Generac 7690 GP6500 Portable Generator, Orange, Black

I purchased this generator Nov, 2011.That was 11 months before Storm Sandy.Long story short, I am very happy with it.Performed very well during 11 days of outage in Sandy, and numerous other outages.First of all, it weighs a bunch.So, the first thing I did was to discard the "foot" and replace that with an appropriate swivel caster, from Tractor Supply.Now I only push it to move it, no lifting.That "foot" is probably something the Generac lawyers thought up.Second thing is that it is loud, very loud.So, I had the electrician install two hookup spots, one one the driveway, with a 10K Connection, and one under my deck, with the full 17.5 connection. Reason being, that if the power is out for days at time, it is much quieter under the deck.Reason for me saying all of this is that our deck is up a hill. So I bought a cheap crank model boat winch, and made a crude holder for it under the deck. Then I installed a "Eye-bolt" on the chassis of the generator.Point of the story, I've had this generator for over 6years. It's a good machine.And if you run it under low load (1 refrigerator, lights, and TV) it's pretty fuel efficient. It sips gas.But if you have heavy stuff turned on (e.g. 6 Kw water heater, etc.) it will bog down at about 1 gal/ hour.It's a good machine.Adapt it to your needs

Although the generator is working just fine, we are VERY unhappy with Generac and their support. It ran for only 10 hrs after which time the battery failed, will no longer charge and we have to jump start it to keep the job site running. We now have 15 hrs on it (ONLY).Generac's support simply states to take it to a service dealer as per their warranty. IT IS BRAND NEW...and BROKEN.One place we called states they are 7-10 days out before they can look at it, it then takes 3 extra days for parts (since they come from Canada) and we will probably be without a generator for 2+ weeks.We are so done with this unit....we do not care if it runs for 10 years form here on in...the fact it is BROKEN after just 10 hrs is NOT product quality nor does Generac really care. We will NEVER buy another Generac product from here on in.We did nothing wrong, just used it (usually with 1 120V circuit plugged in and that's it. HORRIBLE product satisfaction.We will NOT be buying such items from Amazon again, unless Amazon sells them...no 3rd party sellers...The run around we have gotten for the last 2 days about the servicing and Generac's support is very very uncalled for nor realistic. We have a job to do and can't get it done due to a failed product.Broken products like this REQUIRE immediate attention...not a run around.

This thing is heavy! We put it in the barn, plugged it in and tested it's ability. Ran the whole house and didn't even flinch when the 3 ton ac came on. Does everything we expected of it and for $7,000 less than a "whole house" generator. This wouldn't be for everyone but if you don't mind a manual transfer switch and hauling some gas, this is absolutely the way to go. After 50 years in Florida and many nights without electric, we can have the whole family over during a big weather event and be comfortable.

Unfortunately the Generac did not start and had a broken Choke regulator was in the bottom of the box. I don't know if the battery charger for the automatic start is working we have charged it and it does not kick over. We are both handicapped to some degree but I know we followed direction. We just opened and tried it today. I don't know what to do next. Help!

My issue isn't with the generator, but with the delivery. I've used Generac many times and they are all fantastic work horses. However, this particular generator was delivered in a box that was mostly destroyed. It was also delivered upside down. I chose to reject it as I didn't want to mess with any potential defects related to delivery.

The generator leaked gas all over the driveway when I first filled it during a SO CAL blackout!When I saw where the gas was leaking I had to empty the gas ( 6 gal) and trouble shoot the issue.We found there was a missing gasket.Found a gasket thst fit and that resolved the issue.You pay alot of money for these units and when it comes broken out of the box you wonder what kind of QC they have.It is too early to see how it will run in the long run.Keeping our fingers crossed

This thing came with a drawing illustrating how the parts went together, but no real instructions. The illustration was postage-stamp sized, and even with squinting, was HARD to follow. Getting the wheels & axle on with the thing on its pallet was also a PITA. Took most of a day to get the thing together. I'd recommend having an assistant or two for assembly. The oil comes in a plastic bag, and the bag volume is in excess of the generator's oil capacity. So don't just pour in the bag. There's also some confusion between English and metric units. Overall, one of the worst assembly experiences I've run into.I previously had the 15,000 watt model of this generator, and the 17,500 runs noticeably hotter (and consumes more gas) than my previous one. To be expected, I suppose, so no real complaints there. This generator DOES, however, have some nice features that were missing on the previous generator, specifically an elapsed-hours meter built in. This lets you figure out when to change oil without having to guess. The gas cap also has a retainer string that keeps the cap from rolling or blowing away when you add fuel. Small changes, but thoughtful ones!If I had to choose again, I'd probably still buy this generator. It's a LOT cheaper than having to install a full-house model with its attendant gas piping, etc. My four-star rating would be a five-star but for the initial assembly issues. Generac should know better.