Good engine brands?

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May 6, 2014
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UK
For small 4 strokes iv seen recommended honda and briggs and stratton brands. What other brands are considered to be good quality engines?
 
Over the years I've had good luck with B&S, Honda, and Tecumseh engines. IMO a good maintenance regime helps a lot.
 
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I am always amazed at the relative longevity of B&S. I've been inside a few, and if another penny of cost in its construction could have been realized it would stymie the mind. Cheaply manufactured is a vast understatement. Honda is good or Honda is another to look at. I would go with Honda.
 
Kawasaki . In Huaqvarna GTH2248XPC

My Garden tractor has the FS641V 22hp running gear is a Hydro drive

Start here you can search by brand of engine or lawnmower/tractor

Go to the homepage you will find the engines and other info look for , Small engine and mower repair.


TOMB
 
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I would guess the Commercial engine lines should be the best value. my 4 Honda GX seem much better than the Gcv engine on the extra lawn mower .
 
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I've been tinkering with small engines for many years, and have not had issues with any brand of small engine yet. Poor maintenance is the only issue I've seen. I've been given a couple dozen "broken" mowers/snowblowers over the years and most had fuel related issues because someone left gas in them for extended periods. That being said, I would watch for things that look cheap. While reading reviews at one of the manufacturers web site, I saw a couple reviewers mention they were having issues with a plastic piece on a mower rewind that broke.
My In-laws just retired an old lawnmower with a PowerMore (Chinese brand) that ran great for the 10 or so years they had it. The deck rotted out in it, but the motor was fine.
 
" For older machines or new? There is a big difference, and each brand has some excellent engines, and some I would avoid. "

I couldnt have said it better........

Right now in 2020, for push mowers Honda Engines has it owned..... The in house Toro engine used on the super recyclers is also a good one. The rest are unimpressive.

My all time favorite is Kawasaki's. Near bulletproof but quite rare in comparison.

Once briggs abandoned their Quantum series flat heads, and went to the plastic carbs and plastic starter cup they became a 3 year throw away item. Total 100% junk. Cost cutting in all the wrong areas.

Proper maint is very crucial. Back in the day was a whole other story.
 
Kawasaki
Honda GX
(Yamaha? - dont know that for a fact but expect them to be good - they're out now in some Zero Turn mowers).
 
With B&S declaring bankruptcy, Subaru out of the OPE business, Kohler making engines in China for consumer-grade gear, it might be Honda or the Chinese copies on the consumer end and Kawasaki giving them competition on the commercial end.

Those Chonda engines are surprisingly good once a little TLC is done. The Chinese picked a good, proven design to copy, the Honda GX engine. Kohler’s Courage and XT lines are also Chinese, so were Subaru’s last OPE engines. I have a feeling it’s the same ODM who makes the Kohler/Subaru engines, and the Cub Cadet/Toro in-house engine looks similar.
 
I still use a 1979 lawnboy with Original plastic carb. It hates alcohol fuel. I have baked and then varnished the float. Also heat staked the jets in. Use only no alcohol fuel and it is solid as when new.
It is alcohol that is the evil.
Rod
 
I love the Honda GX engines, I just hate that they have metal gas tanks. There is a reason every other manufacturer has gone to plastic tanks. I've had to replace so many Honda tanks for customers lately from rust, and they aren't cheap, even for the Predator 212 tanks which will usually fit the GX200 engines.
 
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