A kettle on top of a fridge was too much for the PowerSmart 2500 Watt, our testers found, though it handled the refrigerator compressor start well for a budget unit. It scores 64 out of 100 and ranks #10 in our best small generators guide as our best cheap small generator.
What is the best cheap small generator?
The best cheap small generator is the PowerSmart 2500 Watt, which our testers call a cheap insurance policy for a fridge in a storm: it handled a refrigerator compressor start, though an electric kettle bogged it down.
PowerSmart 2500 Watt Inverter Generator
- Output: 1,900 W running, 2,500 W surge
- Our noise reading: about 60 dBA, quarter load
- Weight: 40.5 lb with oil
- Our runtime: about 5 hr, fridge and freezer
Bottom Line : A budget box with 1,900 running watts in 40.5 lb, clattery past half load, short on runtime and fiddly to start.
Pros
- 1,900 running watts from a 40.5 lb box
- Handled the fridge compressor start
- Budget unit, a cheap insurance policy for a storm
Cons
- Bogged when an electric kettle joined the fridge
- Clattery past half load, high 60s dBA
- Easy to flood the engine on a cold start
- Messy oil fill
In the Driveway and at the Pop-Up
Our testers used the PowerSmart for a weekend of camping, to power a friend's small food truck pop-up, and in a simulated emergency backup test in the driveway. Across those they alternated a house refrigerator and a chest freezer, charged phones, ran camp lights and ran an electric kettle.
It handled the compressor start of the fridge surprisingly well for a budget unit. The kettle was the problem: with the fridge running, switching it on made the generator bog down hard, the overload light flicker, and it struggled to recover.
The listing claims 59 dBA. On a UNI-T UT353 at 23 feet at a quarter load it read exactly 60. Past 50% load it gets noticeably clattery and climbs into the high 60s, and you have to speak up to be heard next to it.
The 1.06-gallon tank lasted exactly 5 hours keeping the household fridge and freezer cycling. The listing claims 7.5 hours, which you only reach with Eco mode on and nothing to do but charge laptops. On a scale it weighed 40.5 lb with oil, the lightest of our newest three.
Where It Asks Something of You
A kettle on top of a fridge was too much. Keep it to the fridge, a freezer and small chargers, and don't switch on a heating element.
It floods easily. The cold start is the hard part, and it's easy to flood the engine if you are careless with the choke.
The oil fill is awkwardly angled and messy, so use a funnel and don't overfill.
It has no 30 amp outlet, so you are restricted to standard 20 amp household plugs. That rules out an RV hookup.
Spec Sheet vs Our Test
1,900 W running, 2,500 W surge. The listing rates it at 1,900 W continuous and 2,500 W at the peak. It handled the fridge compressor start, with the chest freezer alternated, and it overloaded when a kettle was added, which puts a heating element on top of a compressor. The rating is a fridge-and-chargers rating in practice, and the kettle shows where it ends.
59 dBA claimed. The UT353 read 60 at 23 feet at a quarter load, one above the claim. Past half load it clattered and climbed into the high 60s, so the figure on the listing is a quiet-load figure and a loaded generator at a campsite is loud enough that you speak up.
7.5 hours claimed. The listing quotes 7.5 hours for the 1.06-gallon tank. With a fridge and a freezer cycling it lasted 5 hours, so the claim only holds with Eco mode on and a laptop-charger load. For a storm, plan on refuelling about every 5 hours.
Outlets. The listing shows a 120V 20A duplex, a 12V port, two USB ports and Eco mode. Our testers' point is the outlet that's missing: there's no 30 amp outlet, so it's a household-plug unit and can't feed a camper.
Warranty and support. The listing offers a 2-year limited warranty with free lifetime technical support. We haven't used either, and for a budget unit that's the one thing in the listing we would want to test before leaning on it in an emergency.
Should You Buy the PowerSmart 2500?
Buy the PowerSmart 2500 as a cheap insurance policy for a homeowner who wants to keep a fridge from spoiling during a storm. At 40.5 lb and 1,900 running watts it's a light, budget way into a generator that starts a fridge compressor.
Avoid it for daily site work or RV boondocking. For a quieter unit that starts on the first pull, the Honda EU2200i is the one, and for a camper or house on gas or propane the Westinghouse iGen2800DFc does both jobs better.
Compare With
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2: our best overall small generator.
- Honda EU2200i: our best small generator for power outages.
- WEN 56225i: our best small generator for the money.
- WEN 3600 Dual Fuel: our best small generator for campers.
- Yamaha EF2200iS: our best small generator for sensitive electronics.
- Champion 2500 Ultralight: our best portable small generator.
- Westinghouse iGen2550: our best small generator for RVs.
- A-iPower SC2000i: our best small generator for tailgating.
- Westinghouse iGen2800DFc: our best small generator for home.
See all ten, and how we tested them, in our best small generators guide. For every type of generator, start at our best generators guide.
Editor's Note, 31 October 2026: New review, from the field notes our testers supplied on 31 October 2026. The score of 64 is the average of five editors' marks drawn from those notes, until the testers score it themselves.
Our Testers
This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested by our testing team.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and edits every guide. His rule: we say what we actually found.
