Blue Max GEN 4000 4,000 Watt 6.5 HP OHV Gas Powered Generator
by Blue Max
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Our Price: $569.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $300.00 (click here) Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Blue Max GEN 4000 4,000 Watt 6.5 HP OHV Gas Powered Generator
Customer Review: Good...When it works
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased two of these, one I got two days before Hurricane Ike hit the Houston area where I live. Filled it up with oil and gas and it started and ran after a few pulls. Worked great for about 14 hours after the storm when the power was out. Bought the second one for my in laws who live closer to the coast. They took mine and I received a call telling me that my generator just quit in action, with some black smoke puffing out of the muffler. I figured that it was low on oil, I went and got it and dropped off the new on to them. Filled it with oil, it cranked for about 10 seconds and then quit again. Changed gas, oil, cleaned spark plug and one more time it started but quit after a few seconds. It never started again.
We called Amazon and they refused to return it citing their policy. Never mind that it only ran for less than 20 hours. They referred us the the distributor to use the 1 year warranty. Horrible service in my opinion. I could have easily have drained the gas and oil and sent it back but they refused. Be aware of this if you buy.
We called Amazon again several days later and they transferred us to the special relations department and now we were told that we can take it to a local repair shop and they will credit us the amount of the bill. If the repair costs exceed the paid cost of the generator they will ship one to us for free. Hmmmm, why didn't they tell us that the first time??
I took it to a local repair shop yesterday and dropped it off. They had there several other generators of this same brand. Might be the old saying you get what you pay for. I will update when I find out what is wrong with it.
The generator worked fine for a short amount of time, Amazon's customer service and return policy is less than impressive...
Update...I found out that the air filter frame was bent during shipping and that did not allow the choke to open and close all the way. Called Amazon and they did apply a full refund. Thanks Amazon!!!
Customer Review: Easy to use, even for novices
Summary: 4 Stars
We purchased this unit based upon its price and good reviews, and received it in good time. A day after it arrived Homier called us to see if everything was OK! We hadn't had a chance to check out the unit so told them to call back in a few days, which they did. They had changed shippers in hopes of the units arriving with less damage. The rollbar "cage" on our unit was slightly bent on both bars at the top, but the unit wasn't damaged. We were confused because we got a generator manual and an engine manual, and the engine pictured didn't look like the engine in the unit. Between reading both of these and printing out hints from other reviewers, we got the unit to start up fairly easily. It took more than a pint of oil though which is different from what others reported. We tipped the unit up to pour the oil in with a funnel as suggested. We also bought some Sta-bil to add to the gasoline. This is a great tip for units kept only for emergencies. The first try starting the unit had it running for 15 seconds and then cutting off. I re-read the manual and it mentioned that it would shut itself off if the oil was low. We had only added a pint at the suggestion of other reviewers. We tipped the unit again and added more oil, and voila! it started up. Being super-novices, we weren't sure whether to turn the choke all the way back the other way, or leave it half way, so we had some sputtering and then figured out the choke needed to be turned the other way (I forget whether the choke is open or closed during startup!! After the engine starts the choke is turned to the opposite!) We stripped the cheap, plastic oil dipstick/knob after only screwing/unscrewing it twice, so we called Homier the day after. We also asked about the mismatched engine brochure. They sent out a replacement oil knob and the correct engine manual. I feel better knowing we have this unit on hand for emergencies, but can't say much about its longevity having only run it for testing for probably 15 minutes total.Customer Review: Blue Max Review
Summary: 4 Stars
After having read many reviews on this product I decided to "take the plunge". The product came in in excellent shape...the box suffered some damage but appearantly some of the previous complaints on its packaging had been noted and some additional reinforcing had been added inside the box. I was careful when removing and replacing the oil dipstick...the edges of the oil input have not been "smoothed" and will destroy the plastic dipstick plug if you aren't careful. You must tilt the generator on its side to add oil. I used the "little finger" and tilt process until I was satisfied that the oil was full. The booklets are horrible...I spent 30 minutes trying to find the non-existant throttle shown in the book..its there..it's just automatic, no lever as shown. In fact the entire booklet concerning the running of the product belong to some other product as best I could figure...but after 45 minutes of pulling hair and nashing of teeth and a few bad words I was satisfied that I was ready to pull the cord. It started right up, ran very quiet, I'm guessing around 68 to 69 decibles and it ran my tools and a small A/C with no problems. It's heavy and you will need to get the wheel assembly for it...have fun with that!! Overall, I feel I have a very functional, inexpensive, easy to start generator that will take care of my needs for a long time. I'd love to give it 5 stars based on price, quietness and ease of starting and use...but the bad manuals and issues in overall ease of use ie putting oil in it, extra care not to strip out the oil dip stick plug and just the hastle of dealing with poor instructions I've got to dock it on those issues...I give it 4 stars...Hope this helps you in your decision on this product.Customer Review: Overall A Good Portable Generator
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a portable generator to use in the event of a power outage (to run water/sump pump, fridge, microwave, some lights, etc. on an alternating basis). Based on the reviews and the price, I chose this Blue Max 4000 Watt model.
It arrived about a week after ordering. From the condition of the outer box it was contained in I expected to find the generator in pieces, but the generator was in a second box and was in good condition. It's a nice looking little machine. The only damage was a small piece of the plastic covering that fits over the spark plug connection was broken off, but this didn't interefere with its operation. I also bought the recommended wheel set and attached it to the generator, which took about 1/2 hour.
After reading the directions for operation, I filled the engine with the recommended motor oil. One of the reviewers wrote that the engine takes about a pint of oil, which is true. Be careful not to put in more because you will tend to tilt the machine to fill with oil because of the location of the oil intake, and any more oil will spill out. I then filled with gas and followed the directions for start up. It turned over nicely on the second pull and ran well. It was somewhat loud, but no louder than any other portable generators I've heard. I then connected some power tools and lights and it handled them with no problems. I did not test the water pump or fridge yet (I'll update this review when I do), but with 4000 watt peak and 2800 watt continuous power it should handle these too.
Overall, I thinks it's good value and for only $300 total, it's worth a try.
Customer Review: Nice generator, good price, GREAT AMAZON & UPS service
Summary: 4 Stars
Right after Hurricane Ike hit we were told to expect to be without power for 2-4 weeks. I knew we would need a generator to survive this Houston heat but all the stores from Houston to Dallas were sold out (of course). So, while still in Fort Worth at my sister's house, I hopped online and ordered this unit with next day delivery from Amazon (BTW this order alone made my Prime purchase worth it). Called UPS and explained that I needed the generator ASAP so I could return to Houston to start the cleanup process. They dropped it off in the morning instead of the usual afternoon time and we were on our way.
* Pros
- CHEAP! even with a separate wheel kit it was cheaper than the cheapest I could have bought at a home store. BTW BUY the wheel kit as this is a heavy thing.
- It works! We have a frig, A/C and TV!
- starts first pull every time
* Cons
- It is a noisy - this ain't no Honda but then it doesn't cost nearly what a Honda generator does.
- Overall quality is poor
> voltmeter is not close to accurate
> the A/C power produced is a dirty
> the gas gauge stopped working after a single fill-up
> starter has a long pull and only engages towards the end of the spool (but that little bit is enough to start the engine)
> fuel valve doesn't work (thankfully it is always open)
> total poor fit and finish
- Instructions leave a LOT to be desired.
Overall I still recommend it but wish they would work on the details and make this a much better unit.