DuroStar DS4000S 4,000 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator
- 4000 Watt Surge/3300 watt continuous
- 4 Gallon gas tank/8 hour run time
- EZ-Pull recoil start
- EPA Approved
- Automatic low oil shut off
Great for camping, RVs, sporting events, home back-up power, job sites, and more, the DuroStar DS4000S gas-powered generator has a 7.0-horsepower air-cooled overhead valve engine with a recoil start that cranks out 3,300 constant running watts of power (and a peak of 4,000 watts; learn more about wattage needs below). This rugged workhorse is ideal for a wide variety of uses from getting you through a power outage to keeping you and your family supplied with all the necessary conveniences of home while being miles from nowhere.
Heavy duty steel frame with four-point fully isolated motor mounts (view larger).
Recoil starting (view larger).
Note for California residents: This model is not CARB-compliant. Units sold to California must be CARB-compliant.
The power panel features the main controls, including start switch, volt meter, and circuit breaker. It offers two 120-volt, 20-amp, 3-prong outlets (NEMA 5-20R) to supply power to all of your home appliances, plus one 120-volt, 30-amp outlet (NEMA L5-30) for high-powered tools.
The DS4000S has an 8-hour run time at 1/2 load, and it has a 4-gallon fuel tank that also includes an easily readable gauge. The heavy duty steel frame has four-point fully isolated motor mounts for smooth and quiet operation. Other features include a recoil start, super quiet muffler that reduces engine noise (69 dBA rating), and automatic low-oil shut off to protect the engine. An optional wheel kit is also available for the DS4000S, enabling easy portability. Backed by a 1-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
DuroStar generator; tool kit; operating instructions
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| Model # | DS4000S | DS4000WGE | DS7200 | DS7200Q |
| CARB compliant | No | No | No | No |
| Fuel | Gas | Gas | Diesel | Diesel |
| Arc welding | -- | Yes | -- | -- |
| Enclosure | Open steel frame | Open steel frame | Open steel frame | Fully enclosed frame |
| Running watts | 3,300 | 3,500 | 5,500 | 5,500 |
| Starting watts | 4,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Engine | 7.0 hp air-cooled OHV | 16.0 hp air-cooled OHV | 186F single-cylinder, 4-cycle, air-cooled | 186F single-cylinder, 4-cycle, air-cooled |
| Starting method | Manual | Electric/manual | Electric/manual plus wireless remote | Electric/manual plus wireless remote |
| Low oil shutdown | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spark arrestor | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel tank size (gallons) | 4.0 | 7.0 | 3.83 | 3.83 |
| Run time @ 50% load | 8 hours | 8 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Outlets | (2) 120V, 20-amp, 3-prong; (1) 120-volt, 30-amp twist-lock | (2) 120V, 20-amp, 3-prong; (1) 120-volt, 30-amp twist-lock | (2) 120V, 20-amp, 3-prong; (1) 120-volt, 30-amp twist-lock; (1) 120/240-volt, 30-amp twist-lock | (2) 120V, 20-amp, 3-prong; (1) 120-volt, 30-amp twist-lock; (1) 120/240-volt, 30-amp twist-lock |
| Handle style | Optional | Flip-up | Flip-up | None |
| Wheel type | Optional | Knobby all-terrain | Slick style | Built into bottom |
| Warranty | 1-year, limited | 1-year, limited | 1-year, limited | 1-year, limited |
Your Generator Needs
To determine whether a generator is appropriate for your needs, you need to first add up the wattage of tools, appliances, and motors you want to run at the same time. Then select a generator with the running wattage rating to match or exceed the total load.
Keep in mind that tools and appliances with electric motors require additional surge wattage at startup that can be double or triple the normal running wattage requirement. Look at the surge watts required and make sure you choose a generator with enough additional wattage to start them. (And remember that you're typically not starting more than half of the items at the same time.)
Here's a sampling of power ratings for common household appliances.
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| Note: These are only estimated wattages. Please check your particular appliance for actual wattage. |
Customer Reviews
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428 of 439 people found the following review helpful
Cost-effective Emergency Power, By
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: DuroStar DS4000S 4,000 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator (Lawn & Patio)
I bought this generator in preparation for hurricane Irene. Ordered it on Wen., it arrived on Fri., just in time to set it up before the storm (can't beat Amazon Prime!). The generator was easy to set up and started in one pull. This generator provided power sufficient to run the refrigerator, a mini-split a/c unit, TV, and a couple of fluorescent lights for two days. Under this load, a full tank (4 gallons) lasted around 12-14 hours. This unit appears to be a Chinese import so I do have my doubts about long-term reliability, never the less, the DS4000 appears surprisingly well-constructed and capable for the price.
0 Pros: Inexpensive Easy to Operate Relatively Quiet (compared to a 22" lawn mower) Compact Easy to read fuel gauge Cons: Recommended oil change interval of 20 hours (change the oil every other time you fill the gas tank?) Oil drain obscured by frame below (as oil drains it runs along the frame and makes a mess) No watt or amp meter (Has volt meter, but why?) Earth grounding post and hardware (nuts and washers) are too small Packaging is inadequate for UPS Ground Shipping (operating panel was dented on arrival) Update 9/18/2012 It's been a full year since I've used this generator. After Hurricane Irene, I drained the fuel tank and changed the oil. This evening the power went out, so I filled the tank and the generator started on the second pull. I love this thing! Update 11/5/2012 Just got the power back after 7 days; this time it was Sandy The DS4000 proved itself as the little generator that could, running 16 hrs/day for seven days without a problem. I've been using synthetic oil (Royal Purple SAE 30) and extending the oil change interval to once every 2 days (32 hours of use). Doesn't seem to use much oil, maybe down one or two ounces in this interval. I really do love this generator!
361 of 370 people found the following review helpful
Great unit for a great price!, By
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: DuroStar DS4000S 4,000 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator (Lawn & Patio)
I ordered this generator after the last season of hurricanes and storms in Northeast USA. My house is in a flood prone area and I wasn't going to go through another entire hurricane season with sleepless nights. My old generator stopped working last year so I knew I was in the market for a new one.I paid $ 299 for this generator off of Amazon and another $ 39 for the wheel kit (DuroStar DS4000S-WK Wheel Kit for DS4000S). As of writing this review, the generator is down to $ 289.00. Either way, I would have paid $ 350 for this unit! The packaging was great. There was no damage to the unit during shipping. My biggest complaint about packaging is that some oil seemed to seep out of the unit and onto the box so I had to be careful when opening it up. I ended up having to wipe the units frame down with a rag to dry it off. The unit does not ship with oil, but someone must have put oil in it at one point to test it out because there was a lot of oil in the box. One other note, be sure to remove the shipping mounting bracket! The easiest way to do this is to use the provided tool and loosen the nuts and bolts while the unit is sitting level. We have not had to use this unit yet (thankfully) but I did get it running. I recommend purchasing an all purpose or transmission fluid funnel from your local automotive shop - this will help you to fill the oil tank without getting oil all over the place. The location of the oil fill is not very convenient, but with the proper funnel it isn't much of a headache. I imagine in the middle of a storm though that this could prove to be a huge design flaw. Once oil was added, I threw in some Unleaded 87 octane gasoline and it started up on the second pull. I let it run for about 5 minutes. The unit is QUIET! Very quiet. I would even go as far as to say that my lawn mower is louder than this generator. I was able to put my head right next to the generator without issue, and I could not hear it running from inside of my house. Very impressed with the volume! Attaching the wheel kit was a pain to say the least. The location of the bolts is a problem, and the bolts and nuts are different wrench sizes which is another problem. It makes installation a bit of a pain. I would say though that having this generator on wheels is very helpful. I would recommend the wheel kit to anyone interested in this generator. Thanks - I hope this was helpful. --------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE AFTER FIRST USE (HURRICANE SANDY - 10/29/2012) --------------------------------------------------------------- Hurricane Sandy hit us hard and we were estimated to be without power for 5 days. I prepared the generator the day before it hit, filled it with gas, checked oil level, and then started it up. It started right up! I then followed the instructions: - Let generator run for a few minutes before plugging in any load - Plug in all load starting with most intensive first - Flip breaker to ON It has been 4 days without power now and this generator has powered the following (at different times): - (2) 1/2HP sump pumps - (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) microwave - (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) HVAC system for heat - (1) refridgerator/freezer and (1) Verizon FiOS system - Miscellaneous items [cell phone chargers, hair irons, radio, etc.) The unit does not have a wattage meter to show you the current load but you should do your due diligence to know how much power various items draw. I can judge how must stress I put on the unit by keeping a note on how long 4 gallons of gas gets me. The unit says 4 gallons = 8 hours on full load. I am getting 4 gallons = 16 hours so I am only putting the unit through half load. I changed the oil 20 hours into running per the manual. From what I understand this is very important! Don't skip this step. I had a hard time removing the oil drain plug (10mm hex wrench) so I ended up removing the oil cap and tilting the unit to the side to drain the oil which removed almost all of it. Again, it started right up afterwards with no issues. Lastly, compared to all of my neighbor's generators, this one is the quietest by far! Bottom line - if you treat this generator right and maintain it, it should return the favor and save your butt in times of need. We have a 1 yr old daughter and without this generator it would have been a difficult few days. --------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE AFTER STORAGE (Fall 2012 - Fall 2014) --------------------------------------------------------------- I recently pulled the generator out of storage to turn it over and let it run for a bit. When I stored it in 2012 I changed the oil and emptied the gas tank, so all I had to do was put a bit of... Read more
185 of 196 people found the following review helpful
Help for first time users of generators, By Capt08 (Staten Island, NY) - See all my reviews
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: DuroStar DS4000S 4,000 Watt 7.0 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator (Lawn & Patio)
I purchased this generator right after hurricane Irene. After hurricane Irene had damaged power lines in my neighborhood and being without power for 4 days I relied on my car battery to power lamps in my home using a power converter which included battery clamps. I decided to buy a generator as using a car battery during power outages can only go so far. Enter hurricane Sandy, I lost power again for 7 days where my new generator came into play to be used for the first time. I never operated or owned a generator before so I thought listing my experience here on Amazon in detail will help others like me.This generator came with two open end wrenches, a screwdriver and a spark plug wrench. Once you open the box you will see that there is a block of wood inserted in the engine and tied down with a nylon strap. It also has a metal shipping brace attached to the bottom of the frame of the generator. These will have to be removed before you can use the generator. As per the manual you would have to turn the unit upside down on top of the foam pad that was shipped with this unit to remove the shipping brace. Removing the nuts and bolts from the shipping brace was impossible for me using the included cheap wrenches or even with my own pliers and open end wrench. The bolts connecting to the nuts were small and hard to turn. I had to use a large ratchet with a long handle using a 10 MM adapter which helped the bolts come off easily. Once everything was removed I then installed the wheel kit (DuroStar DS4000S-WK Wheel Kit for DS4000S) which I also purchased from Amazon. It helped me move my generator from my backyard to my garage when I was done using it at night. The generator is pretty heavy so moving it around without the wheel kit will be a challenge. I purchased a funnel with an extension flexible clear hose with attached plug. The clear hose helped me know when the oil compartment was full. The attached plug on the end of the clear hose is convenient to use as well when you're done filling your generator with oil. Simply close the end of the hose with the plug to avoid any continuous oil drips after using. Another great thing about the plug end is that in fits exactly into the oil drain/fill hole on my generator which minimized spilling oil while filling. You will have a small amount of oil leaking at some point (removing after its full) so place something (a plastic mat or sheet) under the work area to avoid a messy cleanup and stains. This funnel was bought on Amazon for $ 5 with free shipping which is an awesome deal. It's listed as "Hopkins TF-1 Heavy Duty Transmission Funnel, 18" Hose, Red". This generator can only hold 20 ounces of 30W oil but when you have to add more oil after multiple hours of use the clear hose then becomes very helpful. My first oil change was done right after I went through one full tank of fuel. I chose to change the oil at that time as other reviewers indicated as to remove any metal debris that probably came loose during use to avoid damage to the new motor. Draining oil from this unit can be a pain since it drips directly onto the frame. What I did to avoid a mess was to lift the generator on the wheeled side before opening the oil drain cap and placed one of the legs under the generator on top of a brick. This helped keep the flow of oil from making any contact with the frame as it drained. Once I saw that the oil had slowed I would then tip it towards the opening of the oil drain hole to completely drain. I used a small metal bowl to catch the dripping oil to then discard the oil into an oil canister for transporting. I disposed of the oil at my local car mechanic shop. The oil drain cap has a built-in oil dip stick for checking how much oil has burned. Convenient little piece. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your generator is on a leveled surface while it is running. I accidentally left mine at an inclined angle (wheeled side higher than leg side) due to an elevated portion on the ground which caused oil to slowly spew through the air filter while it was running. I thought something broke but after further inspection I realized what I have done. I powered it down and wiped everything clean with a couple of paper towels. I washed the foam air filter in dishwashing liquid and warm water and replaced everything after it has dried. No oil has dripped since. After a few days of using my generator I then noticed it was creating "clanging" noises while it was running. I turned it off and noticed that two nuts on the top corners had become loose. The top portion (yellow metal top) was creating this noise while the motor ran. I simply tighten them down (after powering down of course) which eliminated the noise and has not come loose as of yet. I assumed it became loose during shipping or just did so on its own since the motor is constantly running for hours. This generator vibrates quite a bit as... Read more |
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