What is your favorite/least favorite small engine?

[jeepman3071]

Favorite: Briggs and Stratton

Cheaper initially than Kohler or Kawasaki and cheaper to maintain. The parts are also everywhere. I've seen B+S engines run for years with barely any oil, or with no governor. My Grandma's neighbor has a Craftsman tractor with a 14 hp opposed twin B+S engine. The governor spring broke and every weekend he has run it WOT for a few years now. I've had a few friends who have even run them upside down for a bit when they rolled their go-carts when we were younger.

Least Favorite: Kohler

More expensive initially. Seem to require more maintenance, parts are more expensive, and they are more complex. When I was in high school, we had a shop class that fixed OPE. Most of the engines that had major problems were Kohlers. The Kohler twin on my JD blew a head gasket last year, and ever since it was 1 year old it has never idled right, even after numerous carb cleanings and spark plugs. When they run great they are great performers, but mine always seem to have issues.

The above is just my opinion, lets hear yours! What have you had good/bad luck with?

 

[IndyIan]

I've got an old old (40 maybe)B&S 3.5 on a rotor tiller that just starts every spring on old premix from the chainsaws, with no winterization. I can see why people like them. Some springs I have to clean the electrodes on the plug with some sand paper but not often.

 

[Brons2]

Honda. Fresh gas and a fresh plug, first pull every time.

 

[SuperDave456]

Favorite: Those that work and work without much fiddling with them.

Least Favorite: Those that don't work.
For example, I bought a cheap string trimmer from Home Depot years ago. I read the instructions, filled it with gas and got it started. 10 minutes into running it the engine seemed to seize. I could not start it again. I waited a half hour, and gave it another try.
It ran fine for another 10 minutes, and again it seized.
So I ran down to Home Depot and exchanged it for another one that was new in box.
Came home... same thing again.
Curious I checked online for reviews. It turns out that China had some issues manufacturing it and that of the 16 reviews on Amazon, all of them had the same issue.

I took it back and got an Echo, which is lighter, more powerful, and I couldn't be happier.

The best tools are those that work without fiddle [censored] with them all the time. They do their job without complaint with minimal maintenance.

 

[SLCraig]

I am not that well versed but I do know this.
My parents had Lawn-Boy from the 80's that just kept working every year. And it never ran bad ever. The only reason they sold it is because the backyard was large and if the grass was even remotely long, the 3.5HP engine was bogged down. My dad got a new mower with a 6HP Kawasaki engine which seems to be great so far.

That Lawn-Boy was a tank, it had such a great engine on it.

 

[fxrider]

Briggs & Stratton = American Made

..

 

[Quest]

Favourites:

-B&S:

reason: silly old tech flathead, crude, unsophisicated, parts easy to find, easy to service.

-Subaru Robin:
reason: dang good engine if you can find them.

-Honda:
reason: very high fuel-economy(compared to other small engines), very straightforward to service/understand.

Q.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I am an unabashed Briggs fan.

I don't know if they EVER quit running!

 

[Win]

Favorite: Briggs and Stratton, currently a 6.5 hp Quantum in service on a yard vac, and a 22 (24?) hp Intek twin on a lawn tractor.

Indifferent: Tecumseh, have a 10 horse on my gen set.

Least favorite: tie between Honda OHC on my power washer, a noisy, hard to start, gas hog (but good looking engine), and the cheap two stroke chinese engines on the cheap "1.5kW" chinese gen sets.

Only one ever blown up: Tecumseh, connecting rod snapped in half.

 

[HerrStig]

"Chonda" Honda, and Briggs L heads. The later Briggs engines arre not exactly ALL US made.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Minor rant:

IDK why people change plugs so often on small engines - they should last the life of the engine given the total hours. In an automotive scenario, 500 hours x 40MPH = 20,000 mile equivalency. If the plug is fouled you are running rich, or adding too much top oil or burning tons.

rant over.

Ps. I like the small briggs on the mower. The Tecumseh Snowking on my snowblower works fine but makes quite of racket (rods or piston?)

 

[AandPDan]

Originally Posted By: fxrider
Briggs & Stratton = American Made

..


Used to be, now not all are.

Still, they're my favorite too.

 

[lexus114]

The old Kohler "K" motors. Very smooth/quiet.

 

[Quest]

my own 2 cents is that when it comes to small engine (OPE), most avg joes bear the same mentality as the car operators out there: fuel up ,start and then go.

That's why I ended up having a 5+ yr old 6.75B&S sears mower last year for free: owner too lazy to learn how to maintain small engine, with no oil changes, etc. he just replace it by buying new mowers every 6yrs or so. Me? a new spark plug, air filter and a couple of carb bowl drains (installed a 120micron mesh inline filer), and voila! now I got a darn good mower to do a 20min job... (no need to struggle with my older 4.5hp Poulan)

As for Honda: their carb is simply the best by far: like a silly motorcycle engine carb, everything can be had for rebuild. Emissions are fairly low also (unlike those B&S nylon sillyjet type which is the crudest carb by far, runs very rich)...

As for Chondas and whatever: parts is the biggest pain..but most of the time they can be roughly referenced to Honda type so not so much worries on my part.

Q.

 

[JTK]

Favorite and least favorite?

There's way too many variables to throw a blanket over one manufacturer.

Are we talking small single cyl flat-heads or OHV? Horizontally opposed (flathead) twins or OHV V-twins??

To me, the overall quality of the machine far outweighs the make/manufacturer or style of engine.

Joel

 

[wally6934]

This is my current favorite engine.

1967
Lawn-Boy
C-78 engine
2.5 HP
3200 RPM
bore 2 1/8"
stroke 1.5"

This engine was made back when men were men and engines had points, and carburetors could be adjusted. I went thru it last summer and changed the points and capacitor and then rebuilt the carburetor, i felt like i was a kid again. I consider it one of my most prized possessions. If i could only find a woman that could make me feel this good.

The closest thing i have to a least favorite engine was on a Onan generator. I touched the governor one time for a split second and the rod came thru the aluminum block.

 

[turbodieselfreak]

Originally Posted By: Quest
Favourites:

-B&S:

reason: silly old tech flathead, crude, unsophisicated, parts easy to find, easy to service.

-Subaru Robin:
reason: dang good engine if you can find them.

-Honda:
reason: very high fuel-economy(compared to other small engines), very straightforward to service/understand.

Q.
This, in pretty much the same order for gas engines. I'm transitioning everything to diesel, and my genny has a d722 that's built like a tank-my current favorite.

 

[Quest]

Sorry, allergic to all things diesel.


Q.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
The old Kohler "K" motors. Very smooth/quiet.


I do like the old Kohler "K" series motors. Very rugged and reliable. The newer ones don't seem to be built as well.

I also despise Onan engines. Very smooth running engines but can be a pain to work on and parts are near impossible to find now.

 

[Slick17601]

5hp Briggs & Stratton flathead. I've rebuilt hundreds of 'em.