No more HP ratings for small Honda engines?

[callbay]

Looking at a Northern Tool catalog I noticed that the Honda and some of the Briggs engines don't show horse power. A Powerhouse brand says "12HP previously rated".

Is this some new regulation I missed? Why no HP anymore?

 

[tomcat27]

I dont know of any regulations. Some mfrs have started to advertise torque ratings instead, and others spec the cc rating (Honda 160cc, 190cc)

 

[Nayov]

Yeah, MARKETING. It's because torque sounds better because it is higher than HP ratings. Example, my 6.75 Toro "torque rated" is about 3.9-4.6 HP, so 6.75 sounds bigger.

 

[adamg]

Briggs started doing this a couple years ago, I believe it was over a lawsuit. I think it was because the engines are rated at 3600 RPM, but are rarely ever set to run at that speed.

 

[Nick R]

I sure hope my 6.75 lb/ft briggs is more than 4.5 HP. It says on their website it is a 6HP engine.

 

[dwendt44]

Lawnmower engines were being grossly overrated for marketing purposes and someone, federal government IIRC, put an end to it.
They rate them for torque now.
adamg is correct as to rpm. The engines on mowers are held to 3000 rpm ( it has to do with tip speed of the blade).
Some engines are easy to 'adjust' to higher rpms.


http://www.honda-engines.com/engines/gcv190.htm

 

[Nayov]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I sure hope my 6.75 lb/ft briggs is more than 4.5 HP. It says on their website it is a 6HP engine.


I would love to see that because I've searched their site with no luck but I can tell you there's no way they are 6 HP.

There's a formula to figure HP from TQ. (Torque x Engine speed) / 5,252 = Horsepower, so at 3000 RPM engine speed they gross 3.8 HP.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I sure hope my 6.75 lb/ft briggs is more than 4.5 HP. It says on their website it is a 6HP engine.

It may be, but at some high RPM that your engine will never achieve.


Also, interesting tidbit from Toro brochure (for mowers with those B&S 6.75 torque engines:

Quote:
*The gross torque of this engine was laboratory rated by the engine manufacturer in accordance with SAE J1940. As confi gured to meet safety, emission, and operating requirements, the actual engine torque on this class of mower will be signifi cantly lower.

 

[ksJoe]

What I read is the gov. won't let the mower blades spin fast enough to get to the previously rated HP. So it may be a 6hp engine on other applications, but on a mower its slowed down adn doesn't output 6hp. Torque is more consistent over variable RPMs, so they use that to rate them now.

 

[gd9704]

Gosh, everything is always "sweller" when the government gets involved.

 

[Nick R]

It used to say under specifications for the 675 series that it was 6 HP. So, what is it basically? I have a 22" blade on my mower, I don't know what RPM that would be. So basically what I thought was a 5-6HP engine is a 4.5 HP engine. That WOULD explain why the 500 series looks like a briggs classic 3-3.5HP.

 

[dwendt44]

You might be surprised to learn that your 22" blade isn't 22".
Measure it.
The tip speed allowed get you about 3000 rpms for a 21/22 inch blade.