Product images: Amazon listings
Written from the listing's specs, not from our own use · How we rate
A gas-or-propane fuel switch, clean inverter power and built-in CO sensing: the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter covers what matters most in an inverter generator. It suits backup power that is kind to electronics, and its sibling listing, the Generac 5,200W Dual Fuel Inverter, holds #4 in our dual fuel inverter generator ranking.
These are sold as variants of one listing family. Each variant has its own page.
| Brand | Generac |
|---|---|
| Category | Inverter generators |
| Listed fuels | gasoline, propane |
| CO sensor | Stated in the listing |
| Outlets named in the listing | USB |
| ASIN | B0DT7M83P5 |
Full listing title: Generac 3,800 Watt Dual Fuel Portable Inverter Generator, Gas And Propane
Rated from the listing's specs, no buyer reviews yet
What it's made for: backup power that is kind to electronics.
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.
Inverter. The engine speeds up and slows down with the load, so it is quieter and thriftier at 3 a.m. when only the fridge and a lamp are on. The clean sine wave is kinder to laptops, TVs and the furnace control board.
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.
What the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter listing names:
The manual for the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter has the final word on fuel, oil and outlet ratings.
The button opens the exact listing (ASIN B0DT7M83P5), where today's price, stock and seller apply. Sizes and variants of the same family often sit at different prices.
Our take
What we'd buy the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter for is a gas-or-propane fuel switch, with clean inverter power as a bonus. No buyer reviews yet, so the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter has to win you over on paper. The catch with this Generac inverter generator: no word on the running watts or the propane rating. We'd pick it if you'd rather store propane tanks than cans of gas; otherwise, put it next to the Generac 3,500W Inverter 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 the Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter goes in your cart, 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 Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter stacks up against the closest alternative, the Generac 3,500W Inverter.
| Criterion | Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter | Generac 3,500W Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 6.4/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Fuels | Gas, propane | Gasoline |
| Design | Inverter | Inverter |
| CO sensor | Stated | Stated |
Both score 6.4/10. The Generac 3,800W Dual Fuel Inverter brings propane as a second fuel, so it has the edge on paper.
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, clean inverter power, 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.