WEN GN400i is a powerful and reliable inverter generator with an open frame design. It is 30% lighter and 50% quieter than a regular 4000-watt generator. It is a parallel ready unit that delivers impressive and clean power and features a sophisticated power panel. Also, WEN GN400i is both CARB and EPA approved and has a 2-year warranty.
Features:
Generator Type: WEN GN400i is an open frame inverter generator that needs gasoline to power your electronics, appliances, and tools. It is an RV-ready unit so that RV owners can buy it to power their RV appliances and electronics during camping. Also, homeowners, DIYers, and tailgaters can use this inverter to power a variety of things.
Warranty: This generator is backed by a 2-year warranty. Also, for any assistance, you can call customer support 24/7.
Portability: The best thing about this inverter generator is that it is an open frame. Users can easily lift and move it from one end to the other. It is a tough and durable unit weighing only 66.1 pounds. Also, it is compact in size. The length of this generator is 19.8 inches, 13.8 inches is the width, and its height is 18.9 inches.
Power Wattage: It carries a 212cc 4-stroke OHV engine having a cast iron sleeve for ultimate protection. It provides 4000 starting watts and 3500 running watts. This power is enough to run an RV refrigerator, electric frypan, RV air conditioner of 11,000BTU, and sensitive electronic items such as smartphones and tablets. Also, at home, you can power two big appliances simultaneously.
Clean Power: WEN GN400i is designed to produce a pure sine wave. Its 1.2% THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) rating at full load proves that the power coming out of the outlets is clean and stable.
With this stable power, users can charge or power their delicate electronics without any worries.
Parallel Capable: If you need more power than 3500 running watts, you can link up to two inverter generators by using a parallel connection kit from WEN. But it doesn’t come with the generator, so you have to buy it separately.
Fuel Tank Capacity: It has a steel fuel tank of 1.85 gallons, featured with a fuel gauge so that users can easily know when to refill the tank.
Runtime: A fuel tank fully loaded with gasoline can give up to 7 hours of runtime at half load. It is a fuel-efficient generator that consumes 0.26 gallons of gasoline per hour.
Eco-Mode: The Eco-mode feature is highly useful. It prevents the needless usage of gasoline by allowing the engine to auto-adjust its fuel consumption to meet the amount of load applied. At 25% load, the engine will consume less fuel, and at a 75% load, it will consume more fuel.
Starting Mechanism: This RV-ready unit is quite easy to start via a simple recoil start mechanism.
Noise Level: Because WEN GN400i has an open frame design, so it operates at 67 dBA. With this decibel rating, you can’t consider it a quiet generator. But still, this noise level is lower than many conventional generators.
Power Outlets: It is equipped with three AC outlets and two DC outlets.
The generator becomes RV-ready because of the 120 Volt 30 Ampere (TT-30R) outlet. The two other AC outlets include 120 Volt 20 Ampere (5-20R) receptacles. Other than this, there are two DC outlets, which are 5 Volt USB ports.
Light Indicators: WEN GN400i also features the same light indicators that most of the inverter generators come with: Output Ready, Oil, and Overload.
The overload indicator tells there is an extra load on the generator and turns off the engine to prevent overheating. The oil indicator turns on because of lower oil levels. And the output light indicates your generator is ready to deliver the output.
Choke: It has a manual choke system.
Thechokelimits the air flowing into the engine and allows more fuel to pass on. This helps users to start their cold engines easily. Once the temperature rises, it should be turned off.
Safety: Low-oil shutoff sensor automatically shuts down the engine to safeguard your unit from damage caused due to running on low oil. Built-in overload protection also shuts off the engine to avoid overloading damages.
Emissions: WEN GN400i is both CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) compliant.
WEN GN400i vs. Champion 100302 vs. Westinghouse iGen4200 vs. Generac GP3500iO
| Features | Models | |||
| WEN GN400i | Champion 100302 | Westinghouse iGen4200 | Generac GP3500iO | |
| Peak/Rated Watts | 4000W/3500W | 4000W/3500W | 4200W/3500W | 3500W/3000W |
| Tank Size | 1.85 gal. | 2.9 gal. | 2.6 gal. | 2.37 gal. |
| Runtime | 7 hrs (1/2 load) | 17 hrs (1/4 load) | 18 hrs (1/4 load) | 11 hrs (1/4 load) |
| Noise | 67 dBA | 64 dBA | 60 dBA | Not mentioned |
| Starting Mechanism | Recoil | Recoil | Recoil | Recoil |
| Weight | 66.1 lbs. | 81.6 lbs. | 82 lbs. | 74.3 lbs. |
My Opinion:
Pros: WEN GN400i is an affordable, RV-ready inverter generator. It is not a heavy generator, weighing only 66.1 pounds. It is powerful, offers excellent fuel efficiency, has an acceptable noise, and allows another inverter generator to get connected in parallel.
Cons: Data center is missing. Also, it doesn’t have an electric start system.
FAQs
Does this model come with a fuel shutoff feature?
Yes, there is a manual fuel shutoff valve that is easily accessible. Turn it off and allow the generator to run until all the fuel in the carburetor is used up.
What type of fuel does WEN GN400i need?
It needs regular gasoline without any mixing of oil and gas.
What is the THD rating of this model at full load?
At full load, its THD rating is less than 1.2%. It is a highly suitable generator for powering sensitive electronics such as smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming systems, and other delicate devices.