Product images: Amazon listings
Written from the listing's specs, not from our own use · How we rate
The choice of gasoline or propane, a built-in CO sensor and push-button electric start: the DuroMax XP5500HX covers what matters most in a generator. It suits storm prep with propane as plan B, and its sibling listing, the DuroMax XP13000HX, holds #2 in our dual fuel generators for home backup ranking.
These are sold as variants of one listing family. Each variant has its own page.
| Brand | DuroMax |
|---|---|
| Category | Dual fuel generators |
| Listed fuels | gasoline, propane |
| CO sensor | Stated in the listing |
| Outlets named in the listing | GFCI household |
| Engine | 210 cc |
| ASIN | B086Z4BMB8 |
Full listing title: DuroMax XP5500HX 5,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator - Gas & Propane, Electric Start, RV & Emergency Ready
Variant of the DuroMax XP13000HX, #4 in our Propane Generators ranking
What it's made for: storm prep with propane as plan B.
Two generators close to it on our rating, each with a dated price.
What it has going for it
Gasoline or propane. Propane keeps for years in a sealed tank and won't gum up the carburetor between storms; gasoline gives you more watts. Propane is rated lower, so find that figure in the manual.
CO sensor. A sensor that watches the carbon monoxide around the unit, per the listing. Treat it as a backup: the generator still belongs outside, about 20 ft from doors and windows.
Electric start. A button instead of a pull cord, which matters at 5 a.m. in sleet. Keep the battery topped up between storms (a trickle charger does it).
What the DuroMax XP5500HX listing names:
The manual has the last word on fuel, oil and the outlet ratings; read it before the first start.
The button opens the exact listing (ASIN B086Z4BMB8), where today's price, stock and seller apply. Sizes and variants of the same family often sit at different prices.
Our take
The DuroMax XP5500HX earns its place with the choice of gasoline or propane and a built-in CO sensor. No buyer reviews yet, so the DuroMax XP5500HX has to win you over on paper. The one thing that bugs us: no 50 amp outlet in the listing, while most picks here have one. We'd pick it if you'd rather store propane tanks than cans of gas; otherwise, put it next to the DuroStar DS13000MX first.
Fill it with oil before the first start, then run it for a few minutes outside with a small load.
Push the start button, let it warm up, then add loads one at a time, the biggest motor first. Propane or gas: decide before the storm and have the hose and the tank ready.
Run it every month or so for 20 minutes and keep the battery charged. On propane you avoid stale gas in the carburetor; on gas, add stabiliser or run it dry before storage. Our maintenance schedule has the full list.
First oil change after the break-in hours in the manual, then on schedule. Air filter and spark plug once a season, and a cover for the months it sits.
Before you order the DuroMax XP5500HX, check the running watts: the listing we read gives no clear wattage, so ask for the running figure before you size anything against it.
Write down what has to run at the same time, add the biggest motor surge (well pump, sump pump, AC), and let our sizing calculator do the sums.
Plan on heavy-duty extension cords to the appliances, or ask an electrician which inlet and switch would match its outlets. Our interlock vs transfer switch guide compares the two routes.
Outside only, about 20 ft from doors, windows and vents, exhaust pointing away (the CO sensor is a backup, not a permission). Pick the spot now, before the storm. Our CO safety and placement guide has the details.
Gasoline goes stale in a few months without stabiliser; propane keeps. Check the propane rating in the manual if propane is your plan. Our fuel storage guide covers storage.
How the DuroMax XP5500HX stacks up against the closest alternative, the DuroStar DS13000MX.
| Criterion | DuroMax XP5500HX | DuroStar DS13000MX |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 6.4/10 | 6.6/10 |
| 50 amp outlet | Not stated | Stated |
| Start | Electric | Remote |
Pick the DuroStar DS13000MX if you want our higher-rated option (6.6/10), with a 50 amp outlet and remote start.
We rate it 6.4/10 (fair). The rating comes from its documented listing alone, as no customer-review record is captured yet.
The listing names gasoline and propane. Output differs by fuel, so check the per-fuel running watts in the manual and whether the hoses you need come in the box. Run it outdoors only, away from doors, windows and vents.
Its listing states the choice of gasoline or propane, a built-in CO sensor and push-button electric start. These are the seller's figures, not our measurements: how loud it is in your driveway and how it handles your well pump's surge can't be read from a listing.
Your load list: write down what has to run at the same time, add the biggest motor surge (well pump, sump pump, AC), and let our sizing calculator do the sums. How it reaches the house: plan on heavy-duty extension cords to the appliances, or ask an electrician which inlet and switch would match its outlets. Our interlock vs transfer switch guide compares the two routes. Where it will run: outside only, about 20 ft from doors, windows and vents, exhaust pointing away (the CO sensor is a backup, not a permission). Pick the spot now, before the storm. Our CO safety and placement guide has the details. Fuel for three days: gasoline goes stale in a few months without stabiliser; propane keeps. Check the propane rating in the manual if propane is your plan. Our fuel storage guide covers storage.
We link to the exact listing on Amazon, where today's price, stock and seller apply. It is an affiliate link, and it has no effect on the rating.
No, we haven't used it ourselves. Everything on this page comes from its listing, read line by line and weighed with our published formula, plus our editors' read of how it compares with its rivals.