Getting a new push mower.. honda power vs briggs?

[dlundblad]

My experience is with older mowers only, but I've had good luck with Honda and Briggs engines. No complaints about either or.

Nowadays isn't it Briggs who has the no change oil feature? I used to be annoyed by it, but heck, I'd give it a try. Just top off and go.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted by dlundblad
My experience is with older mowers only, but I've had good luck with Honda and Briggs engines. No complaints about either or.

Nowadays isn't it Briggs who has the no change oil feature? I used to be annoyed by it, but heck, I'd give it a try. Just top off and go.


It's all marketing. The only difference between the new Briggs OHV engines and the older flat heads is that they don't have a drain plug. You can still tip it over and dump the oil out through the dipstick like most here do anyway.

 

[wpod]

The Hondas of any flavor usually start better.

 

[jeepman3071]

The Hondas of any flavor usually start better.

Not necessarily. I like Honda small engines (prefer them in many cases) but the new ones with the auto choke are problematic. I'm seeing more and more of them with the auto choke failing. The auto choke is controlled by a little wax cartridge that sits in the engine block which fails.

 

[tbm5690]

Agree that bogging issues 9.5 times out of 10 are user-induced by improper cutting (letting grass go too long/cutting it down too much, cutting when wet, not having a sharp blade, bag too full, etc.) I have the Honda 160 (granted it's not self-propelled, so all the power goes to the blade) no issues when mulching a thick yard.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Well my local HD had a Honda powered troy bilt tb160 marked down to 229 from 279.. was a customer return.. claimed he didnt want it and never mowed with it (though I did find a slight grass stain). Manager said he'd normally return them but it was perfect. Get the full warranty and return guarantee plus they matched menards 11 percent so I'll have that coming back. Tested it out on some tall grass across the street owned by the city and everything ran great. Though I did have a little smoke on the first few startups (I started it, shut it down, started it, ran for 10 seconds, shut down) to test out. Hasn't had that since. Went out to the garage and started it cold tonight and no smoke.

Common for new engines to have a little bit of smoke on the first startup? Assuming that leftover assembly and storage fluids

If you overfill the oil it gets above the level of the cylinder and it will leak past the rings. A small amount of oil makes a lot of smoke.

Rod

 

[odie]

Have the GCV 160 . It's been great . Takes a beating . Use Pennzoil Platinum 10w-30 . Wish it had the side discharge / bagging like the new models .

 

[vwmaniaman]

Iwill just keep my old Lawn-Boy mowers going with their magnesium decks. Light to push,easy to start and kills mosquitos.

 

[dblshock]

Iwill just keep my old Lawn-Boy mowers going with their magnesium decks. Light to push,easy to start and kills mosquitos.

Ya my '78 OMC Lawn Boy self-Propelled bagger owned since '89 still going strong albeit relegated to trim work..bought at neighbors estate sale with a contractor grade wheel borrow, ax and pic $75 all still in service.

 

[dblshock]

I have bad luck with B&S engines, I'd never pay much for another.

 

[Brons2]

My Honda has taken a ton of abuse in the 15 or so years I've had it. Mowed over rocks, trees, stumps, enough so the blade was stuck in a stump and dead stopped the engine. 3 year old gas supplemented with starter fluid, oil only changed 2 or 3 times ever, spark plug maybe once, just keeps on humming. Starts easy if you give it fresh gas.

 

[jhellwig]

Who cares? Just take care of whatever you get and it doesn’t matter.

 

[maximus]

I'll recommend a Honda, too. 'Tis what I chose when I bought my house last year. About the 2nd or 3rd time I used it, I hit a tree stump causing sudden stoppage. I pulled the rope and it started back up and shook like a paint mixer. Turns out one of the blades was bent 90° . I installed a new set of blades and it ran normal.

The 160 engine seems very efficient, too. One gallon of fuel lasts about 4 mowings of 1/4 acre and that's with me going over areas multiple times.

 

[ARB1977]

I’ve got a Honda 160 Troy Bilt going strong for 12 years. I moved the governor spring to allow it to run at a higher rpm.

 

[Lubener]

This was originally posted back in May. He probably already made the purchase, mowed for the season, pickled the mower for the winter and is drinking egg nog now.

 

[scrowley]

The flat head Briggs i have owned last a very long time. I would never pass one up.

 

[nitehawk]

Iwill just keep my old Lawn-Boy mowers going with their magnesium decks. Light to push,easy to start and kills mosquitos.

Me too , I use a 1966 D series , easy to fix , start and lots of power.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

I have a Troy Bilt TB130 with Honda motor. Got it at either Lowe’s or Home Depot probably 6 or 7 years ago. Starts first or second pull every year after coming out of winter storage. I finally changed the oil on it last year and put a new blade on it.
I didn’t want a self propelled one so went with the TB130. I couldn’t have asked for a better push mower

 

[antonmnster]

My Toro/Briggs cut my very sloped yard quite well when I'd let it get 1-2' tall. Yes, feet. I bought it used and it blew a ton of oil smoke at first. After a few years of mowing the field, the oil consumption stopped - stuck rings. Buy cheap, keep the blade sharp, and little else matters.

 

[Superbuick96]

I've got a Honda self-propelled with the GCV190 and it has excellent power, starts easily, and has been problem free. I've mowed fairly wet and tall grass and been impressed with it.

Same here, the GCV 190 is a beast and noticeably stronger than my GCV 160