DuroMax XP12000EH Generator-12000 Watt Gas or Propane Powered Home Back Up & RV Ready, 50 State Approved Dual Fuel Electric Start Portable Generator, Black and Blue

We chose to purchase the XP12000EH after extensive research of on-line reviews and surveys. Basically, our need was brought on by what appears to be a part of life now in Northern California. During the “fire season” we have endured a number of planned power outages that once lasted five days. When we didn’t have a generator the first time we lost all the food in our refrigerator and freezer. We borrowed a small portable generator in time for subsequent outages, but we had to live without running water because we have a well and the pump is hardwired into the house power. We checked out standby generators, but the estimates we got ranged from 15 to 20 thousand. They run on natural gas, but what if the gas is shut off? So, I searched for a portable generator powerful enough to deal with the pump motor and ideally able to run on propane to avoid having to store and deal with gasoline for most of the year. This product was rated highly on various website comparison reviews. I ordered one from Amazon, and it seems to fit the bill. However, getting things right may not be for the faint of heart, so you should be aware of some issues before you decide whether to buy one for yourself.The short version of the story is that the unit I got would not start with the electric ignition system, and rather than go through more time-consuming hassles to find out the cause (probably the starter, by the way) I took advantage of the Amazon return policy and basically exchanged it. The replacement seems to work perfectly. It’s hooked up to two propane tanks and a tickler battery charger, and starts without a problem. An electrician will install an interlocking kit later today. The only remaining test remaining test will be whether it holds up to actual use.Now for some reasons to be cautious. There are well over 900 Amazon reviews on this machine. about a third of which are negative. I did not go through them carefully before I made my purchase. The generator weighs well over 250 pounds, perhaps 270, and may arrive in a cardboard box that is dented and torn. There is only foam padding on one side. So, look for any denting or other damage. I didn’t have that problem.When you open the box, you find a red tag in the shape of a stop sign that advises you to call Duromax before returning the product and ask for help. This message is repeated at the beginning of the instruction manual. So, they must have a high return rate.It turns out that the negative lead to the battery is disconnected for shipping. That has caused trouble, since they don’t tell you about that in the instructions. Apparently dead batteries must have arrived enough for them to take that step. So, the first step, not included in the setup guide I received, is to connect the black wire. Unfortunately, in order to do that you have to remove a cover plate (four screws); you can’t even see the battery unless you do. I only found out about this from support staff emails. I got a trickle charger to make sure the battery won’t go dead again from sitting around for long periods.My other big problem was related to propane. When I was hassling with my first machine I was only able to start it with the manual pull cord, but I couldn’t get it to start with propane. In the course of exchanging messages with the support staff was informed that my problem was trying to use 20 pound tanks. They recommended at least 40 pound ones. Nowhere in the manual or advertising was this mentioned and the photo on the website shows it next to a 20 pound tank. None of the reviews I read warned of this either. I was miffed to say the least because I had just spent about $100 on two new 20 pound tanks. However, I discovered that there was some confusion on what to do with the choke. This seems to be clearer in the instructions now – it should be full open (not half open as one support person suggested). I am happy to report that in fact it runs fine with a 20 pound tank after all.Unless you turn on the idle control. If you do, the engine dies. Again, support staff will tell you that idle control should not be used with propane. But this is not stated anywhere in the manual or other instruction material.Some other confusion with propane stems from the fact that in earlier models the secondary regulator installed on the frame had a button that needed to be pushed the prime the line before starting. Now the generator comes with a more advanced regulator that does that automatically. But the manual and quick start instructions haven’t been updated. Also, I was advised to wait 5 to 10 minutes after turning the gas on before starting to give the regulator time to do its thing. This is not necessary at all (thank goodness); starts right up for me.Just a minor thing – the funnel they give you for adding oil is too short. I went a got one with a much longer plastic tube. Makes the job easier and you don’t spill as much. Some people have complained about the wheels going flat, but that hasn’t happened here. Perhaps the wheels have been upgraded after complaints.A word about the warranty, touted in the web reviews as a plus. It only covers parts and not labor or shipping. And it was up to me to either replace it or find someone to pay to do it. The nearest Duromax service center is two hours away and I don’t have a pickup truck to transport this 270 pound thing. I also read a review that stated there was a delay getting parts delivered. Just so you know. In addition, despite what at least one one-line review claimed, the generator is not made in the USA, it comes from China. Again, just so you know.Would I buy it again, knowing what I know? Probably. It is relatively unique in its power and ability to run on propane.Addendum: The electrician installed an interlocking kit and a 50 amp plug. The unit ran fine during our test with all circuits switched on. We let some water run until the well pump started and measured the load it created - it was running at 2400 KW, so we definitely needed a generator this size.One last propane note - this time the engine wouldn't start with the choke open. It started easily with the choke closed bur ran rough until I opened the choke. So go figure. The answer must be to remain flexible and do whatever works.

It arrived on time by truck. The delivery couple had trouble with their lift gate and dropped it- almost slowly- over the side of the back of the truck. No apparent harm though. Some of the welding of the frame is a bit substandard.- The tool kit that it comes with isn't enough to set it up. You'll need other metric tools or adjustable wrenches.- The hardware list of nut and bolt sizes they enclose isn't accurate. I used 8, 10, 13, 15 mm and larger wrenches for the job. Attaching the axle stubs involved a 3/4 in for the nut and an 11/16 wrench to hold tight against.- The tires are hard foam. Pneumatic would be better. I found them at Harbor Freight on sale at $4 each. There is no wear washer, so they rub on the cotter pin. You need one with a 5/8th in center hole. The axles are 5/8 inch diameter.- The manual says to flip the unit over to work on the base. Use the piece of foam in the box to flip the top of the generator onto it. You do not have to, you could put it on blocks and do the work. Getting it out of the box by turning it over is easy if you are strong enough.- Remove the wood block that's cable tied on one end of the frame. There were two red/orange metal braces to remove also near the motor mounts on the other end.- Turn it back over before you put on the carry handles, then install them. It rolls pretty easily with the handles on.- Remove the plate over the battery location below the controls. The battery on mine was all but fully charged. Getting the negative terminal on is tricky. It BARELY reaches the post. You have to undo the bolt fully and then position the locking nut in the terminal post, holding it up to the bolt as you try to catch the threading. Use the tool kit screwdriver for this- it flips from flat to Phillips- slide it under the locking nut and push up.- They tell you to ground the generator with a 12 awg piece of wire ( not supplied ). They show you where to hook up the ground on the control panel, but give no clues as to how much of a ground pole you need to use for it. I'm going to use a spare hunk of copper pipe.- You add 1 and 1/4 quarts of oil to the engine. The oil funnel provided does help some but the hose on it is a bit short. Pour slowly.- With the switch OFF, I pulled the manual starter cord 5 or 6 times to lubricate the motor up so it was not dry.- Main breaker OFF, nothing connected to power plugs. Make sure the gasoline line is OFF to run on propane. This generator can't change fuel supply while running, you have to shut it down to switch fuels. I'm not fond of all that gasoline directly above the hot unit, so I will be running propane as the normal source of fuel which can be kept -away- from the exhaust end of the generator and out of the heat. A remotely tanked gasoline option, like used on an outboard motor, would be a nice alteration to this system especially if you want it in an enclosure as I intend to do.- I hooked up the propane. A regular 20 pound tank worked fine. I went and bought a 40 pounder to run as the supply. Others have talked about setting the choke at about 1/2 way to start on propane. Yes, that works but there is no fixed half choke position, you do this by feel. It will take a few turns of the motor to start as it needs to purge the air out of the line before it gets propane. Once it starts, set the choke to OFF and it runs smoothly. Let it run a couple minutes, then switch the breaker on, then you plug in based on largest load you need first. READ the manual!!!- The motor started up nicely and ran smoothly. It's not that noisy. The muffler is pretty good sized, and it's not too bad even directly below a bedroom window.- The manual is pretty good. But I saved other tips I got from reviews of this unit for operation. Breaker OFF, then Shut off your propane tank valve and let the engine die before you switch the key off.- They supply you with power plugs, no cables, and no instructions on how to use them or make your own cables. I bought pre made with multi outlets for the 30 and 40 amp outlets. They do not provide the 50 amp plug. I'll use the 50 amp outlet to tie into my home later on.- The manual does not provide any instructions about connection to a home for a main power supply backup, nor does it tell you what you need to have to do so. One of the reviews here gives you a part list of items to make a home connection.Last words: I have not put mine into real time use yet, but it is ready for it after buying the extra supplies you need to make use of it. It should be fine for the needs I want it to meet in an emergency, although I am sure it isn't as powerful as the stand alones you can buy - but is is a lot cheaper.

I purchased this generator with the hopes of powering my entire single unit 2600 square foot South Florida home. I was without power last year in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma for four days. I contracted an electrician to install a transfer switch box and inlet port. I also built up a 6 gauge 50 amp male to male 27 foot power cord. I wanted to go with a male to female but the electrician installed a female inlet so until I change that I went with the aforementioned. At $7.00 a foot at HD my cost with the end connectors was about $265.00.I connected everything and used gas as the fuel since the specs on the unit indicated that I’d drop from 12K surge power to 10K if I used propane. After turning off the utility power and transferring to the generator, I gradually started turning on the breakers. The connection I was using was the 50 amp connector. After turning them ALL on, I went in my house and test all the appliances. The fridge, two deep freezers and even the stove worked. I then minimized all the appliances to just the fridge and deep freezers and turned on the central air conditioner. I heard the generator lull and surge back up. The air conditioner started right up and worked fine.I went outside to check the power cord to see if it was warm or hot. It was neither. I’m not by any stretch an electrician so my apologies for not running off a bunch of specifications. What I will do is try and post the specification of my AC unit to give you some kind of idea what I’m powering.After restoring everything back to utility power I tested the propane fuel option by purging the lines from gasoline and connecting a 100 pound propane tank. I used the supplied propane hose and a six foot extension with a brass coupler and the unit worked just fine. I was told at the propane distributor the the supplied 5 foot hose and the added six foot extension would be as far as I should go with the length of the line. The supplied propane line DOES NOT come with a regulator. Also the connection at the generator end is a 3/8 connection. So if shopping for a line, do not include a regulator.My unit’s only issue was a wheel that had a pressure indentation causing it to bump when rolling the unit. I contacted the help number and they requested I reply to the email with photographs and an brief explanation of the problem. I did that today so I’ll provide an update as to how that issue is resolved.The unit comes with two keys located inside a ziplock bag where the owner’s manual is located. I used 10W 30 oil with a little less than a quart. The battery was charged and already connected. There was enough of a charge for me to use the electric start. I’ll provide as much additional information with the photos I think will answer many questions I’ve seen while reviewing this unit. For now, it seem to be working just fine. Again, my apologies for not providing a more “technical” review. I give this unit five stars. It’s got the power and fuel options which allow for long term storage of your propane.UPDATE:Sunday, May 13, 2018I’ve just tested the Duromax 12,000 Duel Fuel with my propane set up. I’m using two 100 pound tanks connected with a Mr. Heater 2-tank hook-up kit with tee and 30-inch hose assembly with P.O.L. male ends. I’ve also attached a 6-foot extension on the Duromax supplied 5-foot propane hose.Prior to attempting to start the unit, I used thread seal on all brass to brass thread connections. I used very slight torque but enough to make sure there were no leaks. I tried one tank at a time shutting off the other to check the pressure. I have a screw on pressure gauge on the in-line system. The first tank checked out fine and maintained its pressure. The second tank pressured up not problem but one the machine stated running the pressure would drop and the generator would cut off. I removed the line connecting the second tank and added more thread seal. I also added some on the end where it connected to the tee assembly. I opened the tank, pressured up not problem and turned the unit on. No loss of pressure and the units are working fine.I’ve read on a few post that a regulator would be required if you extend the hose from the tanks to the generator. Perhaps the real problem is a leak. If there is a leak somewhere in any of the connections the pressure will drop once the machine is on and the generator will stop running. Hope this info helps.

Based on our current use we would recommended this generator to everyone. It is very solid generator and meets our needs. We purchased this generator because we live in Florida and do to Hurricanes. For a low cost high powered generator that runs on propane or gas, I think you would be hard pressed to find another that has all the options, key start, and comes with the battery and all the accessories included. A standalone Generac 15KW would have been 9 thousand dollars with the auto transfer switch. You will save thousands and get the same results with this generator. This is more than enough to run my hole home, and I have 3 freezers, 1 fridge, and many other devices. Granted, my lights in my house are ALL LED now, which helps! But I was able to run three window unit also with four box fans with celling paddle fans, water heater, house water pump all at the same time.Most of the time I don’t rate or comment. BUT seeing some of these peoples who don’t have a clue what they doing writing comments here. If you never worked with four-stroke engines. Hire someone else don't blame the generators, do to ignorance of how to ADJUST IT. Then yes, I saw you needed to hook up the negative ground wire, (all batteries on engines never comes hook up) to the battery so I did that. (Now this quote from some other people writings) #1 “the unit will start rite up but surges badly on LP. Turning off the auto throttle switch corrects this issue. There is nothing in the manual regarding this switch. Once this was done the engine runs smooth.”#2 Engine revs up then dies down. Pretty annoying. (YOUR FIX) If you adjust the idle on the carburetor up, you can fix this and the auto throttle will work for LP running. Knowing what to do is key here. And No, you will not find this in the instructions. Again, Hire someone else if you do not know what I am talking about, don't blame the generator. It is shipped without oil, so it needs 1qt and a half of 5-w30. This is in your instructions, so, why be surprise you don’t have any oil. I do not recommend the 20gal that’s a full-sized grill propane cylinder. You can only use a little under half a tank before you will have problems with not enough Pressure to run generator. Get a sixty or eighty gallon, will work better and longer. I myself have it on a 250gal tank.Hope I have cleared up these “People miss understandings of what not to do.Dr.DRE1965

We purchased this generator because after Hurricane Matthew last year we determined we did not want to go without water and air conditioning in Florida. We have had to put it into use because of Hurricane Irma, and based on our experiece so far we would say it is a great tool for your storm preparations.We have been running on the generator now for five full days and it has held up quite well. We started off on propane from a 100lb tank and that lasted from mid-day Sunday when the power went out to Tuesday afternoon when we noticed the condensation at the very bottom of the propane tank (~47 hours) That utilization is running a ~2,600sqf 5br home with 4 ton 16 seer A/C and a well and two refridgerators (we have on-demand electric water heaters that are on a separate box and are too high a load for the generator so they are not included). One note about the A/C, as noted in another review, the lights do dim when the A/C kicks on because the startup load is pretty heavy on a 4 ton A/C unit. We did not turn the breaker on with the double oven, but the stove top and microwave have been used numerous times. For the A/C, it does put a heavy load on the generator when it starts however after startup, the A/C runs quite well. We have ensured we do not use the A/C at the same time as the stove based on the load. We have the generator into the house using a Reliance Reliance Controls Corporation PBN50 50-Amp NEMA 3R CS6375 Power Inlet Box for Generators Up to 12,500 Running Watts and a 15ft cable Conntek 1450SS2-15 15-Foot Temporary Power Cord, 50-Amp 125/250-Volt, NEMA 14-50P Generator Plug to CS6364 Locking Connector directly to the power box. In the box we installed a manual interlock kit to meet code requirements Square D by Schneider Electric HOMCGK2C Homeline Cover Generator and QOM2 Frame Size Main Breaker Interlock Kit. Once we ran out of propane, we switched to gasoline and have been running on that ever since (yes, we are still out of power 5 days later). For the gasoline, the longest we have allowed the generator to run without filling is 12 hours overnight, and that was with the A/C set to 78 degrees, so it did come on during the night, and when we filled the tank in the morning, there was still over an inch of gasoline left in the tank. These times will vary based on the load upon the generator, and we realize we have been using it well above a 50% load.On the technical side, the reason this gets four stars instead of five is because of the tires. After receiving the generator, the wheels were installed and the generator stored in our garage. The wheels are made of solid plastic, and the weight of the generator made them go flat on the down side. We replaced them with pneumatic tires and that addressed the issue. Secondly, it would be very useful to have a load indicator on the generator to show overall load against the output. The generator starts quickly and easily using the electric start, however I could not get it to start with the pull rope. Also the charging indicator has come on numerous times even though the generator has been running for days, and if the battery is not charged at this point, I am unsure why it would happen. Lastly, the user manual says to change the oil every 20 hours or monthly. We changed the oil as specified, and it certainly looked as if it needed to be changed. Do NOT put this off because as with any engine, dirty oil will cause the engine to overheat and eventually cause damage.Lastly for the seller we purchased from. They did very well addressing concerns with shipping because we live way out on a dirt road and there were difficulties with the drop shipment. The seller did address the issues very quickly and ensured that we were satisfied with the sale.Based on our current use we would (and have) recommended this generator to friends. It is (so far) very solid and meets our current needs. We will provide an update to the review after our power is restored and the first real use of the generator is complete.UPDATE - So just wanted to update this review after 3 years of use. The generator has seen a lot of use as we live in Florida and losing power is not an unusual occurrence. I even accidentally dropped it while moving it with my tractor and it got pretty banged up cosmetically. Having said that, at over 3 years old it runs like a champ and starts every time. The only thing that has had to be replaced was this year the battery. In the Florida heat with a sealed battery that is not unexpected. We again stand by our initial review and would absolutely buy this generator again.Update December 31, 2020 - Pulled the generator out to use it to power a welder in an area with no power. Initially it ran, but was very difficult to start with propane (we have used it almost exclusively with propane). It ran for one day on the propane, but the second day it ran for about 15 minutes and just sputtered and died. Upon inspection there seems to be a good deal of oil around the pressure regulator, but again, it would not start or run at all on propane.Filled the tank with gasoline and it started on the first turn of the key. Ran perfectly for 8 hours. We are assuming the pressure regulator has either failed or is gunked up with oil. After some amount of research, it is apparently not uncommon for propane to have oil in it depending on the source of the propane. If it is generated from crude oil, it may have a higher content of actual oil residue in the propane. I'm not going to take stars away because I think this may be more of an issue with the propane source than the generator. Going to replace the regulator and see if that fixes the problem.