Coleman Powermate 5000 Generators And Above

This is a Classic Accessories 79537 Generator Cover, Large, Black
designed for your Coleman Powermate 5000.

1. The Size. You heard this correctly....at 150 lbs. how could this be a benefit? Think about it...you need this Coleman Powermate Generators to power some of the most biggest, most important utilities in your entire home...this generator better be able to walk the walk...and it does. It is incredibly easy to transport--don't be intimidated by the weight. It was designed specifically to slide smoothly along and not be cumbersome. The pneumatic wheels and handle kit offers little friction and requires less frequent lubrication. A generator that weighs 150 lbs. and transports with ease is a very hard combination to find AND sustain.

2. The Engine. It's a Subaru 10 horsepower engine. It comes wrapped in cast iron making it incredibly almost indestructable. You can get up to 11 hours of operation with a 50% load no problem. It's a tank--just be smart...don't power too many high energy appliances simultaneously--remember, it is a portable generator not a grid replacement. Your fridge will cycle on and when it does it will extract more than double it original watt usage. If your fridge takes 1000 watts to power, it takes 2000 when the fridge recycles. Most portable generators, though, don't supply clean power so steer clear of powering things that do require clean power. The newer digital televisions of the day come to mind. Go for the essentials first, then your peripherals.

3. Startup. This beast will start easier than your lawn mower. Not only that, it is functional in between starts of many, many days/weeks/months apart. As with anything, check your oil, prime it if you have to, but you won't have to worry about getting her up and running quickly. Dust her off and pull the cord! If you need lubricant to keep your generator oiled you can get some below.

4. Less pieces and parts. Less assembly required. Get a cover for it also....keeps the dust out. This is what makes Coleman generators so efficient. There are less parts available to make make their machines too complicated to use...no buckets of parts to have to replace. The engines have less moving parts and as such there is less to have to service. The same can be said for any 5000 series model all the way to 8000 watts and beyond. Less is more in my opinion...the more you have to fuss with the less likely you are to use these generators optimally.

Our area was just hit by an ice storm and we were told that we would not have power for 5 days. Luckily this morning I got out of the house early and picked one of these up at a local store before they sold out.

It was easily assembled and came with a convenient quart of engine oil. A couple of hours later I had heat, light, entertainment and my freezer full of food was safe.

I don't have a bad thing to say about this generator; it started easily, and ran smoothly for extended periods with a great run time. It also seemed to provide pretty clean power as I didn't get a single flicker or glitch in anything I ran off of it. Thanks Coleman!---Martin D. Jordan

We recently bought this model of generator to power essential home appliances--this is if and when a power outage should occur.

To make this convenient, we installed a Reliance transfer switch. (Note that we ordered a Reliance transfer switch kit through Amazon that was already prewired). We connected the switch to the house wiring right at the circuit box (required). We found installation of the generator transfer switch to not at all be difficult (only a rudimentary knowledge of electrical circuitry is required).

When the electrical power from the grid is out, we can now keep essential appliances (well pump, refrigerator, and lights) in operation by running them off of the generator. When the grid power becomes restored, the generator can be wheeled out of the way... after turning off the transfer switch... and after unplugging the electrical connection cord supplied in the Reliance transfer switch kit. The transfer switch we bought allows connecting 4 house circuits at 120 volts, and 1 house circuit at 240 volts.

Surprisingly, this generator is powerful enough to operate everyone of our home appliances (including even electric heaters and window air conditioners). Of course, the generator output is rather limited, so; for example; it wouldn't be feasible to try and run more than a couple of high wattage appliances simultaneously.

Because the voltage drops lower and lower as more household appliances are turned on, the simultaneous operation of electronic equipment (computers, etc) would hardly ever be warranted (our educated opinion). Be warned here that electronic equipment CAN BE DAMAGED during a low voltage event. This can happen EVEN if a device is connected to a power surge protector. Safe operation of an electronic device requires a constant clean power supply--such as can be achieved with a line power conditioner/voltage regulator. Thus, to safely operate our expensive HDTV and our other computerized equipment when running the generator, we are always cautious to keep them connected to our Tripp Lite conditioner/regulator (which is more than a surge protector). We were able to buy a 600 Watt model (with voltage regulator) for less than $100. Another safe option for operating electronic equipment during a power outage would be through an DC-to-AC inverter (a battery connection is required).

Other than running necessary household appliances and our well pump, the portable generator has proven to be completely functional for powering a drill, a circular saw, and an air compressor.

If this generator has a downside, it would be that the noise level is somewhat on the high side (even though less than some other brands/models). We don't have wind energy or solar panels installed, so this was a nice option.

Another consideration for those of us who are beginning to experience the effects of growing older is that the unit weighs about 160 lbs (which is much too heavy to lift). However, it isn't at all difficult to wheel about. As far as starting the engine, we have not yet been unable to get the motor running with a couple of pulls of the start rope (This is more difficult for Cher than for Jim). Consequently, the next model we buy will probably have an electric start.

All-in-all we find the Coleman Powermate (with 10 HP Subaru engine) and the Reliance generator transfer switch (the kit) to be an effective (yet inexpensive) system for powering essential home appliances when the grid power is off.---Cher & JIm

I have owned this generator for nearly a year and it has been used 5 times with the last time for 28 hrs from a power outage caused by the remnants of Ike. It has performed flawlessly. I also created a heavy gauge male-to-male 50' cable for connecting into a 220 outlet in the garage after the main breaker is pulled. You can't hear the unit after closing the garage door on the cable since it is outside. We ran two refrigerators, lights, clocks, computers (laptops recharging), ceiling fans, and the DSL modem and router each time w/o any problems.--B. Nemec