I have owned other generac products before and have been disappointed by them, ironically the last generac generator I owned was a gp3300, and that model was a standard pull start model not inverted and not clean power.
This is the total opposite of that.
This thing is totally silent, so quiet we chained it to one of the blocks at our fireworks tent for we were afraid someone might steal it.
Anyway I got this to directly replace the noisy older GP 3300 and I have to say this is one of the best generators I have ever owned. As mentioned this thing is near silent, even under full load it's near silent. It provides roughly 3100 Watts continuously for our purposes.
During the day it ran a mini glass door refrigerator, register, open sign, and two portable AC units. At night this thing ran the lighting that was built into the fireworks tent without a hiccup, it also ran 8 100 Watt led ground floodlights to light up the banners outside the tent, and because it cooled off at night we could just run fans instead of the AC units.
This thing ran nearly continually for 2 weeks as our fireworks tent is 24 hours. The fuel efficiency on this thing is incredible, It would go through a gallon of fuel every 4 hours with it running at 3100 watts output, at night when you could audibly hear it was in eco mode I would fill it up at 10:00 p.m. (it only holds about a gallon of gas) and then I wouldn't have to refill it again until the sun was coming up (approximately 6 am).
Your fuel efficiency directly depends on how much power you are pulling from the unit, we never made it pop a breaker, but I guess we did get it to push out too much power once when we didn't turn things on one at a time, and it over surged, the check engine light came on, and about 20 seconds later before I could get to the generator it cut out the motor and turned off. I restarted the generator and made sure to turn on the refrigeration units one at a time, when I did that I was pulling equal load and it handled it a lot better.
As of using the USB ports directly on the front, I did not get a chance to, as I would not leave my phone charging on the generator which had to be outside of the fireworks tent and far enough away that it couldn't start anything on fire, so I haven't had a chance to try it, but when I do I will update this review. I will also post longevity updates so people know what to expect on how long one of these will last.
We have infrequent power outages where I live, maybe a couple times a year, and usually not for more than a few hours, so this will definitely be handy to keep all of our food cold...
I will post updates as the unit ages.
***UPDATE 7/11/2023***
This generator has now survived 3 fireworks tents, not a problem during the last fireworks tent, but after and during clean up it started randomly surging and shutting off. Between all of the other things we had it do, it has well over 6000 hours on it to date, and I have to say with all of the demand we put on this unit, I am surprised it lasted this long with proper maintenance, most home generators are meant to last 1000 hours as that's the limit on generacs warranty. Even with the current problems I would be willing to buy another unit and not change my review one bit. This thing is an absolute workhorse, and has surpassed my expectations. I highly recommend this generator as I haven't had commercial generators last this long before major problems.
We used these a lot more than just for fireworks tents, I use these in a commercial setting and put a lot of demand on them, so to the average home user for camping/fishing/backup-power/occasional use, this will probably be the only generator you'll buy for a long time, if you ever need to replace it. BTW I tested the USB ports on the front, and they provide full quick charging 2.0 or 15W of power and worked perfectly. Mind you all of this took place in the phoenix Arizona metro with 110+ degree weather. If it can be that much of a workhorse out here in the extreme heat, it should last a normal home user a very, very long time. Thanks for reading!
***Update 7/24/2023***
The motor is toast! I literally ran this generator until the motor wore out! Looked at the hours meter on it and it says 6428.8 hrs run. Good job Generac! Please keep up the good work and keep making dependable generators. Just bought another unit to replace my well worn GP3300i. It keeps it's 5 star rating for being the most dependable generator I have ever owned, I always thought it would be Kohler's industrial line of generators that would get this review, but I have yet to have one of them run longer than 2000 hours before having similar issues.
***Update 11/25/23***
The generator lives on, I gave this generator to a buddy who's a small engine genius, all he had to do was re-seat the valves, tighten some stuff down within the engine, he did a fresh oil change just to make sure, put in a fresh spark plug, and changed the air filter, and wouldn't you know it, It fired right back up and acted like it was new! Seems like there's just some long-term maintenance that needs to be done to keep this thing going. So I was wrong, it just ran for so long that it needed re-tuning. Now that it has been tuned correctly I feel like this generator could probably go that many hours no problem, but my buddy told me to bring it to him every 1500 hours of runtime so he can re-seat all the valves and tighten everything down internally, he said this thing should last indefinitely as long as I stay on top of that.
Go generac! I regret that I purchased a new one with this one working fine, but now it gives me a reason to get the parallel kit. I will be giving that a shot next! If anything else happens to this generator, I will be sure to update this review.
*** UPDATE 3/12/2024 ***
It finally broke in a way it's going to be very difficult\near impossible to fix. The pullcord spring that rewinds the pullcord inside the generator, broke on the last pull start of the generator. I have since taken it apart to find that the mechanisms that hold it together are integrated into part of the motor assembely. This makes it much too small to even fit a finger in the space to try and replace the broken spring, let alone any tools to remove anything to fix this, this will require a full teardown of the generator to access the broken part. Seeing just how involved this teardown would be I decided to retire the broken unit and keep it for spare parts on the new unit I just got. Not a dealbreaker In the slightest, this probably lasted through 1000+ pulls, and even on big generators you don't get that many pulls before needing to replace the pullcord, so I say this was made very well.
This will be the final update I provide on this unit since we see the manufacturing quality of this thing goes far beyond expectations. Thanks GENERAC for making a good dependable generator, Mas.
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From the brand
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Reliable Power Since 1959
At Generac, we protect the things that power your life with quality, accessible solutions. As the #1 selling brand of home standby generators, our offerings extend to portable, residential and commercial generators, transfer switches, and accessories to give you power when and where you need it most.
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POWER TO LIVE.A reliable home power outage kit starts with a powerful source. Our backup generator for home use helps to keep the food fresh, the lights on, and the house connected through an outage. |
POWER TO WORK.Feel empowered to work anywhere you are with our open frame generators, the best portable power supply to get the job done right. Whether you need to charge up your laptop battery bank for Zoom calls or power up the food truck for service, we’ll help you prepare for when duty calls. |
POWER TO PLAY.Take the fun outdoors with the best portable power source to power up your play. Use this small generator for camping with the family, setting up a cozy outdoor movie night, or tailgating with friends before the big game. |
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| GP2500i Inverter | IQ3500 Inverter | 3300i Inverter | |
| Customer Reviews |
3,349
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3,349
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3,349
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| Price | $683.05 | $999.00 | — |
| Portable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power | 2,500 W Gas | 3,500 W Gas | 3,300 W Gas |
| Great for | Small Appliances & Camping | Small Appliances & Camping | Small Appliances & Camping |
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This Item  Generac 8251 GP2500i 2,500-Watt Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator - Compact and Lightweight Design with Parallel Capability - Produces Clean, Stable Power - COsense Technology - CARB Compliant |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $679.00 | $499.00 | -9% $499.00 List: $549.00 | $398.00 | -43% $400.99 List: $699.99 | $510.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
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| Light weight | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| fuel type | Gasoline | gas powered | gas powered | Gasoline | Liquefied Petroleum Gas | Gasoline |
| power source | gas powered | Gas Powered | Gas Powered | Gas Powered | Fuel Powered | Gas Powered |
| engine type | 4 Stroke | 4 Stroke | 4 Stroke | 80cc OHV | 4 Stroke | 4 Stroke |
| output wattage | 2500 watts | — | — | 300 watts | 2.2 watts | 2200 watts |
| runtime | — | 12 hours | 12 hours | 1800 minutes | — | 50 minutes |
| tank volume | — | 0.98 gallons | 0.98 gallons | — | 1.18 gallons | — |
Reviews with images
Small and Powerful
These are great little generators. I work with a non-profit that does disaster response and the other small generators that we have used for years are no longer being manufactured. When we started looking for replacements, I wanted something with a good brand name behind it, small and compact, powerful, and easy to transport and maintain. These are usually used when there are disasters and people need them to provide temporary power for their homes.I ordered one of these to test it and then ordered nine more once I determined this was what we wanted. These are compact and have the frame all the way around them for ease in carrying and for protection. They are super easy to start and run smoothly and efficiently. One great thing about these is that they come with everything you need to get started (sans gas) in that there is a funnel and a bottle of oil that contains the exact amount you need. I wish there was somewhere to store the funnel and tools that come with it, but I'll likely tie a mesh or other bag to them.I'm very pleased so far and will use these for our next disaster. One tiny little thing that could improve these is if they would include holes for your hands in the box so they would be easier to grasp and move. That's a very small thing but when you are moving lots of these just a little handhold on each side would be so helpful.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2022
Style: 3300-WattPattern Name: GeneratorVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020
Style: 3000-WattPattern Name: GeneratorVerified Purchase
Okay, so here's the TL;DR
Awesome generator for a camp trailer. Amazing bang-for-your-buck in comparison to popular brands. SUPER quiet. Quieter than I expected. Weighs less than expected. Starts very easily. Ran my AC unit no problem. Very fuel efficient.
Full review:
This thing is absolutely perfect for what I needed. I have a 30' travel trailer with a 15,000BTU AC unit, and my main concern was running that periodically while boondocking.
I looked at the "red" 2200i's because that's what my in-laws run, but I would have needed 2 of those to run it (like they have done.) That puts me in the ~$2,300 price range. Other 'cons' to this approach: 2 engines to maintain, and 102 total lbs. (I try and travel as light as possible, so I'm always thinking about weight). The 'pros' to this approach: it has the right name on it, serviceable pretty much anywhere.
Anyway, back to this one. The first thing I noticed was how light it is. It only weighs slightly more than a red 2200i. It is a little bigger, but not by much. It fired right up on the first pull (make sure it's on 'choke' as it doesn't seem to start on 'run' even when warm).
The next thing I noticed was how QUIET this thing is... I just got back from a 4 day camping trip with some family that have some standard generators and man... I'm glad I got an inverter generator. That's all I'll say. I checked my dB meter and it put it right on with ONE of my father-in-law's running. However, the GP3000i beat his two running parallel while still providing enough power to run the AC. Another observation was that even though it registered the same, it still seemed quieter. I think possibly due to the Generac running at a lower frequency. It just felt less annoying.
Needless to say, it ran my AC flawlessly. I didn't try to run much of anything else while running AC, but it ran that and all the LED lights in my trailer no problem. There's no doubt in my mind that it would run everything in my trailer at once, except maybe the microwave simultaneously. Never really use that thing anyway, though.
My last observation was how well it conserved fuel. I would fill it up about 10:30-11:00 at night, turn on Eco mode, and let it sing us all to sleep. By 7:00-8:00 in the morning it had kept my furnace running all night and still have about 1/3 tank left. Came home with about 2 gallons left in my 5 gallon gas can.
So I can't speak to longevity, durability, or repair-ability yet. But I will update my review if/when I get that experience. However, at the moment I'm VERY happy with my purchase. I saved ~$1,500 going this route with little to no compromises in sight.
Awesome generator for a camp trailer. Amazing bang-for-your-buck in comparison to popular brands. SUPER quiet. Quieter than I expected. Weighs less than expected. Starts very easily. Ran my AC unit no problem. Very fuel efficient.
Full review:
This thing is absolutely perfect for what I needed. I have a 30' travel trailer with a 15,000BTU AC unit, and my main concern was running that periodically while boondocking.
I looked at the "red" 2200i's because that's what my in-laws run, but I would have needed 2 of those to run it (like they have done.) That puts me in the ~$2,300 price range. Other 'cons' to this approach: 2 engines to maintain, and 102 total lbs. (I try and travel as light as possible, so I'm always thinking about weight). The 'pros' to this approach: it has the right name on it, serviceable pretty much anywhere.
Anyway, back to this one. The first thing I noticed was how light it is. It only weighs slightly more than a red 2200i. It is a little bigger, but not by much. It fired right up on the first pull (make sure it's on 'choke' as it doesn't seem to start on 'run' even when warm).
The next thing I noticed was how QUIET this thing is... I just got back from a 4 day camping trip with some family that have some standard generators and man... I'm glad I got an inverter generator. That's all I'll say. I checked my dB meter and it put it right on with ONE of my father-in-law's running. However, the GP3000i beat his two running parallel while still providing enough power to run the AC. Another observation was that even though it registered the same, it still seemed quieter. I think possibly due to the Generac running at a lower frequency. It just felt less annoying.
Needless to say, it ran my AC flawlessly. I didn't try to run much of anything else while running AC, but it ran that and all the LED lights in my trailer no problem. There's no doubt in my mind that it would run everything in my trailer at once, except maybe the microwave simultaneously. Never really use that thing anyway, though.
My last observation was how well it conserved fuel. I would fill it up about 10:30-11:00 at night, turn on Eco mode, and let it sing us all to sleep. By 7:00-8:00 in the morning it had kept my furnace running all night and still have about 1/3 tank left. Came home with about 2 gallons left in my 5 gallon gas can.
So I can't speak to longevity, durability, or repair-ability yet. But I will update my review if/when I get that experience. However, at the moment I'm VERY happy with my purchase. I saved ~$1,500 going this route with little to no compromises in sight.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Louise Berthiaume
REFURBISHED
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Does the job but.....
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Perfect for off grid camping!
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Equipo confiable
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Sebastien
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