The Sportsman GEN1000i is a quiet, compact and lightweight inverter generator with a rated wattage of 800 W and a starting wattage of 1,000 W. (Read full specs)
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JB Tools 
Amazon | Price history for the Sportsman GEN1000i |
|---|
| Highest Price $284.99 Lowest Price $205.99 Current Price $262.99 |
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Description
Zoom on the Sportsman GEN1000i
To sum up, the Sportsman GEN1000i is a quiet, compact and lightweight portable inverter generator tailored for:
- Camping and tailgating hobbyists looking for a portable power source
- DIYers who wish to improve their efficiency with tools
In the upcoming sections, you'll discover its power characteristics, the array of outlets it presents, its overall portability, and the additional features it possesses.
Power & Run Time
The Sportsman GEN1000i
Sportsman GEN1000i runs on gasoline, powered by a 40 cc (1.3 hp) OHV 4-stroke engine, delivering 120V, boasting a running wattage of 800W alongside a starting wattage of 1,000W.
With a noise rating of 56 dBA (less noisy than rainfall), the inverter generator features a conventional pull-start mechanism.
The GEN1000i can operate for around 6.3 hours at 50% load with a full tank (fuel consumption around 0.1 GPH), due to its fuel capacity of 0.6 gallon.
The <5% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of the GEN1000i ensures a clean sine wave output, providing a secure power source for your sensitive electronics through its AC outlet.
Outlets
The control panel features AC outlet as follows:
Furthermore, it showcases 1 DC outlet: there's a 5V USB port perfect for conveniently charging mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Portability
As an inverter generator, the Sportsman GEN1000i showcases a closed design (L15.6 x W8 x H13.8 in), enhancing aesthetics and ensuring quieter operation compared to conventional, open frame models. The design follows the contemporary trends and is perfect for recreationally generating power.
Considered a lightweight portable generator, the GEN1000i weighs just 20.3 lbs. Designed for easy mobility, one person can move it around without any difficulty, ensuring power on the go. This convenience is further enhanced by its handle (molded in the case), which allows for easy carrying.
Good to know: This unit ranks 1st in our list of the 10 smallest portable generators.
Features
The GEN1000i's control panel
The device's light indicators will illuminate to indicate if the generator is ready, the oil level is too low and the generator is on overload.
From a security standpoint, the product offers an automatic low oil shut-off and an overload protection (circuit breaker), allowing you to use it with a peace of mind.
In addition to the traditional documentation and an owner's manual (opens in a new tab) to help you get started promptly, the Sportsman GEN1000i also includes several accessories: funnel, tool kit and battery charging cables.
Product Videos
The Sportsman GEN1000i versus other generators
The following charts are provided to give you an idea of how some of the key specs of the Sportsman GEN1000i compare to generators of similar power (between 500 and 1500 W).
- Weight-wise, the Sportsman GEN1000i has only 20.3 lbs, which renders it one of the lightest generators which produce 500 to 1500 rated watts.
- This inverter generator offers a rated noise level of 56 dBA, placing it among the quieter alternatives in its power category. If you’d prefer a less noisy device, one of the most quiet devices, which share the same power range with this one, is the Honda EU1000i, whose lowest noise levels reach just 42 dBA.
- Regarding its autonomy, the autonomy of the GEN1000i, reaching around 6.3 hours at a 50% load, can be considered as low end, compared to other products of a roughly equal output. If you consider autonomy on a single full tank as one of the deciding factors, one of the generators in the same power range that offers the highest run time is the Sportsman GEN2000-SS, with around 11 hours.
- The run time is important, but also hugely depends on the capacity of the fuel tank and doesn't mean much if we don't talk about fuel consumption as well. This inverter generator has a better fuel efficiency than other units in the aforementioned output range, consuming approximately 0.1 GPH (gallon per hour) at 50% load. If fuel consumption is your top priority, we suggest to check out the Pulsar PGD16iSCO, which has a fuel consumption of only 0.09 GPH and thus, is one of the most efficient devices in our database.
Price comparison
As you can see from these interactive charts, when compared to other 500-1500W inverter generators, the Sportsman GEN1000i is on the cheap side of the price range.
It can therefore be a really good buy if you're looking to acquire a budget generator.
The bottom line
- Inexpensive
- Several accessories included
- Inverter
- Lightweight (20.3 lbs)
- Quiet for its power (56 dBA)
- Fuel efficient
- No data center
- Only 1 AC outlet
- No parallel ports
- 1-year warranty
- Relatively low run time
Features and Specifications
| Inverter | Yes |
|---|---|
| Parallel capable | No |
| RV ready | No |
| Fuel | Gasoline |
| Engine | 40 cc OHV 4-stroke |
| Starting system | Recoil |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Voltage | AC: 120V 60 Hz, DC: 12V |
|---|---|
| Running watts | 800 W |
| Starting watts | 1,000 W |
| Running amps | 6.7 amps |
| Peak amps | 8.3 amps |
| Run time @50% load | 6.3 h |
| Run time @25% load | Unknown |
| GFCI outlets | No |
|---|---|
| Covered outlets | Yes |
| Automatic Voltage Regulation | Inverter |
| AC outlets | 1x 120V 20A (5-20R) |
| DC outlets | 1x 5V USB port |
| Data center | No |
| Indicators | Low oil, overload and output ready |
| Fuel tank | 0.6 gal |
| Fuel gauge | No |
| Weight | 20.3 lbs |
|---|---|
| Approx. dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.6 x 8 x 13.8 in |
| Noise (lower limit) | 56 dBA |
| THD | < 5% |
| Compliance | CARB, EPA |
| Security | Low oil and overload protection |
| Spark arrestor | Yes |
| Neutral | Floating |
| Accessories included | Funnel, tool kit, and battery charging cables |
| Other model numbers | GEN1000iC |
| UPC | 027077802085 |
Unlike many websites, we did our best to research each of the specs above. That being said, we are not immune to making the occasional mistake or omission. Should you notice any missing or incorrect values, don't hesitate to suggest improvements so we can address the issue.
About Sportsman Series
Sportsman Series is a small brand registered under the US based Buffalo corporation. Founded in 1964, the Buffalo Corporation is a small company, which sells tools and home products. Their brands include AmeriHome, Black Bull, Buffalo Tools and Sportsman Series – which offers a selection of generators and several other general products. The brand, and in fact, the corporation itself seemingly outsources all of its production overseas and acts only as a distributor, under its own brands.
Warranty Information
The Sportsman GEN1000i is covered under a warranty for up to 1 year. This warranty may be limited and may not cover all parts of the generator.
For more information about the warranty of Sportsman generators, please contact the Buffalo Tools Customer Support: 1-636-532-9888.
Questions & Answers
What can it power?
| Item | Running Watts | Starting Watts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home | Printer | 600 | 600 |
| Cell phone charger | 20 | 20 | |
| Total | 620 W | 620 W | |
| For camping | RV refrigerator | 180 | 600 |
| DVD player | 350 | 350 | |
| Pair of small speakers | 45 | 45 | |
| Total | 575 W | 995 W | |
| For work | Drill | 600 | 900 |
| Total | 600 W | 900 W |
Couldn't find the right answer for you? Ask your own question.
User Reviews
This Item now comes with CO2 sensor and shuts down when detecting carbon monoxide. I have seen the parallel ports on these ones on some videos, but I don’t know it is an extra feature. The running time is insane had it running powering our chest freezer for almost 12 hours, the freezer never pulls constant wattage that is why took so long but at the same time we were charging stuff, powering lights and pulling some extra watts and experienced a lot of running time.
Got one of these about 2 years ago. First impression was good, nice workmanship.
First off – it never delivered the 800 running watts, not even close to it. Usually I got shy above 600 watts on a good day.
But then the power output diminished through time.
Now after two years and about 150h runtime, 3 oil changes, I only get about 400 watts out of it before the overload protection trips and shuts down the generator.
So I wouldn’t buy this generator again, it does not deliver at all.
Like many, I had been in the market for a small inverter generator. In my opinion, Honda is the benchmark for said type of generators, but with the 1000 watt unit (that would do everything I need) being around $800 it seemed foolish to not spend a couple hundred more and get the 2000 watt unit with twice the output. But it also weighs about twice as much and has higher fuel consumption. Decisions decisions. The weight generally would not be an issue for most, but I haul my camping gear on a trailer that I pull behind my motorcycle. So 20-30 pounds matters to me. So I thought it to death.
Ok, after doing some reading on this generator I picked up one of these from Sam’s Club in February for the super cheap price of $150. Even better, they offered a 3 year warranty for $15. On top of that, my credit card will give me an additional 2 years after that warranty expires. Hard to go wrong.
I was both impressed and concerned about how light this unit is. However, I knew that I would not be needing it for heavy loads when I camp and electric is not available.
After giving the unit a break in run of 8 hours and varying loads with 10W-30 conventional oil, I changed the oil and refilled it with the updated lower quantity (what used to be the low mark is now the full mark) of full synthetic 10W-30.
I ran the generator for a little over 60 hours this weekend. Other than shutdown for fueling and a couple of oil level checks (no loss noted) it ran non stop. My load was light, running two small fans, a dometic portable refrigerator, and at night a CPAP machine. According to my kill-a-watt, the load varies from 70 watts to 180 watts. Yes, it’s loafing but it’s doing everything that I need. The best part, I let it run for as long as 10 1/2 hours between fueling and it never ran out of fuel. I really wish I had tracked consumption more accurately, but I am confident that I used less than 1 gallon of fuel a day.
I could not be happier at this point. I plan to update my review as I put more run time on the unit.
This unit is well worth the price. It puts out decent power for its size and it is light weight.
The engine is a quality design with iron sleeve and a full roller crankshaft and roller connecting rod along with OHV
It is very quiet and I’m sure you would not get any complaints from the campsite, unless it was 3am