When choosing a portable generator, size, noise level, and reliability often matter just as much as power output. A compact generator should be easy to carry, quiet enough for campsites and capable of safely powering everyday essentials without fuss.
The Gentrax GT800 Pro is designed with exactly that in mind. But how does it perform in real-world use? This review takes a closer look at its portability, noise levels, runtime and overall performance to help determine whether this compact 800W inverter generator is the right choice for your next camping trip, outdoor event, or emergency backup.
The Short Version
The GT800 Pro is a genuinely tiny 800W quality inverter generator that does one job extremely well: delivering clean, pure sine wave power to sensitive electronics from a package you can carry in one hand. At 9.3 kg, it is closer to a large toolbox than a traditional genny; it runs at a conversational hum rather than a roar, and its power is clean enough to trust with a laptop. It is not a house backup, and it will not start a full-sized fridge, but for camping, day trips, market stalls, and keeping devices alive during a short outage, it is one of the easiest small units to live with that we have tested.
Who It Is for, At a Glance
- Campers and day trippers who want to charge phones, run LED lights, a fan, and a laptop without waking the campsite.
- Anyone with sensitive electronics, since the pure sine wave output is safe for laptops, cameras, and phone chargers.
- Small backup use, such as for modems, routers, lighting, and device charging through a short blackout.
- Not for home fridges, air conditioners, power tools with high startup surge, or anything that needs more than 700W continuously.
Performance: What 800 Watts Really Gives You
Let us be clear about the number on the badge. The GT800 Pro peaks at 800W and is rated for 700W of continuous output. That headline 800W is the surge figure, the brief burst available when a motor spins up, and the 700W rated figure is what you can safely draw all day. In practice, that is enough to comfortably run a laptop, a couple of phone chargers, a Wi-Fi router, LED lighting, and a small fan at the same time, with room to spare.
The part that matters more than the watts is the waveform. This is a true inverter, so it produces a pure sine wave rather than the choppy, modified output of cheap generators. That smooth waveform is why we were happy to plug a laptop straight into it without a surge board sitting in between. Clean power is the whole reason to pay for an inverter model than a conventional generator, and the Gentrax delivers it.
The honest limitation is startup surge on motorised appliances. A small camping fridge or a mini bar fridge that draws under 800W to start will usually run happily. A standard household refrigerator, a microwave, or anything with a compressor that spikes past 800W on kick-off will trip the unit. Know your appliance startup wattage before you rely on it, not just the running figure.
Here’s what one of our customers said:
“Ran it a few times and used it to run our cement mixer down the paddock when no electricity ran a couple incubators when we had power issues and charged a battery in the caravan. good so far happy. Runs quiet will mainly be used in caravan to boost batteries in over cast days”
Real-World Testing: Run Time, Fuel, and Noise
Run time and fuel
The 2.1-litre tank is small, and Gentrax is refreshingly upfront about what that buys you: up to about 6.1 hours at 50% load and roughly 4.1 hours flat out. On our afternoon of light charging and lighting, we sat comfortably in that half load band, and it sipped fuel at around a third of a litre per hour. That is efficient, but the small tank means an all-night run at a heavier load will need a top-up. Turn the engine off, let it cool, then refuel. Do not pour petrol into a hot, running unit.
Noise
This is where the little Gentrax earns its keep. Measured a few metres away, it settles to around 56 dB, closer to a normal conversation than the aggressive clatter people expect from a generator. Owners consistently report figures in the high 50s at 7 metres, and our experience matched that. Under load, it lifts a little, but with the economy mode engaged at light load it is quiet enough that our once nervous campsite neighbours never mentioned it. For anyone worried about national park rules, most parks accept units under 65 dB, and this one sits well inside that.
Build Quality and Portability
Physically, this is the whole selling point. At 9.3 kg and roughly 395 by 221 by 345 mm, the GT800 Pro is a small generator enough to sit in a footwell and light enough to carry one-handed from car to campsite without a second thought. The moulded top handle is well-placed, and the plastic casing feels solid rather than premium, which is exactly what you want at this price and weight.
Under the shell sits an air-cooled, four-stroke OHV petrol engine, with added engine silencers and air ducting that account for its calmer note. The single 240V socket carries an IP54 rating, giving it some resistance to dust and splashes, though this is still a fair weather unit that wants a dry, ventilated spot rather than rain. There is also a 12V / 4.0A DC output and a USB port for direct device charging, which is a genuinely useful touch for a camping generator.
Living with It: Features and Daily Use
Starting is old school recoil, a pull cord rather than a button or key, which keeps the weight and the price down. Cold starts took a couple of pulls in our testing, which is normal for a small four-stroke.
Beyond its compact size and quiet operation, the GT800 Pro includes several practical features that make day-to-day use easier, safer and more fuel efficient.
- Economy mode: An eco switch drops engine speed to match a light load, which cuts both fuel use and noise. Leave it on for charging and lighting, switch it off when you need full grunt.
- Overload reset: The Pro adds an upgraded overload reset that lets you clear a trip without a full engine restart, a small but welcome convenience.
- Low oil protection: An oil alert system shuts the engine down automatically if the oil drops too low, which saves the engine from an expensive mistake. The catch is that it will not restart until you top the oil back up.
- Fuel vent knob: The fuel cap has an air vent knob that must be turned open to let fuel flow to the carburettor, and closed finger-tight when the unit is not in use. If you forget to open it, the engine simply will not run, which trips up a lot of first-time owners.
Maintenance and Long-Term Durability
Small generators live or die on basic upkeep, and this one is straightforward to look after. It takes 0.25 litres of SAE 10W-30 four-stroke oil, and the single most important habit is checking the oil before every run and changing it on schedule. Beyond that, the maintenance list is short: clean the fuel tank filter with solvent when it looks dirty, keep the muffler screen clear, and check the spark plug, a CMR6A (TORCH) gapped between 0.6 and 0.7 mm, for carbon and discolouration.
The one job people skip is storage. If you are putting it away for more than a few weeks, drain the fuel and oil, and keep it somewhere dry and cool under a dust cover. Stale petrol gumming up a small carburettor is the single most common reason these units refuse to start after a season in the shed. Treated well, owners routinely report years of reliable service, with some clocking dozens of hours through repeated blackouts without complaint.
Here’s what one of our customers said:
“Great product. Bought in 2021 as it was on sale for camping. Has now a 100 hours runtime. Never missed a beat the whole time. Quiet and fuel efficient and easy to use, also very light and portable. Recently used for work as work gen failed. Spent 30 hours over 4 days running lights and 2 160 watt fans as well as charging Bluetti power pack as required. Never missed a beat. A great product l highly recommend.”
Warranty and Peace of Mind
The GT800 Pro comes with a 12-month warranty, standard for this class of portable generator, and it is Euro 5 emissions certified for sale in Australia. Twelve months is not generous next to premium brands that stretch to two or more years, but at this size and price it is in line with the market, and Gentrax has a long track record locally as a value-focused camping brand.
The Honest Limitations
No review is complete without the caveats, and there are a few worth stating plainly before you buy.
- It is genuinely small. 700W continuous rules out fridges with high startup surge, microwaves, kettles, heaters, and most power tools. Match it to your load honestly.
- One AC outlet only. A single 240V socket means a power board if you want to run several things at once, within the wattage limit.
- Recoil start only. No electric or remote start at this level, so you are pulling a cord every time.
- Small tank. The 2.1-litre capacity is fine for a day but means refuelling stops on longer, heavier runs.
- Practice safe use. Do not connect it to your home mains or a commercial power outlet, and do not run it in parallel with another generator. Like any petrol engine, generator must run outdoors in the open air, never inside a tent, van, garage, or enclosed space, because of carbon monoxide.
The Verdict
The Gentrax GT800 Pro is not trying to power your house, and once you stop expecting it to, it becomes very easy to recommend. It is one of the lightest, quietest inverter generators and cleanest little inverter generators you can buy for the money, and it nails the exact job most people actually want a small genny for: silent, portable, device-safe power for camping, day trips, and short outages. Back at that campsite, the laptop charged, the lights came on, the phone came back to life, and by the time it was properly dark, neighbours had no idea it was even running. For a small generator, that is about the highest praise there is.
Full Specifications
| Specification | Gentrax GT800 Pro |
|---|---|
| Maximum (peak) output | 800W |
| Rated (continuous) output | 700W |
| Output waveform | Pure sine wave |
| AC voltage | 240V / 50Hz, single 3 pin outlet |
| DC output | 12V / 4.0A |
| USB output | 1 x USB |
| Engine | Air-cooled, 4-stroke OHV petrol |
| Fuel | 91 RON unleaded petrol |
| Fuel tank capacity | 2.1 litres |
| Run time | Up to 6.1 hours at 50% load, about 4.1 hours at full load |
| Fuel use | Roughly 0.35 litres per hour at 50% load |
| Oil type / capacity | SAE 10W-30, 0.25 litres |
| Noise level | Around 58 dB at 7 metres |
| Start type | Recoil (pull start) |
| Weight | 9.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 395 (L) x 221 (W) x 345 (H) mm |
| Socket IP rating | IP54 |
| Spark plug | CMR6A (TORCH), gap 0.6 to 0.7 mm |
| Emissions | Euro 5 certified |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Specifications sourced from the Gentrax GT800 Pro product listing and the supplied GSI series operator manual. Figures such as run time and noise vary with load, fuel, altitude and unit condition. Always follow the manufacturer’s manual for operation, fuelling and safety.
