I bought one last month and just broke it in with 5 hrs run time. Following some internet advice, I ran the 1st 2 hrs with no load and changed oil at 1 hr interval. At the end of the 2nd hr, I found a broken plastic piece (pic attached) at the bottom of the casing. I looked up & down inside the casing and couldn't tell where this was broken from. I also enlisted my mechanically minded neighbours, both father and son to lend some fresh & younger eyes to help looking without success. Hoping that it was broken during assembly and remedied. And the broken piece was unnoticed and left at the casing. I decided to carry on with the breaking-in instead of returning to Costco.
For performance wise, it starts with a couple of pulls. Showing 126V output at no load. It drops to 124-125V with 400W & 1400W load. It can stay in ECO mode with 1/2 load with minimum raise in noise level.
Noise level is above 60db even in ECO mode at 20+ ft away. With an Android App, accuracy uncertain, I measured somewhere between 60-64 db. But I am sure it's not the 58db as advertised b/c I have seen a Honda 3KW genny run, which advertises @ 57db, and it was much quieter going by my memory. This might not be a fair side by side comparison but it is definitely quieter than an open frame genny.
I read about the fuel leak problem during my research and it is due to some cheap fuel hose. If it is not corrected by the manuf by now, I believe it is a easy fix. I also read about the spark plug might cause problem down the stretch. It is advisable to replace it with some name brand or carry a spare.
All in all, it only costs 1/4 the cost of a Honda. I think/hope it justifies its cost for my need. YMMV
