3000-3500-watt Generator, What Will it Run?

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.

3000 watt honda generator
Portable 3000-watt honda

Appliances Run by a 3500-Watt Generator

The appliances you can run with a generator rated at 3000 Watts include the following:

ApplianceRunning WattsStarting Watts
Light bulb – 60 Watt6060
Light bulb – 75 Watt7575
Fridge/freezer7002200
Sump pump – ½ HP10502200
Sump pump – 1/3 HP8001300
Water well pump – 1/3 HP10002000
Humidifier – 13 Gallons175175
Space heater18001800
Furnace fan blower – 1/3 HP7001400
Furnace fan blower ½ HP8002350
Central AC – 10000 BTU15003000
Window AC – 10000 BTU12001800
Washing machine11502250
Iron12001200
Quartz halogen work light, 500500500
Quartz halogen work light, 300300300
Air sprayer – 1 1/3 HP6001200
Quartz halogen work light, 100010001000
Electric drill – 3/8” 4 Amps440600
Reciprocating saw960960
Hammer drill10003000
Electric drill – ½”, 5.4 Amps600900
Miter saw – 10”18001800
Circular saw – 7¼”14002300
AM/FM radio100100
Electric grill16501650
Box fan – 20”200200
CD/DVD player100100
Microwave oven – 1000 Watts10001000
Microwave oven – 625 Watts625625
Electric stove – 8” element21002100
Coffee maker10001000
Food processor400400
Dishwasher – hot dry15001500
Toaster850850
Toaster oven12001200
VCR100100
Electric can opener168168
Color N – 27”500500
Stereo receiver450450
Security system500500
PlayStation, Xbox, Game Cube4040
Curling iron15001500
½ HP garage door opener8752350
Planer/jointer – b”18001800
Hair dryer -1250 Watts12501250
Belt sander12002400
Radial arm saw/table saw – 10”20002000
Personal computer with 17” monitor800800
Air compressor – 1¼ HP9751600
Laser printer950950
Fax machine6565
Copy machine16001600
Inkjet printer8080
Outdoor lighting string250250
Color N – 13”150150
Inflator pump50150
Cell phone battery charger2525

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:

3500 watt champion generator
Champion 3500 watt
GeneratorWattsFeatures
Briggs & Stratton 30545 P3000 PowerSmart Series3000Starting 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 EU3000IS1A3000Starting 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 75531i3100Starting 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 Certified3300Starting 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 35003500Starting 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 Watts4400Starting 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 563523500Starting 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 Generator4000Starting 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 Generator3400Starting 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 Generator3500Starting 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