There are many reasons to purchase and use a portable generator, ranging from emergencies, power outages, camping, or if electricity is needed in an area far off the grid.

There are many portable generators to choose from.

Large diesel powered units deliver a huge amount of power for hours and days at a time, but they are very expensive and are not portable. Small gasoline units are great for running a couple of appliances and are very portable, but they cannot handle the needs of a household in an emergency.

The Briggs and Stratton Portable Generator with a 342cc gasoline engine and 6000 watt power output is an ideal choice for a household or work area running multiple appliances.

The Briggs and Stratton Portable Generator is a very reliable machine that will start with one or two pulls of the starting cord, much like a quality lawnmower.

It can be used to run several appliances at the same time, such as a refrigerator, television, lights, and several small electrical devices.

Many of these units have helped get families through natural disasters that have knocked out main power for days. This generator will run continuously for as long as needed until main power can be restored.

This generator is also small enough to be transported where needed. It rolls around on two no-flat 10-inch tires to make loading onto a truck an easy job. It can be taken to where power is needed, connected, started up, and left for hours while it delivers much needed electricity.

The 342cc Briggs and Stratton engine is large enough to turn the generator at high output, yet small enough to run for over 10 hours on 5 gallons of fuel. If more power time is needed, simply add more fuel.

One nice feature of the Briggs and Stratton Portable Generator 30469 is the hour meter, which displays the total length of time the generator has been operating, similar to the odometer of any car, which displays the total number of miles driven.

The hour meter is useful to determine when to perform scheduled maintenance on the unit, such as replacing various filters and changing the engine oil.

The box contents include a bottle of oil. This oil must be poured into the engine prior to starting. It is recommended that this oil be changed after 5 hours of use (refer to the hour meter) because this time is the "break-in" period, in which the new parts are wearing and meshing together.

This period leaves some metal filings and break-in deposits that will reduce the protection of the oil. If this generator is expected to be used for an emergency or in situations where it will need to be run for extended lengths of time, it might be a good idea to run the machine through the 5 hour break-in after purchase and receipt, prior to actually using it to produce electrical power.

Many owners of this unit prefer to protect the engine's internal parts by using high quality synthetic oil such as Mobil 1, which provides exceptional engine protection, better viscosity, and long oil life, which is needed when running this generator continuously for days at a time. It is also recommended to purchase a long, thin funnel to make pouring the oil into the engine quick and easy.

One concern regarding the Briggs and Stratton Portable Generator is the noise it produces as it is running. It is comparable and similar to most small engine equipment.

This noise output is nearly identical to any other generator of similar size and in not large enough to be a serious downside when compared to the benefits of a generator of this output and portability.

Another concern is the on-board fuel gauge, which is known for getting stuck and displaying inaccurate fuel levels, thereby making it unreliable as a way to determine fuel level. Other owners have commented that they rarely rely on a fuel gauge for small engines as one can simply open the tank and observe approximate fuel level through the fill tube.

When running this generator on a full 5 gallon tank, it is advisable to return to the machine after 8 to 10 hours to refill the tank, thereby avoiding engine and power shut down due to lack of fuel.

The Briggs and Stratton Portable Generator is a valuable machine that many likely purchase in hopes of never really needing it, but in an emergency situation it will provide the electricity desperately needed to run refrigerators, freezers, and household devices until main power is restored.

In non-emergency situations, this generator can supply the lighting and electricity needs to get a job done far away from any main power source. Simply fuel up, start the machine, plug in, and power.