WEN Quiet and Lightweight 4800-Watt RV-Ready Portable Inverter Generator with Fuel Shut Off (56477i)

I have THOROUGHLY tested this generator. I have a property that has no conventional electricity so a generator is my only option. In my video you can see that I maxed out the time meter at 6,000 hours (yes, thousand). I ran this thing constantly for 19 months. Hot summers (A/C units, water pump) and snowy winter (Heating elements, water heater, space heater) for 12+ hours a day. This thing was a champ. My life quite literally depended on this thing and it provided. Mine looks like a monstrosity now because I took the cute plastic casing off (it’s a nightmare to service everything regularly with all those layers of plastic panels) so I mounted the thing to an open metal frame. This thing was remarkably quiet in its original form factor—very good and impressive silent power. With the case off it’s probably 15dB louder. The engine head is leaking now after ~6500+ hours and it might just need a gasket, but also the electronic throttle control seems to be failing and probably not worth the time diagnosing and replacing. So I’m writing this eulogy for such a remarkable product that I’m grateful for. This is my second Wen generator. The first one I equally abused and got extreme use out of. This one had about 1000 more watt capability which made a world of a difference. I’ve had to take apart the carb and clean the jet probably about once a month because the throttle would start “hunting”. But because of my use case, so much fuel being used, it was inevitable that there would be fuel with debris in it and reach the carb. Oil change once a week because of how often I used it. I changed the spark plug once in its whole lifetime. I had to change the crankcase gasket once not because it blew but because it ripped when I opened up the crankcase for cleaning. Finding the replacement parts for this 224cc model (or Wen for that matter) is not great. For instance the gasket took a few tries to get the right one through Amazon. Even finding a new carburetor is difficult. Finding replacement parts is the only negative I’ll hold against this product. I drilled a hole in the gas cap and ran a fuel line from an external pump+jerry can hooked up to a timer that would pulse fuel into the generator’s tank every 30 seconds. This is what let me run the the generator continuously for over 12 hours. Eventually I would ditch the generator’s gas tank all together and hook the fuel line directly to the carburetor and pulse fuel every 5 seconds into it. Worked very good. There is an oil line that is hidden behind the air filter housing that comes out of the engine block. I believe it is the one called “carbon tank tube” in the manual used for emissions or something. Well that thing would leak oil heavily and I could not figure out where it was coming from, so when I found out I clamped it from falling off and plugged it closed and the thing ran perfect with no leaks since then. Sorry if I made it less emissions-friendly in the process. Thank you to the engineers, manufacturers, and assemblers of this generator. You have no idea what your product has been through in my hands and the memory of this generator will always live on as a true champion that got me through winter storms and summer heat advisories. Thank you and Jesus bless this reader. That’s my review. Below I will share my engine break-in process that was shared with me and has served me well. Buy the Wen magnetic dipstick before you start your generator! Do not buy a cheaper one—the magnet will fall off and damage the engine’s internals, trust me. 0W-30 Mobil1 Full Synthetic and 5W-30 Full Synthetic. Lucas Oil Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer. Before putting gas in the generator, add approx. 8-10oz. Lucas Oil into the oil reservoir then fill the rest of the reservoir with 0W-30. Install magnetic dipstick. Pull the spark plug boot off the spark plug. Unscrew the spark plug. Pour 1oz. of Lucas Oil into the spark plug hole. Screw spark plug back on. Gently pull the recoil starter cord several times to spread the oil/stabilizer internally. Put the spark plug boot back on the spark plug. Add gas. Start generator. It may be difficult to start at first. It may blow white smoke at the beginning, that’s okay. Let it run at idle for 20-30min. Shut it down. Drain the oil. Check/clean dipstick. Add another 8-10oz. of Lucas Oil and fill with 0W-30. Get a heat gun or space heater or similar. Run the generator for another 30-45min. with the appliance on. Goal is to have the generator at ~50% load but not higher than 75%. Shut down, drain oil, clean dipstick. Now fill with just 5W-30. Run your generator for your normal first use then change the oil once more with 5W-30 right after first use.

Very happy with this purchase for my older mother who uses an oxygen generator. With hurricane season followed by ice storm season, I needed something that I knew would keep my mom's oxygen going, was easy to start and maintain, dual-fuel and simple to operate so her (female) caregivers could get it running quickly and easily. This Wen 4800W inverter is perfect. Very simple to set up and run - quiet enough that you can barely hear it on the back patio. We're only using propane but it has plenty of power/watts so that even with the lower propane-fueled output I know we can run everything essential for my mom - even a space heater and the fridge if needed. Long extension handle makes it easy for caregivers and sisters to wheel around while not too heavy for me to lift (6'1" 195lb in decent shape).

I've only had this generator for a week now, but I wanted to report on my experience so far. I bought this unit to run my furnace in case of a power outage, but I wanted a unit that was capable of being connected to my house power panel should I decide to do so. I selected this generator because it has the most features for an excellent price: something I can lift (I'm 76), dual fuel, CO protection, quiet, etc. The only feature it does not have is an automatic switch over between fuel sources when one runs out (it appears on other models but not this one). So far, I have only done the 8 hr break in period, running with a low low1000 watt load and replacing the oil. (Do get the magnetic oil dip stick. It should come standard. There was quite a bit of metallic shards on the dip stick after the break in period.) I used only propane which is how I intend to use the generator unless circumstances require using gasoline. I got the 8 hours with just 10 lbs of propane so a couple of 20 lb tanks should serve for most power outages. Running just with propane has a number of advantages: only minutes to connect and start, longer run times between refueling, no concerns about gas degrading in storage or in the engine, and much easier on the engine, extending its service life. I would also point out that I tested the exhaust and was unable to detect any carbon monoxide. Of course, one should always run the unit outside as instructed but clearly running with propane is safer. So far, the unit has run flawlessly. One thing that greatly impressed me was how quiet it runs. What prompted me to write this review is an important feature missing from the manual and all videos reviewing this unit. Every video and the unit's manual say that you must remove the oil fill plug and tilt the unit to drain out the oil. Yet, just below the fill hole is a bolt with a rubber trough below it that is clearly intended to convey liquid. In addition, there is a hole in the case directly in front of this bolt that is clearly there to allow one to insert a socket to remove the bolt. I did remove the bolt, and it is clearly an oil drain plug. Using this method of draining the oil is easier and much less messy and avoids the danger associated with trying to tilt a 60+ lb machine. I am considering replacing this drain plug with a short length of pipe and cap that will make draining the oil that much easier. My next step will be to test out running my furnace off the generator using my modified power supply switches and electrical plugs on the furnace. So far, I could not be happier with this generator.

This generator has been a great purchase for my home. It provides reliable backup power during outages and runs smoothly without issues. The setup was simple, and the instructions were clear. I was impressed by how quickly it starts up and how much power it delivers — it easily handles my fridge, lights, and a few other essentials. It’s also not as loud as I expected, which is a big plus. The fuel efficiency is good, and the build feels durable and long-lasting.