Now we’ll look at the biggest size of portable generators available. These are as big as your garage freezer and have engines as powerful as a motorcycle’s. First you will see what this size generator can power around the home or jobsite and then we’ll dive in to the best of each size: 10kW, 12kW and 15kW.
3 months ago I put in a purchase order (around $12,000) to rent a 35kW diesel generator for 2 months.
You see, I work in the mines and that project was too far from power to just run extension cords – we needed a generator. For this job we had a crew of 4-8 all running different tools off the generator. It ran non-stop for 10 hours per day and was topped up with fuel at the end of each shift.
These guys had saws, drills, pipe bending machine, arc welder, angle grinders and more all powered from the generator.
That is what a X-Large size generator is for. Everything. You buy it so you don’t have to worry about bringing out the calculator to plug in an extra spotlight. Let’s look at some common uses for this generator around the home:
What is This Size Generator Used For?
These generators are often hooked up to your homes mains power distribution board with a transfer switch and they automatically turn on if the utility power supply shuts off – like during a power outage.
They have enough power so that you would run out of room to plug more things in. Here are two combos of common things that that a 12,000 watt generator could handle:
- Combo 1 is 8,250 Watts Total. Belt sander (1000 W), dishwasher (1200 W), clothes dryer (~2000 W), iron (1000 W), microwave (800 W), air conditioner (1000 W), TV (150 W), Computer (100 W), 10 x 100W lights (1000 W).
- Combo 2 is 11,000 Watts Total. Vacuum (500 W), washing machine (500 W), 9″ disc sander (1200 W), coffee maker (1000 W), kettle (2500 W), fridge (250 W), freezer (250 W), electric lawnmower (1100 W), oven (2150 W), 4 laptops (300 W), 5 ceiling fans (250 W), toaster (1000 W),
Can you now imagine a 15,000 watt portable generator as enough power for your entire home during an emergency? I know I can.
Pictures of X-Large Size Portable Generators In The Wild
Best 10,000 Watt Portable Generator
DuroMax XP10000EH Powered By Either Propane/Gas (Easy to Alternate)
The best 10,000 watt portable generator is by DuroMax and it offers you the choice to use propane or gasoline to power the engine. You can make this choice mid-use and switch it over in seconds.
You get 10,000 surge watts and 8,000 running watts and that’s unbeatable from any other brand. That’s probably why DuroMax dominates the portable generator market online sales.
It’s 265 pounds and has similar dimensions to your kitchen stove/oven appliance. Good thing it has wheels and extendable handles to make it easy to move around. It has all the outlets you need and a bunch of other safety features. Be sure to check it out in full at this link:
Best 12,000 Watt Portable Generator
Yamaha EF12000DE 635cc 12,000 Surge Watts (9,500 running watts)
Yamaha usually sticks with making the smaller generators that use inverters to generate clean electricity for laptops and the like but here is one of their big boys.
With a 635cc engine it provides 12,000 watts of surge power and 9,500 running watts. It offers you the ability to switch between 120 and 240 volts and has 50-amps max you can be sure this machine has the power you need.
It has an 11.4 gallon fuel tank so be sure to fill it up at the gas station and not by jerry can. With that tank you can get 9 hours at the full load or 18 hours with half the load. It’s big and so that means loud – about as loud as you hear the garbage disposal when you’re at the sink. But if you love Yamaha and want this size it’s a great option.
Best 15,000 Watt Portable Generator
Generac GP15000E 15,000 Running Watts
After 282 reviews on Amaxon this generator by Generac is rated 4.1 out of 5. That’s a better rating than 85% of the products. And one of the highest rated Generac brand generators.
So if you are in the market for a huge 15kW portable generator look no further. This one is 375 pounds and is as big as your garage freezer but is designed with a sturdy wide wheelbase and handles to ensure it is stable and easy to move if needed.
The price fluctuates quite a bit so be sure to check the current deal out at the link below.
Want Less Power?
See the best 5000, 6500 and 8000 watt portable generator here…
Sources
- The DuroPower website is pretty lacking but I managed to find the DuroMax product page on another partner website that has some top notch information and the User Manual. Check it out here.
- Yamaha EF12000DE product page has all the information needed to figure out everything the generator has to offer, It was used to ensure Amazon product details are correct.
- Generac recently updated their website and it looks good. It has all the information required for further research and if you want to read the User Manual before buying you can. Check out the GP15000E here.