Pramac P7500i

Pramac has been making power generation equipment since 1966, first under the name L'Europea and then under its current brand, with a range spanning small leisure generators up to industrial plants of several hundred kVA. The P7500i sits at the top of its portable inverter range, and it fills a real gap in mainstream inverter generators, which typically cap out between 3500 and 3800W.

Its 420cc four-stroke petrol engine drives an inverter-regulated alternator, rated at 7000W peak output and 6500W continuous, at 230V single-phase and 50Hz. Inverter technology smooths the current produced, which allows sensitive electronics (compressor fridges, laptop chargers, variable-speed pumps) to be plugged in without risk of surges. The control panel includes two 230V 16A Schuko sockets, a 230V 32A industrial socket for high-draw appliances, a 5V USB port for charging a phone, and a display showing voltage, frequency and running hours.

The 25-litre tank powers the engine for around 11 hours at 75% load, or roughly 2.2 litres consumed per hour. Economy mode automatically adjusts engine speed to actual demand, cutting both fuel use and noise: Pramac quotes 64 dB(A) at 7 metres, a contained level for this output. A safety cutout stops the engine if oil level runs low, and a parallel kit connector lets you combine two P7500i units, with the matching accessory, to pool the available power.

Start-up is via an electric push button, with a manual pull cord as backup. At 130 kg, the P7500i isn't a generator you carry: it sits on a two-wheel trolley with a telescopic handle that lets one person move it alone on hard or firm ground, though loading it into a van takes two people. A 2-year warranty covers the unit. For a lighter, more portable setup, a compact inverter model is a better fit; for job-site three-phase 400V power, a diesel unit usually makes more sense.