Generac was founded in 1959. The company soon started to build portable Generac generators under the Craftsman brand for Sears Roebuck and Co. Learning more about the company and the best Generac generators from our Generac generator review gives you some insight into why this is a popular brand.
By the 1970s, the company went beyond Generac generators and started to manufacture items for other markets, including the recreational and portable vehicle industries. In the 1980s, they manufactured backup power generation systems for the industrial and commercial markets. Towards the end of this decade, they have a focus on Generac home generators large enough to power a whole house.
In 1989, the first Generac home generators for standby purposes that were gas-fueled were introduced. At this point, they had a whole range of home and Generac portable generators for various purposes.
This brand offers portable, commercial, mobile, residential and industrial generators. They use foreign and domestic parts. However, all of their generators are built and engineered in the United States. Generac offers the largest selection of generators, making it easy to find the one that best fits your needs.
Choose between different fuel types, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas and propane. You can also choose between automatic and manual transfer switches for the larger generators that Generac offers.
Generac Generators Teaming Up with Other Generator Companies
Generac started doing private labeling for Caterpillar, Inc. in 1992 for generator sets. While they discussed Caterpillar acquiring Generac at this time, the two companies never finalized the deal. The private labeling agreement between the two companies was terminated in 1996. However, until 2002, Generac continued to provide Caterpillar with transfer switches for generators.
The portable products division that Generac was operating was sold to the private equity firm Beacon Group in 1998. This firm eventually sold it to Briggs and Stratton Corporation, another generator manufacturer. It wasn’t until 2008 when Generac decided to get back into the market for portable generators.
In 2010, Generac went public. The trading for this company was via the New York Stock Exchange. The initial offering for the public regarding net proceeds was $224 million. Since this time, Generac has continued to design and manufacture a variety of home and portable generators.
Generac Generator’s Sales
In this section of our Generac review we will explore the company’s sales. This will give you further information about the company and their popularity. During 2019’s first quarter, the company’s sales were $470.4 million. Compared to 2018’s first quarter, this was a 17.6 percent increase in their net sales.
For residential products, including portable and Generac home generators, their sales were $217.8 million during 2019’s first quarter. Compared to 2018’s first quarter for residential products, this was a 14.4 percent increase in sales.
Looking at the Different Generac Generators
These Generac reviews provide the details about the best Generac generators. After exploring each Generac generator review, it will become clear which one will best fit your needs. This company has both portable and home generators.
Generac Portable Generators
In this part of our Generac generator review we will explore the company’s portable generators. These generators are designed to transport easily so that you can transport them to where you need them. Use the portable generators from this brand for your home, when you are camping or at your worksite to ensure electricity for lighting and tools.
The engines in these portable generators are protected against damage thanks to the low-oil shutdown feature. Since the steel fuel tanks can hold a large capacity of gasoline, you can solid run-time without needing to refuel. Many of the portable generators have a gauge that make it easy to keep an eye on how much gas you have available.
You get your choice between multiple outlets with this brand’s portable generators. They are usually covered, helping to protect them until you need to plug something in. Use the USB ports for small items, or the standard outlets for home items, tools and similar things that you need to power.
The OHV engines on these generators can be used frequently without premature wear. They maintain a consistent level of power so that you do not start losing efficiency or power as the generator continues to run.
These generators have either durable plastic or steel housing. Because of this, you can transport them often and use them frequently without having to worry about easy breakage. They are built to withstand rugged conditions.
The smaller portable generators have built-in handles at the top of the unit. They are light enough to grab and carry around so that you can place your generator right where you need it. If you choose a larger portable generator, they have handles and wheels so that you do not have to lift them to move them. Their wheels are the “never flat” type of tire, so they are reliable.
Generac’s portable generators come with a variety of smart features to make running and maintaining them easy. Know when to perform maintenance by checking the run-time display on the generator. You can also use this feature to see how long you can go before you need to refuel based on the current load that you are operating at.
There are status lights on several of the portable generators. This will give you important information about the oil level, if you are close to overloading the generator and if you need to refuel it soon.
Several of the portable generators from Generac allow for parallel operation. This means that you can get a parallel kit to connect two of the same generators to extend how much power you have to use.
Choose between three modes, including standard, turbo and economy. This allows you to choose the level of power you are getting and how quietly and efficiently your generator runs.
Take advantage of the PowerBar present on several of the portable generators. Use this to know how much wattage you have available and how much you are currently using to choose what to power at a specific time.
Generac Standby Generator
In part of our Generac generator review, you will learn more about Generac’s standby generators for your home. According to Generac, they are chosen by seven out of 10 people who are shopping for a home standby generator.
With this generator, you can connect it to a transfer switch. This ensures that your generator powers up when your utility electricity goes out. It only takes a few seconds for your home to be restored with power. Then, when the utility electricity is restored, the generator will know to shut itself down so that you do not have a surge of too much power entering your home.
An electrician can connect the transfer switch so that the generator is permanently connected to your home’s electrical grid. Connect it to your natural gas line when you do this, allowing for a constant supply of fuel. However, you can choose to not connect it and run it on gasoline, giving you options regarding how you fuel your generator.
The home generators offered by Generac are large enough to power everything in your home. This means that you can keep your air conditioning and heat running for comfort when the electricity from the grid is not available.
Home generators from Generac have monitoring capabilities so that you can keep an eye on your unit when you are away from home. This is thanks to the Mobile Link technology. Use a tablet, your computer or a tablet to track things like run time and fuel usage. You can also see when it kicks on if you are away from home when the power goes out and you have a transfer switch.
Generac says that they introduced the home generator to the market. This means that they have the history and knowledge to create generators for your home that will withstand frequent use, bad weather and other factors that can wear down a generator.
Their home models range from 7,500 to 22,000 watts, allowing you to choose the right level of power for your home. Simply do the math regarding how much wattage you need and choose the home standby unit that will accommodate it.
These generators come with a wealth of features, including large-capacity fuel tanks, meters to track how many hours it has been running, covered outlets and low-oil shutdown. They also have durable OHV engines that can withstand a lot of use without wearing down prematurely.
The casing and components are made from strong materials, including steel tubing and powdered aluminum. This ensures that the generator will not rust and experience issues with structural integrity prematurely.
Our Favorite Generac Generators
Last update on 2022-05-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
