Comparing Standby Generator Brands

Generac, Kohler, and Briggs & Stratton standby generators are all popular brands known for quality and dependability. But each brand has traits and features that sets their generators apart from competitors’ products and that attracts certain homeowners. Let’s compare your standby generator!

We’ve assembled a list comparing these four brands. The list isn’t by any means exhaustive. Instead, it focuses on some highlights of each brand, taking note of why customers typically go with that brand over another.

Generac

Generac is the No. 1 selling brand of standby generator in America. Generac also focuses solely on generators, unlike its competitors, which make a variety of other products. Also laser-focusing its marketing and branding has certainly helped its sales, but it’s popular not simply because of the marketing.

Generac’s natural gas and propane standby generators are popular primarily for two reasons — quality and prices. Also having the largest variety of generators to choose from hasn’t hurt, either. Generac generators compare well in terms of quality with Kohler and Briggs & Stratton. But Generac generators usually cost less than generators of other brands. For these reasons, Generacs tend to receive praise as one of the best all-round brands.

Other features that make Generac generators popular include:

Branding as a solution for security and safety
Metal enclosures
Hands-free operation
Online monitoring

Check out the 2020 24kW Guardian Generac Generator here!

Kohler

Kohler is another popular brand of standby generator in the United States. And it, too, has its own set of die-hard followers. Kohler standby generators for homes come packaged a little differently than other brands. They protect their 14kW and 20kW standby generators with “corrosion-proof” enclosures. These enclosures are made of a composite plastic, which won’t rust. The downside to these plastic enclosures is that they can’t be placed as close to buildings as standby generators with metal enclosures. The reason they must be installed further away from buildings is because plastic can catch on fire.

Kohler natural gas and propane standby generators are regularly praised as some of the quieter generators, another reason why it’s popular. Also, they’re popular for their 5-year, 2,000-hour warranty, one of the industry’s best warranties.

Other features that make Kohler popular include:

“Peace of mind” branding
Good quality
Offers some of the smallest standby generators on the market
5-year, 2,000-hour warranty

Briggs & Stratton

Briggs & Stratton offers a 6-year limited warranty on parts and labor for its standby generators, competing with Kohler for the industry-leading warranty. Also the quality of Briggs & Stratton compares with Kohler and Generac, and they usually cost more than Generac generators.

Other typical reasons people purchase Briggs & Stratton include: