There are portable and standby generators that can help power up your home along with appliances, tools, and machinery. A standby generator cannot be moved around and is ideal to use at your home especially if you experience a power outage.

Shortcut to more Standby Generators for the whole home

If you have a lot of electricity that is generated throughout your home for many lights, electronics, and tools then you may want to consider a generator that operates on a higher voltage than the most generators. Here are some of the best standby generators under 20,000 watts that can be found online or at your local hardware store.

If you want to see more generators that will come on automatically when the power goes out, check out our standby generators here. 

Best Standby Generator under $4000

This Generac Guardian Series 5873 Natural Gas/Liquid Propane Powered Standby Generator comes with a transfer switch. There is no manual start and it has a hands free operation. It will need to be maintained once every two years. It has a flexible pigtail fuel line and pre-wired conduits.

There is an outdoor connection box and a composite mounting pad that allows you to avoid using a concrete base. There is an external GFCI outlet and clear digital controls for easy use. It has a steel enclosure to help protect it from bad weather. It costs about $3,700 online and comes with a installation guide. It runs on 16,000 watts continuous and 17,000 watts surge.

There are 16 circuits that are protected. You can run a periodical quiet test low speed exercise mode to maintain its low noise level. This is one of the best standby generators under 20,000 watts available to purchase. It will power up your home within seconds of losing power. 

Best Standby Generator for the Money

Centurion Series by Generac Automatic Standby Generator has user friendly digital controls and comes with its own mounting pad to avoid having to use a concrete base. It has a pre-wired transfer switch to the more sensitive electronics. It runs on 15,000 watts maximum output.

As it is easy to install it is easy to use as it will kick on within seconds of a power outage. It has an external common fault alarm and a remote maintenance LED.

There is a battery voltage display that allows you to determine when the battery needs charging. This generators costs about $5,800 online and is considered one of the best standby generators under 20,000 watts. 

Best Standby Generator that Includes Whole House Power Protection

Generac Guardian Series 6052 Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator comes with an air cooled engine that provides weekly testing on the quiet test mode to maintain less noise than most other generator brands. It has a steel enclosure to help protect it from harsh winds and corrosion.

A RhinoCoat finish also enhances its weather protection. It comes with a transfer switch and shows a battery voltage display to know when you need to charge the battery.There is a remote maintenance LED and digital controls to make using this generator much easier.

It is non carb compliant and is not sold in the state of California. This machine sells for about $4,300 online and received 4 stars from Amazon reviewers. It  runs on 14,000 watts surge.

These are all among some of the best standby generators under 20,000 watts on the market. They all offer various types of features as well as pricing.

See more top rated Standby Generators, here

There are many generators to choose from on the market. The best way to decide which one is best for you is to determine how you plan to use the generator and if you want a portable or stationary standby version.  We have reviews of many models on the site, so feel free to take a read through

You can look online and at your local hardware store to search for the best generators to buy.

Shortcut go the best generators for the money on Amazon

Here are a few good selections to get you started.

Best portable generator under $400

This WEN 56352 Gas Powered Portable Generator comes with a wheel kit for easy portability. It costs about $350 online and received 4.5 stars from more than 85 Amazon reviewers. It has a four gallon tank and an air cooled 7 hp OHV 212ccengine. It is non carb compliant and not sold in the state of California.

It can run for about 11 hours at half load. It runs on 3,500 watts peak and 3,000 watts rated. It has an automatic low oil shut down to help protect the life of the engine. There is a power indicator light and a digital hour counter.

It comes with a two year limited warranty along with several accessories including two 120 volt 20 amp three prong receptacle, one 120/240 volt 30 amp twistlock outlet, and a cigarette lighter style 12 volt DC outlet.

Best-rated inverter generator to buy

This Yamaha EF 2000is Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator is fully powered by gas and from a strong 4 stroke OHV 79cc engine. It has an inverter system that allows you to generate delicate electronics as well.  Here are more inverter generators

It can run up to 12 hours without having to refuel it.  It has a noise absorbing glass wool construction that eliminates a lot of noise. It comes with a two year warranty and a low oil warning system to prevent burning out the engine.

It weighs about 44 pounds and has an ergonomic build to reduce fatigue. It is user friendly and runs on 2,000 watts surge. It earned 4.5 stars from 175 Amazon reviewers and costs just under $1000 online.

Best small portable generator under $200

This Champion Power Equipment 42436 1500-Watt Portable Generator received 5 stars from Amazon reviewers and costs just under $200 online. It is quiet and portable. It is carb complaint and sold in all 50 states along with being EPA approved. 

It has a cast iron sleeve to help protect the life of the engine and is lightweight at 56 pounds. It comes with a two year limited warranty and a low oil sensor and volt meter to help protect damaging the machine. An overload protection avoids blowing out the machine.

It can run up to 10 hours on 50 percent load and comes with one 120 volt outlet. This is considered one of the best generators to buy on the market with its features, price, and ability to power a home and tools.

Best small standby generator for the money

This carb compliant Generac Core power Series 5837 Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator is sold in all 50 states. It has a very quiet operation at 10 dba. It has a OHV air cooled engine and comes with a battery charger.  This generator will start up when the power goes out whether you are home or out. 

It has weather protection as it sits outside the home. A mounting pad comes with this stationary generator allowing you to remove the need for a concrete base.  

It is prepackaged with a 50 amp transfer switch and a main line circuit breaker. It received 4.5 stars from Amazon reviewers and costs about $1,800 online.  There are more large standby generators here

These are all among the best-rated generators to buy with various features and prices, see more types and models here