Generators You Can Count on During a Power Outage

CR subscribers sound off on how satisfied they are with their stationary and portable generators

Paul Hope, Consumer Reports Home & DIY Editor.

By Paul Hope
Home & DIY Editor

October 27, 2017

illustration of rows of dark houses and one house lit up

What makes a great generator? For starters, it should start.

And that’s not always a given.

In our 2016 survey of 8,787 Consumer Reports subscribers, we found that 14 percent of readers who owned generators reported problems getting them started during a power outage. Those aren’t comforting odds if you rely on the tool to power your house—or even a collection of key appliances—during or after a major storm.

Our generator reliability survey also reveals that portable generators are far more popular than stationary generators. Portable generators run on gasoline, for anywhere from 8 to 16 hours on a single tank; stationary models are installed permanently and can be configured to run on propane or natural gas, allowing them to operate indefinitely.

Respondents were three times more likely to own a portable generator. That's probably because they're about one-tenth the cost: The median cost for each configuration in our survey, including installation, was $731 for a portable generator and $7,317 for a stationary model.

How to Choose the Right Generator

If you’re torn between the two configurations, start with our generator buying guide. For help choosing between models, the chart below—available to CR digital subscribers—details reader satisfaction with a broad array of portable and stationary generator brands, including Honda, Yamaha, Briggs & Stratton, Ridgid, Troy-Bilt, Champion, Harbor Freight, BlackMax, Craftsman, Generac, Coleman, PowerMate, Cummins, Kohler, and GE.

For each brand, you'll see the overall satisfaction score, along with how our readers rate that brand for issues around starting the generator and noise while operating.

CR's Generator Satisfaction Survey Results

Compare the satisfaction data below with test results in our generator ratings to find the right model for your house.

Generator Satisfaction
Portable generators
Brand and Median price paid	Reader Score	Starting Problems	Noise
Honda $1,814	92
Yamaha $1,907	92
BlackMax $749	89
Rigid $904	88
Troy-Bilt $690	88
Champion $562	87
Harbor Freight $515	87
Briggs & Stratton $716	86
Generac $771	86
Coleman $578	84
Powermate $551	84
Stationary Generators
Brand and Median price paid	Reader Score	Starting Problems	Noise
Kohler $8,768	91
Cummins $8,749	91
Generac $6,992	91
GE $8,100	90
Briggs & Stratton $6,472	89

GUIDE TO THE RATINGS Ratings are based on the Consumer Reports National Research Center’s 2016 summer survey of 8,787 subscribers reporting on a home generator they currently own that provides power during outages. Results don’t necessarily mirror the experiences of the general U.S. population. Reader Score reflects overall satisfaction with generators and isn’t limited to the criteria listed in the table. A score of 100 would mean all respondents were completely satisfied; 80, very satisfied, on average. Differences of fewer than 5 points aren’t meaningful. Ratings for starting problems and noise are relative and reflect mean scores on a 6-point scale ranging from Very Poor to Excellent. Price represents the median price customers paid for their generator; for standby models this includes the cost of installation. Although portable and stationary generators are presented separately in our ratings table, our analysis included both types of generators examined as one common pool of data. Some exceptions were made for analyses of satisfaction drivers, where they were analyzed separately.

Generator Satisfaction
Portable generators
Brand and Median price paid	Reader Score	Starting Problems	Noise
Honda $1,814	92
Yamaha $1,907	92
BlackMax $749	89
Rigid $904	88
Troy-Bilt $690	88
Champion $562	87
Harbor Freight $515	87
Craftsman $728	86
Briggs & Stratton $716	86
Generac $771	86
Coleman $578	84
Powermate $551	84
Stationary Generators
Brand and Median price paid	Reader Score	Starting Problems	Noise
Kohler $8,768	91
Cummins $8,749	91
Generac $6,992	91
GE $8,100	90
Briggs & Stratton $6,472	89

Paul Hope

Paul Hope is a Home & DIY Editor at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.