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“Reliable workhorse”
Written on: 01/07/2018
I purchased the UST GG5500 for hurricane electricity outages in 2008. It starts easily and continues to run great. I run it empty before putting it up and have not needed any replacement parts. I check the oil every time I use it and it doesn't burn or leak oil. The gas gauge has faded from sunlight and so it is hard to read. That's not a problem for me because during storms I fill it only when it runs out of gas. My GG5500 has been a reliable workhorse that starts easily and runs great. It has enough power to run everything except A/C and the clothes dryer. I have to be careful when using appliances that suck electricity like coffee makers, microwaves, etc. so as not to overload the unit. I also keep it well grounded when in use.
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“Generator section parts are ont available anywhere.”
Written on: 25/09/2017 by RandyEllis (1 review written)
The gasoline engine runs but requires constant adjusting from use to use. At last use it ran fine for 3 hours then quit producing power. It turned out that the diode/rectifier/resistor packs on the rotor were loose and lying in the bottom of the frame. They were hard-soldered in a very poor manner. Poor manufacturing quality control. These generators are mainly worthless. It is becoming very difficult to find a well-made generator made in the USA, and the Chinese design is old and very much lacking in quality. This $550 genset sells in China for $150. That should tell you something. This was the first Chinese made generator I bought, and is certainly the last.
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“Some minor problems, but not bad for the money”
Written on: 11/07/2016 by Elisa395 (1 review written)
I've never owned a generator and bought one of these, about 4 years ago, during a heat wave/power outage in Michigan. As I recall, I paid just under $600.00 for the thing - at Walmart. This thing has gotten a lot of use, because shortly after I bought it we moved from the city to a rural area which is famous for it's power outages. I'm on generator power, right now, as I write this....!!! Two things went wrong with this: (1) the gas/fuel gauge on the top quit working after the first use, and, (2) after the first use it will not start - EVER - without having the carburetor primed. Priming the carb involves popping off a plastic cover and shooting a little gas, horizontally, into the carb - I use a small syringe that came with some doggy medicine. But, the engine burns very little oil and - after it's primed - it start with a couple of very gentle pulls. These lower end units are all made in China and they're all pretty similar. Maybe I got lucky, but this thing has saved our butt, over and over.
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“bad carburetor after only 13 hours usage”
Written on: 16/09/2015
got my UST GG5500 from Wally world about 3 years ago, it's been sitting in my out building for over a year and wouldn't start last winter, it did last just past the warranty, no big surprise there, luckily we didn't have but a couple of short term power outages last winter, I decided to try to get it started again today hoping it was just a bad spark plug or something simple to fix, but figured out it was a bad carb.... when it was new, my initial impression of this generator was great, it started easily, ran great, and worked perfectly the 2 times I got to use it, used it a total of 13 hours, now carburetor needs fixed or replaced, it will not start without spraying fuel into the carb and with the fuel petcock turned on, it leaks fuel out the bottom of the carb..... I have found replacement carbs on Ebay for less than 50 bucks but it's a shame that an otherwise decent generator wouldn't last longer than 13 hours, now my fear is that if I purchase the replacement carb, will it last a long time or just 13 or so more hours, I've noticed several other reviews having similar issues with their generators which leads me to believe there is an issue with these carburetors and I expect the replacements to be of poor quality as well....
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“Great value”
Written on: 14/09/2014 by Chacew423 (1 review written)
Bought from a friend when it was almost new. He bought an electric start to replace it. It has been great. The capacitor did go out, but I got a replacement at an A/C industrial supply house - $10.00. I probably have 800 hours on this genset powering my RV and some 2000 watt fishing lights. Replaced the pull rope. Does not use or leak oil. Let it sit too long with gas in the bowl one time. Replacement carb was $25.00. Very dependable.
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“They are all (literally) the same!!!”
Written on: 30/07/2014
This generator, and any and all generators in the ''cheap'' price range are _all_ made in China, _all_ made of the same type & (lack of) quality parts. I am very serious. Take a close look at _all_ of them and you will notice the exact same design. The ''design'' is not common due to generators _being_ ''common''. They are all ''common'' because they are all made from the same exact cheap-as-possible (and seriously flawed) design... with every aspect being lowest possible quality. Most of these units have generator heads that are ''wound'' with _Aluminum_ wire (rather than quality Copper wire). Aluminum overheats and corrodes horribly over time. With all of that said, if you read the reviews, you'll notice that some people get good usage out of them. That is because if you use them _very_ carefully, and are fanatical about maintenance and (particularly) about proper shutdown and storage, you _can_ get some decent usage out of these machines. Just be aware that _every_ generator in the lower price ranges (_including_ many ''brand name'' machines), are actually all the same very low quality design, and made in China; usually assembled by very low skilled labor. These poor individuals learn that it is better (for them) to leave parts loose than risk breakage by properly tightening a sub-standard quality nut and bolt. Also, one thing I've found with just about all Chinese machinery is that they are made to (at absolute best) _meet_ the stated specifications. Americans are accustomed to machines that _exceed_ specifications. For example, and older ''Made in USA'' generator can run at ''max'' wattage without damage. These machines can _momentarily_ (at best) ''reach'' max wattage, but if run at max for more than a couple of seconds, they will pop fuses, etc... The Aluminum wired gen heads are to blame for this. In short, this is the new standard of ''get (less) than you paid for'' when buying something at what appears to be a ''discount'' price. Which would be ''fair enough'' if they were built to at least run at specs. But the lack of quality parts and lack of skilled labor assures a poor outcome for most purchasers. If you cannot afford 2 to 3 times the price, then at least _learn_ the proper usage, shutdown and storage procedures... not necessarily found in the provided manual.
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“gg5500 generator”
Written on: 11/03/2014 by johndooo (1 review written)
Terrible experience got 2 of the 5500 generators from walmart both had major failure less than one hour took them to professional licencenced repair faclity at my cost ust tools rejected request for warranty total run around beware these are junk I am contacting all corporate buyers until they stand behind their product
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“Good price for the power”
Written on: 04/05/2013
I bought this mainly to use for when we are out traveling with my travel trailer. I have had it for 5 years now and for the most part I do not have any issues with it. It's able to power our A/C unit, refrigerator, and appliances without any issues. The only two minor issues is that one of the wheel brackets was not welded good and bend when moving the generator. I had to reinforce it myself to fix. The other is that every now and then the when turning off the engine it would back fire. It makes a good pop when it does it but other than that it doesn't bother me.
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“UST GG5500 (5500W) portable generator gas leak at...”
Written on: 20/02/2013
I bought this machine from Walmart, North Windham, CT on 2/7/13 for winter storm. The saler told me that the machine is a returned one and never been used and it was tested at Walmart without any problem. They gave me $50 discount and I paid $450 for the machine. Since there was no other generator left, I determined to get it. I did not use it since the storm did not cause any power outage. I tested it on 2/18/13. I could start the machine and the voltage was normal. It is 120V without load and 116V with a vaccum cleaner power on. A energy saving bulb did not work well when powered by this generator (flashing). I was happy until I found the gas leak at the bottom of carburetor. There is a small device at the bottom of the carburetor with two wires on it. The gas leak may be from there. After I stopped the machine, the leak contined until no more gas left. I called the store and told them the problem. I was told that to bring the machine to the store and they will help me. I took the machine over there and require to return it. After checking the machine, I was told that I could not return it and had to bring the machine back home. The person who checked the machine told me that too much oil in the machine. Actually, I did not put any oil in the machine, since I was told that the machine has oil in it when I bought. I called the manager of the store about the machine next day. The store finally accetp my request and refound me. If all information given to me by Walmart is correct, this brand generator is not good.
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“Leaky Shutoff Valve”
Written on: 19/12/2012 by Always_without_power_in_winter (1 review written)
I went to WalMart and bought a good size generator UST 5500W for power outages, just before last Christmas. Ran it about 20 minutes, after assembly. This year after being in storage I Smelled a gas odor and thought my van had a problem. Left my van Out of the garage for a couple of days. Went back into the garage and found a soaked piece of plywood that I left my generator on. My gas shutoff valve was closed and it leaked all the stored gasoline. Talked to some friends about the leak and they said boat owners were having the same problem. The gaskets deteriorated with the ethanol in the gas. I guess there have been a number of suits directed at the manufacturers. I called FTC and filled a safety complaint, they suggested I call walMart to see what they would do. Thier response was we have no recall on that product, call the manuacture, I got the Phone number from the FTC and called the company. 1-(866) 797-2738. I recieved a courtious response and they will send out a new shutoff valve within ten days.
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“Runs”
Written on: 09/11/2012 by Lucky2012 (1 review written)
Bought after Sandy hit our area. No power for over 9 days. Found this generator at Walmart selling for $500. Initial run only lasted 3 minutes and subsequent runs were for also around 3 +- minutes. After some checking discovered that if I left the gas fill cap lose the unit ran as long as needed. There is some type of vent valve on top of the tank that does not seem to be working. I assume this valve should allow air to enter the tank as fuel is used. Never could reach anyone on the 800 number. For an emergency I guess this generator filled my need. But if I had looked for a generator when the sun and was out and I power I would have passed buying this unit. Very loud when running. My snowblower makes less noise.
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“Under 90 days, let me know ”
Written on: 08/11/2012 by stevenic0130 (1 review written)
If anyone purchased one of these from Walmart and paid cash under 90 days ago contact me @ [email protected] - I have a deal for you.
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“UST 5500 No Problems.”
Written on: 04/11/2012 by ppbskis (1 review written)
Live on Jersey Shore 1/2 mile from beach. Heard that the power could be out for as long as a month. Wal-Mart had the 5500 Watt for $ 585.00. Once home, fueled it up, readied my cables, and as per the starting instructions pulled it and it fired up on the very first pull. I had read these reviews after I purchased and was initially leery of the fuel tank, and fuel shut off valve issues. My position is that the valve appears to function easily and unless it was turned the wrong way I see no issues with the valve. I would also pay close attention when screwing in the gas cap, the threads need to be properly aligned to seal with the click that your car has, in other words make sure when screwing in the cap it is perfectly installed or you may strip the threads. It's not as difficult as it sounds it's just that the posters who need a new gas tank must have messed up the threads. It also seems to be efficient with fuel, you get about an hour and a half of power per gallon. I have needed it for the last 2 day's luckily the power is restored, so now that I have time I am going to look into the device that gets connected to the house panel and would allow more devices to be used.
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“Pretty good generator for the price”
Written on: 02/11/2012 by Nkalmanidis (1 review written)
I purchased this generator at Walmart 4200 W A day before the storm sandy hit It was the best thing I ever did Because this generator has been running for five days straight Only stop to change the oil every 20 hours It was running two refrigerators three TVs with DVD players Five lamps a portable heater a camera baby monitor It did it's job very well
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“GG5500 UST Generator”
Written on: 30/10/2012 by Neisserj1 (1 review written)
I bought this generator at Walmart for hurricane Sandy. I unbowed it and installed the wheel kit. Added oil and it fired right up on the first pool. The only problem I ran onto was when I went to turn the fuel valve on the lever snapped off. This also happened to a friend that bought one the same time I did. This is a low end generator made in China. You get what you pay for so unless it is an Emergency try to buy a better quality generator that will work when you need it. Mine has only 2 hours on it so that is not enough time for a long term review.
Marieange1804's Response to Neisserj1's Review
Written on: 31/10/2012
I also bought the same model at Walmart this past Sunday for $500 and my son put it together pretty quickly. We didn't need to use it after all because fortunately we didn't lose power in my area, which is a few miles south of Boston. One concern I have with this unit is the noise level, which I noticed when my son initially started it. We put it a few feet away from the house in my back yard, so I wonder if the noise will bother my neighbors to the point where they'll complain. I bought it as a back up primarily for my sump pump. I'm thinking of returning the UST to Walmart and buying a small Honda generator, which may be less noisy but probably more expensive. I'm also concerned about not being able to find parts for the UST unit if it breaks down. Does anyone know where to get parts for UST generators?
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Aliciamalone1982's reply to Marieange1804's Comment
Written on: 23/07/2021
I just ordered a replacement capacitor from generatorguru.com.
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“PARTS”
Written on: 19/09/2012 by tslick (1 review written)
Good Generator for the price BUT where do you get PARTS for this. I need a new Fuel tank and fuel shut-off valve.
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“UST 5500 Generator”
Written on: 17/09/2011
Bought this generator in a pinch. We started having rolling black outs in my area, so I needed to have something to keep all my important electronics/appliances running. I needed something PDQ. I went out to Pep Boys where I had seen some before. Bought the ust 5500 for just over $500. This generator ran/run great. Ended up connecting my mothers medical equipment(Parkinson's), 1 Samsung 21cu ft fridge, 2 window air conditioners, Laptop, and one TV to this machine(if you do this, make sure you use some sort of inverter or a surge protector as I did for your delicate electronics). I've had this machine for 8 years now and I haven't had a single problem. Always starts on or before the 4th pull. Just make sure you take care of it(as you would any generator). Change the oil, check and change spark plug as needed, check or replace air filter as needed(pep boys has them), and use a gas preservative if you plan on leaving the gas in the tank for a while. Also a trick that a friend of mine told me. Don't just turn off the generator when you are done using your gen. Turn off the fuel and let the fuel in the lines empty. Once the engine stops(for lack of fuel) then you can turn off the fuel. Really helps alot when you restart it. I do the same thing now with my Honda camping gen. Makes a HUGE difference. Speaking of camping. DO NOT try to use this gen at a camp site. WAY TO LOUD.
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“worked great”
Written on: 29/05/2011 by papermate (1 review written)
Power went out picked up at local walmart for $500. Ran 15 hours with no problem. Ran well pump, 2 refrigerators, freezer, and tv with a light or 2, I would only start it up and run it for a few hours and shut it off for a few as we needed it.
Guest's Response to papermate's Review
Written on: 29/01/2012
are your appliances and such running OK now, when you hooked-up the generator did your lights flicker like they were going out of control
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“Does anyone know where to get parts for the UST GG5500...”
Written on: 05/03/2011
Does anyone know where to get parts for the UST GG5500 generator? Sears Parts Direct says it can get parts, but it actually acquires the parts from the manufacturer; which you can't get parts from either. Do not buy this generator! We live off the grid and this generator broke within a week of use, and you cannot get a response from the manufacturer or parts!!
Guest's Comment
Written on: 19/07/2011
your absolotely right, it is worthless same as the warranties not worth the paper their printed on, sadly i bought this generator and now we are without power, granted we live off the grid, dealing with pep boys who sell the generator refer you to the manufactor who in turn gives you the run around, not a very professional business, and their company dont deal with any extended warranties, so yes i agree with you do not i repeat do not buy this generator, if you can pay a little more for something that is durable and the warranties are sound.
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Guest's Comment
Written on: 16/09/2011
i have the same problem like you. the thing broke down on the 4th day. tried to call them so many time but they don't answer the phone or put me on hold for hours.
i bought this new Honda one. it is much more expensive but worth every peny of it.
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“My daughter bought a UST GG5500 and after 3 hours of...”
Written on: 19/12/2010
My daughter bought a UST GG5500 and after 3 hours of running the power came back on they disconnected everything and they left it sitting for almost a hour and went and got it and brought it back into the basement from outside,it caught on fire and could have burnt their house down it burnt my son in law's face and arm we are so very thankful they were home and not in bed or they would have lost there home or got burnt up in the fire!! we need help with this ASAP
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Dant321's Comment
Written on: 21/12/2015
What did you do to remedy your situation?