Briggs & Stratton 30758 2KW PowerSmart Parallable Inverter Generator

Why it's worth it

The P2400 is a 50-pound inverter that puts out 1,800 running watts — enough for a laptop, a charger, work lights and a small corded tool. It costs far less than the other inverter here, and it shuts itself down if carbon monoxide builds up around it.

Most remodel days don't need 7,500 watts. If you're doing trim, cabinets or service calls, your real load is a laptop, a battery charger, a couple of lights and maybe a corded drill. The P2400 covers that quietly, behind a shell built to muffle the engine, and it's small enough to live in the back of the van without eating the whole floor.

CO Guard is the reason to pick this over a bargain open-frame unit. The generator kills itself when carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels. That's required equipment in several states now, and it's the sort of thing nobody thinks about until someone parks a generator a foot from an open window. It doesn't make indoor running safe — nothing does — but it's a real backstop on a tight lot.

From our review of 8 portable jobsite generators, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Most remodel days don't need 7,500 watts
• +CO Guard is the reason to pick this over a bargain open-frame unit
• +The inverter output is the other half of the pitch
• +There's a parallel port on the panel if you outgrow it, though the connector kit is a separate purchase

What to know

• –1,800 running watts is a hard ceiling
• –Owner feedback points at small annoyances more than big failures: oil isn't always in the box, so check before you plan a first…