Cat RP5500 Generator Review | 5,500 Watt Portable Generator

[@johnpicard4909]

This was very helpful. It’s hard to get all of the details from advertisements and a few pictures. Thanks.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@johnnyg6448]

I have the exact same generator and I can proudly say that I love this damn thing one of the best investment I’ve ever made! Got us thru the recent Texas freeze we just had. Highly recommend!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Hey Art, I have nothing but good things to say about mine! Glad to hear you are safe! I hope you have utilities back now.

[@johnnyg6448]

We’re good sir, nothing a handyman can’t handle! People should really invest in a generator instead of those fancy shoes or purses

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@@johnnyg6448 haha I agree. They are worth their weight in gold when you need one!

[@J_ismyname48]

I too own the same one and I agree with you 100%. I acquired it during the 2017 hurricane season here in NC and glad I did bc we were out of power for 8 days and it worked absolutely flawlessly. Used it this past Sunday during an ice storm for a few hours and still no problems. Make sure to use a fuel stabilizer and some seafoam additive and you can store it with fuel for a long time with no problems. I always turn off the fuel and let it run out of fuel in the carb bowl and pull the choke out before storage.

[@RyansTraining]

@@J_ismyname48what an awesome idea. I have the same generator and I left her with half a tank of fuel and she gave me some trouble starting up.

[@LasVegas68]

I bought this same generator a few years ago and used it the first time for hurricane Ian and it worked perfectly!

[@bobcalgarycanada8582]

Very good explanation on how the Cat RP5500 operation works👍👍👍. Thanks

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Hey Bob, I’m glad it was helpful. Thank you for the feedback! 👍

[@78541954]

We bought the CAT RP6500 also in case of power loss during Ian. We got it all ready to go and yes, we lost power yesterday; went to start it and the red fuel valve broke off and fuel poured all over, we had no idea how to shut it off so lost an entire tank of fuel. How can we get the valve replaced? Nothing is opened today so we are stuck for now. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[@orlypalomar]

What is up with the voltage reading from the meter? It seems to sit around at 150-180V. Is it measuring the 120V line or the 240V line? Either way, it's way off the mark.

[@michaeljones4388]

Can you run a well pump or HVAC if your house has a 30 amp transfer switch?

[@Tonkaisthebest]

How do you start it? We have been pulling and it’s not starting!

[@gary-d8f]

what weight oil does it take????

[@crushthebox7000]

Just bought the 6500 Cat today for Hurricane IAN. I was wondering what brackets they were talking about if you could do an update video on that it would be great I actually had to look in the comments to find out about the brackets. you do a great job thank you very much

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I think you are referring to the brackets that are put on them for transport? They are red in color. Just have to remove them and you are done! Thanks a lot for the feedback. Stay safe. We are still waiting on Ian to reach us. Been getting rain and wind all day from it.

[@shannondelima3028]

@@HowToHomeDIY Is there a how-to video anywhere? We have a brand new RP6500, never used. Just put gas, oil, turn the switch and pull the chord? That easy?

[@shannondelima3028]

We are in Melbourne, FL and lights are beginning to flicker.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@@shannondelima3028 I don't have one on my channel. But yes oil, gas, make sure you removed the two red brackets from the bottom of the frame connecting the frame to the engine for shipping. Then turn on the switch, full choke, pull until it starts, and then push the choke back down. It should be running then. You probably know this but make sure when you are running it that it is outside and away from all doors and windows.

[@shannondelima3028]

@@HowToHomeDIY thank you! I was able to find an owners manual online and this confirms the steps, thank you. Sucks how you have to have it outdoors, but it can't get wet? Like you have to build a separate structure to house it? We have a garage with cross ventilation and am hoping we can use it like that. Will only attempt if we've lost power for over a day or something

[@condor5635]

3:45. You mean California has their own screwed up rules. They are the ones who give us the lovely proposition 65 tag on everything from a mattress to a brass nipple for plumbing that you buy at the store. At least we can enjoy our generators while they have their issues with no power due to their forest fires due to improper forest management. Way to go California. Great video thanks!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

haha yes, good ol' proposition 65. But hey, at least now you know that everything can cause cancer. I appreciate the feedback!

[@taylorh7638]

I see you have a 12000 watt generator to, is it possible to hook up both generators together to get more wattage ?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

No.

[@MsBlaine12]

What kind of portable stick welder will this generator run, if any?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Hey MsBlaine, this would be capable of running some stick welders, you would just need to pay attention to what their input amperage is. And depending on the welder, you may only be able to run it up to a certain capacity and not full power. I probably wouldn't recommend anything over 20-22 amps. Just depends on what you are looking for. Hope this helps!

[@captainvolvo916]

I thought you have the take the red shipping brackets off the motor before you use it

[@HowToHomeDIY]

If you dont and just forget, it won't affect the performance or cause damage if run in the very short term (starting it and shutting down). They are just there for added stabilization during the shipping process and only one part of the brackets are actually bolted down. They should be removed though as soon as you are aware they are there as running it with them still on continuously could cause damage according to Cat. Thanks for watching!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yes if left on continuously it could cause damage to the generator. They should be removed as soon as you are aware of them being on the generator. I had contacted cat about the issue as well. Thank you for the comment, it highlighted something I needed clarify. Thank you for watching!

[@cottonmouth128]

Have you ran tvs with this generator?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Hey Daniel, I have run a TV on this generator. But disclaimer here, CAT never released what the THD % is on this particular model that I have seen so that being said I couldn't say whether or not it would be completely safe even though nothing happened to mine.

[@miguelgonzalez6424]

R6500 here with beryl hurricane working strong its more of a maintenance deal i benn runing it 4 days know changed oil every 50 hrs check arrester check air filter check spark plug use stabilizer, most people dont know much better.

[@thedd13ram]

I imagine you can buy this at your local Cat dealer, Puckett Cat where I live, or a Cat Rental Store, Puckett Rents where I live.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You can definitely call and check with them and see if they have any left. Unfortunately a few months after this video was made, Cat decided to discontinue making their portable generators for the time being at least. They did not say whether it would be permanent or temporary. I believe Covid was a factor in that decision. They are nice machines!

[@glennford8844]

Who's manufacturing the engine please.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Rato, I believe. However, I believe Cat has at least temporarily quit making these.

[@nathane55]

I have this generator but it burns more oil than gas. Every 3 gours i have to put oil in it

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Interesting. Have not experienced that myself.

[@coolhandluke5557]

Mine is a POS out the box , would not generate power from the word go .

[@michaelspain4612]

Dam hate to hear was about to but one for low cost

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Unfortunately it can happen with anything. I own two caterpillar generators and they are solid as a rock for me.

[@tyl8ter]

In north east Georgia...had a snow storm last night...no power...possibility for days ..cat not working?....I just tested it...and it came on.....I just found out cat is Chinese .....I didn't do my research now I am paying the price

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I used mine a couple days ago and it worked. Cat is American but they had the manufacturing done on the portable generators by Rato Power Manufacturing and they are in China. Rato also manufactures some of the other generators you would recognize. Almost all generators are manufactured outside of the states though unfortunately. Perhaps bad fuel? Gas set too long in the carb? Sorry to hear about your power situation, I hope it gets resolved soon!

[@ronaldschippert884]

Great video until you started it it. Why not go through the start process

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Was really just a review video and not a how to use video.

[@kracker3961]

I got a cat 6500 and it's a p.o.s. They're not being manufactured anymore, so your warranty is worthless because they can't get parts. Just an fyi...its made by rato manufacturing, the same Chinese company that makes harbor freight predator, so you can get parts yourself from eBay

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Well I can only speak for myself and mine is still running great. You are right, they aren't currently manufacturing them and they aren't saying if they will start again or not. That being said, they are maintaining parts for the generators so you can still file a warranty claim. Almost all portable generators are manufactured in China. Unfortunately, while many of the companies are US companies, they have companies in China actually build them.

[@kracker3961]

@@HowToHomeDIYI'm speaking from experience with mine and my dad's. The carb on mine is bad and his is putting out low voltage. But no, they are not maintaining parts. I've already talked to a guy from cat. He said whatever parts they have at their warehouse is all that's left and they can't get anymore. He has a generator in his shop now that he's had for over 6 months trying to get parts for. He said if I brought mine in, they'd do their best to help me but that I was probably going to be out of luck. Like I said before, I can cross reference other machines built by rato and get parts to fix it myself but that'll be at my expense. Anyhow, I wasn't being critical of your review, I was just making people aware of this.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Roger that, I did not know about the parts as they told me not to worry about the warranty but thank you for the update! Sorry you haven’t had luck with them either. When you pay good money you expect it to last. Have you torn down and cleaned out the carb? Maybe due sitting without running and the ethanol in the gas causing build up?

[@kracker3961]

@@HowToHomeDIY I don't use ethanol gas in anything of mine so that's not the problem. It had ran fine for a couple hours before it started flooding to the point that it was shutting down. No, I didn't tear into it because that would've voided the warranty I thought I had. As of now though, I plan on taking it apart and fixing it myself when I get some free time. But yeah, when I paid $800 for a generator, I wanted to get more than a couple of uses out of it before it quit.

[@samarayachila9997]

You are definitely right I can’t find part and it terrible machine. Looking for a compatible battery

[@bugsautospa1918]

Beware The controls for on and off The power on and off are poorly made