Here's what I learned. I'm not an expert, but was looking for a practical solution to power outages.
1. Not practical if you are buying it to stay warm in power outages.
2. Extremely practical to run electrical items in the yard where no power is available. It's even on a rolling cart! Doesn't take up a lot of space in the garage when stored, but you'll want to keep it charged.
3. Somewhat helpful to make some coffee or run tiny appliances when the power is out.
4. Useful for lights during a power outage. Runs a big 3-way floor lamp, for instance.
5. Extremely useful for recharging your LAPTOP (or keeping your computer router running) during power outages or possibly even on camping trips.
6. Somewhat useful for running a radio/moderate-sized TV for a few hours.
7. Small appliances like a battery-operated radio or TV could run a long time on this unit after you have exhausted your batteries, probably would run them for a LONG time, maybe for days.
I originally bought 1 of these because I thought they would come in handy in power outages, to stay warm. That's not practical. You need one of the systems installed by an electrician/plumber that cost several thousand dollars for a workable heating and air conditioning system for power outages. That's not what this is for.
However, I bought 2 more and I'm so glad I did. I gave away 1 of the units to friends who are always doing things for others, so they could at least make coffee or oatmeal, etc., when the power goes out. I now have the whole-house generator I mentioned above, and even that is limited. My son uses the 1500 units I bought. He keeps his computer router hooked up to one in the cable room and he can recharge his laptop with it.
Think of it as a giant battery. You keep it plugged in and charged during the year and use it in bad weather for lights or making coffee, heating water, running tiny appliances, OR for projects in the yard that require electricity. The painters used one of them when they worked on my house earlier this year. This would come in handy if, for instance, your house was out of power for several days but you could go to a friend's house that has power and charge it. A larger unit might be a little more useful, but I don't think they are on carts, and those carts are a necessity for me. I need the portability. I hope this was helpful for someone. Others will prefer the technical information in some of the other reviews.
| Manufacturer | SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SOLAR INV |
|---|---|
| Brand | Xantrex |
| Model | Xantrex 802-1500 XPower 1,500 Watt Portable Powerpack |
| Item Weight | 60 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 15.8 x 11.9 x 14.8 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 802-1500 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 8021500 |
| Special Features | Portable |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Wattage | 1500 watts |
