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Running Watts product guide

DuroStar DS13000MX 13,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator

Home backup through a 50A transfer switch outside California

The DS13000MX makes 10,500 running watts on gasoline or 10,000 on propane from a 500cc engine, with electric, remote and recoil start, CO Alert shutdown, a 14-50R and an L14-30R. It uses an automatic voltage regulator rather than an inverter, has a bonded neutral, not sold in California, and its written warranty covers parts only.

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Published specifications

  • Manual: 10,500 running / 13,000 surge W gas; 10,000 / 12,500 W propane
  • Manual: two 5-20R GFCI, L14-30R 30A, 14-50R 50A; 120/240V
  • Maker: 8.3 gal tank; 17 h at 25%, 8.5 h at 50%; propane 40 lb minimum
  • Manual: 209 lb (Amazon 220 lb); electric, remote and recoil start
  • Manual: bonded neutral; maker: Not For Sale to California
  • Manual: 3-yr parts warranty, residential only; 1 yr commercial

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • 14-50R and L14-30R outlets with watts listed for both fuels
  • Electric, remote and recoil start with battery and tender included
  • Detailed maintenance chart and break-in steps in the manual

Caveats

  • Not sold in California according to DuroStar's table
  • Written warranty covers parts only; labor not mentioned
  • About 209-220 lb and needs a 40 lb propane tank for listed run time

What you get: a 500cc all-metal dual-fuel generator

The DS13000MX is a DuroStar portable generator with an automatic voltage regulator rather than an inverter, with a 500cc OHV engine, all-metal frame, push-button electric start, remote start and a recoil backup. The manual and maker page list it at 209 pounds and 29.75 by 27.5 by 25.75 inches; Amazon lists 220 pounds. Wheels and handles are included but have to be installed, and the manual calls the wheel kit optional.

The manual's package list covers a double-sided screwdriver, oil funnel with hose, spanner wrenches, spark plug wrench, battery tender, propane regulator with hose and the remote control. The maker lists a 12V sealed lead-acid battery as included and a battery switch on the panel to prevent discharge in storage. The engine arrives with no oil in the crankcase, apart from possible factory-test residue.

Watts per fuel, run time and propane tank size

The manual rates it at 10,500 running and 13,000 surge watts on gasoline, and 10,000 running and 12,500 surge watts on propane. DuroStar's page lists 43.75 running amps at 240V on gasoline, or 87.5 amps at 120V. Output is 120/240V at 60 Hz, and the maker lists an automatic voltage regulator and aluminum windings.

The maker page gives gasoline run time on the 8.3-gallon tank as 17 hours at 25 percent load and 8.5 hours at 50 percent. Propane figures are 13 hours at quarter load and 6.5 hours at half load, and the manual ties the half-load figure to a 40-pound cylinder, which it also names as the minimum suggested tank size. A 20-pound cylinder is below that suggested minimum.

Outlets, bonded neutral and home connection

The panel has two 120V 5-20R GFCI outlets, a 120/240V L14-30R 30-amp twist-lock and a 120/240V 14-50R 50-amp outlet, plus a main circuit breaker. Amazon and DuroStar describe the 50-amp outlet as transfer switch ready. The manual's home-connection page notes that both a transfer switch and an interlock kit require an electrician to install.

The manual's specification page lists the neutral system as bonded, and the maker's support files include separate unbonding instructions, which we did not read. Whether the neutral should stay bonded depends on how your transfer switch or interlock is wired, so give that detail and the unbonding document to your electrician before the installation.

Not for sale in California, and a noise figure at half load

DuroStar's specification table lists the DS13000MX as EPA certified, 50 State Compliant No, and Not For Sale to California. If you live in California, this model is not offered for you by the maker. The manual's emissions notice describes certification to EPA small off-road engine rules, and the emissions warranty section lists a two-year term for emission-related parts.

Noise is given as 74 dB at 50 percent load on the maker page and under 74 dB in the manual, without a measuring distance, so it cannot be compared with figures measured at 23 feet. Neither the maker page nor the manual pages we searched give a THD figure. The manual says to have a dealer modify the carburetor if you always run above 3,000 feet.

Break-in, oil and the maintenance schedule

Oil capacity is 40.5 fluid ounces of SAE 10W-30. The manual's break-in asks for the first 6 to 8 hours on conventional oil at under 50 percent load, then an oil change; synthetic may be used afterwards but does not lengthen the change interval. The schedule shows an oil check each use and changes at the first month or 8 hours, every 3 months or 50 hours of heavy use, and every 6 months or 100 hours of normal use.

The same chart covers other items at intervals running up to three years or 500 hours. The manual also has pages on carbon brushes and the AVR that we did not read, so treat the schedule above as the oil-change part of a longer list.

CO Alert, placement and a parts-only warranty

CO Alert lights red and shuts the engine down when it detects dangerous CO, and the engine will not restart for five minutes; a yellow light means a system error that needs DuroStar service. The manual says to use it outdoors only in non-confined areas. DuroStar's FAQ adds at least 5 feet from flammable material and 20 feet from windows or doors, in a dry, weather-protected area.

The written warranty in the manual is a three-year parts warranty for residential use only, with one year for unusually heavy or commercial use. The owner pays freight on items sent for repair, and it is non-transferable. Labor is not mentioned in that text; the maker page calls it a parts and technical service warranty, so ask DuroStar how service-center labor is handled.

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Primary sources

  1. DuroStar DS13000MX product page (duromaxpower.com)
  2. DuroStar DS13000MX user manual (rev 10/17/2025)

Primary sources checked .

Compare with

Side-by-side pages, this model next to: Westinghouse iGen12000DFc Dual Fuel Inverter Generator.

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