Generator Gift Guide: How to Gift the Perfect Generator

Whether you’re already shopping for Christmas gifts, a gift for Father’s Day or looking for the perfect present for a loved one, why not give the best gift of power?

A generator makes for an excellent personalized gift—they can power your loved one’s campsite, food truck, DIY project, or home when the grid is down or inaccessible, particularly during the cold, winter months.

And, while a gift guide for men might have planted the idea in your head, a generator makes a perfect gift for anyone.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of giving a generator as a unique gift idea. We’ll break down why generators are the best gift ideas, provide a step-by-step guide for buying the perfect generator, and provide a few options for recipients who already have a generator.

Do Generators Make Good Gifts?

Even if a holiday gift guide recommended buying someone a generator, you may still be wondering—“Do generators really make good gifts?”

The answer is yes. Why is a generator an excellent choice for that special someone in your life? Well, there are several reasons:

Plug-in power isn’t always available – If your loved one is a friend looking for the right size camping generator for their next excursion, runs a food truck, or takes storm preparation seriously, they understand better than anyone that electricity access is a luxury—and a necessity. A generator for RV is a good option in those scenarios. A tailgate generator is also handy at tailgating parties.
Power access can change on a dime – The average US resident experienced eight total hours of power interruptions in 2020—a number that has increased steadily over the last five years. For someone working from home or working on a home construction project, losing even an hour of work time might decrease their profits or derail their schedule. Generators are a necessity in times of emergency and should be part of your winter storm preparedness checklist.
A generator is the unique gift idea that keeps on giving – As long as they’re well-maintained, generators can last for 3,000 running hours or more. Let’s break down that math:
Generator pros recommend running your generator for approximately a half-hour each week to check that it’s always in working condition—that’s about 26 hours a year.
The average person will lose eight hours of grid access unexpectedly every year—and many don’t run their generators continuously during this time.
For people using their generators for home power backup with an estimated yearly run time of 34 hours, even a 3,000-hour lifespan could keep them charged for more than 88 years.

But generators aren’t just useful for backup power at home—they’re also incredibly useful tools for people who:

Vacation at primitive campsites
Plan or host parties often
Run a construction company or a skilled trade business
Operate a food truck or a weekly stand at the farmer’s market

Regardless of your recipient’s lifestyle, a generator is simply an excellent resource to have on hand for reliable power access.

How to Give a Generator as a Gift

If a gift guide for the home—or the list above—has convinced you to give someone the gift of electricity, it’s time to get to work. Let’s break down some important steps in the generator buying process.

#1 Set a Budget

Before you start searching for products, figure out how much you can reasonably spend on a generator. Understanding what size generator the receiver of your gift may need can help determine this.

If you’ve set aside significant savings to purchase a generous gift for someone, money might not be a particularly limiting factor. But, even if money is no object, you might not know what to expect in terms of generator prices.

The cost of a generator generally depends on two major factors:

The maximum wattage that the generator can sustain to determine how much power you need.
The technological features that set new generators apart from their predecessors, like:

Multi-fuel capabilities (i.e., the generator can run on more than one fuel type)
The number of plugs and outlets on the generator itself
Safety features, like built-in carbon monoxide (CO) and overheating detectors
Digital displays, lights, and other nice-to-have operational features

#2 Estimate the Wattage You’ll Need

Before you start shopping for generators, estimate the amount of power your loved one will need—generators come in a variety of “sizes,” and wattage generally correlates to price.

While we’ll break down wattage calculation in the following sections, let’s explore the importance of capacity.

It’s crucial that you don’t overpower your generator (i.e. demand more wattage than the generator’s max output). If you overload a generator for an extended period of time, you might:

Experience intermittent power
- Intermittent power can damage devices like appliances and HVAC systems
Increase your fire risk
- Overloaded generators get hot fast—high temps increase the likelihood of a fire
Face automatic shut-off
- Newer models automatically shut off when they’re overloaded, which can be inconvenient when you want to “set and forget” your generator

Running Watts

Let’s break down wattage calculation.

The first step to determining how much power your loved one might need is estimating the total running wattage. Running wattage is the power your devices continuously use to stay operational after start-up.

While every appliance is different (and you can find the exact wattage requirements for your devices in their user manuals), here are a few examples of running wattages for common products:

Device	Estimated Running Watts
Box fan	50
RV AC unit (13,500 BTU)	700
Refrigerator/Freezer	700
Space heater	1,800
27” TV	500
Computer with a 17” monitor	800
1 HP air compressor	1,400
3” belt sander	1,200
7 ¼” circular saw	1,400

Surge Watts

Devices with motors require a little extra power to get those motors spinning for the first time—this is called surge (or start-up) wattage.

Some motored devices that demand surge wattage are:

Air conditioners
Refrigerators and freezers
Inflator pumps
Saws and drills

Each device is unique, but here are some estimated surge wattage needs for the motored items above:

Device Name	Estimated Start-Up Watts
Box fan	100
RV AC unit (13,500 BTU)	1,500
Refrigerator/Freezer	2,200
1 HP air compressor	3,600
3” belt sander	2,400
7 ¼” circular saw	2,300

There are a few key things to note about surge wattage:

Unless you’re starting all of the above devices at the same time, you only need to account for the device with the highest surge wattage in your overall calculation.

Start-up watts are only required for a few seconds, but even brief overloading can damage your generator or increase your operational risks

Starting with your highest-surge wattage device first and slowly incorporating other devices can help prevent overloading

Calculating Total Wattage

The formula you should use for calculating your wattage is:

Total running watts + highest starting watts = minimum generator wattage needed

Let’s return to our example tables above to calculate three hypothetical scenarios:

Camping/RVing

Device	Running Watts	Starting Watts
Box fan	50	100
RV AC unit (13,500 BTU)	700	1,500
Refrigerator/Freezer	700	2,200
27” TV	500	0
	Total Running Watts	Highest Suge Watts
	1,950	2,200
	Estimated Generator Wattage Minimum
	4,150

Home backup

Device	Running Watts	Starting Watts
Box fan	50	100
Refrigerator/Freezer	700	2,200
Computer with a 17” monitor	800	0
27” TV	500	0
	Total Running Watts	Highest Suge Watts
	1,450	2,200
	Estimated Generator Wattage Minimum
	3,650

Job Site

Device	Running Watts	Starting Watts
Box fan	50	100
1 HP air compressor	1,400	3,600
3” belt sander	1,200	2,400
7 ¼” circular saw	1,400	2,300
	Total Running Watts	Highest Suge Watts
	4,050	3,600
	Estimated Generator Wattage Minimum
	7,650

#3 Choose a Fuel Type

While some generators only run on one type of fuel, others can accommodate multiple fuel varieties, including:

Traditional gasoline
Propane
Natural gas

While the most versatile generators run on all three of these, a dual fuel or multi-fuel generator can increase your costs. Consider the pros and cons of each fuel type before making a decision:

Traditional gasoline is easily accessible, but it expires—and it can get expensive
Propane doesn’t expire, but can use significant storage space
Natural gas is inexpensive and reliable, but you’ll have to connect your generator to a gas line (natural gas generators are best for home backup applications)

#4 Compare Generators and Choose the Best Product

As you prepare to make a purchase, gather a few products that meet your standards, such as:

They’re within your budget (if you have one)
They can accommodate the minimum power your gift recipient will need
They use your ideal fuel type or multiple types
They’re covered by manufacturer and/or parts warranties

Once you’ve collected a few options, choose the product that comes the closest to meeting every need on your list.

But, if you’re stumped by the comparison process, don’t be afraid to reach out to a generator expert for purchasing advice.

Gifts for Generator Owners

Gift guides might recommend a generator, but what do you do if the recipient already owns a generator?

Consider supporting their backup and maintenance supplies by giving them:

A portable rain shelter for their generator (like a pop-up canopy)
- Your shelter should protect your generator from the rain without enclosing it
Extra engine oil, fuel filters, and air filters (which need to be replaced periodically)
Replacement spark plugs
Funnels (washable or disposable)
Cleaning and safety supplies, like:
- A mechanic’s apron or coveralls
- Protective goggles
- Cloth gloves or a box of disposable ones

Just because someone already has a generator doesn’t mean you can’t give them the thoughtful gift of reliable power access—generator repair and maintenance supplies make excellent gifts, too.

Find the Perfect Generator at DuroMax

While you might find one listed in a gift guide, generators are excellent tools for anyone—they’re the gift that keeps on giving for decades to come.

When you’re ready to shop for generators for a loved one (or yourself), head over to DuroMax. We’re committed to excellence in everything we do, and we stand by the quality, reliability, and durability of all our portable power products.

Offering some of the best generator and outdoor power products available on the market, DuroMax simply won’t disappoint the people in your life who need portable power.

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