The Westinghouse WGEN9500DF dual fuel generator is not just one of Westinghouse’s most popular generators, it is one of the most popular generators from any company at this level of power, and one of the most highly rated as well.
We here at The Final Kit have used the 9500DF a lot, and are happy to report that all of the popularity, all the positive reviews and all of the praise at all definitely well justified, and if you want to skip reading this whole article – or any other articles or buyer’s guides – yes, we wholeheartedly recommend the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF, which is clearly the best choice for so many people wanting a large portable electric generator for RV use, for home backup, for emergencies, for work sites and for so much more.
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Still not sure? Please, read on! We will talk a lot more about the WGEN9500 dual fuel, and hopefully help you decide if this wonderful Westinghouse generator is right for you and your needs.
Westinghouse WGEN9500DF Generator: Overview
The Westinghouse WGEN9500DF is a high power dual fuel electric generator, delivering 9,500 watts of running power and up to 12,5000 watts peak or starting power.
Though not an expensive generator – in fact, significantly less expensive than many others at this power level – the Westinghouse 9500 is known for its exceptionally high quality on all fronts, and is easily one of the most reliable and trustable products out there – in fact, Westinghouse individually tests each and every generator before it leaves their factory.
Being a dual-fuel model, the 9500 runs on either unleaded gasoline or on propane, though as with any dual fuel generator the electrical output, in wattage, will be different depending on the type of fuel you are using – with propane the power output goes down to a still powerful 8,500 watts / 11,200 peak watts.
The 9500 is fully RV ready, and in fact has both 30 amp and 50 amp RV plugs, as well as plenty of power for any sized recreational vehicle, including large class A units with one or more air conditioners. The 30 and 50 amp plugs will provide either 120 or 240 volts, and there are also 4 20 amp 120 volt plugs, with the same configuration as standard wall outlets, and a single DC output.
The control panel also holds a very nice basic monitor display, a circuit breaker, a gas source switch, an electric start button and a kill switch, and the 9500 comes with a super handy fob for remote electric start.
Fully CARB compliant (California Air Resources Board), the WGEN9500DF generator is legal to purchase and use in all 50 states.
The Westinghouse WGEN9500DF is engineered and designed in the United States, and the actual manufacturing of the generator and the heavy duty Westinghouse 459cc engine is done in factories either in China or Vietnam. That said, clearly Westinghouse has a much tighter and closer control over the manufacturing process than other companies, as their generators are truly top-notch in terms of material and construction quality, fit and finish.
Here are some of the key specifications of the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF dual fuel electric generator:
Table could not be displayed.Given the high power output, the wide range of 120 volt and 240 volt outputs, the excellent layout and design, the quiet running and the overall material and build quality – and especially considering the surprisingly affordable price – the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF seems like an easy choice in this competitive high-power portable generator category, but how is the 9500 in actual use?
Westinghouse WGEN9500DF Generator: Review and Usage Report
Full disclosure: My own personal generator of choice, the one I myself own and use – for worksites, for my home workshop, for RV camping and for emergencies – is a Westinghouse, the even larger Westinghouse WGEN15000DF, and I absolutely love it!
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That said, I am now, after spending time with this smaller, but still high power, Westinghouse WGEN9500DF, pretty convinced that I didn’t really need to spend the extra money for the biggest and most powerful model. After using this amazing 9,500 watt Westinghouse I realize it really is all the power I would probably ever need – but I console myself in the realization that mine, with 2,500 watts more, does at least give me powerful bragging rights.
The Westinghouse WGEN9500DF electric generator is quite reasonably priced for its size and power output, and in fact it can be considerably less expensive than competing models from other companies. But make no mistake – this is a top-notch product in terms of construction quality, reliability, design and engineering and overall usage, and is a big, powerful generator.
Indeed, the 9500 is just as well made, high quality and reliable – both day to day and over the long term – as any generator at this level, and in fact seems more solid and more nicely finished than most of them.
In my own personal experience the WGEN9500DF started up immediately and ran perfectly every single time I used it, and the engine is remarkably smooth running and quiet for the generator’s size – in fact, though having similar rated noise levels as others, the 9500 just seems quieter, and I often completely forgot it was running.
I was able to run the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF through its paces both at a worksite and powering a large RV, and was very pleased with not just the dependable starting and operation and the smooth, quiet running, but the availability of large amounts of power. In fact, these two usage scenarios can be pretty demanding, even for a large generator – a class A RV can have multiple high-draw air conditioners as well as lots of other appliances, and work sites can have many different power-hungry electric tools, any one of which can really need a lot of power, and you often need to power many of them at once.
But in both cases there was never even a moment of doubt, of obvious overload or shortage – the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF always had plenty of power when we needed it, with absolutely no dips or interruptions. Even running several saws, drills and other power tools, as well as lighting, fans and other gear, all at the same time, we never even thought about the generator, which quietly and stably provided more than enough current. Our experience with the big RV running in normal busy usage was the same – with appliances and ACs all going at once, there was always more than enough juice.
Using the WGEN9500DF is a real pleasure. In addition to the easy and fast starting, which was literally flawless (and made even nicer with the remote fob), and the quiet running engine and rock-steady frame, the 9500 has a very nice and intelligent layout, with exceptionally high quality and solid connectors, controls and switches, and a basic but entirely useful display panel which shows voltage and frequency as well as total running hours.
Some generators do have far more fancy and versatile displays, but I admit to being a bit confused by the seemingly dozens of kinds of information they provide – which I myself don’t really need or care about – and even sometimes frustrated by trying to get back to the basics – especially power level and frequency. I know other users might want more, but to me the Westinghouse display is ideal.
All told, the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF is a fantastic generator and a fantastic choice – it starts easily every time, is solid, smooth and quiet running, it looks good and is clearly very well made and high quality – including the fit and finish, the materials, the connectors and switches, the engine and everything else.
In the final estimation, the high quality, and the attendant reliability, are maybe the best things about the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF dual fuel generator – Westinghouse is becoming a bit of a legend among users of all types for their extreme quality and dependability, and the 9500 is a perfect example of this.
Westinghouse WGEN9500DF Generator: Possible Downsides?
Finding the positive qualities of the WGEN9500DF is as easy as it gets, and this really is a great generator for the money.
But finding negatives is a bit tougher…
For one thing, I guess, the WGEN9500DF may simply be too big for some users – if your RV, for example, only has 30 amp plugs (and really, most of them do), or if you are getting your new generator for individual workshop or jobsite use, or scaled-down emergency backup scenarios, a smaller generator might be more appropriate, and would obviously cost less – I would highly recommend something like the Westinghouse WGEN3600DF dual fuel generator.
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Another important point, at least for some, is that the WGEN9500DF is not an inverter generator. You rarely see inverters at this level anyway, and they are very expensive, so this is not much of an issue – but, to be clear, many people worry that a standard generator, without a true inverter stage, may not have power that is stable or clean enough for sensitive electronics like computers or flat screens.
I’ve never had any trouble with my larger Westinghouse generator (though I am careful to unplug sensitive gadgets if the generator’s fuel gets low, since running out of gas can cause some stuttering and possible voltage fluctuations) but the lack of an inverter stage is at least worth mentioning.
The other possible downside to the WGEN9500DF is that it doesn’t have parallel capability – the ability to run two or more generators at the same time and working in tandem, to provide even more wattage. With a generator this size, though, very few people would ever need more power.
If you have a really big class A RV, especially with multiple AC units, if you are getting a generator for backup of a large home with a busy family, or if you want one for a big worksite with lots of people accessing it all at once, you can think about the mighty Westinghouse WGen12000DF, but the 9500 is almost certainly more than enough for pretty much anybody.
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Westinghouse WGEN9500DF Electrical Generator: Should You Get One?
So, let’s bottom line this: in terms of usage, power output, reliability, noise levels and stability, fit, finish and overall quality, the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF is, in my mind, the ideal generator at this high power level.
A large, high wattage portable generator for a relatively low price, the WGEN9500DF has all of the outlets you could possibly need, has a decidedly premium fit and finish, a nice and intelligent layout, starts easily every time, runs quietly and stably, and works flawlessly.
In fact, even considering everything else this great product has to offer, its supreme reliability and dependability – both in daily usage and over the years – may be the best thing about the 9500.
There are lots of choices for high power electric generators, and lots of them are more expensive – some, in fact, a lot more – but I’m not sure I can say any of them are better than the Westinghouse WGEN9500DF, which to me is clearly one of the best values on the market today.
Highly recommended!
