts shutting down like that. I am happy with my purchase and recommend this model to others, I like it.

I am so excited about my Generator.. I bought the 13,000 tri fuel...I am old Widow lady and wanted some security when power is out.. need air conditioning and power for illness. I could not afford a Generac, so I got the Duromax ... with my electricians help, found what size I needed for my house and he installed it to my home and existing household gas. So easy to operate....2 switches, a valve, and turn on the transfer switches and I have whole house power.....I test it once a month to keep everything oiled and battery up. Don't you know, Power went out and needed it just 3 months into having it installed. and battery was dead. Called my electrician and he verified that. I called Duramax and before I could get my whole story out the man said another Battery would be here in 3 to 5 days... Such a pleasant guy...also I asked a few questions which he was sooooo helpful.... I thought when I first called that I might get a run-around or some excuses, and I would have to get a battery on my own and pay a high price BUT these guys were terrific ..... so far so good Battery is supposed to be delivered today. he told me how long to run it for the first run time... and that once a month firing it up and letting it run for 10-15 minutes was the best thing to keep it ready. (which I was doing) So Thankful I have a reliable, affordable power source for emergencies. Generac wanted almost $20,000. for a unit that would not power my whole house.... After buying the pieces I needed to install this to my home and the installation fees plus the generator I have a little over $3,000. invested and it will power my whole home...as a little old lady I can operate it with very little effort. If anything changes I will report on it....SO FAR SO GOOD.. DUROMAX CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER DELT WITH. By the way,.at the warehouse batteries can sit on the shelf for a while and when a generator is bought and battery installed ..they can go bad...just a fact of life...nothing against Duromax...that is just the way it is. verified by my electrician. .just glad it happened with a minor power outage in my area and I discovered it. Should be smooth sailing from now on....plus with the Tri Fuel if the house gas for some reason does go down.. I have it set up to switch over to LP and also have gas for back up. Love it!! it is a little noisy ( as expected), but inside barely notice it. will try to send photo soon.

I have been looking for a long time to replace my 1995 Champion 5250 Watt Generator, although it served me well for a lot of years, and did a pretty good job of powering most of my house, I was looking to get a whole house generator that would cover everything, but they are really expensive. Then I ran across this thing. I probably over the course of weeks and months put this generator in my cart 20 times, but could never bring myself to buy it, it's not cheap. When Amazon dropped the price a bit and offered 12 monthly payments it was a no brainer and I bought it (without letting my wife know of course), I use the "ask forgiveness not permission" ideology. With that it showed up exactly when they said it would and the box looked perfect, but I asked the delivery person if I could open the box and inspect for damage before I accept it. The delivery person was very accommodating, and there was not a scratch on it, so I started on the assembly process. Super easy, but you do need to flip it upside down to remove the shipping brace and install the wheels, so if you you are not able to flip over a 250 or so pound generator yourself, plan on drafting a helper and make sure you use the cardboard from the box or a blanket to you don't scratch this thing up. This generator does not come with oil, so plan on having some on hand. After flipping it back over installed the handles, connected the battery (you will need an 8mm socket to remove the bolts for the battery cover) it does not come in the toolkit. Also what does not come in the toolkit is a 12mm socket or wrench for the oil drain plug so plan accordingly. After filling with 10w30 oil (non synthetic for break in), I put in some gas, turned on the battery switch, pushed the start button, and it started right up! No issues whatsoever. I ran it through a break in period for about 2 1/2 hours only pulling a light load on and off, and then changed the oil. The oil had metallic particles in it as was expected for break in, I then put in new oil and ran it for another 3 1/2 hours and repeated the process of changing the oil. This time it was pretty clean. At that point I refilled with 10w30 Synthetic oil. Now that I did the initial break in, I switched over to propane, opened the valve, pushed the button and once again it started right up! No issues whatsoever. I plan on doing 1 more oil change after another 5 hours of runtime. Now for the bad. When I tested the idle controller switch it did nothing. That really bugged me, so the next day I started troubleshooting, and discovered the actuator that is activated by the idle control solenoid was bent, most likely happened during assembly. I bent it back, and although it now moved, it did not drop the idle because the adjustment screw was not adjusted correctly on the actuator. After getting it adjusted correctly, when I activated the switch again, it dropped the idle down so far that the engine shut down. I then needed to adjust the idle screw in order to fix that issue. This was no issue for me to fix, but not everyone can, which would result in endless phone calls, or even returning this thing. Will I ever use the idle control switch? No way, at least not when hooked up to my house. Pretty much everything in your house has a circuit board, and when the generator senses a load it comes back up to speed, quickly, and could cause a power surge that could damage one of your appliances. Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase, and at this point I would buy it again and recommend it to others. It is extremely well built. Duramax put a lot of effort into this machine and it shows. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because the issue with the idle control should have been discovered on final inspection. This issue was caused during assembly not during shipping or anything else. Had I not been able to fix this myself, it would have turned into a major hassle. One final thought. Not sure why they didn't use a magnetic oil drain plug. I plan on getting one for my next oil change to catch any metal floating around in there. just one more thing you can do to keep this thing running for a long time!

I like this unit. I burn propane only in it. Figured it’s less issues with the fuel than burning gas. No additives, no carb gumming up , cleaner burning ,easier starts. Anyway I like it. Use it for power outage backup for the house. Can sit for months at the time and as long as you keep that battery maintainer on for the starting battery this thing will start up every time. Put it on a little four wheel trailer along with two propane bottles and the extension cord to plug into the house disconnect. All I do it hook it to the golf cart. Pull it to the house. Hook up cord. Flip the proper disconnects. Fire it off and that’s it. House is powered up. I recommend this unit for anyone needing a generator.

So received the generator with all the equipment as advertised, 15’ 3/4” natural gas line with brass quick disconnects, propane line and reg with dis connect, a complete set of plugs for the 120v-20amp, 240v-30amp, 240v-50amp. I was really surprised. Put the parts together and found I was missing the feet so I emailed the customer service next day during working hours and they responded within 20 minutes. Asked me my gen model, then told me to register the generator for future if any issues arise. Bam theee days later I had the two feet. Now installed she started up right away, first on gasoline, then after 20 minutes or so I switched over to natural gas and no problem she started right up. Note to all turn off natural gas valve when you go back to gas. I’ve ran the generator for over two hours so far just breaking it in. I emailed customer service asking if there was any recommendations on maintenance. They responded within 15 minutes stating after break in change the oil then since it’s a backup generator for my house they recommended run it for 15 minutes every month and hookup up a battery maintainer, even sent a Amazon link in the email for a suggestion. Very nice, I responded already had hooked up the pigtail on the battery for my maintainer and bought a metal gen house for permanent storage and weather protection. Must say customer service was great, generator runs great so far. Think it will go along time for me. Must have been a Wednesday build because I have had no issues to date. CS Email during working hours seems to be the perfect time to communicate. Noise is semi loud but it’s a 500 cc motor, battery was fully charged when received. I tried to charge it once I opened the packages but after 7 minutes charger was sold green so it was at 80% already. Heavy but the handles and wheels makes it easy to move, I would say with the discount $1999.00 was a great value. Knob to switch fields is very stiff so will turn it every month when I run it just to work it in some. It’s a good bang for your buck today. Will give more feed back after 10 plus hours.

I have owned this Generator for 3 years now. It has worked flawlessly everytime I needed it. It powers my whole house during outages, One outage lasted 14 hrs during the summer on a 100 degree day and kept up with the A/C on all day. We have gas water heater and furnace so we less electricity than some people but this generator is well worth what your paying for it. But you will need a electrician to hook it up by law anyway. If you want to hook up through the main power box. I have a good independent electrician and it only cost me 500 dollars to hook mine up.