Inverter generators
The short answer
Want a CO shutoff? Champion
Want USB ports? WEN
Running power is nearly identical: 3,000W for the Champion and 2,900W for the WEN. So look at what each one has and doesn't.
Best if you want a CO shutoff
Best if you want USB ports
Before you buy: Champion says this 4000 isn't recommended for emergency home backup. WEN doesn't list a CO shutoff for the 56360i, so where you put it matters even more.
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Counted from the chart below: rows where one is clearly better. It's a tally, not an overall rating. The WEN's edges here, its USB ports and its clean-power figure, aren't scored as wins, so they don't show up in it.
Bold means one number is clearly better. Blank means it's a tie, it's close, the makers measured it differently, or the sources disagree. I only compare run times at the same load when it's fair, since 1/4 load on a bigger generator is more watts.
| Champion 4000 | WEN 56360i | Clearer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting watts (gasoline) | 4,000W | 3,600W | Champion 4000 |
| Running watts (gasoline) | 3,000W | 2,900W | |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Gasoline | |
| Gas tank | 1.54 gal | 1.53 gal (manual); 1.6 gal (product page) | |
| Run time at 1/4 load (gasoline) | 10 hr at 1/4 load | Not published at this load | |
| Run time at 1/2 load (gasoline) | Not published at this load | 5 hr at 1/2 load | |
| Noise (maker figure) | 64 dBA from 23 ft (load not stated) | 65 dB at 1/4 load | |
| Weight | 48.1 lb (product page); 49 lb (manual) | 46.3 lb (manual); 46 lb (product page) | |
| Starting method | Recoil | Recoil | |
| Outlets | One 120V 20A duplex (5-20R), one 120V 25A RV outlet (TT-30R), one 12V DC, parallel ports | Two 120V 5-20R, one TT-30R RV outlet, one 12V DC, two 5V USB | |
| CO shutoff | Yes (CO Shield) | Not listed by WEN | Champion 4000 |
| Parallel capable | Yes, with an optional kit | Yes, with an optional kit | |
| Total harmonic distortion (maker) | Not published | Under 1.2% at full load | |
| Warranty | 3 years limited | 3 years limited | |
| Engine | 149cc | 149cc | |
| Note | Champion's page says this unit is not recommended for emergency home backup |
Common things people plug in during an outage or at camp, checked against each generator's own gasoline ratings from the chart above: Champion 4000 3,000W running and 4,000W starting, WEN 56360i 2,900W running and 3,600W starting. I used the top of each range, so a smaller appliance may do better.
| Load | Running watts | Starting watts | Champion 4000 | WEN 56360i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-size refrigerator | 150–400W | 800–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Freezer (chest or upright) | 100–500W | 500–1,000W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/3 HP | 500–800W | 1,000–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/2 HP | 800–1,050W | 1,300–2,150W | Yes | Yes |
| Gas furnace blower (1/2 HP fan) | 300–800W | 800–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 5,000 BTU | 450–600W | 900–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 10,000 BTU | 900–1,200W | 1,800–2,400W | Yes | Yes |
| RV rooftop AC, 13,500 BTU | 1,500–2,000W | 2,800–3,500W | One at a time | Tight |
| CPAP (with heated humidifier) | 60–120W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Microwave | 600–1,200W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee maker† | 600–1,200W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Space heater (1,500W setting) | 750–1,500W | No extra | Yes | One at a time |
| Well pump, 1 HP‡ | 1,000–2,000W | 2,000–4,000W | Tight | Tight |
| Circular saw, 7-1/4 in. | 1,200–1,800W | 2,400–3,600W | One at a time | Tight |
| TV (32-55 in.) + router/modem | 90–420W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/laptop charging | 20–100W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Electric water heater | 3,000–4,500W | No extra | No | No |
‡ Check your well pump's voltage. If it runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet.
Add up the running watts. Then take the one item with the biggest starting surge and add its starting watts to everything else's running watts. Both totals have to fit.
Running: 400 + 800 + 75 + 20 = 1,295W (Champion 4000 43% of 3,000W · WEN 56360i 45% of 2,900W)
Biggest start: furnace blower starting 1,600 + everything else running 400 + 75 + 20 = 2,095W (Champion 4000 52% of 4,000W · WEN 56360i 58% of 3,600W)
Champion 4000 YesWEN 56360i Yes
Running: 400 + 500 + 1,050 + 75 + 20 = 2,045W (Champion 4000 68% of 3,000W · WEN 56360i 71% of 2,900W)
Biggest start: 1/2 HP sump pump starting 2,150 + everything else running 400 + 500 + 75 + 20 = 3,145W (Champion 4000 79% of 4,000W · WEN 56360i 87% of 3,600W)
Champion 4000 YesWEN 56360i Yes
Running: 2,000 + 600 + 150 + 100 = 2,850W (Champion 4000 95% of 3,000W · WEN 56360i 98% of 2,900W)
Biggest start: 13,500 BTU AC starting 3,500 + everything else running 600 + 150 + 100 = 4,350W (Champion 4000 109% of 4,000W · WEN 56360i 121% of 3,600W)
Champion 4000 TightWEN 56360i No
These are typical figures. Check the label on your own appliance. It lists watts, or amps you can multiply by 120 to get watts.
Motors need starting watts. Fridges, freezers, pumps, furnace blowers and air conditioners pull a short surge each time they kick on, well above their running watts (see the Starting column). Heaters, coffee makers and chargers don't.
Running several loads adds up. If two motors start in the same second, both surges stack. Honda's own advice is to start the big ones one at a time.
RV air conditioners: on paper the Champion 4000 has the starting watts for a 13,500 BTU unit and the WEN 56360i is short or close. On the tighter one, a soft starter added to the AC is often what decides it. Micro-Air, which makes the EasyStart, says it cuts startup current by up to 75%.
Outlets: Neither generator lists a 240V outlet in the chart above, so anything that needs 240V is out. Check your appliance's label. Both have a 30A RV outlet (TT-30R). Running watts still cap the total, whichever outlet you use.
Water heaters: If your water heater runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet. On watts alone it would be "No" on both.
Well pumps: Check your well pump's voltage. If it runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet.
Home backup: Champion's page says the Champion 4000 isn't recommended for emergency home backup.
Load watts: Champion Power Equipment, Generator Wattage Chart. Champion makes the 4000, but the chart covers appliances, not generators. †Coffee maker: 600W for a 4-cup maker from Honda's wattage guide, and 1,200W from Generac's wattage worksheet. Microwave: the wattage on the box is usually cooking power. Honda's guide lists a 1,000W microwave at 1,500W from the outlet, which is "Yes" on the Champion 4000 and "One at a time" on the WEN 56360i. None of these charts list an 8,000 BTU window AC, so it falls between the 5,000 and 10,000 BTU rows. Start-up advice: Honda. Soft starter: Micro-Air.
One thing before the details: both burn gasoline, so both put out carbon monoxide. Keep them outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, with the exhaust pointed away from the house. Never run either one in a garage, a shed or on a porch. A CO shutoff does not make those places safe, and WEN doesn't list one for the 56360i, so where you put it matters even more.
Both are enclosed gas inverters under 50 pounds with a TT-30R RV outlet. The "4000" and "3600" in the names are starting watts. For anything that runs for hours, compare running watts.
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if home backup is the main reason you're buying. Champion's own page says this unit isn't recommended for it.
if a CO shutoff is a must-have. WEN doesn't list one.
These points come from owners posting on Reddit, owner forums and retailer reviews, not from my own testing. A point is listed only when at least three separate owners of this exact model said it. Individual units vary.
Sources: Amazon reviews
Sources: Amazon reviews
I can't say. Champion gives 10 hours at 1/4 load and WEN gives 5 hours at 1/2 load. Those aren't the same load.
Champion lists 64 dBA from 23 feet and WEN lists 65 dB at 1/4 load. The tests are described differently and the gap is 1 dB, so call it a tie.
Yes. Champion lists a 120V 25A TT-30R and WEN lists one TT-30R RV receptacle.
Only with their own brand. Champion uses an optional kit with another Champion inverter, and WEN uses its Parallel Connection Kit with another WEN.
By Mike E. · Last checked October 8, 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs. Lines marked "Amazon listing" are from Amazon, not the maker.
Where the sources disagree on a spec:
Specs are from Champion and WEN, checked October 8, 2026. Any line marked "Amazon listing" is not a maker figure.