No matter what you’re doing with your generator, from running an air conditioning unit to powering construction tools, simplicity is key. Essentially, you’ll want to get as close to plug-and-play as possible, and that’s where the Westinghouse iGen2500 excels. With an easy-start design, smart LED data center, and lightweight construction, the Westinghouse iGen2500 seems to be the ideal mid-range portable generator. In order to find out if it’s as promising as it appears on paper, we put the iGen2500 through 18 hours of testing under different loads.
Design: Hope you like camouflage
The Westinghouse iGen2500 is offered in two color schemes: royal blue and camouflage. The one we got was the camo unit—clearly, Westinghouse wants to appeal to the outdoorsman/hunter types. If you look past the exterior, you’ll find a nicely designed portable generator. Up top, there’s a large, arching handle that makes for easy carrying, and since the iGen2500 only weighs 48 pounds, it’s easy to lift, no matter the angle. All components seem robust and well designed. The switches on the back, for example, are covered in flexible rubber housings in order to keep water from seeping into the electronics. The duplex three-pronged outlets feature a flip-down rubber cover, as do the dual USB ports. All in all, the Westinghouse iGen2500 is a nicely designed, if overtly outdoorsy, portable generator.
Setup Process: Couldn’t be simpler
To set up the Westinghouse iGen2500 is incredibly easy. Unscrew the access panel and use the provided angled funnel to fill the oil pan with the provided (and premeasured) 30-weight oil. Fill the tank with gas (note that we tested ours with non-ethanol gasoline, which is available at the pump in our area), switch it on, then turn the off/run/choke knob to ‘choke’ and pull the start cord to fire it. Our iGen2500 fired on the first pull—faster than any other pull-start generator we’ve tested. Once it’s running, turn the knob to ‘run’ and you’re ready to plug your devices in.
Performance: Just about as powerful as it is easy to start
During our 18 hours of testing, we put the Westinghouse iGen2500 under all sorts of power loads for prolonged periods of time. We found it performed as advertised—if not slightly better. The one-gallon gas tank gave us 10.2 hours at around 25% load. We actually saw just over two hours at near full 2200 watt load. Like with most generators, if your electronics, devices, or appliances don’t have a built-in surge protector, it’s advisable to run one inline to prevent any damaging power surges.
Features: LED data center removes the guesswork
The Westinghouse iGen2500 features duplex three-pronged 120-volt outlets and two 5-volt USB ports. Although the iGen2500 does not feature a dedicated parallel outlet, like the Briggs and Stratton P220, the duplex outlets are parallel capable. Where the Westinghouse iGen2500 really stands out from its competitors is with its LED data center. On it, the iGen2500 continuously cycles between displaying remaining run time and voltage. On either side are gauges that show fuel level and power output measured in percentage. Further to the left, you’ll also find warning lights to indicate low oil, overload, and output ready. This feature virtually eliminates the guesswork of running a portable generator. What’s more, it gives gadget nerds like us a chance to monitor the essential data. If a fuel gauge weren’t enough, the calculated remaining runtime ensures you’ll never run out of gas without warning.
Noise: Louder than advertised
Understand that no generator is quiet; it’s a moderately muffled gasoline engine often running at higher RPM. That means it’s going to be noisy. However, Westinghouse rates its iGen2500 at 52 decibels, which is on the quieter side for a portable generator. To put that into perspective, that’s quieter than an average lawn mower by around 30 decibels. Although our iGen2500 performed admirably in terms of output, especially given its 48-pound weight, it fell down when it came to keeping quiet. During our testing, we clocked the iGen2500 at idle at 61 decibels and 70 decibels under load. That might sound like a lot, but a loud conversation can be anywhere from 60 to 70 decibels up close. So the iGen2500 isn’t ear-shatteringly loud, though it’s not as whisper quiet as Westinghouse advertises.
Price: Valued at—or slightly above—MSRP
Westinghouse iGen2500 vs. Briggs & Stratton P2200
Clearly, the Westinghouse iGen2500 is a powerful, lightweight, and easy-to-use portable generator with a quick setup process and guess-free operation. How does it hold up against the competition, though, namely the Briggs and Stratton P2200? In our 10 best portable generators list, we gave the ‘best design’ nod to the P2200. In that same list, we gave the iGen2500 top marks for quietness, so they’re both well positioned in this comparison. Let’s dig into the specs, then. The iGen2500 puts out 2500 watts of peak surge power but 2000 watts of normal run power, while the P2200 only peaks at 2200 watts and runs at a reliable 1700 watts. Clearly, Westinghouse takes that round. The P2200 weighs 54 pounds, the iGen2500 just 48. So, the iGen2500 is lighter, too, though the difference is pretty marginal. Both hold just one gallon of fuel, and on that gallon the iGen2500 can do 10 hours at 25% load, while the P2200 can only do a rated 8. The Westinghouse iGen2500 is a lightweight, powerful, efficient, and guess-free portable generator to start, run, and operate. It might be slightly louder than advertised, and it’s a bit more expensive than some of the competition, but what you get for the additional investment is well worth it—an intuitive and user-friendly generator. It’s also backed by a 3 year/1000 hour warranty, so if you do have trouble, they’ll repair it. If you can afford the asking price, the Westinghouse iGen2500 is one of the best portable generators out there.
