Brute Generator Reviews 5250 & 3500
Who is Brute Force Generators?
When I decided to write this review for Brute generators, one of the first things I needed to figure out was, who exactly is Brute? I already knew the Brute generators were powered by Briggs & Stratton engines, but that’s about all I knew.
finally I found what I was looking for. Brute® Power is a brand of Briggs & Stratton®. You can find pretty much the only verification of this on the Maynards website. What is really strange though is it is not listed anywhere on the Brute Power website, nor the Briggs & Stratton® or their “main” website that lists all kinds of brands they own, Basco.com.
“With over 110 years of experience, Briggs & Stratton® is trusted by millions of people around the globe and backed by the largest service network in the industry. We are the world’s largest small engine producer, the number one marketer for pressure washers, and a leading manufacturer of power generation, lawn and garden turf care, and job site products. Brute® also falls within the Briggs & Stratton® family of brands to widen our selection of power solutions.” – Maynards Website.
Two more things I find strange about these portable generators is that they are only sold at Maynards, and there are only two available models. Whether or not B&S will widen their Brute Force brand or open it to other retailers is beyond the scope of this review. But the good news is that they can be serviced at any Briggs & Stratton® retailer.
Brute Generator 3500 Review
So let’s get to the review. Is this generator any good?
The short answer is yes, it’s a good portable generator. I mean after all, it is a B&G engine. A B&G everything really. And we all know they make good generators under their own name. So yes, this is a well built and decent generator. I feel it felt well made and would last.
I however never personally owned one. This is just my observations after looking at these models and doing as much research as possible. Truth is, there isn’t much to go on. If you happen to own one and can elaborate, I’d love to hear your comments.
This generator has an RV plug and the machine can power a 15,000 BTU RV air conditioner. The 3 gallon tank makes sure you can run this at least 8 hours on half a load running.
This also comes with a Power Surge™ alternator also by B&G that is supposed to be able to produce up to 25% more surge power off the same amount of horsepower and fuel as other generators in order to make it easier to start large machinery, or when you have a serious draw.
Although this is a portable generator, it’s not small like a generator for camping would be. This is more jobsite, home backup type of generator.
Outlets
This has four 120v house type outlets. This is a nice positive. But what I do really like is that is also sports a 120V/30A RV outlet on top of that. So you can plug this right into any RV, or I mean plug the RV into this. Easy and safe.
Specifications
The 3500 generator can produce 5,250 starting watts and 3,500 running watts through its 196cc OHV engine and trademarked Power Surge™ alternator. Furthermore this model has CO Guard™ technology which means if there is a sudden increase of CO levels, the machine will turn itself off. A really nice safety feature especially if you have kids or pets around.
What I liked…
I like that it is backed by Briggs & Stratton and can be taken to any of their service centers or retailers. A VERY important thing if you’ve ever tried to return a generator by mail.
This is a Briggs & Stratton 900 Series™ OHV engine that you can run for 8 continuous hours on a full tank of gas at 50% load.
What I Didn’t Like…
I think the 2-Year Limited warranty is a bit low. I like to see 3 plus years for any warranty. I mean, if you believe you make a great product, then back it up.
This model runs on gas only, no propane. It has a recoil / pull start cord and no electric start. Also the wheels are those plastic ones that feel a bit cheap. I’m not sure how long they’ll last.
This does have a fuel gauge, but no hour gauge.
