7,250-Watt Super Quiet Dual-Fuel Inverter Generator with CO Alert and Remote Start

Bought a PDGA70BiSCO generator for a home backup for its dual fuel and its 240 volt capability to power the well pump if needed. First generator had an automatic choke issue. Wouldn’t choke itself for cold starts. Pulsar promptly sent me a carburetor for me to swap out as a closeby repair facility was not available and I was more than capable to do the job. It proved to be a control unit issue. I was sent a prepaid return authorization and then a replacement unit was promptly sent out which starts and works perfectly. Sometimes even new items can develop unanticipated problems (just look at new cars). I applaud their customer support and follow thru. This is a well constructed, easy to service/maintain unit. It’s quiet and produces minimal vibration. Sounds more like an idling midsized scooter rather than a wound out lawnmower. No regrets with this purchase!

Generator is great but after i needed it again the eclectic start quit. It’ll start by pull cord no problem battery is fully charged too. All the button does is light up click a little but no start.. not good for a new generator.

This generator runs a 30amp 240v transfer switch with no problems and is very good on gas compared to my conventional generator of the same size.

I love this generator at the beginning. But the battery is dead and will not charge . How can I recharge of fix this issue.

The Dual Fuel Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO 7.25 KW Inverter Generator

I have not written many reviews before, so I’ll do my best to give a candid view of this generator to help others make purchase decisions. I have tried to purchase a 7KW+ dual fuel, inverter generator for about 6 months and have looked at most of those in the market. I want a generator for Stand-By, Emergency Use power only. Previously, I have owned many Champion Dual Fuel Inverter Generators including the 2500-watt, 3400-watt and the 4500-watt (which is only 3150 on propane.) My next generator must have enough power to power two 12,000 BTU portable air conditioners (that would also be brought out of storage) AND the rest of the TVs, computers and networking equipment in the house in case of an emergency. The amount of power needed is determined by looking at a chart of total energy usage in our house using an Emporia energy monitor. This chart shows a peak energy usage of 4.25KWH on an HOURLY basis.

The energy monitor INCLUDES powering the outside 5-ton A/C running on a Texas day. We have natural gas for the Heating, Laundry Dryer, Water Heater and Stove.

In an emergency, the air conditioner, hot tub and the House Main circuit breakers would be opened, taking the house off the grid and the air conditioner & hot tub off the house wiring. Then the 5.5KW generator can be plugged into the house wiring and supply sufficient power to run everything else. The graph says a 5.5KW generator could run everything (including the 5-ton A/C), but the generator would not be able to supply enough power for the startup surge of a 5-ton air conditioner. This is an average 4 bedroom, 3 bath house with lots of electronics in it.

Depending on the circumstances I may never need the generator, or I might find myself running the house on it for several weeks. The type of fuel it uses is very important. Propane can store basically FOREVER but gasoline cannot. Gasoline ages and gets “yucky” if left in a lawn mower or generator for a long time and it will gum up a carburetor. I never intend to use gasoline in the generator – it should be powered by propane only. Also desired is inverter technology because it is much quieter than a convention generator. Our neighborhood has many small lots and houses relatively close together, and a conventional generator would really annoy the neighbors.

There are several very similar dual-fuel, inverter generators in the 7-8KW range with only rear wheels and around 320cc engines. I think they are all made in China and private labeled for import into the US. I also think they are pretty much the same unit, even though one lists its engine as being 10cc more than the others. They ALL have 5500 watts listed as the available power when powered by propane. Given that, it is important to see how many places offer a particular brand of generator because of available service options in the future. Also, I noticed that when the big box stores offer products, their ‘people’ have already verified the depth of service and business dealings with a particular vendor.

I did purchase a 7+ KW dual fuel inverter generator from Costco when it was on sale for under $1000 dollars. When it arrived, I added oil, hooked it up and did a 5 hour burn in. Then I noticed the plastic housing panel around the exhaust pipe was broken at 4 of the 6 connection points. I called and reported it, so Costco sent another one. The day the replacement arrived; I was alerted to the UPS truck being out front when I heard a loud thud. I looked out the window and there was the replacement generator lying behind the truck. The UPS driver just shoved the approx. 130lb generator off a 4-foot drop. Upon inspection, it was also damaged. Both generators were taken back to Costco. Costco service said they would ship another one but I said not to, I am afraid it would come to the same demise.

Back in the ‘market’ to find a dual fuel, inverter generator. There was one on Amazon that I really wanted. It advertised a higher power rating than all the others. But it was only available on Amazon. I could not find it listed anywhere else. And I could not find an online operator’s manual for it. There was very little information on it other than the information listed on Amazon. It might be an Amazon private label without advertising it as a private label. If it were ever to get near the $1000 price point, I would pull the trigger and purchase it. Instead of lowering the retail price, they raised it $200. Amazon started advertising it with a $200 ‘coupon’ discount, which still made it $1399. The best price offered over the last 6 months was an additional 10% off which made it $1239.10. Unless I wait until Black Friday, I do not think they are going to lower the price below about $1240 for that unit. Almost all the similar units end up being about $1240.

I searched Amazon for all the 7-8KW dual fuel, inverter generators and discovered the Pulsar. When I began to research Pulsar, I immediately found an online manual for it. And all the ‘Big Box’ retailers were selling it. That got me thinking about down the road serviceability and help from the manufacturer with any “issues” that might arise. Most of the retailers were selling the Pulsar 7.25KW generator right in that $1240 range without any bogus coupons or discounts. Before I get too interested, I need to find out how they ship the units, so I called and left a message on the tech support line. A representative called me back the next day and said they were not in the shipping dept. but in tech support, and they thought the company used FedEx for shipping not UPS.

Upon discovering all of the 7-8KW inverter dual-fuel generators were rated 5500 watts on propane, I became less dependent on the brand’s marketing & total power output and was more interested in the “depth” of the brand’s support. I started shopping for ‘deals’ on the Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO and eventually found a discount and a Rakuten rebate, so I pulled the trigger and purchased the unit. I made sure to set up shipping alerts all the way from the California shipment pick-up to day it was being delivered. And it was shipped by FedEx. When the FedEx truck pulled up in front of the house, I ran out to meet it with a furniture dolly. The driver and I gently placed the box with generator on the dolly and rolled it up to the house. I took it inside and to the back patio where everything was examined. The box looked in pretty good shape, except for a gash on one side and one corner that looked a little dented. Let’s hope everything else is okay – after all, this is the third attempt!

I was totally surprised and glad to see another box next to the generator, inside the big box. This box contained accessories that I did not know were included with the generator. Pulsar includes Male Plugs which will fit all three types of receptacles on the front of the generator, a remote control with Velcro strap and holder, a screwdriver which has both Philips and slot ends (not shown in picture) and a spark plug wrench. That was unexpected and not included with any of the other generators that have been purchased. Also included are the LP hose with regulator, an oil funnel and enough oil to run your 5-hour burn-in. This is far more than what was included with the generators from Costco.

When unpackaging the generator it looks like it arrived without any broken or damaged plastic parts. Opening it up to reveal the oil fill point and dip stick is easy. Removing only two Philips head screws and popping the plastic side off reveals this:

The opposite side of the generator was opened also, with only two screws to remove the panel. The battery had come loose during shipping and was put back in place and secured tightly with the rubber strap.

My burn-in setup uses only the 240V connector wired into a breaker box with both sides of the 240V broken out into individual 120V sockets. On each 120V line is a resistive load which can vary from 600 to 1500 watts. This will allow a 3000-watt load at maximum during the burn-in process. (Pulsar recommends staying below about 50% of the rated capacity during burn-in) The load varied from no load, 600 watts, 900 watts, 1200 watts, 1500 watts, 1800 watts, 2400 watts and 3000 watts. This is so the motor will have to run at different speeds under different load conditions during the burn-in process.

After adding oil, connecting the battery to the generator and connecting the propane to the generator, I turned the “Main Switch” to On and turned the “Fuel Source” switch to propane. With only one short touch of the “Engine Start/Stop” switch, the generator cranked once and started right up running at full speed. I let it run for a couple of minutes before switching the “Low Idle” switch to ON and the engine slowed down. It is much quieter when the engine runs slower. Then I closed a breaker which connected the generator to the two circuits with the resistive loads attached and began a 5-hour burn-in.

The generator ran smoothly the entire time, changing pitch or speed only when the load changed. There was no smoke in the exhaust and only the smell of burnt propane. After the burn-in the generator sat for a while to cool down. Then the oil was emptied and replaced with fully synthetic 5W30 Mobile 1. The used oil was darker than the fresh oil and had what looked like tiny specs of carbon in it.

After changing the oil, I tried out the remote control. Initially, I had forgotten to turn the propane tank back on. One press of the start button and the generator cranked without starting. I checked the propane tank, turned the flow of propane back on and the generator tried cranking a second time (without me pressing the remote start button) and it started right up again.

The Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO does not come with a magnetic oil dip stick, but the one it did come with is about the same size as the one in my Champion 2500-Watt generators, so I ordered the same magnetic oil dipstick, and it fits the PGDA70BiSCO just fine. Search “PEATOVIE Magnetic Oil Dipstick Easy USE Compatible with Champion 2000/2500 Watt Inverter Generator”

Also, the electronic display shows current run time, but not total run time. If you want to know how many hours TOTAL are on your generator, you have to add one. Search “Inductive Hour Meter for Gas Engine”

Another useful thing to keep near your generator, if it is set up for emergency use only, is a light. A small LED light has been clipped onto the Velcro strap which holds the remote start button.

Something else that is useful is a way to keep all the generator’s accessories together. You could keep them in the original box they came in or get a bag to keep everything together.

With the generator all set for storage, all I need is a Faraday shield to protect it from an EMP.

The overall impression of the Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO is that it is a very nice generator. It runs very quietly, compared to a non-inverter generator of similar wattage capacity. It has a LOT more power available than many generators of comparable size. Comparing shipping boxes, the Pulsar is only one inch taller, one inch longer and the same width as the Champion 4500 watt generator.

The Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO is a good value for the money. (How much did you just spend on that new phone?) It meets the objectives that were defined at the beginning of this review. I have had a minor issue with one component and have worked with Pulsar’s tech support team. They are responsive and have worked with me to resolve the issue.

I also own a 27’ Class C motorhome and know the Pulsar PGDA70BiSCO can easily supply power to it, if the internal generator goes out. The Pulsar could power two RVs like mine.

I am glad to have found and chosen this generator to be my backup generator.