Last updated October 12, 2026
DuroStar DS13000MXT Tri-Fuel Review
The DuroMax XP13000HXT's 10,500 running watts and tri-fuel flexibility, from its budget sibling brand, for about $500 less.
The verdict
DuroStar is DuroMax's value sub-brand, and the DS13000MXT makes the family relationship obvious: the same 10,500 running watts, the same 500cc engine, the same tri-fuel dial, and the same 50A transfer-switch-ready outlet as the DuroMax XP13000HXT — at nearly a third off. It gives up DuroMax's brand recognition and longer reliability track record, not any output.
Typical price: ~$1,000 (typical street price — current price shown on Amazon)
Buy on AmazonWhat we like
- +10,500 running / 13,000 peak watts on gasoline — identical output to the DuroMax XP13000HXT
- +Tri-fuel: gasoline, propane, or natural gas off one selector dial
- +14-50R 50A outlet — transfer-switch ready for whole-essentials backup
- +Remote, electric, and recoil start; CO Alert auto-shutoff standard
- +The lowest price of any 13,000-peak-watt tri-fuel portable we carry, DuroMax included
What to know
- −DuroStar is DuroMax's budget sub-brand — a thinner support network and fewer years of reliability data than the DuroMax-badged XP13000HXT
- −219 lb and loud (~74 dBA) like every open-frame machine this size
- −8.3-gallon tank; natural-gas derate isn't independently published — budget for roughly the same ~19% hit the XP13000HXT takes on NG
- −New-to-market tri-fuel configuration for the DuroStar badge specifically; the dual-fuel DS13000MX has the longer history
Full review
DuroStar has quietly sat in DuroMax's shadow for years, selling simplified or lower-cost versions of the same engineering under its own badge. The DS13000MXT is the clearest example yet: it matches the DuroMax XP13000HXT running watt for running watt — 10,500 on gasoline, 13,000 peak — with the identical 500cc engine, the same fuel-selector-dial tri-fuel system, and the same 50A 14-50R outlet, at a price nearly $500 below its DuroMax sibling.
That's not a typo or a stripped-down trim; it's the same core machine with a different nameplate and a lower price, which is how DuroStar has always positioned itself inside the DuroMax family. Remote start, electric start, and CO Alert auto-shutoff all carry over, so the day-to-day ownership experience should be nearly indistinguishable from the more expensive version.
What you're trading away is reputation, not hardware: DuroMax's badge carries more owner-forum history and a stronger resale story, and DuroStar's specific tri-fuel configuration is newer to market than the DS13000MX dual-fuel unit it's based on. For a buyer who's already decided on the XP13000HXT's spec sheet and just wants to pay less for it, this is the easiest money saved in the whole tri-fuel category.
Best for: Buyers who want the DuroMax XP13000HXT's exact output and tri-fuel flexibility at the lowest price in the class.
Specifications
| Running watts | 10,500 (gas) |
|---|---|
| Peak watts | 13,000 (gas) |
| Fuel | Gasoline / propane / natural gas (tri fuel) |
| Tank / runtime | 8.3 gal — ~8.5 hr @ 50% load (gas) |
| Engine | 500cc OHV |
| Noise | ~74 dBA |
| Outlets | 14-50R, L14-30R, 2× 5-20R |
| Start | Remote, electric, recoil |
| Weight | 219 lb |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Ready to get one?
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~$1,000 typical price
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