All those Home Depot, Sears (Craftsman) generators are commercial/industrial units. They aren't made to be quiet. They make em to run saws and the like on construction job sites. You ain't heard nothing loud...we have a 8K Watt Miller Bobcat gen/welder...now that sucker is LOUD. Of course, the boss won't let them take it to job sites. It's sat in the warehouse for like 2 years. Don't ask. I don't know why. Cause it was cheaper than the 3500 Honda's we usually buy?

The Honda EU series inverters are hella quiet. I think I heard a squirrel fart over one once.

Also look into the Onan Marquise and other units. They are quiet. Designed to be installed in RVs/trailers. So you'd have to fab a cart for it, with gas tank. (Onan is a division of Cummins).

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the ones the military has that are considered quiet have about 3inches of polystrene in side a metal shell , with a double exaust system and you can only hear noise about as loud as a big house fan .