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Running Watts product guide

DuroStar DS13000MXT 13,000-Watt Tri Fuel Portable Generator

Natural gas home backup outside California with a plumber's hookup

A 500cc tri fuel generator rated 10,500 running watts on gasoline, 10,000 on propane and 9,000 on natural gas, with GFCI 5-20R, L14-30R and 14-50R outlets, remote and push-button start, and CO ALERT. It weighs 211 to 245 pounds depending on the source, has a bonded neutral, and the maker says not for sale to California.

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Published specifications

  • Gas 13,000 / 10,500 W; LP 12,500 / 10,000 W; NG 11,250 / 9,000 W
  • Outlets: 2x 5-20R GFCI, L14-30R, 14-50R; bonded neutral
  • NG inlet 6.0 to 9.0 in water column; 225,000 BTU at full load
  • 8.5 h gas, 6.5 h propane (40 lb) at 50% load; 8.3 gal
  • Push button, remote and recoil start; battery tender included
  • 3-year parts warranty residential; 1 year heavy or commercial

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Published ratings and gas-line requirements for all three fuels
  • Natural gas hose, propane regulator and remote included
  • 14-50R and L14-30R with CO ALERT shutdown

Caveats

  • Maker's table says not for sale to California and marks EPA certified no
  • Bonded neutral may need an electrician's change for some transfer switches
  • Weight and gas hose size differ between the maker and Amazon

A 500cc tri fuel generator sold through DuroMax

The DS13000MXT is a DuroStar-branded 500cc tri fuel portable generator listed on DuroMax's website, with a CO ALERT shutdown, an 8.3-gallon gasoline tank, and automatic voltage regulation. Amazon's model and part fields read DS13000MXT and the UPC matches the maker page. The spec table lists aluminum windings and 10-inch plastic-hub wheels.

The manual's package contents include a propane regulator with hose, a natural gas hose with quick connect, a remote control, a battery tender, a screwdriver, an oil funnel, spanner wrenches and a spark plug wrench. The natural gas hose is listed as 25 feet by half an inch on the product page and 15 feet by three-quarters of an inch on Amazon, so check the size that arrives.

Running watts drop on propane and natural gas

The maker rates it at 13,000 peak and 10,500 running watts on gasoline, 12,500 and 10,000 on propane, and 11,250 and 9,000 on natural gas; the product page and manual agree. If you plan to run on natural gas, size your loads against 9,000 running watts, not the 13,000 in the listing title.

The product page lists runtimes of 17 hours at 25 percent load and 8.5 hours at 50 percent on gasoline, and 13 and 6.5 hours on propane. The manual ties the propane figure to a 40-pound tank, which is also the suggested minimum. Neither source gives a natural gas runtime.

Natural gas means a plumber, a shutoff valve and the right pressure

The manual tells owners to consult a licensed natural gas plumber, and its installer notes call for at least a half-inch quick connect, 6.0 to 9.0 inches of water column at the inlet at all loads, and a supply sized for 225,000 BTU at full load. It says to install the fuel system to NFPA 37 and other fuel-gas codes, and to purge and leak test the lines before use.

It also requires an accessible manual shutoff valve within 6 feet of the generator and a manual shutoff inside the building. Those are the manual's installer notes; the page directs the work itself to a licensed natural gas plumber, so give the notes to the plumber rather than acting on them yourself.

Outlets, the bonded neutral and transfer switches

The spec table lists two 5-20R GFCI outlets, one L14-30R and one 14-50R; the manual describes both twist-lock and 50-amp receptacles as 120/240V. There is no TT-30R. The manual's specification page lists the neutral as bonded, and DuroStar publishes separate instructions for removing the bond when connecting to a standard two-pole transfer switch or interlock.

Those instructions say only a qualified electrician should do this, that removing the bond disables GFCI protection and leaves the generator ungrounded unless grounded through the home, and that it must then be labeled as floating neutral. We do not reproduce the steps. The manual describes transfer switches and interlock kits as needing an electrician to install.

Starting, CO ALERT, weight and where it can be sold

Starting is by push button, remote control or recoil, and a battery switch prevents drain in storage; the included battery tender plugs into a wall outlet, and the manual warns against letting the 12V battery fall below 11.6 volts. CO ALERT lights red and shuts the engine down on dangerous CO, blocks a restart for five minutes, and lights yellow for a system error.

Weight is 211 pounds on the product page and in the manual, but 245 pounds on Amazon. The spec table marks EPA certified no, 50-state compliant no, and states not for sale to California, while the manual contains an EPA emissions warranty statement. Confirm with DuroMax that it can be sold and used where you live.

Oil, break-in and the three-year parts warranty

The engine takes 40.5 fluid ounces, 1.2 liters, of 10W-30. Break-in is the first 6 to 8 hours under half load on conventional oil, then an oil change; the schedule then calls for oil changes every three months or 50 hours of heavy use, or every six months or 100 hours of normal use. Noise is under 74 dB at 50 percent load, with no distance stated.

The manual and the linked warranty document give the original purchaser a three-year parts warranty for residential use, with unusually heavy or commercial use covered for one year. It is non-transferable, the owner pays freight on items sent in, and it excludes normal wear, maintenance, cosmetic defects, accessories and non-OEM parts. Neither promises labor coverage.

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Primary sources

  1. DuroStar DS13000MXT product page and specifications
  2. DuroStar DS13000MXT user manual, REV DS13000MX-11052024
  3. DuroStar DS13000MXT generator bond removal instructions
  4. DuroMax 3-year warranty document linked from the DS13000MXT page

Primary sources checked .

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