Briggs and Stratton Files Chapter 11
- Thread starter Lubener
- Start date
Their strategy of spending profits to acquire mower company after mower company didn't work out. Plus many people in residential neighborhoods are buying battery powered mowers in 2020 which they don't have a leading market share in. I bought a Ferris stand on rider with a Kawasaki engine to mow my three acres. Ferris is owned by B&S.
Thanks for the post. Other factors must have been a swing to electric battery mowers. Fully half the mowers at Home Depot were electric. That thing about no more oil changes might have been a desperate marketing ploy to stop losing sales to electrics. They did start to sell electric battery mowers but had a small market share.
So the shareholders lose everything, the banks take a haircut and KPS Capital Partners will re capitalize it and the brand will carry on. Look for B&S electric mowers in the future.
So the shareholders lose everything, the banks take a haircut and KPS Capital Partners will re capitalize it and the brand will carry on. Look for B&S electric mowers in the future.
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Here was one of their latest innovations. It’s a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery to start the mower.
Hate to see B&S go .
I have no experience with battery powered mowers , but I have some experience with cordless power tools . The replacement batteries are too expensive and the tool is worthless without them ! :-(
I have no experience with battery powered mowers , but I have some experience with cordless power tools . The replacement batteries are too expensive and the tool is worthless without them ! :-(
B&S used to be a good American company. Then they turned to making cheap junk, not innovating for years, and as another poster mentioned using all their profits to acquire mower companies. They were making flat head lawn mower engines up until a few years ago, and many of their OHV engines are made in China. They sold products based on being cheaper, not better. Another American company with poor leadership and zero vision for the future.
Survival of the fittest. Three words to live by: Powered By Honda.
Did they completely stop flat head, push mower engine production? I thought some still had them.
You can't compete with an ~800cc Predator V-twin when they retail for half the price of a B&S V-twin, which is likely why most OEMs use Chinese import small engines on lots of their stuff.
You can't compete with an ~800cc Predator V-twin when they retail for half the price of a B&S V-twin, which is likely why most OEMs use Chinese import small engines on lots of their stuff.
I have always had good service from the flat head engines. The only reason to change, now even lawnmowes have to meet some emissions.
Most companies asking for quotes, pick the lowest price part that they can get past their QC department. It requires too much effort to track total product cost.
Buying mower companies is a good way to make it around that hurdle.
I do not like battery mowers that well, although the newer lithium ones have power. They just do not have 10 year (or even 5 year) batteries.
Rod
Most companies asking for quotes, pick the lowest price part that they can get past their QC department. It requires too much effort to track total product cost.
Buying mower companies is a good way to make it around that hurdle.
I do not like battery mowers that well, although the newer lithium ones have power. They just do not have 10 year (or even 5 year) batteries.
Rod
Exactly what does a chapter 11 mean? Out of business or chance to reorganize? I have had nothing but, very good service for my B&S self propelled walk behind to my John Deere with a 20 HP INTEK B&S or my Inverter generators. Sorry to hear this. Ed
Chapter 11 is court monitored reorganization. Typically stock gets canceled and then debits get reduced to where the company can go again.
They usually give big retention bonus to the top executives, you know the ones that killed it so they do not leave and destabilize the company. Pensions can get canceled, wages (except at the top) get reduced. When they exit Ch11 the top tier of executives usually get another bonus. The workers/stockholders get a long cylindrical fastening device applied to the posterior end.
Rod
They usually give big retention bonus to the top executives, you know the ones that killed it so they do not leave and destabilize the company. Pensions can get canceled, wages (except at the top) get reduced. When they exit Ch11 the top tier of executives usually get another bonus. The workers/stockholders get a long cylindrical fastening device applied to the posterior end.
Rod
wish some one good would buy snapper. b and s ruined them by not allowing kawai engines on their higer end 21,s. very popular with commercial use
Simplicity actually owns Ferris & Snapper, they purchased Ferris around 2000 and Snapper in 2002 but then got bought out by B&S in 2004. I am a big Simplicity fan but not so much since B&S has had their hands in the pot but as far as I could tell for the most part they pretty much let them do their own thing. I know Walmart started selling Snapper and they had to reduce the quality to meet Walmart's price point to where they would buy them from Snapper and then resell them.
At one time you could actually get a Broadmoor with a 16hp Honda but that was late 90's to early 2000's and obviously when B&S took over that deal ended. Whatever happens to them I know Simplicity will land on their feet. I feel like they had grown to big whereas they should've just focused more on their engines and then updating them to modern standards. If you think about it EFI has been mainstream for over the last 30 yrs but yet all these small engine companies are still using carburetors because their cheap and they work. I know when I go out to mow the yard the last thing I want to do is fiddle around with carb. issues such as a float that's stuck or a clogged main jet.
At one time you could actually get a Broadmoor with a 16hp Honda but that was late 90's to early 2000's and obviously when B&S took over that deal ended. Whatever happens to them I know Simplicity will land on their feet. I feel like they had grown to big whereas they should've just focused more on their engines and then updating them to modern standards. If you think about it EFI has been mainstream for over the last 30 yrs but yet all these small engine companies are still using carburetors because their cheap and they work. I know when I go out to mow the yard the last thing I want to do is fiddle around with carb. issues such as a float that's stuck or a clogged main jet.
I wish them luck, my Briggs push mower is going on 30 years, but I have to be on top of the maintenance. My 30 years old Kawasaki on my walk behind mower is easy to maintain, as long as the oil level is fine, then there is no problems.
Yah I'm gonna get one of those in 2070.
Smarter leadership at Briggs would have bought Craftsman mowers when Sears went on it lips for cheap.
Not surprising. Even riding mowers are starting to show signs of going to electric - Cub Cadet has one now so I would expect to see that tech appear in the other MTD brands soon if it hasn't already. Ego has an electric zero-turn rider coming out next year.
Personally I still like gas, but I also have no problem maintaining them including dealing with any carb issues (which typically don't happen with good fuel and stabilizer). Small 4 stroke and 2 stroke OPE can run for a long time with proper maintenance, certainly longer than the expensive batteries will last since charge capacity degrades over time. However the average homeowner doesn't want to or understand how to maintain this stuff, so electric makes sense especially for smaller yards.
Hopefully Briggs & Stratton makes it through and the new owners don't screw things up too much. I know the new OHV engines aren't as durable as the old flatheads, but they don't seem too bad when used in the proper application and with proper maintenance. They are mostly made in the USA. Parts are easy to find and reasonably priced.
