Top 5 Home Backup Generator Brands for Power Outages

A home backup generator represents a sizeable investment in a major home appliance. The payoff comes when it protects your home and family during a power outage. Food won’t spoil in a refrigerator or freezer, the basement won’t flood, and the pipes won’t freeze. During a heatwave, your home stays comfortable and livable with all the necessities and conveniences of everyday life.

Every home is different, and every family has different needs. For some families, powering essentials like refrigeration, sump pumps, heating and cooling, and a few lights during an outage that lasts a day or less is all they require. Other families prefer to supply every circuit in the house. In hot climates, the ability to run multiple air conditioners in triple-digit temperatures is essential.

Home standby generator brands provide similar functionality; all start automatically and switch the house to standby power within moments after the power outage occurs. Later when the utility restores power, the house returns to utility power and the generator shuts down.

Each brand offers specific features and benefits that may matter to some homeowners, but not to others. Weigh the features and choose a manufacturer that offers the right generator for your home and family.

In a Hurry? Shop In-Stock Home Backup Generators Ready to Ship

Generac

Generac Power Systems designs and manufactures the Generac Guardian Brand in Wisconsin. Their Customer Care Center, also located in Wisconsin, operates 24 hours a day, Seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Seven out of every ten air-cooled home backup generators sold in the United States carry the Generac Logo. The 22-Kilowatt 70432 Guardian and the Generac 24kW Generator are the most powerful air-cooled generators on the market and the nationwide bestsellers. Guardian Generators have different capacities ranging from a 7.5 kilowatt generator to the 24 kilowatt generator, Generac offers the widest range of air-cooled standby generators among all five our featured manufacturers.

Highlighted Brand Features

• Best-selling home backup generator brand in the United States.
• Commercial-grade G-Force engines purpose-built specifically for Generac Standby Generators
• Built-In Mobile-Link Monitoring System – Monitor the generator from any smartphone, tablet, or laptop from anywhere.
• TruePower Technology™ ensures best-in-class utility grade power for sensitive electronics to the most demanding appliances.
• Manufacturer 5-Year / 2000 Hour Limited Consumer Warranty

Generac Guardian Home Backup Generator Features and Benefits

Briggs and Stratton

Briggs and Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, focuses on providing power to get work done and make people’s lives better. After more than 100 years of power expertise, Briggs and Stratton claims worldwide renown for their engines and products that use their engines. Four out of five homes across the country use at least one tool or appliance with a Briggs and Stratton Engine, including Briggs and Stratton Home Backup Generators.

The Briggs and Stratton 5-5-5 industry-leading warranty covers parts, labor, and travel for a full five years. Other manufacturers only cover parts for the entire 5-year warranty. Briggs and Stratton manufactures standby generators in five power capacities ranging from 8 kilowatts to 20 kilowatts with different automatic transfer switch configurations to fit the needs of virtually any home.

Highlighted Brand Features

• Commercial-grade Vanguard Engines for reliable operation and extended run times.
• Unique Airflow technology pushes exhaust away from the building and makes the unit up to 50% quieter than most portable generators.
• Symphony II Power Management balances power between high and low wattage loads including central air conditioners.
• Superior U.S. Based Briggs and Stratton Customer Care Representatives.
• Quality, clean power safely power electronics and appliances.

Briggs and Stratton Home Backup Generators Features and Benefits

Cummins

Cummins Power Generation is a global provider of standby power generation systems and components and a worldwide leader in the power generation industry. Cummins backs their consumer standby generator products by over a century of corporate philosophy that makes responsible community citizenship just as important as technology and financial performance.

The Cummins Quiet Connect Home Standby Generators come equipped for operation down to zero degrees out of the box. Additional accessories allow reliable operation in even colder environments. The offer three air-cooled standby generator capacities in 13 kilowatts, 17 kilowatts, and 20 kilowatts, plus a 20-kilowatt model with ATS (automatic transfer switch.)

Highlighted Brand Features

• Easily starts and runs central air conditioners under full pre-load.
• Cold weather starting out of the box down to 0^o F, and much lower with cold-weather accessories.
• Intelligent load management continuously monitors the power required for up to four, high-voltage circuits, then controls power distribution for maximum utilization by only restoring appropriate loads.
• Patented ‘Crank-Only’ Exercise Mode allows the generator to crank without starting to reduce wear and tear on the engine, noise levels, and fuel costs.
• Quiet Operation at just 65 dB(A) won’t disturb the neighbors.

Cummins Quiet Connect Home Backup Generator Features and Benefits

Champion

Champion Power Equipment is a market leader in power generation equipment with years of experience providing dependable, durable power products designed and engineered for in the U.S. for North American and global generator markets. Since 2003, Champion has earned a reputation for designing the finest power equipment with facilities in the United States and Canada with more than 2.5 million generators sold in America.

The Champion 8.5-Kilowatt 100174 Home Standby Generator with 8-Circuit NEMA 1 Automatic Transfer Switch won a Consumer Reports “Best Buy” Rating compared to similar home backup generator brands. Champion Standby Generators come with a 10-year limited consumer warranty. Popular Champion Models include the Champion 14-kilowatt 100294 Home Standby Generator with 200-Amp Whole House Automatic Transfer Switch.

Highlighted Brand Features

• Demand Control Intelligent Load Management divides a home into prioritized zones and manages designated non-vital circuits to allow priority circuits to start and run. When demand returns to normal, the load manager restores the non-vital circuits.
• Champion Milwaukee Series Overhead Valve Commercial Engines for durable, reliable power when outages stretch into days and weeks.
• Two-battery, 24-volt starting system, the most powerful in the industry, provides fast, reliable starts in all types of weather down to -22^o
• 10-Year Warranty – double the length of most manufacturers standard industry warranty.
• All-Weather Steel Enclosure and Mounting Pad for operation in any weather, including hurricanes.

Champion Home Backup Generators Features and Benefits

Kohler

Kohler Power Systems began delivering the Kohler Power & Light Plant in 1920 to rural farms and homes. The revolutionary electric generator automatically sensed when power was needed and started automatically. Today, in the same spirit of innovation, Kohler delivers security and convenience to homes across the country with home standby generator systems that keep families safe during power outages. Kohler generators keep the power on when you need it most.

The Kohler 20-kilowatt 20RESCL home backup generator with 200-Amp SE Rated Whole House Transfer Switch earns high marks by satisfied customers. Designed for ease of operation, Kohler standby generators include a composite mounting pad and a hinged, locking roof. The load connection block allows easy wiring with fuel and electrical connections through the all-weather enclosure wall. Also popular is the 14-Kilowatt 14RESAL with 200-Amp Whole House Transfer Switch.

Highlighted Brand Features

• High-Quality Power with advanced voltage and frequency regulation plus low harmonic distortion for excellent power quality.
• Power Boost technology provides excellent starting capability for heavy duty motors in air conditioners, well pumps, and other high-voltage appliances.
• Extraordinary Reliability backed by a 5-year, 2000-hour Kohler warranty.
• Fast Response to changing load conditions maintains the correct voltage and frequency when loads start or stop abruptly.
• Corrosion-Proof Enclosure stands up to harsh environmental conditions on coastline and seaside installation. Impact resistant down to -30^o

Kohler Home Backup Generators Features and Benefits

Updated June 6, 2021