Have you ever had problems with these engines?

ToadHill · Feb 14, 2006

Several years ago I bought a riding mower with a Briggs engine.
I paid extra for a 5 year waranty and in the spring of the 3rd year the motor blew a rod after running only 10 minutes. I had changed oil and filter the fall before and winterized the mower. When I took it back to the dealer he said Briggs would have to cover it and the rep would look at it that week. Answer I got was no replacement, it was my fault because a mouse had built a nest under the engine cover and that caused the engine to overheat.

It didn't matter that the engine had run for less than 10 minutes that spring, and it couldn't have overheated in that time.
They said they never looked any further, since that was the cause. When I got the mower back. none of the bolts that held the covers on had even been removed, I know because I'd marked them before I took the tractor in. I replaced the engine myself with a old engine from a mower my grandkids used for riding around. I'll never buy anything with a Briggs engine again.

LBrown59 · Feb 15, 2006

I bought a Wards PowerCraft with a Briggs 2cyl. Model number 422 707.
This thing has never ran right from day one.
Always goes right back to looping and galloping and diluting the oil in the oil pan shortly after being repaired.

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MY FIRST CAR http://chevy.tocmp.com/chevyscrapbook/files/kamp50.jpg
OUR FIRST CAR http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/chev6003.htm
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EDIT:
Took out multi lines of squiggleys.

gates · Feb 15, 2006

Steadite,

I am 100% with you on the buy USA products. I always put the American products at the top of the purchase list. But the bottom line is this. I make my living with these tools and I want quality and most of all quiet. The Honda engines cost a lot more than their American counterparts, but for my money its worth every dime. In my 22 years in business I have yet to blow up a Honda motor. Thats a **** of a track record!! Talk to a mechanic who has had a Honda apart, although rare it does happen, he can atest to the quality.
Most of these tools I am refering to run day in and day out with very little maintenance. Change the oil, an occasional pull cord and adjust the valves, thats it. You show me an American motor that can perform like the Honda and I will buy it.
Ron

PAB_OH · Feb 15, 2006

That has to be the most asinine* comparison I have ever heard. Period. 'nuff said.
And if you don't know why then....

* - marked by inexcusable failure to exercise intelligence or sound judgment

I'm not trying to start anything but that was just uncalled for. Maybe both of the comments were, but at least the first comment had merit.

Ledgemere Farm · Feb 15, 2006

The Kohler Command and Briggs Vanguard are of good quality. I prefer Kohler only because they seem quiter and to burn less fuel.

FOURTEEN · Feb 18, 2006

( I wonder if the survivors of Hiroshimo and Nagasaki feel the same about products made in the USA?)

 They should feel that "You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with" Uncle Sam!!

Or, as Yamamoto said on 12/7/41: "I fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve"!

That said, it is now 65 years later, we live in a world economy, and it may be foolish to not buy the best products available regardless of where they come from!

Every product that Honda builds is of superior quality, and many of them are actually built or assembled right here! Which is the 'foreign car', the Honda made in Ohio, or the Ford or Dodge made in Canada, or the Chevy made in Mexico or Brazil!!??!! (I currently own two cars, an Acura CL made in Ohio, and a Dodge Magnum made in Canada. Which is my 'foreign car'??) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I am happy that Power Tracs are built in VA, but that isn't why I bought one! It's the best machine for my jobs! I would rather have a Kohler engine in a Power Trac than a Robin (Subaru) engine, but if the Robin powered Power Trac will do the job, why not!?

I recently bought an Echo chainsaw because I had heard that they were excellent. Echo sounded Asian to me but I didn't care! I just wanted the best! To my amazement I subsequently learned that Echo was a pioneer in the invention of the modern chainsaw, that "Echo, Inc. was founded in Northbrook, Illinois in 1972", and currently has over 300,000 square feet of facility in Illinois!

In this country we have many freedoms, and an important one is the freedom to spend our money as we see fit! I don't care if someone buys foreign or domestic, but I do care when the PC Police try to tell me how to spend my hard earned money!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Syncro · Feb 18, 2006

I have a Briggs horizontal twin on my riding K-Mart mower thats never missed a beat in 13 seasons of regular use. I think the key with any of these small engines is to get one thats more powerful than you need, mine is 18 hp and barely runs 1/2 throttle in high gear. Thats gotta equate to less wear and tear. Frequent oil changes too, its cheap. I change the oil 2 or 3 times a season. I've attached a quick action drain-cock so I can drain and re fill in a few mins.

turbo36 · Feb 20, 2006

Careful there Carl, we may ended WW2 but we sure didn't start it.

aaabelha · Feb 20, 2006

My wife's Honda automoile runs like a top.

But every single small engine Honda I've had or used ran like crap. My brother's high end power washer with Honda engine surges like a madman. It's been to the dealer 3 times, and it continues. It's probably got no more than 10 hours on it.

Every single piece of commercial equipment I have rented had Honda's on them. All ran terribly. Now that could be due to lack of maintenance by the rental shop, but I gotta say I am NOT impressed.

On the other hand, every Briggs and Kohler I have owned have performed flawlessly. No surging, no smoking, no failures.

I know Honda and Kawasaki lovers think otherwise, but I tend to think that a lot of the hype is simply due to the Japanese reliability aura............you know, the same one that exists in the car industry. Yes, I know......proven documented reliability there, but the domestic products these days are JUST AS GOOD. Heck, Buick stills ranks #2, just a hair behind Lexus in JD Powers annual survey summaries. Ford and GM as a whole are extremely close in reliability and get better every year. The gap is extremely tight and the differences are negligable.

So, yes..a lot of hype but the bottom line is......All 4 companies, Briggs, Kohler, Kawasaki and Honda make excellent small engines. Buy what you like. With care and maintenance, ALL will last a long time.

To the original poster.....pay more attention to the overall construction quality of the product/ tractor, etc. The engines are all very good for the most part.

CT_Tree_Guy · Feb 20, 2006

That has to be the most asinine comparison I have ever heard. Period. 'nuff said. 

Once again, I'd like to urge everyone to refrain from labeling, judging and name-calling. We can say what we have to say without attacking each other.

CarlGlas: Rather than warning you to "be careful" what you say, I'd just like you to know that I would fight and die for your right to say whatever you want to about the United States. This is not a perfect country, but I think it is (still) a great one, and no small part of that greatness lies in the fact that we are free to peacefully and respectfully express our opinions.

John

As for the topic: I think Hondas are the best of the bunch for small engines, followed by Kohler, with Briggs a close third. I make an effort to buy American when I can, and my last replacement engine was a Kohler, but Hondas sure are smooth and reliable. A friend of mine owns a rental yard, and Honda is all they run.