Uncertain power outages can leave you and your family disconnected for long periods. For this, generators are a handy tool. These generators are reliable power sources that provide backup power in such outages. In this article we will review the Briggs & Stratton S5000 as it’s one of those generators that can power your essential appliances in outages.
B&S has proved to make durable and remarkable generators for its consumers. Whether you plan on using it at your home, in your RV, at a recreational park, or work-sites, these generators can be used everywhere.
Here you’ll get to know all you need to know about this generator.
Briggs & Stratton S5000 Generator – An Overview
The Briggs & Stratton Company was founded in 1908 as a partnership between Harold M. Stratton and Stephen F. Briggs. And since its foundation, Briggs & Stratton has provided industry-leading products to its consumers.
The motors manufactured by B&S are high-quality motors that are durable and have low prices, making them affordable for most people.
An additional bonus of buying the Briggs & Stratton generators is they are made in the USA. The Headquarters of B&S is in Wisconsin, but their service centers are spread all around the world.
So, you won’t have any problem finding a service center if you buy any product from Briggs & Stratton.
When going over the generators from Briggs & Stratton, you’ll find reliable generators. No other competition makes quality small engines. But, of course, it doesn’t mean that competitors like Honda or Yamaha haven’t achieved it.
The generators manufactured at Briggs & Stratton are cheaper compared to Honda or Yamaha generators. So, not only are you getting better technology with Briggs & Stratton generators but more affordable too.
Briggs & Stratton S5000 Generator Technical Specifications
| Starting Watts | 6250 W |
| Running Watts | 5000 W |
| Fuel | Gasoline |
| Start Type | Recoil |
| Tank Capacity | 7.5 Gallon |
| Engine | 389cc |
| Weight | 187 pounds |
| Run Time | 12 hours @ 50% load |
Features of Briggs & Stratton S5000
The Briggs & Stratton S5000 generator can give up to 6,250 starting watts and 5000 running watts, making it an excellent choice for houses with frequent power outages.
Some of the best engineers sit at a drawing table and design the generators. These generators are power efficient and easily get to 3600 RPM.
As the engines are manufactured at the plants, the compatibility between these engines and other mechanical parts is astonishing.
With the latest technology available, the S5000 generator can run for a long, providing backup power during outages.
389cc Engine
The 389cc engine inside the Briggs & Stratton S5000 is in-house manufactured. It gives B&S complete control over the engine to decide what to tweak to maximize efficiency.
With the help of these extra tweaks, the S5000 can produce 6250 surge watts. This high surge wattage is useful when you have to power electric motors on this generator. In contrast, the running watts of this generator are 5000 watts. So, if you want to use a refrigerator, sump pumps, Space heaters, etc., this generator can handle all. However, it cannot power all the appliances simultaneously. But if you manage properly, you won’t even sense if there’s an outage or not.
7.5 Gallon Fuel Tank
To power the huge 389cc engine inside the S5000, a 7.5-gallon fuel tank is used. This fuel tank is made of metal, so you don’t have to worry about its durability.
In addition, the inside of the tank is coated with chemicals so that the metal does not react with gasoline. And giving you clean fuel to power your generator.
A benefit of having such a huge fuel tank is that you won’t have to refuel it again and again. The large 7.5-gallon fuel tank can last up to 12 hours at 50% load. Saving you from the trouble of running to the gas station in outages.
Power Outlets
Once the power is generated, the main question is how it is delivered. Well, to answer that, the Briggs & Stratton S5000 generator is equipped with different outlets. There are four 120V household outlets.
These can be connected in the house to low-load bearing appliances to provide power to them. Whereas for load-bearing appliances, there’s a 120/240V 30 Amp locking outlet.
The generator itself can output 41 Amps at 120v while at 20 Amps at 240v. Thus, making it suitable to power high power-consuming appliances.
Hour Meter
The S5000 Briggs & Stratton generator is equipped with every new technology available. One such is the hour meter. What is an hour meter? An hour meter measures the generator’s consumption. In addition to that, it tells the real-time RPM of the generator.
So, you can keep an eye on the generator’s performance. You can find out just by observing the hour meter if your generator is malfunctioning.
The Hour meter is also useful for automatic maintenance runs. It’ll calculate the time since the generator starts. You can close the generator when the maintenance run time is over.
Never-Go-Flat Wheel and Fold-up Handle
Since the S5000 is a portable generator, the manufacturers included all the features that make it portable. One such feature is the addition of Never-Go-Flat wheels to the generator.
These 10″ diameter wheels make sure that you can move your generator through any terrain. So, whether it’s the concrete base of your porch or the recreational camp, these wheels don’t know where to give up.
There is a Fold-up handle at the front of the generator too. Iy also plays an important role in the portability of the generator. With the combination of these, the 187-pound generator becomes a portable generator. In addition, it can be moved from one place to another by only one person.
CO Guard
Sometimes, certain conditions force you to run your generators indoors. For example, maybe it’s some flood that has filled your porch with water or any other scenario. Thus, you’ll be forced to start your generator indoors.
Running the generator inside isn’t a problem; the CO that comes out is the problem. CO or Carbon Monoxide is a toxic gas, which, if inhaled in large quantities, can cause health hazards.
To save you from such situations, the S5000 is equipped with a CO guard. This guard is a safety feature for your generator.
So, if the CO level around the generator increases, it’ll force shut it down. This way, you’ll not only save your life but those working near the generator.
Power Surge Alternator
Generators need to generate extra power so they can start large motor-driven appliances. A typical 5000W generator doesn’t fulfill this feat. You either go for a larger generator to power them, or you don’t power them at all.
That’s why Briggs & Stratton generators have a ‘Power Surge Alternator.’ This alternator produces extra surge power for such motor-driven appliances.
Briggs & Stratton S5000 vs. Briggs & Stratton 6250 – The Difference
| Features | Briggs & Stratton S5000 | Briggs & Stratton 6250 |
| Running wattage | 5000 W | 6250 W |
| Weight | 187 pounds | 210 pounds |
| Fuel tank capacity | 7.5 gallon | 7.5 gallon |
| Engine | 389cc | 420cc |
| Run Time | Up to 12 hours @ 50% load | up to 11 hours @ 50% load |
The Briggs & Stratton 6250 is quite similar to the S5000. The right choice generator when you think a 5000W generator won’t fit your needs. And that you need a minuscule extra running watt to power your essentials. Both these generators have a difference of 2250 starting watts, 1250 running watts.
Both these generators have a similar chassis with minor differences. Because of this, both these generators weigh almost identical. They both house a similar metal fuel tank that can hold up to 7.5 gallons of gasoline.
But the reason why the B&S 6250 can provide such high starting and running watts is because of the 420cc engine.
Even with an upgraded engine, the 7.5 gallons fuel tank can have the generator running for up to 11 hours. That’s one hour less than the S5000.
This is because the 420cc engine is manufactured at Briggs and Stratton. The engineers have tweaked the engine so it can give optimum performance.
The 6250 generator comes with few upgrades over the S5000. It has a StatStation Digital Display. This display informs about the power consumption by the appliances attached to the generator. In addition to that, it tells about the runtime and has maintenance reminders.
The overall weight of this generator is 210 pounds, which is a little higher than the S5000. But judging from the power and technological upgrades, this slight increase in weight is nothing.
Briggs & Stratton S5000 vs. Others on the Market
| Features | Briggs & Stratton S5000 | DuroMax XP5500EH | Honda EB5000 |
| Starting Watts | 6250 W | 5500 W | 7000 W |
| Running watts | 5000 W | 4500 W | 5000 W |
| Weight | 187 pounds | 124 pounds | 210 pounds |
| Run Time | Up to 12 Hours @ 50% load | 9 Hours @ 50% load | 10.5 Hours @ 50% load |
| Capacity | 7.5 gallon | 4 gallon | 6.2 gallon |
| Engine | 389cc | 224cc | 389cc |
Briggs & Stratton S5000 vs. DuroMax XP5500EH
The DuroMax XP5500EH has a smaller engine. It has a 224cc engine, whereas the S5000 has a 389cc engine. However, even with the smaller engine, it manages to provide 4500 continuous watts. Whereas the S5000 is limited to 5000 watts.
Not only that, the fuel tank in XP5500EH is smaller than the B & S generator. It is a 4-gallon tank, whereas the S5000 has a 7.5 gallons tank.
Even then, the 5500 manages to get up to 9 hours runtime at 50% load. This is 3 hours less than S5000, but judging from the tank size, actually a win for the 5500.
Apart from these, DuroMax has two fuel types, gasoline, and propane. Whereas the S5000 is limited to Gasoline.
The S5000 weighs 187 pounds, and the XP5500EH weighs 124 pounds. The weight tells us that the material used inside the S5000 is high quality. In addition, it uses metal in its fuel tank, increasing the tank’s durability, thus keeping the fuel safe.
Briggs & Stratton S5000 vs. Honda EB5000
The Honda EB5000 would be a competition for S5000. Both of these use a 389cc engine in their generators and have the same running watts output. Thus, making a competition between these both.
It has a 7000 starting wattage, whereas the S500 has 6250 starting wattage. Both of these have the same running watts of 5000.
The EB5000 and S5000 use the recoil starting system, and there are no starting buttons. You’ll have to pull the string to start both these generators.
With a 6.2 gallons fuel tank, the EB5000 runs 10.5 hours at 50% load. And the S5000 has a 12 hours runtime with a 7.5 gallons tank. Even with this bigger tank, the S5000 weighs 23 pounds less than the Honda generator.
Conclusion
The Briggs & Stratton generators are a few of the most affordable generators. They use in-house manufactured equipment in their generators and reduce its cost. This allows them to optimize the engine to their needs.
The 389cc engine used in this generator can give constant 5000 running watts. In addition, it ensures there are no stutters in the generator’s supply.
The generator is equipped with some safety features, such as the CO Guard. This guard turns off the generator when CO levels around it get too dangerous levels.
In addition, the control panel has an hour meter to keep an eye on the generator’s real-time performance. Overall, this generator is perfect for houses that need essential power appliances.
