Inverter generators
The short answer
Want USB ports? iGen2550
Want propane? iGen2800DFc
The iGen2800DFc adds propane, a CO sensor and more power. The iGen2550 is gas only, has no CO sensor, and adds two USB ports.
Best if you want USB ports
Best for propane and a CO sensor
Before you buy: Westinghouse's own pages disagree on the 2800DFc. Its spec table says 8 hours at 1/4 load and 62 dBA; its description says 12 hours and "as quiet as 52 dBA".
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Counted from the chart below: rows where one is clearly better. It's a tally, not an overall rating. The iGen2550's edges here, USB ports and one consistent set of published numbers, 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.
| iGen2550 | iGen2800DFc | Clearer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting watts (gasoline) | 2,550W | 2,800W | iGen2800DFc |
| Running watts (gasoline) | 1,900W | 2,200W (manual and product description); 2,000W (Westinghouse spec table) | |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Gasoline or propane | iGen2800DFc |
| Starting watts (propane) | Gasoline only | 2,520W | |
| Running watts (propane) | Gasoline only | 1,980W (manual); 1,800W (spec table) | |
| Gas tank | 1.1 gal | 1.11 gal | |
| Run time at 1/4 load (gasoline) | 11 hr at 1/4 load | 12 hr (product description); 8 hr (spec table) | |
| Run time at 1/2 load (gasoline) | 7 hr at 1/2 load | 6 hr (spec table) | |
| Noise (maker figure) | 52 dBA ("as low as"; load not stated) | "As quiet as 52 dBA" (description); 62 dBA at 1/4 load from 25 ft (spec table) | |
| Weight | 43.2 lb (spec table); 42.4 lb (description) | 45.4 lb (spec table); 45 lb (description) | |
| Starting method | Recoil | Recoil | |
| Outlets | One 120V 20A duplex (5-20R), one TT-30R RV outlet, two USB | One 120V 20A duplex (5-20R), one TT-30R RV outlet | |
| CO shutoff | No (Westinghouse spec table) | Yes | iGen2800DFc |
| Parallel capable | Yes | Yes | |
| Total harmonic distortion (maker) | 3% or less | 3% or less | |
| Warranty | 3 years residential; 1 year commercial | 3 years | |
| Engine | 80cc | 98cc |
Common things people plug in during an outage or at camp, checked against each generator's own gasoline ratings from the chart above: iGen2550 1,900W running and 2,550W starting, iGen2800DFc 2,000W running and 2,800W starting. I used the top of each range, so a smaller appliance may do better.
| Load | Running watts | Starting watts | iGen2550 | iGen2800DFc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | One at a time | 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 | One at a time |
| 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 (iGen2550 68% of 1,900W · iGen2800DFc 65% of 2,000W)
Biggest start: furnace blower starting 1,600 + everything else running 400 + 75 + 20 = 2,095W (iGen2550 82% of 2,550W · iGen2800DFc 75% of 2,800W)
iGen2550 YesiGen2800DFc Yes
Running: 400 + 1,200 = 1,600W (iGen2550 84% of 1,900W · iGen2800DFc 80% of 2,000W)
Biggest start: fridge starting 1,200 + everything else running 1,200 = 2,400W (iGen2550 94% of 2,550W · iGen2800DFc 86% of 2,800W)
iGen2550 TightiGen2800DFc Yes
Running: 600 + 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,020W (iGen2550 54% of 1,900W · iGen2800DFc 51% of 2,000W)
Biggest start: 5,000 BTU AC starting 1,200 + everything else running 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,620W (iGen2550 64% of 2,550W · iGen2800DFc 58% of 2,800W)
iGen2550 YesiGen2800DFc 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.
Where the sources disagree: for the iGen2800DFc, the chart above lists “2,200W (manual and product description); 2,000W (Westinghouse spec table)”, so I used the lower 2,000W running. See Spec notes below.
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. 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.
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 are gas engines, so both put out carbon monoxide, and the 2800DFc does on propane too. Keep them outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, with the exhaust pointed away from the house. Only the 2800DFc has a CO sensor, so give the iGen2550 extra distance. Never in a garage, shed or on a porch.
Both are small Westinghouse inverters with a TT-30R RV outlet and a 20A duplex, at about 43 to 45 pounds. The 2800DFc page has a description and a spec table that disagree, so wherever that happens, I show both numbers.
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if a CO sensor matters to you. Westinghouse's iGen2550c is the gas-only version that has one.
if you need to know its exact run time before you buy. Westinghouse lists both 12 hours and 8 hours at 1/4 load.
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, Reddit
Not enough independent owner reports on this exact model yet.
Westinghouse's manual and product description say 2,200W on gasoline and 1,980W on propane. The spec table on the same page says 2,000W and 1,800W. I show both and don't pick one.
No. It's gasoline only.
I can't call it. Westinghouse says both are "as quiet as 52 dBA". The 2800DFc spec table also gives 62 dBA at 1/4 load from 25 feet, and there's no matching figure for the iGen2550.
Westinghouse says each can be paralleled with another compatible Westinghouse inverter. The 2800DFc page says parallel cables aren't included. The iGen2550 page says they're sold separately in one place and lists a parallel cord as included in another. Check Westinghouse's compatibility list before you buy a mixed pair.
Where the sources disagree on a spec:
Specs are from Westinghouse, 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.