Last updated on August 30th, 2021
Briggs & Stratton P2200 Review & Buyers Guide
Table of Contents
Briggs & Stratton P2200 Review & Summary
Product Name: Briggs & Stratton P2200
Product Description: The Briggs & Stratton 30651 P2200 is an inverter generator part of the brand’s PowerSmart Series. This inverter generator series offers portable design and decent power for recreational use.
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Noise Level
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Reliability
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Value vs. Cost
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Ease of Use
Summary
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 is meant for recreational use like tailgating and camping and for some devices can also be used as a small backup generator for the home. However, its wattage is not enough for powering all the basic home appliances at once so it really is better suited for recreational purposes.
The Briggs & Stratton 30651 P2200 is an inverter generator part of the brand’s PowerSmart Series. This inverter generator series offers portable design and decent power for recreational use.
Most of the top portable generator manufacturers have an inverter generator model that has around 2000 watts surge power and just below 2000 watts running power. So how does the Briggs & Stratton P2200 compare to similar portable generators?
Is the user-friendly design and extensive customer service from Briggs & Stratton enough to sway your preference? Or do the Briggs & Stratton P2200 technical specs stand well when compared to other 2000 watts inverter generators?
Read on to learn more about the Briggs & Stratton P2200 and decide whether it is the better choice portable generator for your next outdoor adventure.
About the P2200
Briggs & Stratton is US manufacturer of small engines and lawnmowers, including of course portable generators. Being an American manufacturer, you have better access to customer services and after-sale services when purchasing a Briggs & Stratton generator.
The good customer service is useful for first-time portable generator users but the design itself was also made to be user-friendly. The P2200 features a simple and easy to read control panel which makes starting and monitoring the inverter generator easier.
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 is meant for recreational use like tailgating and camping and for some devices can also be used as a small backup generator for the home. However, its wattage is not enough for powering all the basic home appliances at once so it really is better suited for recreational purposes.
For a recreational generator, the Briggs & Stratton P2200 is quite portable. More importantly, being an inverter generator it provides clean energy that is safe for connecting to sensitive electronic devices like DSLR cameras and mobile phones.
P2200 Specs
Product Information Detail
Running Watts 1700
Surge Wattage 2200
Fuel Gasoline
Tank Capacity 1 Gallon
Run Time 8 Hours at 1/4 load
Weight 54.6 lbs
Noise Level 59 dB at 1/4 load
The Briggs & Stratton 30651 P2200 is a portable inverter generator with 2200 watts starting power and 1700 watts running power. Portable generators with this amount of power are best for charging small personal electronic devices like laptops, DSLR cameras.
However, you can also use the Briggs & Stratton P2200 for to power a small household appliance, one at a time. 1700 watts is enough to power a small portable heater or a fan, for example.
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 is parallel capable which means that you can connect a second inverter generator to get twice the power. Unique to this model is that the parallel capabilities are compatible with the Briggs & Stratton P3000 model too, which means you can have more than double the power.
This portable generator is fossil fuel powered and has a 1 gallon fuel tank to power the 111 cc OHV engine. A full fuel tank is enough to let the Briggs & Stratton P2200 run for 8 hours on a quarter load.
Inverter generators are known for being a lot quieter than conventional portable generators and that is still true for this P2200 model. Though not the most quiet model on the market, the 59 decibels at a 25% load and 57 decibels on eco-mode are still comfortably low noise levels for outdoor recreational use.
The noise is controlled by the pre-installed muffler and Super Lo-Tone technology. The noise is further controlled by the engine speed which automatically adjusts to the load requirements.
The Quiet Power Technology introduced by Briggs & Stratton not only reduces engine noise but it also reduces gas emissions and how much fuel the engine uses. So, the Quiet Power Technology is good for maintaining three separate things; noise levels, fuel consumption and pollution. The simple and clear control panel has all the parts for easy monitoring. It has 3 indicator lights that warn for overloading, low oil shutdown and a third light that shows the generator is running smoothly. The control panel has 3 outlets; one 12 volt DC outlet and two 120 volt, 20 amps AC outlets. Each of these outlets have their own reset button to protect the portable generator and the connected devices from surge damage.
Since this inverter generator produces clean energy with less than 3% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) your sensitive electronics won’t be damaged by unexpected spikes and drops.
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 has a compact and narrow design. It has an H-handle at the top for added portability of its 55 pounds.
Start the engine using a manual recoil system. Users report it takes an average of three pulls to get the engine running.
This inverter generator is not CARB-compliant so it cannot be used in the state of California. However, it can be shipped to other US states where the product is backed by a 2-year warranty.
Briggs & Stratton P2200 vs Briggs & Stratton P3000
Table could not be displayed.In the Briggs & Stratton PowerSmart Series there is a more powerful alternative to the P2200 model; the P3000. The Briggs & Stratton P3000 has 3000 watts surge power and 2600 watts running power which is 800 watts and 900 watts more respectively to the P2200 model.
If the small compact P2200 does not have enough power for you then upgrade to the more powerful Briggs & Stratton P3000. This slightly larger portable inverter generator is still meant for recreational use but you have more freedom in the appliances that you connect.
The manufacturers already anticipate that you will want to connect more electronic devices with a more powerful portable generator so the P3000 has more electrical outlets than the P2200. The P3000 has four 120 volt 20 amp AC outlets, one 120 volt 30 amp AC outlet, one USB port and one 12 volt DC outlet.
The P3000 has a bigger engine, a 171 cc engine compared to the 111 cc engine of the P2200. A bigger engine also means a heavier portable generator and he P3000 is significantly heavier than the P2200 at 84 pounds.
To accommodate for the extra weight, Briggs & Stratton fit the inverter generator with never-flat wheels, twin handles and a pull-out handle so you can pull the P3000 like a trolley. Arguably, despite being the heavier model, the Briggs & Stratton P3000 is the more mobile and portable design.
One notable design difference is the LCD display on the Briggs & Stratton P3000. This is more informative than the P2200 since the LCD display shows total running hours and reminders to replace the spark plugs, filters and oil.
As mentioned, the PowerSmart Series has parallel capabilities with all models meaning you can connect any PowerSmart Series model to the Briggs & Stratton P3000. This gives you a lot of freedom in choosing how much power you want to bring with you on your trip.
There is not too much difference in run time between the two models with the P3000 having a longer run time of only 2 hours at a 25% load. This is accommodated by the larger fuel tank in the P3000 which holds 1.5 gallons.
Surprisingly, the Briggs & Stratton P3000 is slightly quieter than the smaller model in the series. The Briggs & Stratton P3000 has a noise level of 58 decibels at a 25% load.
P2200 vs Comparable Portable Inverter Generators
You can compare the Briggs & Stratton P2200 with the Honda EU2200i and the Westinghouse iGen2200. All three inverter generators have the same surge power but the Honda EU 2200i and Westinghouse iGen2200 have 100 watts more running power.
The technical specs of the Briggs & Stratton P2200 and Honda EU2200i are actually quite similar but the Honda wins in portability since it weighs 8 pounds less.
The Honda EU2200 is one of the most quiet inverter generators on the market at only 48 decibels so the Briggs & Stratton model is also noisier.
Aside from weight and noise, another significant factor is the cost. The Honda EU2200i is about double the price of the Briggs & Stratton P2200 so take this into consideration when deciding whether the technical differences are worth it.
Compared to the Westinghouse iGen2200, the Briggs & Stratton model is also noisier. The Westinghouse model produces a noise level of 52 decibels.
The Westinghouse iGen2200 also has one of the more impressive run times on the market with 12 hours at 25% load which is 4 more hours than the P2200.
Another notable difference for recreational users is the USB port. The Westinghouse iGen2200 has a USB port but the Briggs & Stratton model does not which could be deciding factor for users with a lot of sensitive personal devices.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 has good technical specs but these do not stand out against the competition. What does become apparent with comparable portable generator models is that the P2200 is very user-friendly. If you are looking for a simple to use portable inverter generator then the P2200 is a good first choice. Also, the many customer service points spread around the United States makes it easier to get the assistance that you need in handling this inverter generator. The biggest advantage of the P2200 is being part of the PowerSmart Series and so parallel capable with any other size generator in the same line. This gives you full control on how much power you want to use. The other advantages of the Briggs & Stratton P2200 are actually common qualities of inverter generators in this class such as low noise level, decent run time, low oil shutdown and being lightweight.
Though the technical specs of the Briggs & Stratton P2200 do not stand out, there are also very little negative points for this model. The main disadvantages associated with this model have to do with what you will be using the portable generator for. One disadvantage is that the Briggs & Stratton P2200 does not have a USB port. Since an inverter generator is the go-to choice of portable generator to charge sensitive electronic devices like cameras and laptops, it is surprising that that manufacturer has left this detail out. If you use your personal electronics a lot during an outdoor trip, the lack of a USB might be a deciding factor to choose a different model. Another disadvantage is the portability, specifically the h-handle. 55 pounds is not incredibly heavy but having two handles would have made it easier to spread the weight among two people. Finally, we come to the power. The P2200 is on the lighter side of generator power but for some this is enough. Plus, having parallel capabilities takes care of most of the power needs.
Conclusion
The Briggs & Stratton 30651 P2200 is an affordable and easy to use portable inverter generator. It is compact and lightweight enough for outdoor camping trips and other recreational use.
The Briggs & Stratton P2200 is a good first portable generator since it has an extensive customer service that can help you out with getting it started, maintenance and repairs. It is important to know how to handle a portable generator properly and the P2200 is a good design to familiarize yourself with these steps and precautions.
Also, the best feature of the Briggs & Stratton P2200 is that it is parallel capable with any generator in the PowerSmart Series. This means that the amount of power is customizable to your personal needs.
This is a great advantage for people that have varying needs of off-grid power. Purchase different sizes in the PowerSmart Series so that you can adjust the amount of power available to you.
Finally, the Briggs & Stratton P2200 technical specs are similar to other inverter generators in the same power category. So, perhaps the main difference to consider is that the Briggs & Stratton is more affordable.
Last update on 2024-07-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API