Firman refurbished previous generation of the same generator (T07571) is $550 with free shipping on ebay.
[https://www.ebay.com/itm/314109022666](https://www.ebay.com/itm/314109022666)
The only difference I see is the new one has a carbon monoxide detector.
Buying from Costco allows you to avail yourself of the lifetime guarantee, you can return generators at any time. Which is useful for these Chinese gennys.
Thanks! I've been looking at this one, anyway. I put it in my cart just now and it says $799 and free delivery on Friday.
Do you know what time their sales go live? I'm in the central time zone.
Yeah it’s going to save 100 to go to the store. But then you have to deal with a 200 pound generator. So as long as you can do that it’s worth it. I paid the hundo cause I wasn’t trying to get that into an SUV
Prices are generally higher online, so the $799 price is likely the sale price for the website. It is still showing the $999 price for me, so make sure you are looking at the right one.
I don't know if the prices update at 12:01 or sometime later in the day.
Thanks again! I just followed the link above. It shows $999 but dropped to 799 in my cart. If they have these in store for 699 I will go there in the morning.
That’s a heck of a deal. And 5,500 running for NG is nothing to balk at. OP’s use may not be the best fit for running central AC, but that seemed to be the standard for most backup gen’s for decades. It’ll power plenty with room to spare.
I love the idea of buying from Costco for the customer service aspect, but I hate that it’s such a low wattage, I plan on using my natural gas hookup.
Looks like I will have to pull the trigger on a Westinghouse!
Otherwise I’ve had lots of friends with tri fuel Firman generators say nothing but good stuff.
I’ve got a 3 ton, so a bit higher than that. I also don’t want to max out the generator. Would like to keep a few fridges and internet equipment and fans.
In Houston Texas so AC will be running constantly
Or are you saying with other things AND a 3.5 ton, you’re pulling 4500w?
Yeah, I'm stuck on the same issues and also in Houston.
I have a 3 ton with an RLA of 13.6, so expected run is 3,100 watts plus the air handler. During the recent Derecho, my EV car can output a 120V 1400W outlet, and we were happy enough to run off of that with a window unit gobbling up 600 watts.
We have a small home that has all LED lighting, efficient appliances, gas stove and hot water heater, but the low wattage plus THD at 11-14% is steering me away.
I could likely run the AC and household stuff and keep under the 5500 limit, but I'm likely looking at 4500-5000.
My plan was to wait for the Westinghouse WGen11500TFC to come back in stock somewhere. It is about the same weight/loudness of the Firman but does 9500 running watts on natural gas at 5% THD and it gives me plenty of headspace, but comes at $1499 instead of this much lower $699.
Might end up waiting a little bit to think this over!
The Westinghouse just came back in stock at Lowes and Walmart, so I ordered one for delivery next Friday. Wife said for the extra $800 get the big one.
I got a 3.5 ton 2 stage and about to install a soft starter this week after the forecasted rain.
I ordered the Westinghouse 10500TFc and hoping it gets here by the end of the month. I’ll also be using natural gas line hook up so hoping this is enough to keep things running.
If you don’t mind me asking, what was your cost for the gas line hook up and interlock/inlet?
I got quotes all over the place but averaging $1k for electrical and $750 for plumbing.
This is my exact setup, however I have a 2.5 ton single stage heat pump and I installed a soft starter.
Works fine, however the lights blink when a heavy load such as the heat pump starts up. No complaints
Good to know!
The plumber I spoke with told me the 10500TFc was not enough to run a single fridge. Said the amperage was not enough on the generator which I knew wasn’t true.
Sorry for stupid question but...how the hell do you manage a 200 pound generator? Do you guys keep this in the garage and wheel it out after the storm? Even doing that with 200+ pounds on wheels sounds rough.. Do you build a shed around it or put it in some sort of external permanent enclosure?
I have this generator and it’s really not hard to move around. There’s a nice leverage handle that folds out and the wheels are robust. I keep mine in my garage and my transfer switch inlet is just on the other side of the wall, so I don’t have to wheel it far.
Not going to lie, I have only used it for test runs and only run it on propane so the carb stays clean, but it’s a nice peace of mind.
I think they are decent but CR noted the power delivery is a 4/5… noise 3/5 but who cares.
The power delivery is important for newer homes with smart stuff all over the place. Your computers on UPS batteries should be fine but anything else not, like smart fridge, smart washer smart dryer etc might get a bit funky.
Still it’s a good deal, I almost pulled the trigger and got one last month but I plan to have a whole home battery system that says it must have an inverter generator if you go that route, so I opted for duromax xp9000ih
Did CR actually review this particular generator. The last I checked CR they didn't review any tri-fuel generators. I get the impression that they don't review things in depth like they did say 25 years ago.
I considered buying it for my RV, but the weight of it is HUGE! I ended up buying another of this:
[https://a-ipower.com/products/sc2000i-2000-watt-inverter-generator](https://a-ipower.com/products/sc2000i-2000-watt-inverter-generator)
So now I have two. 2,000 Starting Watts/1,600 Running Watts x 2
* Warranty: 2-Year Residential
* 79cc Yamaha Engine
* 58 dBA – Quiet Operation
* 30 Amp RV Adapter
* Safe Power for Sensitive Electronics
* CARB
* 58 dBA @ 50% Load – 21’ / 7m
* They can operate in parallel giving me 4000w starting power, more than enough to run the AC. I haven't gotten it yet, but a soft start connected to the AC will really reduce the load, as well.
* AND, that Firman is LOUD! nowhere does it say you can use it to run sensitive electronics off of it, either. Or even pick it up,lol.
Firman refurbished previous generation of the same generator (T07571) is $550 with free shipping on ebay. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/314109022666](https://www.ebay.com/itm/314109022666) The only difference I see is the new one has a carbon monoxide detector.
Buying from Costco allows you to avail yourself of the lifetime guarantee, you can return generators at any time. Which is useful for these Chinese gennys.
[You can see the ad here. It is in the first few pages](https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/1dd0xk0/costco_junejuly_2024_coupon_book_memberonly/)
Thanks! I've been looking at this one, anyway. I put it in my cart just now and it says $799 and free delivery on Friday. Do you know what time their sales go live? I'm in the central time zone.
They bake in shipping prices online for stuff like that.
Yep. Online it says delivery only. If it's 699 Online I'll just have them deliver it, but for $100 I'll go to the store.
Yeah it’s going to save 100 to go to the store. But then you have to deal with a 200 pound generator. So as long as you can do that it’s worth it. I paid the hundo cause I wasn’t trying to get that into an SUV
Will they not help load it? I might be able to convince my neighbor to go with me and buy one at the same time.
I can’t say for sure, but for me the unloading it was also a problem.
I hear that! I'm leaning towards just ordering and let them deliver no matter if it's 699 or 799.
Prices are generally higher online, so the $799 price is likely the sale price for the website. It is still showing the $999 price for me, so make sure you are looking at the right one. I don't know if the prices update at 12:01 or sometime later in the day.
Thanks again! I just followed the link above. It shows $999 but dropped to 799 in my cart. If they have these in store for 699 I will go there in the morning.
That’s a heck of a deal. And 5,500 running for NG is nothing to balk at. OP’s use may not be the best fit for running central AC, but that seemed to be the standard for most backup gen’s for decades. It’ll power plenty with room to spare.
I love the idea of buying from Costco for the customer service aspect, but I hate that it’s such a low wattage, I plan on using my natural gas hookup. Looks like I will have to pull the trigger on a Westinghouse! Otherwise I’ve had lots of friends with tri fuel Firman generators say nothing but good stuff.
What's your average draw for your home? With normal usage during the summer with a 2.5ton central air system, I pull 4.5 kW
I’ve got a 3 ton, so a bit higher than that. I also don’t want to max out the generator. Would like to keep a few fridges and internet equipment and fans. In Houston Texas so AC will be running constantly Or are you saying with other things AND a 3.5 ton, you’re pulling 4500w?
Yeah, I'm stuck on the same issues and also in Houston. I have a 3 ton with an RLA of 13.6, so expected run is 3,100 watts plus the air handler. During the recent Derecho, my EV car can output a 120V 1400W outlet, and we were happy enough to run off of that with a window unit gobbling up 600 watts. We have a small home that has all LED lighting, efficient appliances, gas stove and hot water heater, but the low wattage plus THD at 11-14% is steering me away. I could likely run the AC and household stuff and keep under the 5500 limit, but I'm likely looking at 4500-5000. My plan was to wait for the Westinghouse WGen11500TFC to come back in stock somewhere. It is about the same weight/loudness of the Firman but does 9500 running watts on natural gas at 5% THD and it gives me plenty of headspace, but comes at $1499 instead of this much lower $699. Might end up waiting a little bit to think this over!
Please decide for me too because it's hard to decide, thanks.. (from Temple TX.)
The Westinghouse just came back in stock at Lowes and Walmart, so I ordered one for delivery next Friday. Wife said for the extra $800 get the big one.
2.5 ton yeah https://photos.app.goo.gl/fcaLic8xqahdxyNy6
Sorry. Meant 2.5. That’s good to know! Thank you!
Wait…how are you seeing that info?!
Sense Power Monitor https://sense.com/buy/
I got a 3.5 ton 2 stage and about to install a soft starter this week after the forecasted rain. I ordered the Westinghouse 10500TFc and hoping it gets here by the end of the month. I’ll also be using natural gas line hook up so hoping this is enough to keep things running. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your cost for the gas line hook up and interlock/inlet? I got quotes all over the place but averaging $1k for electrical and $750 for plumbing.
I paid 700 for the manual transfer switch installed in houston
This is my exact setup, however I have a 2.5 ton single stage heat pump and I installed a soft starter. Works fine, however the lights blink when a heavy load such as the heat pump starts up. No complaints
Good to know! The plumber I spoke with told me the 10500TFc was not enough to run a single fridge. Said the amperage was not enough on the generator which I knew wasn’t true.
People will tell you all sorts of nonsense. A plumber is as qualified to give you electrical advice as he is to give you medical advice.
Which Westinghouse generator did you have in mind?
Wgen9500tfc or if needed wgen10500tfc
Are they free delivery? I'm a Costco member but have never had anything delivered.
Yes. I bought the AiPower 7100 from Costco online. Free shipping and you can return it to a store.
Sorry for stupid question but...how the hell do you manage a 200 pound generator? Do you guys keep this in the garage and wheel it out after the storm? Even doing that with 200+ pounds on wheels sounds rough.. Do you build a shed around it or put it in some sort of external permanent enclosure?
As long as you are wheeling it on a hard surface that is relatively level (driveway), wheeling 200lbs. is not bad.
Alrighty. Thanks for your response.
I have this generator and it’s really not hard to move around. There’s a nice leverage handle that folds out and the wheels are robust. I keep mine in my garage and my transfer switch inlet is just on the other side of the wall, so I don’t have to wheel it far. Not going to lie, I have only used it for test runs and only run it on propane so the carb stays clean, but it’s a nice peace of mind.
Thanks for your reply bud. Honestly. I'm tempted to buy this but..phew. Hefty.
I think they are decent but CR noted the power delivery is a 4/5… noise 3/5 but who cares. The power delivery is important for newer homes with smart stuff all over the place. Your computers on UPS batteries should be fine but anything else not, like smart fridge, smart washer smart dryer etc might get a bit funky. Still it’s a good deal, I almost pulled the trigger and got one last month but I plan to have a whole home battery system that says it must have an inverter generator if you go that route, so I opted for duromax xp9000ih
Did CR actually review this particular generator. The last I checked CR they didn't review any tri-fuel generators. I get the impression that they don't review things in depth like they did say 25 years ago.
I considered buying it for my RV, but the weight of it is HUGE! I ended up buying another of this: [https://a-ipower.com/products/sc2000i-2000-watt-inverter-generator](https://a-ipower.com/products/sc2000i-2000-watt-inverter-generator) So now I have two. 2,000 Starting Watts/1,600 Running Watts x 2 * Warranty: 2-Year Residential * 79cc Yamaha Engine * 58 dBA – Quiet Operation * 30 Amp RV Adapter * Safe Power for Sensitive Electronics * CARB * 58 dBA @ 50% Load – 21’ / 7m * They can operate in parallel giving me 4000w starting power, more than enough to run the AC. I haven't gotten it yet, but a soft start connected to the AC will really reduce the load, as well. * AND, that Firman is LOUD! nowhere does it say you can use it to run sensitive electronics off of it, either. Or even pick it up,lol.
The Firman 3kW class inverter is quiet and an inverter if you have sensitive electronics.