South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)

BEST PORTABLE GENERATORS

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Power outages are more than just frustratin­g, they can quickly become downright dangerous, and they’re becoming all too common for many of us. Going several hours or longer without power can lead to more than just spoiled food and other headaches. They can also result in uncomforta­ble and unsafe temperatur­es and can make it difficult to call for help in case of emergencie­s.

Large chunks of North America are facing an elevated risk of blackouts this year, thanks to warmer-than-normal temperatur­es and drought, which reduces hydroelect­ric output, the North American Electric Reliabilit­y Corporatio­n said earlier in May. From the Midwest down to the Gulf Coast, many people face a high risk of blackouts.

Furthermor­e, hurricanes are getting stronger and fire season is devastatin­g some areas. This is why you need to start thinking about purchasing a portable generator for your home. Thankfully, plenty of options on the market can step in and keep things running. These include inverter generators, diesel generators, solar generators, gas generators and dual-fuel generator types. Check out our complete list of the best portable generators for more info to help you make the right pick at cnet. co/3BBXQzC.

DUROMAX XP4850EH

A solid dual-fuel model, the DuroMax XP4850EH has 4,850 starting watts and 3,850 running watts.

This portable generator can run off either its 3.96-gallon fuel

tank or a 20-gallon liquid propane tank fuel source. Gasoline run time is about 11.5 hours at 50%, while propane will run 9.8 hours on 50%. There are two 120-volt outlets and one 120/240-volt outlet.

GENERAC GP8000E

This $1,069 Generac model delivers 10,000 starting watts for easy power-ups.

You’ll get 8,000 running watts for up to 11 hours at 50% load. A 7.9-gallon fuel tank feeds the

420cc engine. The Generac

GP8000E backup power generator includes flat-free tires, a carbon monoxide auto shutoff and six GFCI outlets.

CAT RP6500

Of all the models we looked at, this portable generator offers the highest run time for the least money. You’ll get 12 hours of power output at 50% load for this $1,179 CAT model gas generator. That’s thanks to a hefty 7.9-gallon gasoline tank.

The CAT RP6500 delivers 8,125 starting watts and 6,500 running watts from its 420cc engine.

A CO Defense carbon monoxide automatic shutoff system keeps toxic fumes from building up near your home. There are six rubber-covered outlets, including four GFCI household outlets and two 120/240-volt twist lock outlets.

 ?? DUROMAX ?? DuroMax XP4850EH.
DUROMAX DuroMax XP4850EH.
 ?? GENERAC ?? Generac GP8000E.
GENERAC Generac GP8000E.
 ?? ?? CAT RP6500. CNET
CAT RP6500. CNET

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