DuroMax Backup Power

The 'Beast': 13,000 starting watts, a 500cc V-twin, all-metal construction, and a 50-amp outlet for around $1,300 makes this the biggest-hammer option in portable backup. Owners with heat pumps and well pumps buy it specifically because the MX2 switch lets you dedicate full power to 120V or split 120/240V, and thousands of reviews confirm it starts loads that stall 8kW units. DuroMax support actually gets better marks than Westinghouse's in forum comparisons. What the fans concede: it's LOUD (mid-to-high 70s dB real world), 234 lbs of steel, drinks propane fast (about 3 hours on a grill tank), and its non-inverter power has high enough THD that owners with sensitive electronics run a UPS or interlock only non-critical circuits. Fit-and-finish complaints — sticky chokes, cheap petcocks — appear but are usually solved with basic wrenching.