How we check

Sources

Specs come from the makers' product pages and manuals. When an Amazon spec table disagrees with the maker, the page uses the maker's figure and lists the difference under Spec notes. A line marked "Amazon listing" is not a maker figure.

The pages show no prices and no review scores. They are not tests, and nothing on them was run or measured by the site.

How the spec tables work

Running (rated) watts are what a generator holds for hours. Starting (peak) watts are shown separately. In the spec chart, bold means one number is clearly better. Blank means a tie, a close result, figures measured differently, or sources that disagree. The spec tally counts rows where one number is clearly better. It is not an overall rating.

Run times are compared at the same load only when that is fair, since a quarter load on a bigger generator is more watts.

What it can run

Appliance watts come from published wattage charts, which the page links, and are checked against each generator's own running and starting watts. A load is marked Yes, One at a time, Tight (within about 10% of a limit, or only the low end of the range fits) or No (over the limit for a typical one). The top of each appliance's range is used, so a smaller appliance may do better.

Owner reports

Where a page has an owner-reports section, its points come from owners posting on Reddit, owner forums and retailer reviews, with the sources linked. They are not the site's own testing. A point is listed only when at least three separate owners of that exact model said it.