Inverter generators
The short answer
Want longer run time? 56235i
Want the longer warranty? 56250i
Both are rated 1,900 running watts, so power won't decide this. For most people the 56235i looks better. The warranty is the reason to go the other way.
Best for run time and a 12V socket
Best for the longer warranty
Before you buy: WEN lists 51 dB against 65 dBA at 1/4 load, but one is dB and one is dBA, so they may not be measured the same way. I wouldn't pick a winner on noise.
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Counted from the chart below: rows where one number is clearly better. It's a tally, not an overall rating.
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.
| WEN 56235i | WEN 56250i | Clearer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting watts (gasoline) | 2,350W | 2,500W | |
| Running watts (gasoline) | 1,900W | 1,900W | |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Gasoline | |
| Gas tank | 1.06 gal (manual); "one-gallon" (product page) | 1 gal | |
| Run time at 1/2 load (gasoline) | 5.7 hr at 1/2 load | 4.38 hr at 1/2 load (manual); 4.4 hr (product page) | WEN 56235i |
| Noise (maker figure) | 51 dB at 1/4 load | 65 dBA at 1/4 load | |
| Weight | 39 lb | 37.5 lb | |
| Starting method | Recoil | Recoil | |
| Outlets | Two 120V 5-20R, one 12V DC, two 5V USB | Two 120V 5-20R, two 5V USB (no 12V DC outlet); hour meter | |
| CO shutoff | Not listed by WEN | Not listed by WEN | |
| Parallel capable | Yes, with an optional kit | Yes, with an optional kit | |
| Total harmonic distortion (maker) | Under 1.2% at full load | Under 1.2% at full load | |
| Warranty | 2 years | 3 years limited | WEN 56250i |
| Engine | 79cc | 80cc |
Common things people plug in during an outage or at camp, checked against each generator's own gasoline ratings from the chart above: WEN 56235i 1,900W running and 2,350W starting, WEN 56250i 1,900W running and 2,500W starting. I used the top of each range, so a smaller appliance may do better.
| Load | Running watts | Starting watts | WEN 56235i | WEN 56250i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Tight | One at a time |
| 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 | Tight | Tight |
| RV rooftop AC, 13,500 BTU | 1,500–2,000W | 2,800–3,500W | No | No |
| CPAP (with heated humidifier) | 60–120W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Microwave | 600–1,200W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Coffee maker† | 600–1,200W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Space heater (1,500W setting) | 750–1,500W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Well pump, 1 HP | 1,000–2,000W | 2,000–4,000W | No | No |
| Circular saw, 7-1/4 in. | 1,200–1,800W | 2,400–3,600W | No | No |
| 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 |
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 (WEN 56235i 68% of 1,900W · WEN 56250i 68% of 1,900W)
Biggest start: furnace blower starting 1,600 + everything else running 400 + 75 + 20 = 2,095W (WEN 56235i 89% of 2,350W · WEN 56250i 84% of 2,500W)
WEN 56235i YesWEN 56250i Yes
Running: 400 + 1,200 = 1,600W (WEN 56235i 84% of 1,900W · WEN 56250i 84% of 1,900W)
Biggest start: fridge starting 1,200 + everything else running 1,200 = 2,400W (WEN 56235i 102% of 2,350W · WEN 56250i 96% of 2,500W)
WEN 56235i TightWEN 56250i Tight
Running: 600 + 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,020W (WEN 56235i 54% of 1,900W · WEN 56250i 54% of 1,900W)
Biggest start: 5,000 BTU AC starting 1,200 + everything else running 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,620W (WEN 56235i 69% of 2,350W · WEN 56250i 65% of 2,500W)
WEN 56235i YesWEN 56250i Yes
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: a 13,500 BTU unit needs more starting watts than either generator has. 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%. Even then, leave the fridge and other big loads off.
Outlets: Neither generator lists a 240V outlet in the chart above, so anything that needs 240V is out. Check your appliance's label.
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.
Load watts: Champion Power Equipment, Generator Wattage Chart. It 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 "One at a time" on both. 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, and WEN doesn't list a shutoff on either. So where you put it is the whole safety plan. Outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, exhaust pointed away from the house. Never in a garage, shed or on a porch.
These are WEN's two small gas inverters, about 37.5 to 39 pounds each. The 56250i is the newer listing, but it isn't a straight upgrade.
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if a three-year warranty matters more to you than run time and a 12V socket. WEN gives it two.
if you charge things from a 12V socket. Its noise figure is 14 higher than the 56235i's, but one is dBA and one is dB, so don't treat that as a sure difference.
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, GeneratorBible user reviews, Reddit
Sources: Amazon reviews, Reddit
It's the newer listing, but on WEN's own figures it runs a shorter time per tank, and its noise figure is higher (stated in dBA, against dB for the 56235i). It does add a third year of warranty and an hour meter.
Running watts are the same at 1,900W. Starting watts are 2,350W for the 56235i and 2,500W for the 56250i.
WEN doesn't list one for either model. Run both outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents.
Yes. WEN says any two WEN inverters link with its Parallel Connection Kit, sold separately.
Where the sources disagree on a spec:
Specs are from WEN, checked October 8, 2026. Any line marked "Amazon listing" is not a maker figure.
By Mike E. · Last checked October 8, 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs. Lines marked "Amazon listing" are from Amazon, not the maker.