Small Budget Generators

Small, cheap generators can power an essential appliance

If your requirements call for something inexpensive to keep a refrigerator or freezer running during a power outage, you may not want to spend upward of $1,000 for a top-quality generator. Some small generators in the 1,000 to 1,500-watt range are also fine for tailgating or campsite use. Cheap generators are never included in professional reviews, but enough of them get owner-written feedback for us to pick out a few good bets. Some in the $100 to $300 range get high marks from owners, though they don't have extra features like electric starters. Most carry relatively short warranties.

Eastern Tools & Equipment (ETQ) makes budget-priced small generators that get good reviews from owners. Suitable for tailgating or camping, the 1,000-watt ETQ TG1200 (*Est. $150) surges to 1,200 watts. Close to 140 owners rate it at Amazon.com, giving it an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars. It's also reviewed at EHam.net, a site for ham radio enthusiasts, and at retail site SportsmansGuide.com.  The vast majority of reviews are positive. A few owners complain about its two-cycle engine, which some say is smelly. The ETQ TG1200 is relatively quiet at under 65 decibels, and a CARB-compliant version is available (primarily in California). The manufacturer says it's safe for powering electronics, but expert tests indicate that true inverter generators are better-suited to that task. According to ETQ, the TG1200 will run for up to eight hours at half load or 5.5 hours at full load on a full tank of gas. It comes with a one-year warranty.  This small generator weighs 55 pounds and has one 120-volt AC outlet.

All Power America's 1,400-watt APG3014 (*Est. $225) surges to 2,000 watts, with a three- horsepower, four-stroke engine that's rated to run 9.5 hours at half load per tank of gas. Its noise level is rated at 68 decibels, so it's a little louder than the ETQ TG1200 discussed above. This generator has two 120-volt AC outlets and a 12-volt DC outlet, and it comes with battery charging cables -- useful for starting a car battery. Unlike many generators in this price range, it has a low-oil shutdown feature and weighs only 57 pounds. It comes with a one-year warranty. Owners posting reviews at Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com give it positive ratings overall. Several say they take it on camping trips, some power work lights with it, and others use it for emergency power for essential appliances like a freezer. A few owners complain that the APG3014 generator delivers less power than the manufacturer claims. There are also a few gripes over customer service, and some people say they received defective units. This All Power America model, like nearly all generators in this price range, is made in China.

Slightly larger generators can power a bit more

The cheapest generators have enough power to run a fridge or a freezer, or power work lights, but not much more. Additional wattage means you'll be able to run maybe a small air conditioner and a refrigerator at the same time (depending on the power needs of your appliances, of course).

A good lower-cost option with a little more power is the Generac GP3250 (*Est. $420) . This 3,250-watt model surges to 3,750 watts. It's rated to run 9.7 hours on its 3.5-gallon tank of gas at half load. Unlike some generators in this price range, it has circuit breaker-protected outlets. Other nice features include low-oil shutdown to protect the engine and a 20 amp, 120/240 volt twist-lock outlet, in addition to two standard AC outlets. The Generac generator carries a two-year factory warranty and a separate Good Housekeeping warranty. Jim Baugher, a product expert for ElectricGeneratorsDirect.com, recommends the Generac GP3250, and writes that "for this price you can get peace of mind that if you are home you can keep the food cold and the basement dry…." An owner adds that it "may not run 10 sump pumps but it ran everything I threw at it."

The 3,250-watt ETQ TG32P12 (*Est. $400) , which surges to 4,000 watts and is rated to run up to 13 hours at half load, gets high ratings in more than 140 reviews at Amazon.com. It gets even better feedback from more than 80 owners posting reviews at HomeDepot.com. Some report units damaged during shipping or other breakdown issues, but most express satisfaction. One owner writes, "I put a load on it....furnace motor, TV, water heater fan, refrigerator and freezer and it handled it nicely...The noise level is not too high, this was important to me." The ETQ TG32P12 includes an automatic low-oil shutoff engine-protection feature. Though the manufacturer says you can use it for electronics, this isn't an inverter generator, so it's probably not a good idea to trust it with your computer or television. The ETQ TG32P12 has a heavy-duty steel tubular frame and comes with a wheel kit for easy transport. It's rated to run for up to 13 hours at half load and carries a one-year warranty.

ETQ offers a propane-fueled 3,000-watt generator, the ETQ PG30P11 (*Est. $470) , which operates on the same kind of propane tank used for gas grills. It weighs more than 100 pounds, however, and doesn't include wheels. 

Another low-priced model in this size range, the 3,500-watt Briggs & Stratton 30466 (*Est. $460) , which surges to 4,375 watts thanks to a patented alternator. It has most of the features seen in the generators discussed above and adds covered outlets. It's rated to run for eight hours on its 4-gallon gas tank at half load and has a fuel gauge. The Briggs & Stratton 30466 generator comes with a two-year warranty. We found no expert reviews and only a few user reviews, but owners entering feedback at ElectricGeneratorsDirect.com, Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com are uniformly positive. For example, one writes that he didn't have to use his 30466 during Hurricane Irene, so a friend who lost power borrowed it, and "the 3500 ran his fridge, lights and he did wash with it. Said he got 10-1/2 hrs on a tank of gas."