At first the lack of reviews and some issues discussed with other models made me leery of this purchase, but after research on other sites and talking to people here in the Northeast who used their generators after the ice storms heavily, I decided on this generator and I am very pleased. The generator arrived promptly, in excellent condition, was put in my garage for me, and took me all of 15 minutes to go from in the box to running. With the battery start, I know that my wife can start his up and key warm if we loose power in the winter, even if I am at work.
+ Easy set-up. Box to power in less than 15 minutes. Only tools needed is a box knife, socket set, and a box wrench.
+ Quick Start Guide. Really every thing you need to know to put it together and get it running.
+ Easy start. Kicked right over on the first turn of the key and the choke was off within a minute
+ Fuel Gauge. Some sites said it didn't have one, but it does.
+ Low Oil Shutoff. Some sites said it did not have one, but it does
+ Battery. Later I complain about what this unit did not include in the box, but they did include the battery. Some generators do not.
+ Weather Protectors. There are rubber covers over the power connections. Although this unit is not rain-proof, it dies keep moisture at a minimum.
+ Battery Trickle Charger. Plug in your generator to trickle charge the starter battery to keep it at its peak readiness.
+ Large Wheels. In conjunction with he fold down handle, rolls around easily.
+ Looks Good. Okay. it's a generator, but it does look nice.
Neutral Noise. Although not as quiet as a Honda, this unit is about the same noise level as my lawn tractor. Tolerable, but not great.
Neutral Oil Fill Location. Instructions say a funnel is optional to fill the oil. I recommend using one if you want to keep oil off the floor.
Minus What it Does NOT Come With. Many generators include a power cord, fuel stabilizer, a funnel, etc. The only thing you get with this generator is the oil and the starter battery. Is it too much to ask that you get everything you need out of the box and don't need to run about buying the pieces? It is not like these are inexpensive items to begin with. (NOTE This is not unique to this unit or this company. As you research, you will find that different companies include different things).
Update In October 2011 the NE suffered a early snow and this caused power to go out at my home for four days. The generator supplied us power for the entire four days and ran without issue. By balancing our load, not use any heavy demand items (oven, stove top, dryer, AC, etc.) and keeping the generator fueled (burned just under a gallon an hour on full load) we lived normally. My only complaint is that the keyed socket for the generator cable appears NOT to be the quality I would have liked and removal of the cable after the power came on was difficult and I could see damage to the socket.
Update #2 Maybe it is and October event, but the East Coast suffered another serious storm in October 2012 knocking out power in my area for a day. The generator had no real use since October 2011 (although I do run it under load once a month and use fuel stabilizer). The generator started right up and supplied us power for the duration. Again, other than the noise of he generator, you would have not known we were without power. As far as I can see, it looks and runs like brand new. I remain very satisfied with my purchase.
After waiting almost a month for it to come in stock Amazon finally shipped my 30471. No problems with the delivery or the state of packaging. Once opened the box I was surprised to see that manufacturing date was January 2010 which did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling about it. Upon further inspection I have noticed that inside base of the metal fuel tank is already have early indicators of rusting. To top it off, after fueling it up almost to a full, the fuel gauge is not working and sitting at empty. A call to Briggs only added further frustration as the woman answered the phone after 20+ minute hold time (which was suppose to be only 3 minutes as per the automated system) was the nastiest, most unhelpful customer I every had with my entire dealing with any customer support line. I was expecting any minute for for her to curse me for calling the customer support. First she says she can't find anything in English on the unit and then she claims that there is no gas gauge on that model and I must be talking about the gas cap. Upon convincing her that there is a gas gauge she finally finds it. She tells me that she is not sure if they have any fuel gauges available, if they do !!!! she would send me one. I asked if there would be instructions included on how to install the replacement gauge, she started to bark NO, it is just 2 screws holding it and if I am not comfortable doing it I should take it to a service center. So, this is the kind a sub human service you will get from Briggs apparently. Very promising for my future purchases. Briggs if you give the a damn about customer service, you should listen to your customer service call recording.
Anyway, the generator appears to work as it should otherwise and the battery had full change on it and started without issues. With all the rust starting to creep on the metal fuel tank you should make sure to install a fuel filter on the gas line before your engine gets destroyed...
Buy Briggs & Stratton 30471 8,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Now
This generator functioned very well when we needed it. During Hurricane Irene, we lost power. Fortunately, we had installed a generator connection sub-panel. This generator worked perfectly to give us the power we needed until our electricity was restored.
The generator came well-packaged with easy to understand instructions. The wheel kit was the only thing that needed to be assembled. After attaching the negative wire to the battery and adding some oil, the machine was ready to go. After making sure that the fuel feed was in the "on" position, the generator started on the first try with the key-start. Although it is not "quiet," it is probably more quiet than other generators with similar power ratings. For the money, this is a great generator that I do not hesitate to recommend to anyone needing a portable gasoline powered generator with 8,000 watts of running power.
Read Best Reviews of Briggs & Stratton 30471 8,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Here
I always liked Briggs and Stration products until now.
When I was a kid we purchased Briggs and Straton engines for our Go-carts and Mini-bikes. Never had any issues, they just ran and ran well.
Two years ago I decided to buy a portable generator as we have had several power outages, Edison does not pay for your defrosted freezer food.
Ok! I looked at retail stores in my area for a good quality generator and found nothing but cheap poor quality junk.
I went online and found the Briggs and Straton model 30471 and a Generac XG8000E, They both looked like good products. But since I did not know about Generac and had been buying Briggs and Straton as a kid,I decided to purchase the Model 30471 8000 watt portable generator.
I had to purchase it in Arizona as they do not sell this model in California, We brought it home in it's sealed box.
OK! Now when opening the box there was no manual or wheel hubcaps, I called B&S support for help. They sent incomplete hubcaps (missing the red attached parts) and told me to print the manual myself on their web page.
What crap service! Next they resent complete hubcaps,that were defective.
When I finally got ready to start the generator,the gas cap would not come off. The locking tabs on the gas cap were longer then the tanks opening tab slots, I had to rock and play with the cap to get it off. I called B&S again, They sent a new gas cap that was too small for the gas tank. Then they sent another gas cap that was razor sharp on the lower edge, It fit but sliced three of my fingers open.
The hech with the gas cap! I put gas in and used the original hard to remove and install gas cap.
When the engine started there were lots of rattles,I shut it off. Several shield bolts were missing from frame and muffler support. I called B&S again, First they sent One bolt when four were missing, I called again.
After installing all the missing bolts, I re-started the generator, It did not run well, misfiring, etc. I checked the fuel shut-off filter screen, First the fuel shut-off does not shut-off and the filter screen was blocked off about 35% with the plastic material molded to make the part. Also the fuel gauge always stays on empty.
I called B&S again for a fuel filter screen and shut-off valve, And fuel gauge.
The shut-off assembly arrived in two weeks complete,But the fuel gauge was missing the view portion. I called B&S again, they argued that the fuel gauge was complete, I had to take pictures of what they sent me and email them. Days later they called and said they saw the problem and were sending the proper part as a customer courtesy! Wow! The unit has a 3-year homeowner warranty and it is only 16 months old with 6 hours of use. What kind of favor are they giving me? NONE.
I found out this generator was made in China (there are some real good products from China), But here are more issues; The paint on the frame is blistering off in several areas, The frame is rusted under the paint. The frame was not properly cleaned before it was painted in China. I keep this unit in a finished garage and covered. The rust was under the paint from day one!.
Next issue; The right end 120 volt receptacle did not work. I desided to just order and pay for it from B&S, It arrived made by Cooper USA. It was totally different from the China receptable, There are six wires with thick ring terminals on the generator that need to go under receptacle screws. The Cooper receptable screws are staked at the ends so they can not be removed without stripping out the female threads in the receptacle.USA replacement parts on a China parts generator,Did not work.
I needed to use this generator for one day only,while Edison shut off our power for upgrades or repairs. This generator ran and misfired for about 8 hrs. while our power was off, I then shut it down and put it back in my garage. A few days later I noticed oil stained floor under this Briggs & Stratton generator, Now the engine valve cover is leaking oil onto my garage floor.
I GIVE UP!!!
This purchase of $1295. was a total mistake that caused me major stress. This unit looks brand new except blistering paint,oil leaking and total run hrs are only 11.
I am donating this Briggs and Straton generator, And will never buy anything with the Briggs and Straton name anywhere on it...
I just purchased a Generac XG8000E that I should have purchased in the first place, It cost $89. more but it it so much better quality then the Briggs and Straton. The Generac is Made in USA, Has a pressure fed oil system engine with a spin-on oil filter. *And most of all you can get original USA parts, And there are no issues.
Briggs and Straton had their generator built in China and now trying to adapt USA made generic replacement parts,When a replacement part is needed.
The people at Briggs and straton are sometimes rude, And many have no knowledge of the correct parts on the 30471 Elite series generator they sell.
Maybe I got a Lemon, I lost money buying it and gained more unwanted stress.
I honestly do not recommend this generator.
Want Briggs & Stratton 30471 8,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Discount?
Wonderful generator. Came well packaged with easy to follow instructions for the minimal assembly that was required. After putting the wheels on, connecting the battery cable and putting the provided oil in the crankcase it was ready to go. Started first time. Working well. Best part, American made.
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