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Generators are useful in lots of situations, from dire emergencies to fun camping trips. They can provide power during a storm, keep the air conditioner in your RV running, and recharge your phone. However, it’s important to choose the right “gennie” for the job at hand, and there are more than a few options.
Battery-powered backups and gasoline powered generators are popular, and often more readily available than propane generators, but each has its drawbacks. Gas generators require both ample ventilation and a stash of fuel, which deteriorates in storage containers in about six to 12 months. Battery backups, or portable power stations, are quiet and safe to use indoors, but once they’re drained, they’re out until another power source can recharge them. And inverter generators are great, but they offer limited power output compared to gas or propane, and generally carry a higher price tag.
Propane generators combine the peace of mind that a backup power source can provide with the time-tested reliability of a propane tank. What follows is an unranked list of five of the best propane generators you can buy in 2026, along with links for purchasing these powerhouses. These propane generators were chosen based on sales data, trusted online reviews, and conversations with RV owners and outdoor enthusiasts.
Westinghouse WGen9500DFc Dual Fuel Generator with CO Sensor
Westinghouse has been in business for nearly 150 years, and has been involved in several of the most influential projects in the history of the United States. Hydroelectric generators, high speed elevators, cameras used in the Apollo 11 moon landing, and even the iconic Rosie the Riveter image are all products of Westinghouse’s many divisions. More recently, Westinghouse has been working on innovations using solar power, portable power stations, and portable generators.
While Westinghouse only got into the portable generator game in 2011, the Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator with CO Sensor includes many of the useful features that make the brand’s other products popular: large, easy to understand control panels, LED indicators for low oil, low fuel, a powerful four-stroke engine, and the ability to run off either gasoline or propane.
The manufacturer says a full propane tank can keep appliances running up to 12 hours on 25% load, and the generator can produce up to 8,500 running watts when running off propane — more than enough to keep a refrigerator or AC unit going. Four 120 volt 20 amp GFCI outlets along with a 120/240V 30 amp locking outlet and 120/240V 50 amp outlet provide ample coverage for electronics and larger appliances, and electric, remote, and recoil start options make for easy startup even if one method fails.
The Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator with CO Sensor, (Model# WGen9500DFc) can be ordered from Amazon for around $950.
Predator 13,000 watt Tri-Fuel Portable Generator
Discount tool warehouse Harbor Freight is known for great deals on a variety of tools. While some rightfully point out shortcomings in the store’s wider lineup of products, brands like Hercules and Icon serve to balance out those products with reliable, effective tools that stand the test of time.
Harbor Freight’s Predator line of generators gets solid reviews for reliability and power at a decent price. One of the most powerful options it sells is this 13,000 watt monster, the most powerful on our list. The Predator 13,000-watt Tri-Fuel Portable Generator can run off of gasoline, natural gas, or propane, and even though it’s a Harbor Freight “low-budget” pick, this Predator includes high-end features like a digital display, GFCI-protected outlets, remote start, and a carbon monoxide detector. There’s even a California-compliant option of this generator, available for the same price. One surprising note is that for a massive, 226-pound powerhouse, this Predator generator is relatively quiet — a rating of 78.5 dBA at 50% load puts it at about the same volume as landscaping equipment heard from inside your house.
While it is a pricey product — for a Harbor Freight product, anyway — with a price tag of around $1,300 at Harbor Freight, the Predator 13,000-watt Tri-Fuel Portable Generator provides fuel versatility, extended runtime, durable construction, and modern features that make it worth the investment. Similar models at big box retailers tend to sell for at least a couple hundred dollars more.
Champion 9500W Electric Start Dual Fuel Generator
Champion’s bright yellow and black powerhouses can be found on jobsites, campsites, or just sitting next to a house in case of an emergency. The company has been around since 2003, and even though its generators’ engines are made in China, Champion’s production and headquarters are in in the United States. The brand has built up a solid reputation in its 20-plus years of business, with pros often praising Champion’s value, long runtime, and dual-fuel options.
Electric start is a feature you won’t know you need until you use it once. After that, you’ll never want to go back to pull-start models. The Champion 9500W Electric Start Dual Fuel Portable Generator is one of the brand’s most popular generators, and it features that handy electric starter. Other features include easy setup, a foldaway handle for storage, and built-in protection from both voltage spikes and carbon monoxide buildup. Its 500cc engine can run for up to 4.5 hours on propane, and the Intelligauge display on the unit’s control panel tracks voltage, frequency, and current and total runtime.
Users boast that the Champion 9500W Electric Start Dual Fuel Generator can provide whole-home backup power, as well as enough juice to run a full portable welding setup. That kind of performance and the unit’s extensive feature list justify the generator’s $1,300 price tag at Home Depot.
Wen 8000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator with CO Shutdown Sensor
Wen’s generators and inverters have a good reputation as a budget brand among those who know their generators. The brand makes a wide variety of tools, including landscaping equipment, power generators, and tools. In fact, Wen makes one of the most affordable impact drivers ever to be recommended by Consumer Reports. An Illinois-based company that’s been in business since 1951, Wen claims that it sold over 50 million units in its first 50 years of existence — not a bad ratio for a “budget” brand!
I’ve used one of Wen’s inverter/generators for camping and didn’t have any issues, but for an RV or whole home backup you’ll need something more beefy, like this 8,000-watt powerhouse. The Wen 8,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator features a runtime of around 5.5 hours on a full propane tank, and generates 5,850 rated watts when it’s propane powered. By comparison, gasoline will run this unit for up to 10.5 hours on half-load, and produces 6,500 running watts. But there’s nothing saying you can’t just fill the gas tank and bring along a propane tank as well, allowing this Wen power plant to run for an extended period.
It’s hard to argue that a sub-$1,000 dual fuel generator with a reputation as a reliable product is anything less than a great deal. The Wen 8,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator with CO Shutdown Sensor is available on Amazon for around $600.
Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator with CO Sensor
Westinghouse has appeared twice on this list — it’s the only brand that does — but the Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator (Model #WGen11500DFc) was the only one we were recommended by an outdoor enthusiast friend, a pair of respectable review sites, and a complete stranger that my pug harassed on a walk. That’s more suggestions than any other portable generator, and the balance of price, features, and power make it easy to see why so many people were lining up to tout this Westinghouse gennie.
The Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator is a portable powerhouse that can be fueled by gasoline or propane, has a runtime of up to 12 hours, is transfer switch ready, and generates 10,500 watts of running power with a peak output of 13,500 watts when running on propane. The unit’s many features include remote start, 120/240V AC 30 amp and 50 amp receptacles, multiple USB ports, and a simple to use push button electric start. It’s powerful enough to provide backup power to your entire home or RV, but users also love that this generator produces “clean” power that’s safe for electronics, with a total harmonic distortion (or THD) of under 5%. That means this powerhouse can provide power to your large appliances and tools as safely as it can to your laptop or gaming console.
The Westinghouse Dual Fuel Generator with CO Sensor is available at Home Depot for around $1,350.
Methodology
Generators were selected using a variety of criteria, including professional reviews, sales data, forum discussions, and customer reviews on popular retail sites. We drew from our own experience with these generators and comparative units, along with the expertise of seasoned RV owners and outdoor experts consulted over the course of this feature’s research. And while propane would be a fine, reliable power source for a generator on its own, it is also worth noting that most propane generators — including those on this list — can be powered by two or three fuel sources. Gasoline and propane are the most common fuels, with tri-fuel models also accepting natural gas as a power source.

