*Love how quite it is, New **Generater.Systems** maneuverable enough would be better with a little bigger wheel*

I needed a unit kzfaq.infoUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y that I could store in my home when I wasn't running, so it being light and running on propane were key requirements. I can store the propane tank/bottle outside yet store the generator in my home when it's not in use as I will never put any gas in the engine. It is so light, and on echo mode, which I expect is how it will be used most of the time, it is pretty darned quiet (certainly compared to all the generators I hear in my neighborhood after each power outage).Many of the previous reviews had me concerned that it would be difficult to start on propane, but I have to say, I had absolutely no problem at all. I primed it first using the choke...3 pulls, heard the engine want to start, flipped it to propane, and one more pull and she started. I ran it for 2 hours the first time and plugged it in my fridge. And when I was done, I put the propane tank away and carried the generator to my basement for next time.I could not be happier.

I have never seen this much RYOBI in one place bought by one person. This is amazing. Intrigued to watching more of your content.

Thanks for the info! I got the unit picked up today. Your video helped me make the decision.

You covered it nicely. The power cable locking into placed was mentioned below. :) And also mentioned was using LED's. I have separate LED recessed lighting powered by solar. I picked the lights up from a Restore for 2 each and batteries from a guy who replaces medical/gov. facilities equipment really cheap with 9 years life l We also have a couple generators as well. With back up gas grill and wood stove, we can manage for a little while. Enjoyed your video.

Fantastic video dude! thank you. Being a recent home owner, this was very helpful.

Thank you, I have everything now and just need the install, can't wait to have this backup!!

We just did this at our home in Texas and as a result of last winter's famous outages. Hopefully, we'll never need to use this but if we do, it's there. We also have installed a basic solar system to power just the refrigeration and freezers for a day or 2, if needed. I highly recommend this video to homeowners. The cost is minimal and the peace of mind is priceless.

Guy has more ryobi products in one place than my entire home depot

You have just saved me thousands of dollars from installing a Generac system. Thank you sir!!

You really are RYOBI brand loyal. Respect. For my "Whole home" generator I had been running a 5,500 watt standard run 6,875 watt peak run obsolete generator with a 20 amp connection plug and now I have but haven't connected my new Westinghouse 9500DF duel fuel 9,500 watt standard run 12,000 peak run generator with a heavy duty 50 amp connection plug. I have partially figured out how to make the system fully automated like a "standby generator" using propane fuel to avoid fowling the carborator. I have a way to automatically start the gen during a power outage, but still trying to find a safe dependable way to automatically switch from mains power to gen power.

Excellent informative video for those researching this project. Thanks!

This was good to know you can power what you need with such a small and cheap generator. My new house build will have this set up for those rare times. Plus that is a convenient portable for other jobs.

Also, consider a soft start capacitor for the A/C so it absorbs the surge instead of the Generator. It works perfect. It’s great to have them standing by.Thanks for sharing your video.👍

Great video this is what ive been searching for on youtube. Not just an unboxing video 😊

Great informational video for someone new to generators. I'm a novice Ryobi guy & looking to go this route with one of their units soon as I already have their 40v power station for light use during power outages.

Got the generator yesterday, got to get the electrician out now to install my dual breaker and receptacle and everything else. I live in Southern middle Tennessee and weather's been brutal this winter 19° nights/days. Wish me luck

Just went through Ian with this thing. Powered my whole house. LIKE A CHAMP.

Very clear about installing. Easily understood. Will refer to in future

Steve from Ryobi Fanatics here, This video is great! I just purchased this generator yesterday and I’m definitely going to set my home up this way. Like you my power is interrupted almost every time the wind blows.

Tip: run your generator in your yard and in a shed and install an attic exhaust on the shed. Trust me, if it becomes a prolong situation. You don’t want to keep that generator out front, it will walk away. In a shed will keep the sound down. Remember “ the nail that sticks out gets hammered “ now you need to figure out, if something happens ( in the world we are in now ) and the grid goes down. How long would you like to run? Are you going to keep running all night? Are you going to just run during the day? Then you need to figure out how much gas you want on hand. Because remember if the power goes out, so does the gas station and if they do have power. Get ready to wait in long lines. Sorry for the rant, just trying to help. 😂 Just your local Prepper ✌️

Helpful video, thanks!

Awesome video man! It was nice to see how you configured your panel to work with a cheaper setup instead of an expensive auto-switching setup. I've wondered how that would look as that's exactly how I'd want to set mine up too. Thanks!

Thank you for the warnings and safety. I saw a video a few days ago were a DIYer installed a EV plug in their garage. (I think the bait was that it cost $60 or something like that). No warnings. Anyways, he filmed himself working the wires in the fuse box, and I got real anxious. (Instantly melted a drill bit decades ago when working near a panel and still haunts me)

Also using a soft start kit like the Micro-Air Easy Start can also allow you to use a portable generator to run your central AC. Watch some videos on it, I have one on my 2.5 ton AC unit and use the Duromax XP13000HXT generator and I can run my whole house and AC no problem. Do your homework and make sure everything is sized correctly for your application. Just something to think about if you hate being hot during the Summer during a power outage, especially at night.

Thanks for your information, Demonstration and video 📹 👍 I appreciate you.

Thanks for the review. You have a lovely neighborhood.

Especially with LED lighting that's prevalent today, most bedrooms provide very little in the way of electrical draw that they can be brought online with hardly any thought. Obviously too, nothing uses less energy than that which is turned off. It's the big energy users such as electric water heaters, dryers, electric furnaces, ranges/ovens (electric heaters of any type) that present the greatest demand from a generator. Factor in startup current too from refrigerators and freezers.

Awesome video man! How much did your electrician charge for all of that?

You’ve answered many of my questioned in 1 video. 😊👍

Thank you for sharing - I need to find an electrician to do the same job as they did for you. Again, thank you!

So, hopefully, this comment will answer some questions until I am able to do a follow-up video: Currently, this generator runs on gasoline. The literature says 10 hours of run time on a full tank. I plan on doing the carburetor upgrade for propane/natural gas in the future. While this will give me virtually unlimited run time, the engine is not as efficient, so putputload can be affected. - This generator is 6500 watts, and it is sized for MY home. I did an energy audit, and it can run my home at full load, including my 240v appliances (water heater and clothes dryer) simultaneously. Not that I would need to run the dryer during a blackout. The water heater for sure. - I DO NOT have Air Conditioning in my home. This is a huge factor in choosing the right size generator. In my area, it only gets up to 80 degrees in the summer. My furnace is a natural gas-fired heat only with a 110v blower. I have two window A/C units as well, those both run on 110v wall power and are well below my power threshold when in use. - My Hot Tub is a 110v unit plugged into a standard 20amp exterior GFCI plug on my patio, if it exceeded my power requirements, I would just unplug it, but as you saw from the video the generator handled it easily. I have no plans on using it during a blackout. - The electrician charged me $300 for the installation, including the local permit and parts. My breaker panel is located inside my garage on the exterior wall. so the installation of the interlock and exterior receptacle was easy and used minimum materials. Longer runs from a more centrally located panel, etc., would have increased this price threefold. - The generator has a bonded neutral and is correctly bonded and grounded to my home electrical service for safety purposes. - I am in the process of redoing my shed. At that time, it will be mounted, covered, and secured. The design of the generator provides some weather protection, the fuel tank makes a a "roof" over the engine, but I can easily place a piece of plywood over it for additional weather protection in case of rain. In the meantime, I store it in the garage, and when in use, it is chained to my gas meter to prevent theft. Fortunately, I live in a neighborhood of active and retired military members. Theft is not a real concern. - When running on normally load, the generator sounds like a larger lawn mower. so its not "noisy" I am fortunately that my neighbor and I have opposing exterior walls, neither of which have doors or windows in them, so the noise is limited by that. a sound enclosure is in the works as well. - Yes, I am aware I must TWIST the connectors. If I missed anything, please let me know. - Scott

Very informative video and good safe design. One thing you didn’t mention is that the order you turn on the breakers does indeed matter. Specifically you should turn on the ones with surges such as refrigerator and window air conditioner prior to large loads such as water heater. Doing it in the wrong order ( water heater, then refrigerator) will put extra unnecessary strain on the generator and also cause strain on the refrigerator too due to voltage sag.

Thanks Mr Ryobi . Glad the fish and fridge are running now time for a cold beer and watch the fish 👍

Awesome video. Thinking of doing the same to my house . Thanks you for the information. Great video

Twist the plugs clockwise after plugging in to the house and generator, it locks the plugs so they can't vibrate or be pulled out.

My wife and I bought a 6.5kw inverter-generator to power our house when the grid goes down. We have only tested it and not yet had an actual grid down situation in which the generator was needed. The tank holds 18 liters (we live in Europe), and the generator can run at full load for 8 hrs, according to the manual. We have not yet tested that. We need to keep A LOT of gasoline on hand. Besides it being a fire hazard, it is also a pain to rotate the the gasoline because it does go bad afer a while. We first wanted a dual fuel (propane/gasoline) generator because propane keeps "forever." Our stove and oven are powered by propane. Our electrician and automechanic both told tus hat the propane where we live (in a southern European country) was too "dirty" for internal combustion engines, so we went with just the gasoline version. Looking back, I probably could have bought a filter or made one for the propane. Another reason for not buying a dual fuel generator is that they are not popular (yet) here. They are all US imports, and warranty, parts and service are not guaranteed. So that was a no-go. We want a backup for our backup (inverter-gernerator), so we are pricing an 8-10Kw photovoltaic system that will power our necessary appliances (freezers, fridges, water pump,lights, small electronics etc). Since we live in southern Europe sun, or lack of sun, is not a problem. Still, the system will have the capability of charging or topping off the batteries with a generator, for which we have a small Honda inverter-generator that is very fuel efficient. The PV system will be expandable, so as we get the funds we can build it out to where we can be 24/7 fully off-grid. Generators are good as long as fuel is affordable - and available. Yours was a good video, and I enjoyed watching it. You gave me some confidence that out 6.5Kw inverter-generator will power our house if necessary. Keep up the good work!

Great video Scott. Did the same to my home, I enjoy it when we do loss power on the island.

Wow amazing project man Kudos!!!!

Nice video mate, I see that in USA back-up generators that switch on automatically when there is a power outage run off of propane or LPG where as here (Australia) they are normally petrol or Diesel powered.

Nice job. The one thing not mentioned in all the video is the quality of the generators output. There are different types of generators, some put out ‘dirty’ power that some of the sensitive electronic equipment have issues utilizing.

Great stuff and done correctly, As for me living in France when we have a power cut, I just isolate the power intake, (in France we have a additional box as electric is controlled and brought by power level ie Max 6 kWh limit in my case, you can have it set to 3kwh or over 18kwh at 240 v standard) I just trip the large red button then connect my generator to a standard plug socket, then turn things on that do not exceed 15 amps max , this covers the basics like lights, one fridge, TV and internet, it's only a 2500kw generator used for other things. I agree it's not as professional as your system, but for us red necks 🙂 in rural France it works well.

Thank you so much for this. My house is an old farmhouse which will take some doing at least I know where to start 👍

Dude. Thanks for video. We just got hit by Ian in Orlando and have no power. We got the same generator and have our 2 frigs running . Now seeing this I'm hooking up my house. It's smaller but good to know we chose the right one.

Good video. The other reason to call a licensed electrician to do the work is that insurance co's are always trying to find excuses not to fork out claims money, so if you have a fire or something you may have a hard time getting paid if they find out the work wasn't done by a licensed electrician. I didn't hear you say central A/C when you switched the circuit breakers back on. I can't run my house on 6.5KW if I am gonna keep the A/C running which in my neck of the woods is a must during the Summer.

That's a good explanation of the breaker panel interlock and why it's important. Also good to remind people to not run a gas engine in your garage (though it should be common sense). Now on the more practical side - 1) There's no need to turn off all of your breakers. Just turn off the double breakers with the big numbers on them (30 or more amps). Things like central A/C, electric water heater, electric stove, electric dryer, hot tub. 2) You'll need a generator with at least 5000 watts continuous to run an electric water heater. Turn that breaker on only when you need it, and avoid using other high load appliances while it's heating water. Then turn it back off. 3) Remember, any electric appliance whose job it is to produce heat is going to create a significant load. Things like a hair dryer, toaster, coffee maker, microwave, stove, etc. Certainly you can use these things but be mindful of the load and try to stagger their usage so you don't have more than one of these devices running at once. 4) Your most important devices (well pump, sump pump, refrigerator and freezer) can start up anytime. Avoid loading your generator near its capacity so it has plenty of reserve power to start those critical motors when needed. 5) A "Kill A Watt" meter costs around $30 and is a good investment for anyone with a generator. Plug it into any outlet and it will display your AC frequency which indicates if your generator is running at the correct speed (should be around 60 hertz in the U.S.). It will also give a voltage reading (120 volts +/- 5 volts is fine). This will give you the peace of mind that your generator is running correctly.

Great informative video!

That's a nice generator! I want to get one some day :)

I'm surprised Ryobi doesn't let you use either 18V or 40V batteries to start the generator, though you might have to use a few of them in parallel for enough current.

We built a small housing (More like a doghouse, or a large chest) for our generator, designed to be open when running but still protecting it from the elements like rain. You can also open it completely for easy maintenance) With a concrete slab and rubber feet on the generator it also keep the noise down a bit. Obviously, it also got a lock, so it won't disappear. Anyway, it makes things quick and easy when needed to be used.

Great video! Thanks for the help in sizing my generator. It helped to see your system.

Good vid. Thanks for the info.

I’d recommend installing a volt and amp meter panel to monitor output and usage draw at any time. You will thank me later. 👍

6500w is equal to a 240v 30 amp circuit. Just because you flip a breaker for the oven doesn't mean it will run an oven without tripping a breaker on the Genset. Most ovens have a 240v 50 amp ckt. Your hot tub is probably a 240v 30 amp. That's all that will run once the heater kicks in on the hot tub. These videos where people run their whole house off of a small genset can be very misleading. Lights, some receptacles a refrigerator and if your lucky a microwave all at one time. Anything else you have to start shutting other things off.

I have pretty much the same set up that I used Christmas week because of an outage now it’s my back up because I bit the bullet and got a whole home generator..but definitely great to have options for backup power if you can

This generator worked like magic , it's not big but it taking all these loads, just wow😮

Great video! Doing the same at my house with the same exact Ryobi generator. Question. The 30 AMP cord you use for the gen/transfer outlet...what is the max wattage? It seems like a 125/250V 7500 Watt will support but will it? That generator has 8125 starting Watts. Would that factor into my cord or am I good with that 7500 W cord and my gen being 6500 running watts? Thanks.

Great video, I have basically the same set up. Do you have a part number for that breaker block-off plate for the panel box?

I just went through hurricane Ian so I'm definitely gonna get a setup like this ASAP

Great vid...I also install a power line filter to my furnace power outlet ...your furnace electronic PCB doesn't like waveform distortion from your generator ...this will help clean it up a bit..also make sure your generator has 240 out...older ones only 120 v..

Leave the water heater off. It pulls like 4000 watts. I would only power the water heater 45 minutes before you plan on taking a shower, and then turn it back off after showers are done. And the hot tub? really? Save fuel, turn off those ridiculous loads.

I did the same set up years ago. As I learned from Superstorm Sandy fuel supply can become an issue. I had a pretty good reserve but we had no idea how long this outage would last. I have a 5500watt and 2800watt generators. If I know I wont be needing the higher amps I run the smaller one . Less noise and less fuel.

I like your aquarium. It reminds me of the one I had years ago. I had the same fish species and the same fake plants (yes, I know 😋 they're fake). Very relaxing to look at... Well done 👍

I have two panels in my garage, so unfortunately, your solution didn't work for me. I ended up installing a separate, manual transfer panel/switch and routed the circuits I needed from both panels, to the third panel. To secure my generator and protect it from the weather, I trenched over to my rear shed and installed it there, along with a louvered fan and exhaust piping for venting the fumes and keeping a steady airflow across the generator. During hurricane Sandy, thieves were stealing generators by pushing running lawn mowers next to generators and rolling the generators away.. I don't live in Louisiana, but thieves can be found anywhere.. Thank you for the time and effort put into the video. Great job!

For those who may need to run a central air conditioner, you can go with a smaller generator if you install a soft start kit in the outside unit. This will handle the increased load at startup by using a capacitor in the soft start kit. So, your generator would then only need to be able to handle the running load, not the starting load, of the compressor. A hard start kit will work also, but it's harder on the compressor than the soft start kit would be. The hard start kit dumps the increased starting amperage into the compressor all at once, whereas the soft start kit controls the flow of the extra amperage.

the 2 main problems I see are 1) how to secure it against theft, as the sound of the gen will definitely attract thieves and 2) what do you do when it starts raining?

Thanks for sharing great video

Thanks! Great video...

Westinghouse 10,000watt runs my entire house with 3 freezers and 2 fridges. I have stove, heat, water heater, pretty much everything gas that can be, so the dual fuel generator is more than sufficient... "keep the faith people and keep on keeping on"

Hello. Great video. Very good information and set up. Question: I have heard that running electronics like TV, internet router, even newer refrigerators, can be damaged unless you have an inverter type generator. Did you notice any problems with your electronics? Thank you.

Well done Sir!

thanks a lot for sharing this video very informative for homeowner bcz power can stop flowing at any minute if someone isn't prepared is a nightmare if is winter and heat is needed for power a furnace or a water heater

Good video but if I may make a suggestion for the future. When turning on breakers use your left hand and turn away from the breaker panel. Even though you aren't dealing with lightening sometimes stuff happens and it is better to be facing away from the panel than facing towards it.

Would be nice to have a load (amp meter)

Great video. I notice you have a slight breeze. That is what we would call it in Florida. If that breeze is taking you’re utility down then the utility needs to improve their system.

I just put 6 in the overhead last night at work I might get one but I got my eye on a NG Generac

Hi Scott, Glad to see you discovered a way to repower your house after the lights went out to your home. Wind is the culprit to causing limbs to break & fall on the line knocking out your power. How do I know this? I’m a power lineman. Like you I have an “interlock” kit in my circuit breaker panel. However my choice of generator is far & away much nicer than yours. We have the Cadillac-Honda inverter EU 7000 is. Unlike yours I can pick up my entire house with my rollout. However if I want to power up my central A/C? I have to use your method to drop everything out & only pick up my air handler/ condenser. After I pick up the surge or what we call “cold load pick up”. I can start turning on the other breakers to my house. You read that right. I can run my entire house including my central air for my house. Thanks for letting everyone know about this inexpensive way to power up your house.

Hi, I see 2 problems here. 1. You didn't twist-lock the plugs into lock position, need to twist clockwise when connecting to the wall and the generator. The way you did it , they can back out and spark or fall out which is dangerous. 2. This unit can't handle central AC system. So in summer, definitely not a 'whole house' solution.

you must be the champion for those tools

Awesome Review Bro.

Those are TWIST lock receptacles, you did not twist them... they can vibrate out on the generator side. Be sure to always properly seat the cables.

To all oing this type hook-up, let me suggest you use paint pens to colorize your breakers. Green for "gott have em's"....(heat controls and fridge) Yellow for "niceties".....(sometimes loads like the water heater or a freezer....switching between them for your comfort. Red for "no damn way"......is yor family so bad, you cannot watch just one TV for an evening? And yeah, your porno studio video shoot could wait for a day or two, yes? Just a dab of paint that does not cover any breaker information.

Thanks for the informative video. Have been wanting to do something similar, myself. One thing I would like to add, is if your subscribers have the ability to purchase ethanol free fuel, that is the best to run in an emergency generator. Will not gum up if it sits in the tank like standard gasoline will. Thank you again for the informative video. Gave me a lot of great ideas, as to how to install mine.

Nice french cleat setup in your workshop! I want to do the same.

10 guage flexible cord is NOT rated for a 30 amp continuous load. 25 amps is a push. an electric water commonly has 4500 watt elements, all the 10 guage cord can handle. generator should have been connected with a 6 guage cord.

The cords are twist locks. You push them in and then TWIST clockwise to lock them in. I didn't see you do that...

Is this a new method? 20 years ago I installed a transfer switch panel. I have dedicated breakers for specific rooms. Your set up is nicer because you can pick, choose and switch which breaker to use. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the vid. Hurricane Ian just blew thru Central Florida and my new (and 1st) generator (4kw) did a great job other than I was missing 30amp connect/cord so I was limited to using the 20amp receptacle. Q: Does your generator not have electric start?

Got the same generator in the back of my Avalanche just for power outages.. I back it up to the home and run it from the bed when needed. Noticed you had a AvY so I figured Id share . Love that truck and mines got 182k now on the 5.3 .

Individual devices/appliances have their wattage or voltage ratings on a label somewhere on them, and that's helpful to know if you want to add up the total wattage of what you want to operate. If something is labeled in volts, you can to convert to watts in order to get an idea of how much that device will use of your generator's total available.

There are a number of good household energy monitors available... "eyedro" is one, but you have to put current clamps around your mains... if you've got a smart-meter, there are wireless options, and your utility may even give you some data. Once you've got the ability to monitor your usage, you'll see the spikes from the microwave, the AC, dryer, etc. This will help you decide whether 6kW will do the trick for you or not. Speaking of HVAC; heat-pumps take orders of magnitude less power (500W vs. 3000, in our case). One caveat I've heard is that once you pass 50% of the generator's rated capacity, the quality of the AC degrades, and can be a problem for "sensitive electronics"... so if you're doing this *regularly*, keep that in mind. Batteries are another thing you might want to consider... even if you end up using a generator to recharge them... you can run the generator at high-output, charge-up the batteries, then turn the generator off. For short outages, the batteries will suffice, and you can recharge them off the grid. This also works for "time-shifting" so you can charge your batteries at off-peak prices. Growatt/EG4/Signature Solar is the way *I've* gone... they, and David Poz have some good videos on this equipment.

Up here in National Grid territory when I was looking to put in a PTO generator. National Grid required a 2 knife switches, so there would be no feedback into the lines.

Awesome video

We recently had a bad ice storm and power was out for a bit over two and a half days. I had put in an interlock and bought a 6250, 5000 watt continuous inverter generator after the big freeze in Texas. There were only two house in my neighborhood of 160 homes with power, myself and the woman that lives across the street who put in a full bore backup generator after the big freeze two years ago. I could easily run everything in my house on my generator except if the toaster and microwave were running at the same time. We had all of the normal conveniences of every day life. Since then, four of my neighbors bought generators and are having interlocks installed. It really worked and it worked well.

Feel like I’m watching Jurassic park all over again when you was flicking the breaker 😂

Great video! could you comment on the draw from your central A/C? We have a 6500 gen, and I'm on the fence about connecting a central A/C. Most things point to 'yes', but just wondering if you have first hand eyes on that particular surge/demand?

Great video. I bought a dual fuel Champion portable generator. Don’t care for having to keep a large amount of gasoline around and as others have said, if the outage is widespread the gas stations are down too. I also got a kit to allow it to run on natural gas. So, Tri- fuel if you will. I have a NG quick connect on the back of the house for my grill and bought a 25’ extension hose to connect to the generator. Should be able to run indefinitely on NG. I also got a tank of propane as a backup plan. Scheduling the electrician to add the necessary hardware soon.

Great video and awesome setup! What i dont understand why in the US powercables are above ground? Is it for easy maintenance? In the Netherlands all powercables are below ground, so we rarely have poweroutages.

A lot of friends in So Cal could use this when the power company cuts our power every time the wind blows... Great idea!

Great video thanks, In lower Michigan we just had a huge ice storm, we were without power for 4 days, we had extension cords everywhere in the house with a electric heater, we still froze for 4 days, so I did what you did myself right after, I have a Briggs and Stratton 6500 watt generator, haven’t lost power since, I have an electric oven, can I use it or would that draw to much?