Costco Firman Tri-Fuel $599.00

No direct experience with it, but a long time Costco member. Costco has a long history of buying whatever generator is offered that meets their marketing plans at the time. That means no continuity of supply or support. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Firman is at the lower end of quality. I suspect Costco got a good deal and jumped on it.
 
I can't imagine that it would have a Kohler engine but not tout that fact.

Just last week I purchased the AI-Power 2200 watt inverter generator from Costco that specifies a Yamaha engine. Ran it in parallel with my Yamaha 2000 watt inverter to power my race trailer and toterhome all of last weekend in hot conditions.

Before doing that, I did consider the 3200 watt Firman inverter which was $499 at the time ($639 today) but it sold out before I could pull the trigger. From what I read in the reviews they were mostly positive but it also sounded like a low-risk deal considering Costco's generous return policy.
 
A 20 lb propane bottle is likely to freeze up before supplying enough gas to run that thing near 5500 watts. You'd need a bigger tank or some sort of y-adapter between multiple 20 lb tanks.

The thing looks "gadget-y" in that it's a little flashy for a piece of equipment. Wonder if it's all show, no go. But the votlage/ frequency meters are nice.
 
Looking at the pics, the Firman "Max Pro" 439cc appears to be a Chinese clone of the Honda 390. Champion uses these also I believe. I have a Lifan that runs good when it's running but has a lot of detail issues, their polymers are very poor so stuff like fuel lines don't last. The basic long block seems fine.
 
Cool, click the link and the play arrow and you have a whole 7 seconds of guitar and drums. Maybe the engineers have found a way to make an engine at 3600 rpm sound like Metalica.
 
I can appreciate that in key largo, you may sustain hurricane damage and be out of power for a while.

Buy a diesel.

We ran in the Virgin Islands for months between and after Irma and Maria, and diesel was easier to find, handle, transport, keep, and more efficient to use.

Even still, I looked at the write ups. Holy THD Batman! Even if it's at the lower end of what is claimed (11-14%), it's 4x+ the recommended max. So if you're doing anything more than box fans and incandescent bulbs, I'd pass... unless you like the idea of replacing electronics.

For $699, find a good used Honda 1kW to keep the lights or refrigerator on while servicing the other one. It's tiny, super quiet, and very efficient. It's really not necessary to have AC and every light on all the time in an emergency situation.
 
Last week I saw one being returned as I was leaving the Costco store. I agree with "low quality".

If you can afford one, buy a Honda or Yamaha inverter generator, they will last a lifetime of occasional use, and parts will always be available.
 
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