Only Champion or NGK for me. As a seasoned professional lawnmower trash / curbside picker and guy to go to when people are too cheap to pay a real lawnmower mechanic. I would never use E3. The core seems very cheap and I feel they run hotter than spec based on teardowns. I have seen about half a dozen Briggs OHV engines with blown head gaskets. In all cases, there was an E3 plug in the head. I had one with a burned out magneto and it had an E3. The fact E3's are made in China is a big turn off for me too. IMO E3's are overpriced garbage. Like ARCOgraphite says. A spark plug should last the lifetime of the mower/engine. My personal OPE only gets a plug change when they start showing symptoms. My JD130 garden tractor was bought new 20 years ago and has over 600 hours on it with the original plug. Spark plugs are the most over changed and unnecessary part people change on their small engines. When a small engine acts up, the first thing people do is change the spark plug, when 90% of the time its a fuel issue.
What spark plugs are you running in your mowers?
- Thread starter RazorsEdge
- Start date
I too usually just stick with the recommended plug, but with my JD 425, I've had better faster more reliable starts with Autolite instead of the recommended NGK plugs. I couldn't find the NGK when I needed them and had to order them. While I was waiting for them to arrive I found Autolite standard copper plugs recommended for the Kawasaki engine, so I put a couple in to give them a try. Well, the new NGKs are still sitting in a drawer and that's been since the middle of last summer. I was kind of surprised at the outcome, but who knows?
NGK on every OPE
Champion in Briggs engines and older Kohlers (like K-series), NGK in Honda, Kawasaki, Chondas, and newer Kohlers.
Originally Posted by Lubener
Champion J19LM, J8C and H-10's. I never had a problem with any of them. I stock up cheaply when my favorite drug store has them on sale.
Same here.
OPE plugs are about the only thing that Champion is halfway decent with.
Champion J19LM, J8C and H-10's. I never had a problem with any of them. I stock up cheaply when my favorite drug store has them on sale.
Same here.
OPE plugs are about the only thing that Champion is halfway decent with.
NGK on all my OPE
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
All of my Echos, Briggs, etc. came with NGK. I'll keep using NGK.
I've found it best to stay with the same spark plug type that my mowers have came with. And that means Champion. Lawn care equipment is the only place where I use Champion.
I tried an E3 once. Bad experience. the mower just didn't run right. It got replaced with another Champion real shortly.
I tried an E3 once. Bad experience. the mower just didn't run right. It got replaced with another Champion real shortly.
Originally Posted by BHopkins
I've found it best to stay with the same spark plug type that my mowers have came with. And that means Champion. Lawn care equipment is the only place where I use Champion.
I tried an E3 once. Bad experience. the mower just didn't run right. It got replaced with another Champion real shortly.
^this
I also prefer to use the brand/model that was originally installed. Just like cars, there is no reason to try non-OEM parts unless a problem exists or OEM is unavailable (or ridiculously expensive).
I've found it best to stay with the same spark plug type that my mowers have came with. And that means Champion. Lawn care equipment is the only place where I use Champion.
I tried an E3 once. Bad experience. the mower just didn't run right. It got replaced with another Champion real shortly.
^this
I also prefer to use the brand/model that was originally installed. Just like cars, there is no reason to try non-OEM parts unless a problem exists or OEM is unavailable (or ridiculously expensive).
I've actually had decent luck with E3 plugs in older 2-cycle equipment (faster starts). Besides that, I really haven't noticed an honest difference between any of the plug brands besides the Torch plugs being garbage.
I run NGK Iridium plugs in all of my overhead valve OPE. The goal here is to never have to worry about them again. This strategy is working so far, but you might want to check back with me in 15 years.
champion in briggs and lawnboy-most all others get ngk. the e3 works execellent in older worn 2 cycle engines. makes more power and faster starts. waist of $ in new stuff. e3 has a higer failure rate . puts out a much hotter spark than others
My B&S 20HP twin came with Champions and I use the same when changing. Never a problem. Ed
NGK standard nickel plugs and nothing but. The only time I've purchased a Champion plug was a couple years ago after finishing a complete restoration on a Lawn-Boy 7225 mower, just to keep it original.
IIRC I have four different plugs for my 425, NGK, Champion, Autolite and Denso. The old Husqvarna extra tractor I had used some sort of higher grade Champion and ran like a gem. The one for the 425 came in a bulk pak and look like absolute junk. Out of 12 plugs, one or two looked decent. They were crooked in the base, electrodes bent all over the place. I can't remember it all, but they were absolutely terrible. I posted pics here and people seemed to think they might be fake copies, and I wouldn't doubt it. Anyway, I sent them back and that was the last time I tried Champions in the 425. It came with NGK, and now is running Autolites, which as I said is running great.
I bought a tiller and blower off a neighbor that had those horrible Torch plugs mentioned earlier, and both ran, but wow, those a junky plugs, and as soon as they were changed things started looking much better, running and starting really a whole lot better. I sometimes think that they put such junk in not only to save money, but theres a lot of people that buy a mower, and a year or so later when they have trouble with it, they put it to the curb and buy a new one. I have a neighbor that gets those curb mowers and fixes them up and more often than not, its a simple little fix, like a plug or belt, or similar and it's up and running and ready to go.
I've heard a lot of bashing of NGK lately, did they change something? I've used them in my Tacoma and chainsaws and other OPE a lot and never had a single problem, what gives?
I bought a tiller and blower off a neighbor that had those horrible Torch plugs mentioned earlier, and both ran, but wow, those a junky plugs, and as soon as they were changed things started looking much better, running and starting really a whole lot better. I sometimes think that they put such junk in not only to save money, but theres a lot of people that buy a mower, and a year or so later when they have trouble with it, they put it to the curb and buy a new one. I have a neighbor that gets those curb mowers and fixes them up and more often than not, its a simple little fix, like a plug or belt, or similar and it's up and running and ready to go.
I've heard a lot of bashing of NGK lately, did they change something? I've used them in my Tacoma and chainsaws and other OPE a lot and never had a single problem, what gives?
Originally Posted by bchannell
IIRC I have four different plugs for my 425, NGK, Champion, Autolite and Denso. The old Husqvarna extra tractor I had used some sort of higher grade Champion and ran like a gem. The one for the 425 came in a bulk pak and look like absolute junk. Out of 12 plugs, one or two looked decent. They were crooked in the base, electrodes bent all over the place. I can't remember it all, but they were absolutely terrible. I posted pics here and people seemed to think they might be fake copies, and I wouldn't doubt it. Anyway, I sent them back and that was the last time I tried Champions in the 425. It came with NGK, and now is running Autolites, which as I said is running great.
I bought a tiller and blower off a neighbor that had those horrible Torch plugs mentioned earlier, and both ran, but wow, those a junky plugs, and as soon as they were changed things started looking much better, running and starting really a whole lot better. I sometimes think that they put such junk in not only to save money, but theres a lot of people that buy a mower, and a year or so later when they have trouble with it, they put it to the curb and buy a new one. I have a neighbor that gets those curb mowers and fixes them up and more often than not, its a simple little fix, like a plug or belt, or similar and it's up and running and ready to go.
I've heard a lot of bashing of NGK lately, did they change something? I've used them in my Tacoma and chainsaws and other OPE a lot and never had a single problem, what gives?
Where did you hear the NGK bashing? I've never had an issue with them and haven't heard anything bad. In fact the only bad things I've heard about spark plugs are the Torch ones seem to be hit or miss, E3's are overpriced, and some Champions don't last. Even the last one is questionable.
IIRC I have four different plugs for my 425, NGK, Champion, Autolite and Denso. The old Husqvarna extra tractor I had used some sort of higher grade Champion and ran like a gem. The one for the 425 came in a bulk pak and look like absolute junk. Out of 12 plugs, one or two looked decent. They were crooked in the base, electrodes bent all over the place. I can't remember it all, but they were absolutely terrible. I posted pics here and people seemed to think they might be fake copies, and I wouldn't doubt it. Anyway, I sent them back and that was the last time I tried Champions in the 425. It came with NGK, and now is running Autolites, which as I said is running great.
I bought a tiller and blower off a neighbor that had those horrible Torch plugs mentioned earlier, and both ran, but wow, those a junky plugs, and as soon as they were changed things started looking much better, running and starting really a whole lot better. I sometimes think that they put such junk in not only to save money, but theres a lot of people that buy a mower, and a year or so later when they have trouble with it, they put it to the curb and buy a new one. I have a neighbor that gets those curb mowers and fixes them up and more often than not, its a simple little fix, like a plug or belt, or similar and it's up and running and ready to go.
I've heard a lot of bashing of NGK lately, did they change something? I've used them in my Tacoma and chainsaws and other OPE a lot and never had a single problem, what gives?
Where did you hear the NGK bashing? I've never had an issue with them and haven't heard anything bad. In fact the only bad things I've heard about spark plugs are the Torch ones seem to be hit or miss, E3's are overpriced, and some Champions don't last. Even the last one is questionable.
