Predator 4000 Generator Review

Are you in California and looking to step ahead of the power outage of winter? Do you fancy a steady portable generator to power up your truck camper’s AC unit of 30amps? Do you spend your after-work time at the front of your 400watts TV with a crispy cold beer from your 700watts fridge? Imagine a generator that powers TVs, refrigerators, and ACs at the same time. With no disappointment.

No annoying head-banging noise or vibration. No frequent hand-soiling oil changes. No untimely faulting-out. No gas-swallowing. Just a standard gas generator with excellent delivery through 2 years before ever faulting-out.

We thought of YOU. We walked through the market, ears to the ground, and eyes wide open. We found a power-churning generator that powers massive sander systems and circular saws for DIYers smoothly. The Predator 4000 generator is a portable generator that lights up your routers; wireless access points; TVs; freezer; bulbs; and other things snag-free. Unlike many generators at harbor freight, this portable generator boasts more running watts and packs a lot of power, especially for your operations on a job site. See our review of the Predator generator below for a complete picture.

Complete Review for Predator 4000 Generator

First thing first. In this review of the 400 model Predator generator, let’s take a look at the engine of the generator first.

•         The Engine; this generator does its work with a 220cc/6.5Hz gas engine, saving you from a power outage than many generators harbor freight sells. This is the exact air-cooled ohv engine found in mowers, wood splitters, blowers, pressure washers, cement mixers, water pumps, compressors, and other massive machines including boats. It churns out its 6.5 horsepower consistently with a maximum speed of 3600RPM (rotation per minute). Also, a glance at the shaft shows you a counterclockwise rotating shaft of 2.43inches length and 3/4inches diameter. It starts up on recoil and all you have to do is push on the 55mm stroke and draw the start rope while holding the comfy starter handle. If you’ve been on a hunting escapade with a friend or you’ve used a neighbor’s tiller or shredders, chances are that you’ve met this engine before. Needless to say, this is a horizontal single cylinder 4 stroke OHV engine, packing all the running watts you need to use.
•         Circuits/Outputs; the fact that most reviews on Amazon and other sites say it comes with a 26amps max power is quite misleading. Rather the 26amps aren’t in a single circuit but split into 2 equal 13amps circuits. And if you do the calculation each 13amps circuit gives you 120volts. That is enough 240volts on the two. But since most home appliances run on 120volts, your dishwasher, cloth-washer, fridge, and freezer need just a 13amps circuit each. We also find that standard window air conditioners take the same voltage to run. Also, unlike most harbor freight generators, this one comes with an extra 20amps circuit for the use of 2400watts-consuming industrial machines. Talk about plasma cutters, orbital sanders, paint sprayers, and even your TIG welding systems. Lastly, a 12vdc circuit is included for your heaters, camper, hunting, microwave, hotplate, and other 12vdc equipment. This beats many harbor freight generator to the dust.

•         Receptacles and circuit breakers; this is a feature most predator 4000 generator review out there won’t talk about. But we acknowledge the importance of clearing you out on the receptacles/circuit breakers details. First off, on the control interface, you find 1 dc outlet and 1 DC receptacle close to 1 DC circuit breaker for emergencies and safety. You also come close to 1 AC receptacle with a dedicated AC circuit breaker that stops destructive power from your appliances when things go wrong. Though this hardly happens but just in case. Lastly, there are two GFCI AC receptacles close to the ground terminal and the power switch.
•         Fuel/Oil/Tank; twist the metal tank cap open to a 4-gallon capacity fuel tank for gasoline. Fill it only with 87+ octane gasoline that is threaded but unleaded. You can easily check for oil level as you do so via the low oil indicator that also keeps you abreast of low oil level. The engine oil type is SAE promising 10watts to 30watts when above 32°F and 5watts-30watts when at or below 32°F. Well and again that depends on the cooling system which is air-forced. But then the temperature around where you stand your generator and the seasonal changes play a significant role too. Overall the oil capacity is 0.6 quarts. The big question is, what is the gas consumption of this system? Really this depends on the number of appliances you run on the generator and how much power each of the appliances sap from it. But from the data at hand, we find 86.9% of campers and hunters find it low gas-consuming. DIYers running 120volts cutter, sprayer, and sander systems on this model 400 of Predator generator think it doesn’t burn fuel away though there is another 6.5HP generator at Harbor Freight that uses less gas. For house appliances, however, this is your electricity generator when considering gas-usage for up to 10 hours.
•         Spark Plug And Run time; turn over to the spark plug and you spot an NHC®/TORCH® F6TC plug type of 0.027”-0.031” space. For high performance and perfect fume emission however a valve clearance of 0.004”-0.006” on the intake and 0.006”-0.008” exhaust is used. And speaking of the standard run time ours is the only predator 4000 generator review that states the real run-time which is 10 hrs for 50% load. This means it is only advisable to keep your predator 4000 generator on for at most 10 hrs when using 50% of the power it supplies. And for when you are using all the power from all the circuits, that is full-load, 5hrs is the maximum time you should run it to increase power supply life.

After having a full picture of the Predator 4000 generator, how about the benefits and then the downsides of using it?

Why Use Predator 4000 Generator?

•         Setup and installation process; predator 4000 comes assembled ready to use. An upside over many systems. A few things to be noted though. The manufacturer says to use spark arrestor around the spark plug especially when used for camping and hunting around dry vegetation. Spark plug arrestors only cost a few bucks at Amazon. In fact, you’ll get the most standard spark arrestor for $11-$24.
•         Spare parts availability; spare parts are readily available both at Amazon and Harbor Freight. The carburetor for example costs nothing more than $26 for a replacement when needed. Check other 26amps generators in the market and it becomes a work finding perfect replacements for their parts. And the ones that do mostly have huge prices on their replacement parts.
•         Start and usage; fill the tank up, pour in the oil, grab the comfortable starter handle, and pull out for a one-time start. That is all it takes to get the predator 4000 generator up and running. And as long as you keep to the guides in the manual, and maintain the duplex outlets well, you have the engine running for years with no problem.
•         Gas usage and power supply; for the best generator that doesn’t burn gas away you can always count on Predator 4000. The 4 gallons gas space of the tank is enough room to load all the gas at once without coming back for a refill now and then. Suppose you’re running 2 TVs, 1 air conditioner, and other small appliances for 5-6hrs a day. That is about 30-37% of the load. With 30-37% of the load on a full tank, you wouldn’t have to refill more than once or twice a week. Meanwhile, the power supply is reasonably smooth, steady, and stabilized. Though you need a stabilizer for some sensitive appliances. But overall this machine has a considerable low gas intake and the power supply quality you could ever want in your home or business.
•         Safety/security; balanced with a standard air filter/exhaust outlet your 212cc/6.5hp power supplier ensures fumes, smokes, and harmful gases don’t come into the house. For security on the other hand you have circuit breakers highly reactive to the slightest power amplification. Rest assured your appliances are safe and secured. The entire system is designed as best to overcome shocks and damages. However, you don’t want to operate a generator with your wet hands or run it in a wet location. Except for an elevation, provision is made to keep the power supplier off-ground do not turn it on where wet.
•         Maintenance and lifespan; from design material to structure and painting Predator 4000 generator is built to last (just makes sure to stick with the 10 hours maximum usage time). It comes as a system framed in a compact metal frame with high resistance to hits and knocks. The frame does well to enclose the most delicate areas while giving enough room to cooling and fumes removal for efficiency and stability. On lifespan, 212cc/6.5 horsepower engines are one among the most powerful engines alive.  They are also credited for speed, strength, toughness, and consistency. The high-end spark plug of Predator 4000 however extends lifespan even further than usual. And you want to keep using the same spark plug type when replacing the one that comes with it. Check the user’s manual or check our spark plug and run time bulletin in the last heading for spark plug type.
•         Price; now you want to do a self-confirmation on this one but this is one of the best generators at a great price on the market. (It doesn’t come with a wheel kit, though. By the way, for a portable generator like this one, who needs a wheel kit anyways?)

Who should use Predator 4000?

”Should I use or buy predator 4000?” Yes. We highly recommend predator 4000 for;

•   Home appliances; TVs, air conditioners, freezers/refrigerators, heaters, irons, bulbs, and other home appliances.
•   DIYers; orbital sanders/sander systems, cutters/welders, sprayers, and exhaust systems.
•   Engineers/craftsmen/artists; drillers, welders, pumping machines, and others.
•   Campers/hunters/fishermen; boats, kayaks, air conditioner, and camping and hunting units
•   Offices; copiers, printers, computers, TVs, and others.

Conclusion

Have you used the predator 4000 or any of the Predator series? Have any experience with other 212cc/6.5hp gasoline engine generator? How about sharing them with us in the comment box? Would you disagree with any of our claims? Why? Why not? Did you find our Predator 4000 generator review helpful? Why not save it up and share it with friends?