The wattage of your generator refers to how much power it can generate per unit time. It also determines how much power electronics can draw from it over the same unit of time. Generally, the higher the generator wattage rating, the more the number of electronics you can run on it. As for electronics, they have a starting and running wattage. The running wattage is the amount of power needed to start the appliance while the running wattage is the power needed to keep it running. The starting wattage is either more or equal to the running wattage for most appliances.
A 3000-3500 watt generator can power up a couple or medium-sized household appliances including refrigerator, freezer, and LED lights at the same time. It can supply about 14 amps at 240 volts or 28 amps at standard 120-volt power.
For a generator to start and run a device or several of them, the power produced needs to match that of the appliance at the start and during the running phase. If you’re running more than one appliance, you need to add the wattage of each appliance to find the total required to run them. This, in a way, helps you determine the size of generator you need.
Appliances Run by a 3500-Watt Generator
The appliances you can run with a generator rated at 3000 Watts include the following:
| Appliance | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
| Light bulb – 60 Watt | 60 | 60 |
| Light bulb – 75 Watt | 75 | 75 |
| Fridge/freezer | 700 | 2200 |
| Sump pump – ½ HP | 1050 | 2200 |
| Sump pump – 1/3 HP | 800 | 1300 |
| Water well pump – 1/3 HP | 1000 | 2000 |
| Humidifier – 13 Gallons | 175 | 175 |
| Space heater | 1800 | 1800 |
| Furnace fan blower – 1/3 HP | 700 | 1400 |
| Furnace fan blower ½ HP | 800 | 2350 |
| Central AC – 10000 BTU | 1500 | 3000 |
| Window AC – 10000 BTU | 1200 | 1800 |
| Washing machine | 1150 | 2250 |
| Iron | 1200 | 1200 |
| Quartz halogen work light, 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Quartz halogen work light, 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Air sprayer – 1 1/3 HP | 600 | 1200 |
| Quartz halogen work light, 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Electric drill – 3/8” 4 Amps | 440 | 600 |
| Reciprocating saw | 960 | 960 |
| Hammer drill | 1000 | 3000 |
| Electric drill – ½”, 5.4 Amps | 600 | 900 |
| Miter saw – 10” | 1800 | 1800 |
| Circular saw – 7¼” | 1400 | 2300 |
| AM/FM radio | 100 | 100 |
| Electric grill | 1650 | 1650 |
| Box fan – 20” | 200 | 200 |
| CD/DVD player | 100 | 100 |
| Microwave oven – 1000 Watts | 1000 | 1000 |
| Microwave oven – 625 Watts | 625 | 625 |
| Electric stove – 8” element | 2100 | 2100 |
| Coffee maker | 1000 | 1000 |
| Food processor | 400 | 400 |
| Dishwasher – hot dry | 1500 | 1500 |
| Toaster | 850 | 850 |
| Toaster oven | 1200 | 1200 |
| VCR | 100 | 100 |
| Electric can opener | 168 | 168 |
| Color N – 27” | 500 | 500 |
| Stereo receiver | 450 | 450 |
| Security system | 500 | 500 |
| PlayStation, Xbox, Game Cube | 40 | 40 |
| Curling iron | 1500 | 1500 |
| ½ HP garage door opener | 875 | 2350 |
| Planer/jointer – b” | 1800 | 1800 |
| Hair dryer -1250 Watts | 1250 | 1250 |
| Belt sander | 1200 | 2400 |
| Radial arm saw/table saw – 10” | 2000 | 2000 |
| Personal computer with 17” monitor | 800 | 800 |
| Air compressor – 1¼ HP | 975 | 1600 |
| Laser printer | 950 | 950 |
| Fax machine | 65 | 65 |
| Copy machine | 1600 | 1600 |
| Inkjet printer | 80 | 80 |
| Outdoor lighting string | 250 | 250 |
| Color N – 13” | 150 | 150 |
| Inflator pump | 50 | 150 |
| Cell phone battery charger | 25 | 25 |
Essentially, a 3500W generator can run almost all home appliances without an issue. You can even run most appliances together without ever straining the generator. Make sure the appliance you run has a starting wattage within the limit of your generator otherwise it won’t start. It’s thus advisable to start your appliances one at a time to avoid overloading the generator.
3000-3500-Watt Generators (Brands)
Some of the best generators in this category include the following:
| Generator | Watts | Features |
| Briggs & Stratton 30545 P3000 PowerSmart Series | 3000 | Starting wattage of 3000 and running wattage of 2800. 1.5-gallon tank capacity. 58 decibels at 25% load. 10 hours runtime at 25% load. Weighs 85 lbs. |
| Honda Super Quiet EU3000IS1A | 3000 | Starting and running wattages of 3000 and 2800 respectively. 3.4-gallon tank capacity. 50 decibels at 25% load. 20 hours runtime at 25% load. Weighs 134 lbs. |
| Champion Power Equipment 75531i | 3100 | Starting and running wattages of 3100 and 2800 respectively. 1.6-gallon tank capacity. 58 decibels at 25% load. 8 hours runtime at 25% load. Weighs 95 lbs. |
| FIRMAN W03081 cETL & CARB Certified | 3300 | Starting and running wattages of 3300 and 3000 respectively. 1.8-gallon tank capacity. Weighs 97 lbs. Low noise. 9 hours of runtime at 25% load. |
| Predator 3500 | 3500 | Starting and running wattage of 3500 and 3000 respectively. 2.6-gallon tank capacity. 11 hours runtime at 25% load. 57 decibels at 25% load. Weighs 99.2 lbs. |
| DuroMax XP4400E 3500 Running Watts | 4400 | Starting and running wattages of 4400 and 3500 respectively. Weighs 127 lbs. Operates at both 220V and 140V of output. 3.96-gallon gasoline tank capacity. 69 decibels of engine sound. Wheels and handle kit included. |
| WEN 56352 | 3500 | Starting and running wattages of 3500 and 3000 respectively. 11 hours runtime at 50% load. Wheel kit and foldable handles included.4 power outlets. 4-gallon tank. 103.3 pounds weight. |
| Sportsman GEN4000DF Dual Fuel Powered Generator | 4000 | Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3500 respectively. Weighs 94 pounds. 10 hours runtime on gasoline at 50% load and 12 hours on propane with the same load. Runs on both gas and propane. 3.6-gallon tank capacity. Less than 69 decibels. |
| Champion Dual Fuel RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator | 3400 | Starting and running wattages of 3400 and 3100 respectively. Weighs 97.5 pounds. Uses both propane and gasoline. Runtime of 7.5 hours at 25% load on gasoline and 14.5 hours at 25% load on propane. Cold start technology to start the generator in cold weather. 59 decibels of noise. |
| Yamaha EF3000iSEB Gas Powered Portable Generator | 3500 | Starting and running wattages of 3500 and 2800 respectively. 19 hours runtime. 3.4-gallon tank capacity. Weighs 150 pounds. Low noise levels. |
You may have noted that we included generators with more than 3500 starting Watts. This is because they still have a running wattage within the 3500-Watt limit for this guide. Other than that, these are all great generators offering the best value for money and clean, stable power for your home, RV, or other use scenarios.
Further Reading