Wen 2250 56225i Portable Inverter Generator Reviews
The WEN 56225i 2250-Watt portable inverter generator (13.3 AMPs) is my number one pick for a reliable portable gas powered inverter generator. This machine will last you for years. As long as it hasn’t been sitting around for months, this will always start right up on one or two pulls.
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The 2250 56225i is a pull start machine and runs on gas only, there is no propane option for this. It also is a manual start machine, not electric starter.
On a side note, this is the same 79cc engine as the Yamaha EF2000is, only the WEN is priced at $500 LESS on Amazon right now than the Yamaha! Crazy, right?
BUT, I do think the Honda is a much better machine overall, you can read more about that one here. But both engines are made in China.
Wen 2250 56225i Overall Specs
This is a portable machine, but still weighs in at 48 pounds. The overall dimensions are 19 x 11.5 x 18.2 inches and this comes in a great looking orange and black finish. This is a good looking machine that is completely portable.
It is EPA III and CARB Compliant so you can run it anywhere in the USA. It’s totally waterproof and can be used in any sort of weather.
The Engine
As far as the engine goes, it’s a 79.7 cc 4-stroke OHV engine and as far as I know (yes, I have tried to find out for sure but still have no idea), the engine is made in China even though it is the same as the Yamaha engine.
Wattage
When the generator is on econo-mode, it will produce a steady 1600 watts of power. This is enough to watch TV, run a small refrigerator and a small fan all at one time in an RV or Camper Van just to give you an idea. If you wanted to do more, like run a microwave as well, you’ll need to take it out of econo-mode until you’re done. But it will power all of them at the same time.
The 56225i produces 2000 surge watts when it needs to. More than enough for small applications as it has been designed to do.
Receptacles
This has two three-prong (ground) 120V receptacles, one 12V DC receptacle and one 5V USB port which is great since everyone needs to charge their phone or computer these days. And their clean power is safe for you electronics, although I’d still advise using a power surge protector with ANY sensitive electronics!
Things I Like…
I like that this allows for a parallel connection kit that you can buy directly from Wen or other retailers. This means you can safely connect 2 machines at the same time for double the wattage. Just be aware though, you never get double, it’s more like a 70% boost which is still pretty good.
This model Wen has a Fuel Shutoff that uses all the gasoline that is left in the carburetor before shutting down. That means no gas gunk up later if you leave it for a long period of time. Unless you’ve dealt with old gas in a generator, you won’t understand how important this feature is. ALL generators should be equipped with this. Super helpful.
MUCH cheaper than comparable brands. Like I wrote before, this model is around $500 less than a comparable Honda brand with the same exact engine. That’s not to say the Honda isn’t better overall, it is, but not five hundred dollars better IMHO.
This is pretty fuel efficient. Think about burning a gallon of gas every 6-8 hours or so under normal use. Better than most other brands and models.
Overall the Wen 2250 delivers on its promise as a reliable and well built portable inverter generator. It’s light enough to easily move around and quit enough that it won’t make you want to leave the area where you’re using it. Overall great value for the price with a solid engine that other manufacturers charge a lot more for.
Things I Don’t Like…
One of the biggest drawbacks to this model is the noise. Yeah, it’s quiet, but not quiet enough to use in an RV park or a campground in my honest opinion. WEN states the 56225i has a decibel level of 53 dB during normal operation. If you want the absolute quietest generator than get the Honda EU3000IS. If you’re just using it on your own property, then this is a great generator and you’ll save a lot of money.
The oil needs to be changed every twenty five hours of operation according to their guidelines. That’s a pretty short oil lifespan. And I’ve found that thirty five hours is more reasonable as every time I changed out the oil at twenty five, it still looked amber in color and clean.
If you leave the gas sitting in the generator for more than a month, it is really hard to start again for the first time. I advise to always drain the gas if you will not use the generator for longer than a month. If you leave the gas in for a few months, you may need to completely strip down and clean the carburetor.
No electric start, manual only. But it is an easy start.
Wen doesn’t have the best customer service from what I’ve seen. I haven’t personally needed to deal with them yet, thankfully, but from what I’ve seen and read on from others, they don’t seem to have any way of getting your machine to make repairs if needed other than mailing it in.
Something you want to be aware of even though there are service centers spread around the USA, they don’t always accept all models or types of generators which is a bit strange.
Q&A
“Eco Mode” vs. “ESC Switch”.
The older models used “ESC Switch” and the newer “Eco Mode” which is clearer. They both mean when in these modes, the generator will always idle unless under a load, if it is loaded, then it will automatically return to idle when the load is gone. This saves gas and wear and tear on the generator.