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75 of 83 found the following review helpful:
Cheaper Twin Jan 17, 2007
By A Pohick
The 8500 has identical spec's to the PowerMax XP8500E, but buying this one saves a C-note.
As a test the elderly recipient of this generator feebly pulled the cord to start the motor. At first it looked pointless as the effort failed to build up any momentum. The motor turned about one and a half strokes, but incredibly, the motor fired up on the second tug. The electric start worked fine, but if the battery happens to lose too much charge, starting the motor by hand proves easy enough. It's also possible to jump start it just like a car.
Delivery requires coördinating with a shipping company that only hands over the product to a warm body. For the customer accustomed to finding items dropped off at the stoop, that sucks. It also conflicts with having the item sent to a site other than home. The driver had no qualms, though, about loading the generator onto the back of a pick-up which was nice. Still, instead of waiting for a delivery which I had to transfer to another location,I could have just as easily bought a generator at the hardware store. Amazon used to conveniently leave items for me where ever I needed them delivered (Kansas, Michigan, Virginia). Now, I have to take time off from work to meet a trucker and complete the delivery myself. Gifts don't arrive as a welcome surprise anymore because the recipients have to go through the same rigamarole.
It has ample 120 volt receptacles to plug portable GFCI's into for running heavy duty extension cords through the house. This'll provide some immediate comfort while the electrician installs a transfer switch, a 30 amp inlet and sub-panel. He or she will also piece together a 10-4 SO extension cord to connect between the generator's 220 volt outlet and the sub-panel's inlet.
Don't scrimp on the budget for the set up with the transfer switch. It makes plugging in a generator convenient and safe. You can hook up the generator yourself any time you want to later.
--tick-tock--October 2008, it still runs. It has only a few hours running time, though. A generator mechanic pointed out that these cheap products have short lives without regular attention, so change that oil! $700 genny, good deal, would buy from same again.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Consumer Review XP8500E Sep 10, 2011
By BOGY.
I finally decided to 'pull the trigger' and get a generator. Living in Connecticut, having the power go out 5 times over the last two years and having no power for more than two days is no fun. When looking for a generator I researched a lot of them but wanted certain features. I found them all in the XP8500. Here we go:
Shipping:
This item shipped for FREE and thankfully - it weighs in at over 200 lbs. 225 to be exact. The item shipped via FedEx which was another blessing. FedEx freight called and delivered on time with the package in perfect condition. It took about a week to arrive after I placed my order. Perfect. MaxTool was great - communication was solid and they were very helpful with answering my shipping questions.
Here is what I was looking for in a generator:
Volt meter
Gas gauge
at least 8000W
electric start with pull start back up
4 120v outlets
a unit with a muffler
auto idle
Carb compliant engine at least 15HP
Assembly:
As I stated above this thing is heavy. Once the wheel kit is assembled it carts around nicely although the handles are short - I'll get into that later. So, here is what I did which made things easier if you don't have help. First, cut the box with a box cutter knife on the corners so the flaps fold down. Now, get three 2x4's each about three feet long and stack them. This will give you enough clearance to get both the feet attached as well as the wheels. Start with the end which will have the feet. Lift this end up and slide the stacked 2x4's underneath. attach the feet, two nuts each. Now, you have the footing on one side you can use the 2x4's on the other end where the wheels go. Same thing on this end with a twist. Attach the axle - two nuts and bolts each side. Now, lift the side up just a bit so you can slide the wheels on. Once they are slid on you can secure them with a pin. Remove the 2x4's and move on to the handles which were easy to attach. Now fill the case with oil. The unit doesn't come with oil. It takes SAE 10W30. The battery came fully charged. Connect the battery terminals, fill with fresh gas and you are ready to go! The whole process took about a half hour.
Operation/Starting:
The generator started up instantly. Pull the cord or turn the key and BAM! Push the choke in half way then all the way open) and it idles nicely. This generator is quiet! I have a half acre and in the front of the house you could not hear the generator running in the back yard. So I decided to start testing with my pool. Yes, I ran a cord to my pool filter and it went from idle to full throttle. Powered the pool filter no problem. For me this will power three essential things during an outage: Refrigerator, chest freezer and tankless hot water heater. I hooked them all up and this thing ran with ease. Cranking at full throttle it wasn't as loud as I thought it would be - my lawn mower is just as loud.
Storage:
I picked up a cover here on Amazon for $10. It does the trick and will keep dust off the unit until I need it. Everything on this generator is easy to get too, see and adjust. Even without the manual at hand there are stickers everywhere that show you what each item is and what information you should know about that item. For example, the gas shut off valve has a sticker above it with the label and diagram of which position is on or off. Each component has a sticker above it. So, for storage you can drain the gas easily by using a 10MM wrench to loosen the gas filter cup and remove. Take a plastic soda bottle with the top cut off and you can catch the dripping gas. Of course do this after running engine dry. As for gas, every time I fill up my 5 gallon tank I always put at least two ounces of Stabil in it. You should too! Disconnect the positive battery terminal before covering. Put a board down for the wheels - concrete can do bad things to wheels if they sit long.
Unhappy Notes:
Oil:
The unit didn't come with oil. It wasn't a problem as I went to the local car parts store and picked up two Quarts of SAE 10W30 Synthetic motor oil. The generator takes 37 Ounces or 1.1 Liters. A quart has 32 ounces in it so you will need two quarts. Start it up with one quart filled, let the oil move into the engine, shut it down then top off. However, filling with my long nose funnel was a breeze - very easy to get at.
Wheels:
The instructions say to make sure the fill valve is facing out when attaching wheels. Well, this unit came with air filled tires but there is NO valve! This concerns me because if I need to fill air into the wheel, well, how will I do it? Tires loose air with pressure. I just wish they were solid through out - no air - and I hope they stay inflated.
Handles:
Putting the handles on was easy however they are short. I stand 5'8" and when carting the unit you have to walk slow. Anyone taller than me would have an awkward angle when walking so close to the generator. The handles are only 10 inches long so you are very close to the generator when you walk. Also, the muffler faces you when you walk so you have to be careful when grabbing the right handle as it is right in front of the muffler. HOT
Wrap-up:
PROS:
Quick start either by pulling cord or turning electric start key
7000W running power with 8500W surg
7 Gallon gas tank with gas gauge
Volt meter
Muffler on engine
Four 120V AC outlets
Easy to read info stickers placed throughout the machine
Breaker switch
Low Oil auto shut off
Auto idle switch
QUIET - 72 dBA
Four Rubber motor mounts
16HP OHV engine
Engine parts/components are all at easy reach
CONS:
Wheels - no inflation valve - flats/Air loss = new tire??
Handles - short in length
Doesn't come with oil - need to purchase 2 Qts of SAE 10W30
UPDATE: 10/31/2011
Well, in CT we had our first storm of the season and of course the power went out. I was ready this time - broke out the generator connected the battery terminals and it started with one turn of the key. It powered everything in the house that I needed it too. Now, here is the problem - the Gas Tank Gauge will not work. You can look inside the tank and see the gas or when it runs out it will shut off but hey, I got this generator because of the many features I was looking for. The gas gauge was one of them and now it isn't working. It seems like one of those floater type gauges but I am not sure if I can fix it or make it work. I will just have to live with it and be happy it powers the things I need which is what I really need from a generator.
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
Needed a Good Generator - Fast Jan 06, 2011
By Michael Pochop
I ordered the 10000 watt 16hp generator exactly nine days before Christmas, actually needing it two days before Christmas, and hoping for a miracle. I needed the unit to power a Clark 3DS floor machine which requires 8kw steady to operate. I was scheduled to refinish a school gym floor and couldn't get ahold of a rental piece of equipment.
Speaking to the sales rep - he told me I would probably not see the unit before Christmas - I hesitated and then ordered the unit anyway. The unit was sent from California to Nebraska and was delivered in 3 working days without a rush on shipping. I was ecstatic.
I unpacked the unit and found it simple to get ready to operate. I attached 200 foot of heavy guage 30 amp cord to the generator, hooked up my 3DS and fired up the generator. After about three minutes to allow for warm up, I activated the 3DS. The generator immediately picked up to full throttle, supplying ample power to my floor machine. So the initial test went okay.
Two days later at six o'clock in the morning, at a temperature of 10 degrees F, I cranked up the machine and got ready to start on the gym floor. After a five minute warm-up; I started and ran my 3DS for almost five hours straight. I had absolutely no problems with this unit and it didn't even use a half a tank of gas at full throttle for a good four hours.
Very happy about the solid wheels - no possibility for flats. Very happy about the electric start, individual breakers, idle control, and ease of operation. The noise was about what I expected for a 16hp motor, but was quieter than a lot of Briggs motors of less hp. Overall, a well built, solid unit. I would recommend it.
Update as of January 2012. I used the above generator to refinish 8 gym floors last year. I average about 6-7 hours of running time, with about 4 to 5 hours of full throttle running time. I've had no "quirks" or bad experiences with the unit. I changed the oil after the first 10 hours of operation (old habit from working with small engines) to allow for break-in. Still running great.
43 of 53 found the following review helpful:
 Powermax XP8500E/ Maxtools Sep 08, 2009
By Jeff425
"Jeff425"
Stay away from this particular brand of generator. I purchased the Powermax 8500E generator in April/09 from [...] against my better judgement. The nice looks and good price just suckered me right in. Put it together, added a gallon of gas and it ran fine for the short period I tested it. Well we had a power outtage which required me to fill the tank up. I was finally gonna get a chance to use this brand new generator, that still had the tags on it. After 1 hr. of running I noticed fuel seeping thru the side of the fuel tank and couldn't believe it. No worry though, Maxtools will stand behind it, or so I thought. Called [...] and spoke with a very UN-Helpful customer service represenitive who told me he would send me a new tank for $25.00 bucks for the shipping. What a joke! Way to stand behind your product. Anyway, those who have left positive reviews for these generators have not had them for any length of time. [...]
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Well Pleased after 1 year Oct 20, 2010
By R. L. Reed
"R. Reed"
I have had the Powermax xp8500e for a little over 18 months now and replaced a Honda 4400 watt generator with it. Our power goes out often and recently ran the generator over 8 hrs due to a failure in the area. Total run time would be estimated at over 60 hours thus far. I have read the other reviews and decided to post this one. I have not experienced any problems other than the tires leaking down over time. I use it to power the entire house and just pay attention to how much and what I'm using such as cutting the hot water pump off while taking showers since I have 2 4000 watt elements in an 80 gallon tank. After showering and running the water pump I cut the hot water heater back on. The 2 refrigerators and 2 freezers as well as lights, tv/satellite are all fine during this process. Manage your consumption, use a transfer switch and inlet box, it makes things much simpler and very quick. Change the oil after the first couple of runs due to break in. Shut the gas off and let the motor run out then cut the switch off. It starts occassionally on the first pull and if not on the second just to see if it will but use the electric start. It is quiter than the 4400 watt I had and the idle down/up according to demand works great. On several occasions I've had to take it to work on construction projests, buildings where there was no power available and operated fine. I'm sorry some other folks have had problems but for the price and wattage this one has been excellent for me.
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