After seeing the price differences it is only natural that you want to know whether dual fuel generators are worth it.
The first thing to note is that I will mainly compare dual fuel to regular gasoline-only and to some extent propane-only models.
That aside, there are many details like generator purpose, gasoline availability, durability needs, usage frequency, and budget that influence whether dual fuel generators are worth it for you.
The more essential generator fuel availability is, the harder it is to get gasoline, and the bigger your budget, the more dual fuel generators become worth considering.
On the other hand, a gasoline-only generator could be good enough for your situation and preferences too depending on the details.
Is it better to get a dual fuel or gasoline generator?
As you can expect, a variety of personal details will influence whether it is better to get a dual fuel or gasoline generator in your situation.
Below you can find some of the most important things to consider.
What do you plan to use your generator for?
Having the flexibility to create power from different fuel types that comes with dual fuel generators is nice but not equally important for all purposes.
For example, if you plan to get a generator that needs to power your freezer full of food in case of a power outage, increasing your chance to run the machine is relatively valuable.
On the other hand, running out of gasoline at your tailgating party may not be fun either but more doable.
How easily are fuel types available?
In some locations and situations, certain fuel types will be more available than others.
For example, gasoline tends to be more easy to find in regular situations than propane.
However, in case of power outages in certain areas, it is the gasoline that is harder to find.
Just the fact that one of these fuel types could be not available, can turn you towards a dual fuel generator.
Especially if you plan to use the generator for home backup power.
Lastly, propane also generally stores longer than gasoline so in that sense it is better available with some initial preparation.
Durability and reliability
I tend to see that customer reviews of dual fuel generators are overall just a bit less positive than gasoline-only models.
Even in cases where this dual fuel feature is basically the only difference.
I am not entirely sure about whether this is a general rule and what would be the cause but to some extent, it is logical that more moving parts also means more can go wrong.
In simpler words, I tend to see that people have fewer issues with their gasoline-only generators but this is not the most scientific point in the list.
How often do you plan to use your generator?
Because gasoline can go bad and can gum up carburetors, this fuel type tends to be less optimal if you don’t plan to use your generator often.
You can still use your gasoline-only generator occasionally too but this will involve more maintenance and attention.
On the other hand, you can use the propane function of your dual fuel generator with fewer maintenance and attention needs.
Budget
Getting a generator that suits your needs is typically the most important but at some point, the investment required likely matters too.
Dual fuel generators tend to be a decent amount pricier than gasoline-only models.
Should you get a dual fuel or gasoline generator?
By now it is likely clear that your exact details in all of these areas will influence whether you should get a dual fuel, gasoline-only, propane-only, or even tri fuel generator.
Generally, the more essential having fuel for your generator is, the harder gasoline is available, and the higher your budget, the more you want to lean toward dual fuel generators.
At the same time, gasoline-only generators can also still be good for many people and locations.
Is it better to run a dual fuel generator on gas or propane?
If you do decide a dual fuel model is the type of generator you need, you may wonder whether it is better to run a dual fuel generator on gas or propane.
More general propane vs gasoline generator fuel differences aside, one difference to note is that gasoline can go bad.
In turn, people who only occasionally use their dual fuel generators and find both fuels equally convenient likely want to run on propane to avoid/reduce maintenance and a gummed-up carburetor.
On the flip side, you can also say gas offers more watts than propane which may be necessary for whatever you are powering.
