Briggs and Stratton Q6500 Buyer’s Guide

Last Updated on February 3, 2021 by

Power outages can leave your home or work site helpless. However, a good generator will restore your electricity and keep you on track with your busy schedule. They’re also convenient for camping trips so that you can make the most of your RV.

The Briggs & Stratton gasoline integrated engine alternator provides an indisputably efficient function in a compact package. We’ll cover everything there is to know about this Briggs and Stratton generator right here in this review.

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Features and Functions

Specifications

• Weight: 128 lbs
• Dimensions: 25.53 x 21.12 x 21.43 inches
• Fuel Type: Gasoline
• Fuel Gauge: Yes
• Hour Meter: Yes
• Carb Compliant: Yes
• Run Time: 14 hours at 25% capacity
• Running Watts: 5000
• Starting Watts: 6500
• Start Type: Recoil

Design and Construction

The Briggs & Stratton Q6500 portable inverter generator is specially constructed for excellence. Every element of the design and construction impacts the performance of the integrated engine alternator. Read the breakdown below to learn about the Q6500 QuietPower Series features and determine if it is the right choice for your garage and property or other portable power needs.

The Briggs & Stratton Engine

The Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator boasts impressive features and technological advantages when it comes to run time, but it also has competition. Take a look at how its 6 500 watt gasoline engine measures up against the industry standard.

The Briggs & Stratton engine is a 306cc OHV 4-stroke portable inverter generator. It is highly efficient while remaining lighter than standard generators. The control panel comes with a circuit breaker to avoid overheating and causing a potential fire risk for your garage and property.

Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator fuel consumption:

• Fuel gauge?: Yes
• Fuel Type: Gasoline
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 19

The Body

The Briggs & Stratton Q6500 is enclosed in a protective shell that noise can’t puncture. The construction of the body of this Q6500 serves it in a few important ways. The steel frame enclosed body is strong and impenetrable. This means that shell noise is minimized. It also means that wear and tear are minimized, and internal components are protected.

Outlets and Attachments

Users tend to be impressed by the several outlets included on the steel frame enclosed Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator. The Q6500 includes:

• 120 Volt 20 Amp GFCI Duplex outlets (2)
• USB outlets (2)
• 120/240 Volt 30 Amp locking outlet

The locking outlet provides the opportunity for a more secure connection for essential power. The USB outlets make it easy to quickly attach sensitive electronics like phones, tablets, and computers. With USB outlets, a locking outlet, and duplex outlets, the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator is packed with options. Voltage regulation means you can power any device, large or small.

The innovative design of the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series includes attachments for ease of transport. The powerful Briggs and Stratton engine is encased in a lightweight 128-pound steel exterior, easily pulled, moved, and manipulated using the expertly designed handle.

The style telescoping handle makes it easy to transport. As a portable inverter generator, this feature makes the Q6500 QuietPower series better than standard generators.

QuietPower Series Inverter Technology

This alternator provides 6 500 starting watts at a volume level 60% quieter than standard generators. This is due to the quiet power technology (QPT) switch on the control panel. When activated, the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 operates at a lower RPM. This means more efficient gasoline and power usage. It also means lower emissions and noise levels.

Warranty

There are two warranty packages for the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series gasoline generator. For commercial businesses, there is a 12 month, or 1-year limited warranty. For consumers, there is a 24 month, or 2-year, limited warranty. The 2-year limited warranty means that users are protected in case there are errors or malfunctions. They can take the machine back within the 2-year limited warranty.

What Can It Power?

This Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator is no hassle and can power a wide variety of electronics and devices.

• Starting watts: 6500
• Running watts: 5000

Small electronics like phones and tablets can easily plug into the USB attachment to the portable inverter generator. Larger machinery like refrigerators, and air conditioners, can also operate on the power of the Briggs and Stratton engine.

Why Choose The Briggs & Stratton Q6500?

Some of the top features of the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator include:

• 6,500 starting/5,000 running watts
• 14 hours of run time at 1/4 load
• Noise-reducing shell
• Compact lightweight design (139lbs)
• 120V/240V locking outlet (30A)

This portable inverter generator can deliver 6 500 starting watts and a running wattage of 5,000 watts. With 14 hours of run time at a 25% load, it is very respectable, even for a standard generator.

How Much Power Does the Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator Provide?

With 6,500 starting watts, it delivers a massive load for a portable generator. But the real key is how it can provide it.

The Q6500 has a variety of power options. These include the 120V (20A) outlets (4) + USB outlets (2 x 5V), which come with GFCI labeling for added safety. An inverter generator is already the safest kind of portable generator to power sensitive electronics. The GFCI backing is a bonus.

How Quiet Is the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator?

The Q6500 runs at around 66dB. With 60 quieter than standard conversation and 70dB at the upper end, the Q6500’s steel frame-enclosed engine produces roughly the average noise of conversation.

The steel frame-enclosed engine sounds like a simple feature but helps so much. Being enclosed in a protective shell means that the Q6500 is quieter than standard generators and can deliver consistent power for essential equipment while having wattage to spare.

Because of the protective shell noise reduction, shell noise is minimized, and internal components are protected from rattling around and distracting you.

How Much Does the Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator Weigh?

Weighing in at 139lbs, the Q6500 is a comparatively lightweight ‘portable’ inverter generator. It is 70lbs lighter than top-end inverter generators of similar power and more compact and 30 lighter than standard generators in the same class.

Sure, 139lbs may not sound light. But remember that this is only 40lbs more than generators like Harbor Freight’s Predator 4000, but with 2,300 extra running watts.

Is It Portable?

With standard generators, moving and storing can be a real issue. The Q6500 gets help from the telescopic handle and solid wheels.

The suitcase-style telescoping handle makes it easy to move the generator around your garage and property, ensuring that storing your generator is no hassle.

The wheels, designed to give the generator an easy ride, are especially suitable for various terrains. The generator is no hassle to transport from the car to wherever you want to set up.

For standard generators, moving can be an issue as even lighter generators may not have a reliable transport system. The Q6500 is more mobile than many standard generators while delivering consistent power for your electronics and devices – and then some.

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What Are the Benefits of an Inverter Generator?

The Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator offers all the benefits of inverter generators for protecting your sensitive electronics, as well as greater efficiency. This protection, combined with the highly efficient integrated engine alternator, provides excellent run time.

The inverter technology produces power that adapts to present needs. You can power a wide variety of electronics or a couple of devices – and the generator will adjust its output.

Most generators offer low oil shutdown to protect the generator from internal damage, and the Q6500 is no exception.

Also, inverter technology produces power that is consistent and guarded against harmonic distortion. Levels of harmonic distortion vary according to the appliances connected and disconnected from your generator. In a regular generator, high levels can harm sensitive devices.

The Q6500 inverter technology ensures internal components are protected in electronics and devices like laptops.

What Can I Run on the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator?

Let’s talk in real terms. Here’s a breakdown of what you can and can’t run on the Q6500.

Can Run:

• Refrigerator (including fridge/freezers)
• Window air conditioners
• Mid-size central air conditioning
• TV
• Dishwasher
• Washing machine
• Microwave
• Central lighting via switchboard
• Clothes dryer

One of the critical questions is whether you can run central air conditioning on a 6,500-watt generator. The starting watts are an essential consideration, as for central A/C, this will be substantially higher than the running wattage.

Older and larger central A/C systems will probably need more power, but many mid-size central air conditioning systems can use the Q6500.

Can’t Run:

• Large central air conditioners
• An active household using many high-energy applications (such as a clothes dryer) simultaneously
• Multiple high-energy power tools

If you’re looking to run an entire household on a generator without rationing, you may need to think bigger.

Likewise, a worksite using a large number of power tools at the same time may place the Q6500 under a heavy burden.

Be sure to know what your tools require before choosing a generator.

Pros & Cons of the Q6500 Quietpower Series Inverter Generator

Pros

• 60% Quieter than other generators
• The 2-year limited warranty is longer than a standard generator warranty
• Provides up to 14 hours at 25% capacity to power a wide variety of electronics
• 6 500 Watt gasoline Briggs & Stratton engine makes this a powerful portable inverter generator

Cons

• No low oil alert or low oil shutdown feature means that you are less likely to catch low oil soon to reduce wear and tear
• The recoil start type is not the most convenient start type

How Does It Compare?

Let’s consider how the Q6500 compares to a similar model.

Yamaha EF6300ISDE – Comparison

This quiet generator runs at 58dB. Remember, with 60 quieter than an average conversation, that’s impressive. Plus, it has a running wattage of 5500, which is more powerful than the Q6500.

Inverter engine? Yes. Fuel gauge? Yes. Electric start? Yes, and this is where it scores more points. The Q6500 only offers the pull start.

Where the Yahama EF6300ISDE falls is weight and price. It’s far more expensive than the Briggs and Stratton. Also, it weighs over 70lbs more, meaning it’s not a ‘portable’ inverter generator.

If 200lbs is no issue, the Yamaha is a great (albeit expensive) choice. It has some fantastic features. But that’s a heavy generator with a hefty price tag.

Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower Series Inverter Generator Warranty

With a 2-year limited warranty, the Q6500 doesn’t have quite the assurance of some competitors. Some top-end brands will offer a 3 or 4-year limited warranty on generators of this size.

Still, Briggs & Stratton produce quality generators, which matters when weighing up the warranty. We would expect it to last well beyond that period.

FAQs

Is the Q6500 Quietpower Series Good for Compact Travel?

Compared to other models with similar features, the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator is a great choice for travel, moving, and storing. It is compact and 30% lighter than standard generators.

It also boasts a design that s 45% more compact. This means that if you are hoping for a 6 500 watt generator around your garage that’s easy for moving and storing, this portable generator might be your best choice.

This also means that storing your generator as you travel in a cramped RV can be simple. It reaches 25.53 inches in length, which allows for storing your generator in small closets or under seats. It will hide away easily without encroaching on your space.

Use the easy to move suitcase-style telescoping handle to move the generator around any home, RV setup, or work site. The design makes it easy to move the generator around your garage or work site effortlessly without breaking a sweat.

Verdict: Should I Buy this Quietpower Series Inverter Generator?

With 14 hours of run time, a powerful Briggs and Stratton engine, and QuietPower Series Inverter Generator technology, the Briggs & Stratton Q 6 500 is a highly sought-after appliance. It works perfectly as a noiseless power source in RVs, camp setups, worksites, and even in your home or backyard. With the protective shell, noise is canceled out, and you can live in peace.

The Q6500 QuietPower series can be a portable solution for long travel in an RV or an easy backup at home that is the perfect size and weight for simple storage and easy access.

It can be disappointing to see such a promising power portable inverter generator like the Q6500 QuietPower series missing must-have features like low oil shutdown. However, the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower series inverter generator makes up for this loss tenfold. The Briggs & Stratton engine packs power behind a 6 500 running watt operational capacity. In its special casing, the Q 6 500 is designed for longevity and power, perfect for RVs, vans, worksites, and garages.

If your primary priority is noise and ease of transport, the Q6500 QuietPower series is the best choice for you.

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Briggs & Stratton Q6500

9.6

Noise

9.0/10

Reliability

10.0/10

Ease of Use

10.0/10

Value

9.0/10

Weight

10.0/10

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Scott

Scott Krager purchased generatorgrid.com in the summer of 2020 and quickly began to buy every generator under the sun! He currently has over a dozen generators and the number is growing quickly. He lives in Portland, OR near his family and friends.