WEN 5600-Watt Portable Generator

Reality Check of 5600-Watt Portable Generator

WEN’s 5600-Watt Portable Generator (GN5602X) delivers essential backup power with 5600 starting watts and 4500 running watts, tailored for home emergencies, RV use, or worksites. Its electric start makes powering up the 224cc engine a straightforward process, while a CO shutdown sensor offers extra safety when operating near living spaces. With versatile outlet options—standard household plugs, transfer-switch and RV-ready ports—plus a 4.3-gallon tank delivering up to 12.5 hours at half load, this unit covers many off-grid and backup needs.

The Reality Check: While this generator boasts convenient electric starting and enhanced safety features, it’s not without compromises. The most common complaint is its somewhat awkward dipstick, which makes checking oil levels less intuitive than users might expect. This matters most during regular maintenance—if you dislike dealing with fiddly oil changes, this could be a hassle. Noise is moderate for its class, and there’s no true off switch, so you’ll need to be comfortable managing a couple of quirks to get dependable performance.

Best For: Homeowners or RV travelers who prioritize easy starting, long run times, and safety features
Not Recommended For: Users sensitive to noise or anyone who wants a no-fuss maintenance experience

Key Features of 5600-Watt Portable Generator

Keep your family safe with 5600 starting watts and 4500 running watts of power
Electric start functionality turns the 224cc engine on with the press of a switch
The WEN Watchdog CO Shutdown Sensor helps protect both you and your family by automatically turning off the generator if dangerous levels of carbon monoxide are detected
4.3-gallon gas tank provide up to 12.5 hours of half-load run time
Includes a wheel kit, two standard 120V 5-20R 20-amp outlets, one RV-ready 120V 30-amp TT-30R outlet, one transfer-switch-ready 120V 30-amp NEMA L5-30R twist lock receptacle, and a three-year limited warranty

From the manufacturer

Remember WEN?

We’ve been designing and distributing high-quality and affordable power tools for decades. Founded by Nick Anton back in 1951, WEN originally made its mark by helping bring tools and electricity together (putting the power into power tools). Our research and development team played a vital role in helping to develop a variety of common everyday tools such as the chainsaw, the electric soldering gun, the electric jigsaw, the electric engraver, and the knife and wet wheel sharpeners. WEN even pioneered random orbital technology – the technology seen in most polishers, waxers, and buffers today that gives cars everywhere the streak-free shine they deserve.

Since then, our expertise has expanded to encompass a wide variety of products, including drill presses, lathes, bench grinders, nailers, miter saws, hand tools, generators, and cordless power tools, to name a few. By 2001, only 50 years after our humble beginnings, we had already sold over 50 million consumer units. By 2021, we had sold nearly 80 million. Today, WEN’s headquarters can be found in West Dundee, Illinois. Our goal is to help woodworkers, DIYers, and artisans across the world execute their wildest imaginations.

Woodworking

Since 1951, WEN has been helping woodworkers complete projects of all shapes and sizes with our extensive line of benchtop, handheld, and floorstanding woodworking tools.

Generators

Whether you’re on the job, at home, or out camping, let power be one less thing you have to worry about. Our vast line of inverter, dual fuel, and traditional gas-powered generators means we have the exact wattage and feature combination for any application.

20V Battery System

Power your life with the WEN 20V Max Battery System. Any of our 20V batteries are cross-compatible with all of the products in our always-expanding line of WEN 20V handheld tools.

Lawn and Garden

We don’t just stop at helping you in the shop. Let WEN take the work out of yard work. From pressure washers, to maintenance equipment, to log splitters, WEN has you covered for every season of the year.