What it has going for it
What changes on the night the power goes out
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.
50 amp outlet. The big plug that feeds a 50 amp inlet box, a transfer switch or a 50 amp RV. One cord carries both legs of 240 V, which is how the well pump and the furnace get power without extension cords through a window.
CO shutoff. It watches for carbon monoxide building up around the unit and shuts the engine off, per the listing. A backup only: the generator still runs outside, about 20 ft from the house, exhaust pointing away.
Extension cords or a transfer switch?
Extension cords: the fridge, the freezer and a lamp or two plug straight into the 120 V outlets on the frame. It costs little, but the furnace, the well pump and anything hard-wired stay off.
A transfer switch: the listing names a 50 amp outlet, and the seller calls it transfer-switch ready. That's the plug an inlet box takes. Once an electrician has wired the inlet and a transfer switch or interlock, the furnace and the well pump can run off it too; count that bill on top.
