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Rated 4 out of
5
by
Cannibal2 from
Solid performer after fixing battery issue.
Solid performer after fixing battery issue. The battery died after 6 months and would not hold a charge. After installing a new battery and a disconnect so the battery no longer had a drain on it, I also installed a motorcycle style trickle charger. It now works perfectly and the battery holds a charge. I keep the battery disconnected until it's time to use it. It is now a perfect generator after the $50 upgrade. Too bad Generac did make the improvements in the factory because it does take a certain amount of expertise and engineering to correct the problem but is doable if you have the right tools. I will attach some photos at a later date.
Date published: 2023-03-04
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Mike from
Issues
I would like this generator more if the battery lasted longer and if it would not have problems starting. After 3 batteries I believe I fixed the battery issue. However, sometimes it does not want to start. This is very frustrating when our power goes out. I can eventually start the generator, but it is not easy. And it is almost impossible to start with the pull start.
Unfortunately, this generator cannot run our heat pump. That is my bad for not doing enough research. But once it is running, the generator can run everything else in the house. This is important because our house is all electric.
Date published: 2023-02-17
Rated 3 out of
5
by
ET from
Great Generator if you can get it started and keep it going.
One reason I purchased this generator was for the ease of starting it with the electric starter when the power goes out. The first week I had it, it started right up, but once I removed the trickle charger that came with it for a couple days it wouldn't start. I figured it had a bad battery or a short in the system, so I took it to a Generac authorized repair shop to have it checked out and they said the battery was bad and replaced it. Sad to say the new battery was also dead after sitting a couple of days. I did some research on the internet and discovered that this Generac Model had issues of shorting out and causing the battery to drain and die.
I installed an on/off toggle switch to isolate the battery when not in use and that fixed the shorting out issue.
One other issue that I've ran into, is that this CO sensor is almost too sensitive, if the wind blows the exhaust back towards the generators CO sensor it will shut down unexpectedly, so I have to position the exhaust pipe towards the same direction as the wind is blowing.
Now that I know what it takes to get this generator started and keep it going it's actually a really good generator and it performs well, it's just not user friendly.
Date published: 2023-02-17
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Bob from
Good solid product!
I have had this generator for 3 years now.
Due to a more dependable electric grid lately, I haven’t needed to use it for a power failure. I do however try to start it quarterly for preventative maintenance.
I keep the battery charger plugged in since the control seem to drain the battery constantly. Last week when I tried to start it, the battery was low and I couldn’t start the generator. The manual pull worked, and I ran the generator for 1 hour.
I guess I’m in the market for a replacement battery.
Date published: 2023-02-17
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Matt from
Thus far all is well with the generator
This is my third season with this generator and thus far it has worked as it should. I don't have any experience with other generators and brands so I cannot tell how this specific model is relative to the others but thus far, it has not let me down. Some observations though.
1. The battery is on a trickle charger and this keeps the battery fully charged. This is a good thing because it takes a great deal of effort, at least for me, to use the manual start.
2. This one is a gripe. The manual states that old fuel should not be kept in the fuel tank. I get it. However there is no easy way to drain the fuel! I use a hand pump to remove the old fuel at the end of each season. Generac could have easily added a de fueling valve to its gas tank.
Date published: 2023-02-17
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Ross from
Battery has not held up
Can you please tell me how to get a new Battery. For some reason The battery that came with the generator is already worn out, it will not hold a charge. Please give me the Site I can go to to get a new one.
Hopefully a new one will last and hold a charge.
Date published: 2023-02-16
XT8500EFI is rated
3.7 out of
5 by
6.