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Customer reviews for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
The Sportsman Propane 3,250/4,000-Watt Portable Generator can power common household appliances and power tools. It is equipped with two -120 volt outlets and a 12 volt DC outlet for battery charging. A generator of this size is ideal for small camping or tailgating parties or to have on hand in case you need some temporary power in an emergency situation. It has a 7HP 4-Stroke OHV Recoil Start engine. Its affordable but well thought out with full featured options such as Automatic Low Oil Shutdown and Automatic Voltage Regulator. It boasts an engine run time of 10 hours at 50% on a common 20Lb (gas grill type) cylinder (LPG cylinder not included). A 5 foot propane fuel hose with a regulator is included for your added convenience. The engine is surprisingly quiet; it runs at less than 68 Db. This is a great generator for anyone who needs affordable power. Propane has several distinct advantages over gasoline generators. Propane burns cleaner than gas engines. Carbon monoxide emissions run up to 40% lower. Propane will not degrade, so you can keep several propane tanks on hand for emergencies and store them for an unlimited amount of time. Since this generator runs on propane you never have to worry about the fuel going bad or having the carburetor getting fouled due to degenerated gasoline - a common problem with gasoline powered small engines
Overall rating:
(116 reviews) 116
Rating breakdown 116 reviews
5 stars
56
4 stars
44
3 stars
3
2 stars
2
1 star
11
96 out of 108(89%)reviewers recommend this product.
Customer reviews for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Review 1 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Works well
,PostedNovember 3, 2012
mbinny
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Female
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Beginner
Length of ownership:1 week
Quality
5
/
5
Value
5
/
5
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I ordered this when it was the deal of the day, just before Hurricane Sandy was announced. Delivered in 4 days, just before the storm for which I was glad as I have been without power for 5 days now. It works very well. I don't know how to determine load, but I have been getting about 6.5 hours per tank running the refrigerator, tv,computer, and alternating the freezer and pellet stove. I love the propane as you can't get gasoline in this area and propane doesn't give the gas fumes and is safer to transport than gas. It is easy to operate and change oil. I do wish it came with wheels but I put it on a flat bed dolly and it moved easily.
Pros: Easy to Use, Eco-Friendly, quieter than gas engines
Cons: no wheels, needs better instruction manual photos
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+19points
19out of 19found this review helpful.
Review 2 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
So Far So Good
,PostedAugust 4, 2012
Banjo
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Intermediate
Length of ownership:1 week
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
After reviewing online manual for a few days, to get a good understanding of the operations, our generator was delivered as expected....filled with oil, check everything, hook up LP and on first pull it fired up....very happy with this so far...we bought it for our camper and to have back power at home, when needed.....camping test in two weeks, will update then on it's performance. so far one happy camper....BW of Tucson..p.s. I did add a GFCI adapter to each outlet for added protection, "NOTE" as long as you don't directly hook it to your home electrical circuit ,a earth ground isn't needed.....
Pros: Easy to Use, Compact, Eco-Friendly, Clear Instructions, Nice Design
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+19points
19out of 19found this review helpful.
Review 3 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Great Generator
,PostedNovember 2, 2012
Ecksray
Quality
5
/
5
Value
5
/
5
Ordered this generator (via Mifi and cellphone) last year while sitting around without power during the Halloween storm last Oct in New Jersey. Have used several times in the area I live in during power outages without problems. Used again this year during Sandy for two days and it worked perfect. I lent it to a co-worker who is without power for 6 days now and he has been using it with no problems. He borrowed a gas generator for his brother as well who has stood in gas lines for several hours. The line for propane refilling is minimal and easy to get. I ran it for 12 hrs on one 20lbs tank (Fridge, 5 TV's and cable boxes, lights in all those rooms, coffee pot and microwave (unplugged fridge when using microwave) and space heater occasionally). Highly recommend it!
Pros: propane keeps longer than gas!
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+11points
12out of 13found this review helpful.
Review 4 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Works for me
,PostedJuly 4, 2012
Grandpa
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:Other
Level of expertise:Intermediate
Length of ownership:6 months
Quality
5
/
5
Value
4
/
5
I bought this generator several months ago because of frequent power outages in my area. A few days ago I had my first real need for it. Those widespread power outages in the DC area -- that was us. The generator had been sitting in a shed since I bought it. It started on the first pull & ran 8 hours straight without missing a beat. Our power came back on before the first tank of propane was used up. Even though it isn't big enough to run our AC & is pretty basic, I consider this generator well worth what I paid for it.
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+12points
12out of 12found this review helpful.
Review 5 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Did the job in Jersey!
,PostedNovember 3, 2012
mememe
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Quality
5
/
5
Value
5
/
5
I purchased this after Hurricane Irene. (2011) I opened and tested, it started on the first pull. Besides running it periodically every once and a while it has sat for a year. I wanted the propane model as propane lasts forever and as you see now if the power goes out you can't get gas! Now Hurricane Sandy blew through (2012) It kept my food good and powered some lights and a little portable heater, microwave, little tabletop oven, TV/cable box & more. Not all at once, I did not want to test it to it full potential as the manual for it was in the computer and I could not access it. I forgot if they include one with the machine if so (duh) I lost it. And as for the TV, the cable was out so I could not watch it anyway, and it is also recommended that you have a in line filter and good surge protector to use them. I just wanted to see what would happen. It worked. I have to set it up for my main gas heater (the right way just for the blower motor separated from the house current) for the winter storm outages so I have heat in the house. I did not really test it to it's max as I wanted to conserve propane. The power was out for 3 days and the way I used it I did not even empty one partially filled 20lb can of propane. Use care with the cheap choke handle lever, It should be OK but will break if you don't watch how you handle it. Like said, a wheel set up would be nice, I will make something up. Besides that I like this little generator. Next outage I will test it with a larger load.
Someone stated that you can jump start a car battery with it, they tell you not to do that but instead unhook the battery and the generator will charge it.
One note to state, I see nothing said about running these outside. It tells you you should not run it in say a garage, but then it says don't run it outside in wet weather? Kind of funny when the only time you would need it is in a storm. I ran mine in the garage with the door opened, a no/no! But I only ran it for an hour every four hours or so. I also have carbon monoxide detectors around the house and one in the garage. None of them went off. I would not recommend running this continuously like this! But compared to a gas generator there are no stinky fumes, but as noted WATCH OUT FOR CARBON MONOXIDE BUILD UP!
Noise level? Kind of loud, but hey it is a generator, after I shut the door leading from the garage to the house I could just about hear it.
I am going to build some kind of enclosed shelter for it and place it in the back yard. You think someone would build special protective boxes of some sort for these. Not covers but a box.
All in all so far I give it 5 stars, knock on wood that it will last me for many years to weather the storms out.
Someone stated that you can jump start a car battery with it, they tell you not to do that but instead unhook the battery and the generator will charge it.
One note to state, I see nothing said about running these outside. It tells you you should not run it in say a garage, but then it says don't run it outside in wet weather? Kind of funny when the only time you would need it is in a storm. I ran mine in the garage with the door opened, a no/no! But I only ran it for an hour every four hours or so. I also have carbon monoxide detectors around the house and one in the garage. None of them went off. I would not recommend running this continuously like this! But compared to a gas generator there are no stinky fumes, but as noted WATCH OUT FOR CARBON MONOXIDE BUILD UP!
Noise level? Kind of loud, but hey it is a generator, after I shut the door leading from the garage to the house I could just about hear it.
I am going to build some kind of enclosed shelter for it and place it in the back yard. You think someone would build special protective boxes of some sort for these. Not covers but a box.
All in all so far I give it 5 stars, knock on wood that it will last me for many years to weather the storms out.
Pros: Easy to Use, Nice Design
Cons: no wheels, not for use in "wet" weather!?, some kind of muffler vent pipe to the outside? ?, got to reaserch that some?
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+9points
9out of 9found this review helpful.
Review 6 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Great Generator !
,PostedJune 13, 2012
ZCurves
Age:45 to 54
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
In the couple of years since Hurricane IKE, I have wanted a generator to handle my Frig, Freezer, TV and a small Window AC in the event of a repeat storm.
I ordered this generator from HD and UPS delivered it quickly (and in my case) undamaged. I filled it up with oil -which was not included and after 4 pulls it started up and ran like a champ. (You WILL need a long funnel as others have mentioned to make filling with oil a quick, clean job.)
Not even a month after I received it, a real bad storm passed through my area and pressed this unit into action. It ran flawlessly for 10 hours supporting all of my needs. It is relatively quiet, very fuel efficient and the exhaust is hardly noticeable. I am very pleased with this generator. It is a great value for price/kwh !!!
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+27points
33out of 39found this review helpful.
Review 7 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Awsome features
,PostedJune 20, 2011
This is one amazing machine. Well worth the extra money for the propane model. Don't have all of the gas fumes nor the mess of spilling gas. The fumes given off be the propane burning generator is very minimal. Still want to be cautious of use in closed in areas, but if outside, you can work right near it (10 to 15 feet away) and you won't gag on fumes or get a killer headache. It's pretty easy starting, and not as loud as a gas generator. You can even jump start other items that use a 12 volt battery. It has a special plug, and the wires to use for it. Great item. Worth every penny.
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+19points
19out of 19found this review helpful.
Review 8 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
As good as advertised
,PostedMay 14, 2013
trbmn7
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
5
/
5
Value
5
/
5
After reading all the reviews I decided to buy this generator. I'm here to say that the reviews are spot on. After opening the box I made the LP tank connection, turned the fuel switch to on, carefully moved the choke(to the left is closed, not to the right as described in the directions)(HEY BUFFALO/SPORTSMAN TOOLS FIX THE BACKWARDS LABEL ON THE CHOKE!!!!!), pulled the cord and she started right up, then moved the choke to the right once warmed. It runs really nice, the noise is minimal and when I added a couple of devices it ran like a charm. I like the LP aspect, no gas to hassle over and no ethanol to ruin the investment. Nice generator at a good price( I got it at $400, awesome).
Pros: Great Sound Quality
Cons: choke label is backwards
Yes, I recommend this product.
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 9 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
purchased after hurricane irene
,PostedNovember 2, 2012
redman
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:Professional
Level of expertise:Intermediate
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
purchased this product after the last hurricane when i lost power for 11 hours my pumps failed and caused damage to my basement hurricane sandy hit new jersey and my power went out 8 pm Monday night i had it ready to go it ran around 16 hours a day power came back on Friday around 11 am i ran my sump pump and TV and games in the cellar refrigerator up stairs and TV DVD player and light ran about 14 hours on a 20 tank best thing i ever brought no one could get gas for the gasoline generators here i could get propane the whole time no trouble i now have 5 full propane tanks on hand it doesn't go bad 120 hours of power never failed would highly recommend it
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+4points
6out of 8found this review helpful.
Review 10 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Bob603
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Intermediate
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
Shipped and redeived within 5 days. Put some oil in the generator and it cranked up the first time after a few tugs to get some propane into the system. We live in a condo where gasoline storage is a problem. We do have bulk LP gas for heating etc. and the next phase of this emergency generator will be to install a fitting on our gas line so we do not have to go anywhere to have a tank(s) filled. So we can run pretty much constantly during an outage. We have some long outages here in NH and quite often there are no places available for fuel due to the outage.
Researched intensely and if you want to run a few things, save your food and or provide heat, this is an ideal generator.
It runs a lot quieter than the last gas generator I borrowed and a lot less fumes. Best value by a mile compared to any other generators in this size.
It runs a lot quieter than the last gas generator I borrowed and a lot less fumes. Best value by a mile compared to any other generators in this size.
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+19points
19out of 19found this review helpful.
Review 11 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Not Too Accurate
,PostedAugust 23, 2012
fixitnow
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:Professional
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 week
Quality
4
/
5
Value
4
/
5
We got this gen. to power the families camper.4KW sounded realty good. after running for an hour to break in I started some checking. Turns out there's only one winding in the generator, that power is split thru 2, 20A. breakers. 20 A. really loads it down. Problem is, the internal wiring from the terminals to the plugs is only # 14 wire (good for 15 A.) So don't try to get 20 +20 Amps. out of it .You'll fry the leads inside. I can't vouch for the winding size but there are 2 windings in parallel at the internal teminal block.7 Hp. is more than needed to get the 3.2 Kw ,but don't push the wiring
Pros: Easy to Use, Compact, Nice Design, Easy Installation
Cons: under designed wiring
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+10points
19out of 28found this review helpful.
Review 12 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
storage of propane versus gas and maintenance
,PostedJuly 26, 2012
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
propan lasts longer than gas but for this unit i recomend the wheels and handle package.it is very heavy to move around. it is very easy to use.
Pros: Easy to Use
Cons: Too Heavy
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 13 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
OK so far
,PostedMay 21, 2013
Dandee
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Intermediate
Length of ownership:3 months
Ease of use
5
/
5
Value
5
/
5
Bought for use during power outages and for the occasional camping trip. Tested for two hours, running two 1500W heaters. Performed great. Two weeks later tested again, running a 6000BTU air conditioner. Worked great again. Easy to start both times.
Pros: Easy to Use, Good Size & Weight
Yes, I recommend this product.
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 14 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
LPG Generator
,PostedNovember 8, 2012
SteveW
Age:55 to 64
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:DIYer
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
I got this unit as a backup to my quiet inverter generator. Using propane (LPG) as a fuel source is a great idea, because it doesn't degrade in the fuel lines like gasoline, and doesn't 'gum' the carburetor if it sits unused for months. I recieved mine with some damage from shipping, like quite a few others did. If the parcel service stacks it on it's side, the flexibility of the rubber motor mounts allows the weight of the unit to rest on the air cleaner housing, choke arm, and recoil starter. If it's been down a bumpy road, the recoil starter will be pushed in, needing replacement. All three of those parts needed replacing on mine. This is not a problem with the unit, but with the shipper. Bold shipping labels on the box warning of damage might help, if the shipper would comply. I called customer service at Buffalo Tools, and they were very helpful. They sent me the replacement parts promptly, and checked to see if they arrived. Kudos to their great customer service dept. I had asked if I was the one replacing the parts (I am pretty handy, and we're over 40 miles to any small engine repair), would I void the warranty, and they said no. The parts were easy to replace. The unit did seem to have another glitch, in that I could smell propane when I turned the run switch to ON, before I started it. I did the smell test, and soapy water spritz test on all fittings. Nothing on the exterior leaked. It appeared that the pressurized LPG was coming out of the exhaust. Because I am not familiar with propane powered, carbureted engines, I called customer service to ask if that was normal. I figured if the engine was turned to a stroke where the valves were not fully closed, the pressurized fuel might seep out. The rep checked with a tech, and while they confirmed that it was indeed what was happening, it was not normal, and said the valves would need adjusting. I'm calling back today to have the tech talk me through it. I'll update if there's a problem. I did do a couple of other checks while waiting for parts, based on other reviews. I removed the side cover and checked the electrical connections, and some were not very tight. They use spade connectors on the circuit breakers, and the female connector that slides over the spade terminal had to be pinched on some of them to make good contact. I pinched them all to make sure things were good and tight. After putting on the new recoil starter, I brought it outside of the shop and fired it up (right after turning on the fuel so there wouldn't be any raw LPG floating around the unit), and it started on the second pull. While it's not as quiet as the inverter generator, it's much quieter than the old open throttle generator I bought in '05. I tested the AC output with the meter, and it puts out 123 volts with no load. That's in tolerance. I then plugged in my 1.5 HP compressor, to see how it handles a start surge, and it did fine. I did the same with the table saw and chop saw. It works fine. I probably won't be using it to charge our batteries, since I haven't looked at the waveform on an o-scope, and reports from others that it's unregulated modified wave AC. I would give it a five star rating if it were not for the glitches, but it looks like it will do what I need it to. The little bit of tweeking I had to do was easy, so don't be scared off by that- maybe other units will be perfect out of the box. Either way, I'd say that for the price, it's a good investment. ...Also, while it would be nice to have a wheel kit on it, I don't find it to be too heavy to place on the rolling cart, and I'm an average sized 55 year old man. So no big deal there.
Pros: Compact, Nice Design
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 15 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Gret price! Don't expect miracles.
,PostedJuly 25, 2012
John
Level of expertise:Beginner
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
4
/
5
Value
5
/
5
After I added the oil, the generator fired up on the 3'rd pull. It powered my refrigerator with no problem (with nothing else plugged in). I wanted a low cost option for an emergency situation and this fit the bill nicely. No frills though. Wheels would help and it's very noisy. Great value but keep in mind that one tank only lasts 10 hours. You're also going to want to have at least three barbecue tanks on hand so you can cycle them.
Pros: Easy to Use, Compact, Easy Installation
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+9points
11out of 13found this review helpful.
Review 16 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Good value for the $
,PostedMay 14, 2013
Quality
3
/
5
Value
4
/
5
For a minimal backup generator, this unit is sufficient. However, I did contact the company about a wheel kit and they do not offer one for this model. I improvised and bought a universal kit, made the necessary holes and now the unit is completely Mobile. And since it operates on propane, no need to worry about stale gas. Just keep an extra 20 pound cylinder available.
Pros: Easy to Use, Eco-Friendly
Cons: no wheel kit available
Yes, I recommend this product.
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 17 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
A good generator
,PostedAugust 24, 2011
We bought this generator to run our 15btu AC on our trailer. When we received it we put oil in it and hooked it up to propane. It took a couple pulls on the handle to get it started, but I think that was only due to it being brand new since subsequent starts were instantaneous. We ran the AC in the trailer one night to test out the generator. It is a little louder than I thought it would be, but to be honest, I am not familiar with generators, and the sound of the trailer's AC actually covered up most of the generator noise so we slept fine. I would recommend this generator to anyone. I was also very impressed with Home Depot's delivery service.
Yes, I recommend this product.
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+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 18 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
good purchase
,PostedMay 7, 2013
Rric
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Home improvement profile:Professional
Level of expertise:Advanced
Length of ownership:1 month
Quality
4
/
5
Value
4
/
5
good purchase... put in 20ozs 10w30 oil, anti-seized the spark plug threads, connected lp tank, two pulls and ran fine and quietly...turned off, one pull restart. good deal.
Pros: Easy to Use, Great Sound Quality, Compact, Motion-Activated, Eco-Friendly, Nice Design, Easy Installation
Cons: Too Heavy, install wheels, needs gfci protection
Yes, I recommend this product.
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 19 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
we love the cleaner more efficient burning of propane
,PostedMay 7, 2013
Used it once. worked great. Saved our basement when the power went out and sump pump stopped working
Pros: Clear Instructions
Cons: Too Heavy
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 20 for 3,250/4,000-Watt Clean Burning LPG Portable Propane Generator
Overall rating
Warning on specs!!!!! BUT great H DEPOT service.
,PostedApril 21, 2013
JAMES
I purchased the generator for its LP and rated surge watts for my RV. But it arrived damaged (other posts have said packaging poor -- the frame was dented) After reading the manual, I found out that you can ONLY have 2400 surge watts, not 4000, as the circuits are split, no other literature on that. I Need 2800 for my AC. BUT Home depot was great and I will buy the next one there AFTER I figure out what will work.
Cons: surge watts are wrong
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0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.