Briggs and Stratton P4500 Inverter Generator Review

If you buy through the affililate links in this article, we may get a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more.

Photo of author
Published On

Find out in this review whether the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is an inverter generator that actually deserves your attention or not.

Briggs and Stratton P4500 review in short

Briggs and Stratton P4500

In theory, the Briggs and Stratton P4500 can be a decent generator for things like RV camping and small power tools.

However, the higher price and number of technical issues make certain alternatives a better choice.

For example, many people will prefer the Westinghouse iGen4500 over the Briggs and Stratton P4500.

There are many other good 4500 watt inverter generators too.

Pros

  • Inverter technology to run sensitive electronics
  • Long run time

Cons

  • Not the greatest fuel efficiency
  • Decent amount of technical challenges
  • Electric start often does not function as desired
  • Relatively loud for a 4500 watt inverter generator
  • Customer support is sometimes slow and unhelpful

Some of the best uses for the Briggs and Stratton P4500 include:

  • RV or regular camping
  • Small businesses like food trucks
  • Tailgating
  • Construction sites with smaller tools
  • Running certain power tools

Briggs and Stratton P4500 performance in important categories

Besides the brief review summary above you may also find it helpful to see Briggs and Stratton P4500 in numerical performances for different generator areas.

Performance CategoryBriggs and Stratton P4500 Score*Performance CategoryBriggs and Stratton P4500 Score*
Power Capacity7Fuel Efficiency5
Run Time9Ease Of Use6
Quiet Operation8.5Portability7
THDClean Sine WavePrice Category$$$
Reliability Reputation5.5Overall Expert Rating5
Current PriceCheck Price
Briggs and Stratton P4500 performance on a score of 10 compared to other generators*

Individual reviews compare the specific model to portable generators in general and sometimes scores are based on customer input

Briggs and Stratton P4500 key features

The list of all the Briggs and Stratton P4500 features can feel overwhelming but luckily these are not all equally important for this review.

Instead, a few of the key features in this first table below often make it clear whether a generator like the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is good enough for your needs.

FeatureBriggs and Stratton
P4500 Detail
Fuel TypeGasoline
Starting Watts4500 Starting Watts
Running Watts3700 Running Watts
Run Time @25% Load16 Hours
Noise Levels66 dBA
Outlets(1) 120V 30A TT30R RV Outlet,
(2) Duplex Of 120V 20A 5-20R
Outlets, (2) USB Ports
THDInverter So Clean Sine Wave
Warranty*3 Years Limited Residential
And 1 Year Limited Commercial
Price Category**$$$
Check Current Price
Briggs and Stratton P4500 key features

*Warranties can vary from seller to seller

**Price category at the time of writing

What will the Briggs and Stratton P4500 run?

Other review details are important too but in the end, whether a Briggs and Stratton P4500 is strong enough to run your devices is one of the most important details.

What a 4500 watt generator will power is a somewhat more extensive subject but I will give a few general trends to give you some idea.

A generator like the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is typically strong enough to run a combination of a nice amount of small or medium appliances or tools.

For example, you could run a refrigerator, TV, and coffee machine at the same time.

You can also use the Briggs and Stratton P4500 to power somewhat bigger machines like a window air conditioner (15,000 BTU), a 1 HP air compressor, or a table saw separately.

When in doubt (even when not), it tends to be smart to take a quick look at the power consumption of the devices you want to run.

With these numbers, you can check whether the 4500 peak watts, 3700 running watts, 30 amps, and 120 volts of the Briggs and Stratton P4500 are enough.

Briggs and Stratton P4500 customer reviews insights

Looking at the features of the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is a great place to start a good review of this portable inverter generator.

However, it is also important to go over the reviews of the customers before you since these often uncover unexpected downsides.

To save you some time, I already did this for you.

Customer reviews of the Briggs and Stratton P4500 are still reasonably positive but there is also a lot of room for improvement.

There are a good number of cases where customers are not able to get or keep their Briggs and Stratton P4500 going due to technical difficulties.

You should especially not expect too much of the electric start with how many reviews mention negative experiences with this feature.

Additionally, even when customers are still within the mentioned warranty durations, they often find it hard to actually get helpful support that resolves the issue.

In short, while there are happy customers too, many people have a suboptimal experience with the Briggs and Stratton P4500.

Briggs and Stratton P4500 alternatives

In some portable generator categories, suboptimal reviews are somewhat normal.

That being said, in the 4500 watt generator category, there are many great alternatives to the Briggs and Stratton P4500. Even if you want clean sine wave power.

The best example of this is the Westinghouse iGen4500 which is better than the Briggs and Stratton P4500 in basically every important area.

Is the Briggs and Stratton P4500 worth it?

If the Briggs and Stratton P4500 was the only 4500 watt inverter generator on the market it would maybe be worth the investment for some people.

However, with how good the other options available are, the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is likely not worth your time and investment.

Especially in situations where you want a generator to rely on as backup power for important appliances and tools.

Briggs and Stratton P4500

Other Briggs and Stratton P4500 specifications

Even thought this review should make it clear that the Briggs and Stratton P4500 is likely not the best choice for you, you may want to know about its other specs.

You can find these in the table below.

Additionally, you may want to take a look at the Briggs & Stratton P4500 manual for even more details.

SpecificationBriggs and Stratton
P4500 Detail
Voltage120 Volts
PortableYes
Fuel Tank Capacity3.5 Gallons
Gallons Per Hour0.22 Gallons Per Hour
At 25% Load
Fuel Efficiency
(kWh Per Gallon)
4.229
Outlet CoversYes
Engine Displacement224cc
Recoil Pull StartYes
Electric StartYes
Low Oil ShutdownYes
Fully Enclosed DesignYes
AC Frequency60 Hz
Remote StartNo
Built-In
Digital Smart LCD
Yes
Hour MeterYes
Fuel GaugeYes
Wattage MeterNo
Run Time RemainingNo
Engine Type4 Stroke
Remote
Generator Operation
No
Parallel ReadyNo
WheelsYes
CO-MinderYes
Country Of OriginChina
Dimensions24.5″ L x 17.6″ W x 20.3″ H
Weight104 lbs (47.2 kg)
Check Current Price
Other Briggs and Stratton P4500 specifications

Briggs and Stratton P4500 FAQ

How long will a Briggs and Stratton P4500 run?

A Briggs and Stratton P4500 will run for about 16 hours at 25% load on a full tank. This is above average.

How much oil does a Briggs and Stratton P4500 take?

The Briggs and Stratton P4500 has an oil capacity of 20 fluid ounces or about 0.6 liters.

How many decibels is a Briggs and Stratton P4500?

A Briggs and Stratton P4500 is about 66 dBA at 25% load and 23 feet away.

Related posts:

Photo of author

Author:

Mats is the founder and head editor of Generator Decision. With a combination of critical thinking, tireless research, and a healthy interest in electronics he helps people find the right generators and how to use these. At this point in the journey, Mats has done research on hundreds of portable generators.