Black Friday Generator Deals

A sale price on the wrong size of generator is not a deal. Here is how to size it first, what to compare on the spec sheet, and how to tell a real discount from a crossed-out price that was never charged.

Facts and sources last checked September 30, 2026.

Size it before you look at a price

Generator ads lead with a wattage number and a price. The wattage has to match what you want to run, or the price does not matter. Too small and it cannot start the motors on your list; bigger costs more to buy and to feed. The generator sizing calculator adds up running and starting watts from a manufacturer's chart and shows the size tier to shop in.Champion Power Equipment, which makes generators, groups sizes like this:

Size	Typical loads	Best for
1,000 to 3,000 W	Lights, phone chargers, small appliances	Camping, tailgating, short outages
3,000 to 7,000 W	Refrigerator, freezer, window AC, TV	Home essentials during outages
7,000 to 12,500 W	Central AC units, electric water heater, well pump, sump pump	Larger homes, job sites, extended outages
12,500 to 22,000 W	Whole-home coverage, multiple large appliances at once such as compressors and air conditioning	Whole-home portable backup, large job sites

Champion says most homes need 5,000 to 12,500 watts to keep essentials running. Anything that needs to run a central air conditioner or a well pump sits at the top of that range, because motors need extra starting watts. Decide the size first, then look at deals in that tier.

What goes on sale, and how big the discounts are

We will not print a "typical Black Friday generator discount". We could not find a verifiable one, and a number without a source is the kind of claim this site does not make. What we can give you is a way to measure the discount yourself, below, and a dated list of the deals we did verify.

Real deal or inflated "was" price

The Federal Trade Commission's pricing guide is blunt about this. A former price is a fair basis for a comparison only if it was "the actual, bona fide price at which the article was offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period of time." If "an artificial, inflated price was established for the purpose of enabling the subsequent offer of a large reduction", the bargain is not real. In practice:

Write down the price now. Record the exact model number and its price in early October. That is your own price history, and it beats a crossed-out number on a banner.
Match the model number, not the name. A similar-looking name is not the same machine. Compare the exact model at other retailers and on the manufacturer's site.
Divide price by running watts on your fuel. Price divided by the running watts the unit makes on the fuel you will burn gives you a number that works across sizes. It is our own yardstick, not an industry standard, but it stops a big headline wattage from hiding a weak one on propane.
Add what the price leaves out. See the next section.

What to compare on the spec sheet

Running and starting watts. Running is what it can hold; starting is the short surge it can handle (Champion).
The rating for your fuel. Champion says propane typically gives about 10% less wattage than gasoline and natural gas about 10 to 15% less.
Tank size and runtime at 50% load. Both are on the spec sheet, and the generator calculator turns them into fuel for an outage.
Carbon monoxide protection. Some models shut the engine off if CO builds up. Champion's CO Shield is one example, and Champion says it does not replace an indoor CO alarm or safe placement.
What comes in the box. Champion's own model pages list items such as "Engine Oil Included" in the specs, and on the model we checked the answer was no.

Costs that are not in the sale price

A transfer switch and an electrician, if you want the generator to power house circuits. Champion says a portable generator should not be connected to a home's electrical system without a properly installed transfer switch, and recommends a licensed electrician.
Installation and a permit, for a home standby generator. Champion says installation is by a qualified dealer or installer and usually needs a permit.
Fuel and a safe place to run it. Generators and fuel stay outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages (Ready.gov).

2026 generator deals we have verified

No verified 2026 generator deals yet. We list a price only after seeing it on the retailer's own page, with the date, and we do not have any to show today.

Planned updates: around November 9, 2026, and again on Monday, November 23, 2026, the week of Thanksgiving. Until then, here is what to look for when you check a listing yourself:

The exact model number, and whether the same model number is listed at other retailers and on the manufacturer's site.
Running watts and starting watts, and the rating for the fuel you will actually burn (propane and natural gas put out less than gasoline).
The fuel tank size and the runtime at 50% load from the spec sheet.
What is and is not in the box: engine oil, a cord, a transfer switch, a cover.
The "was" price, and whether you can find the same model at that price before the sale started.

Questions people ask

When is Black Friday this year?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November (5 U.S.C. 6103), which makes it November 26, 2026, and Black Friday November 27, 2026. Retailers often start earlier and run later, so check each retailer's own ad rather than assuming a single day.

Are generators actually cheaper on Black Friday?

We do not know, and we will not guess. We could not find a verifiable typical discount for generators, and a percentage pulled from a forum or a roundup would be made up. The way to know is to record the price of the exact model in early October, then compare it with the sale price. The dated deals section on this page shows what we verified, when we verified it, and what we saw before.

How do I size a generator before I shop?

Add the running watts of everything you want on at once, find the single highest starting wattage among those items, and add that to the running total (Champion Power Equipment's method). Champion says most homes need 5,000 to 12,500 watts for essentials. The calculator on this site does the adding from Champion's appliance chart and shows a low and a high figure.

Is a dual-fuel generator worth paying more for?

Champion describes dual-fuel generators as running on gasoline or propane, and tri-fuel models as adding natural gas. It also says propane typically delivers about 10% less wattage than gasoline and natural gas 10 to 15% less. So a dual-fuel unit gives you fuel options but a lower rating on the alternate fuels; size to the rating for the fuel you expect to use, not the biggest number on the box.

What else do I have to buy besides the generator?

Depends how you connect it. To run appliances off the generator with heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords, nothing more is needed. To feed the house wiring, Champion says a properly installed transfer switch is required and that a licensed electrician should install it. A home standby generator is installed by a qualified dealer or installer, usually needs a permit, and uses an automatic transfer switch. Those costs are not in a sale price.

How do I tell a fake "was" price from a real one?

The Federal Trade Commission's pricing guide says a former price is a legitimate basis for a comparison only if it is the actual, bona fide price at which the article was offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period of time. A price set artificially high to allow a big "reduction" is fictitious. You cannot always see the price history, so record the price yourself before the sale, check the same model elsewhere, and judge the price against what you need rather than against the crossed-out number.

Can I run a generator in the garage if it is cold or raining?

No. Champion says there is no safe reason to run a portable generator in a shed, garage or home, even with fans or open doors, and Ready.gov says to keep generators and fuel outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages. Champion also says not to run one under a canopy-style cover unless the manufacturer gives instructions for it. Budget for a safe place to run it as part of the purchase.

How is this page updated?

The guide text does not carry a year in its address so it can be reused. Each year the deals section is refreshed with prices we have seen on retailer pages, with the date. If we have not verified a deal, we do not list one. The "facts last checked" date at the top shows when the sourced material on this page was last reviewed.

Where these facts come from

What size generator do I need?: the calculator behind the size advice on this page
Black Friday hot tub deals: the same checks for a hot tub
Energy & power calculators: all the tools in this section