what type oil to use in a craftsman genorator? Told it was 5 weight, please describe...?

Briggs and Stratton web site has a lot of information on their engines. Visit the website and look at recommended oil types. Most small engine manufacturers use the same guidelines.

For typical small engines, 5W30 will cover all temperature ranges you will likely experience. The oil should be changed every 50 hours of operating time or once per year, whichever comes first. Just because the oil is only a few hours old doesn't mean you can leave it in the engine for 5 years. Once heated it begins to deteriorate and turn acidic, and can actually corrode the inside of the engine instead of protecting it.

Read through my home generator page for other ideas.

Could be 5w-30, usually most small engines use straight 30....if only running in the summer time 30 is fine...if used in winter go with the 5w-30 as straight 30 can get quite thick in the cold and make the entine difficult to start and also the oil will not circulate as freely as it should until the unit warms up and the oil thins some.

Check and see what the engine manufacture recommends.