small gas engine brand preferences

[gmason]

Hello all, I'm looking to get a 12-15hp gas engine for a saw mill I'm building. OK, yes I know Honda are really the great small engines, but I'm not looking for something to run 6hrs a day and for 10years, I need something for just occasional use and not over load it.

So let's look at the Briggs, Kohler, and Tecumseh lines. I guess there are some good models from each of threes, but has anyone had really good or bad expierience with certain models from each of these companies?

How would you rate Briggs, Kohler, and Tecumseh engines in order?
Do they all pretty much use the same parts? Are any of them made in the USA?

thanks
gary

 

[MossRoad]

In my opinion a Briggs engine is a good, inexpensive engine that will run a long time with minimal care. I have a 3.5 HP on a Sears lawnmower that was given to us in the spring of 1985. I'm ashamed to say that I've never changed the oil, the air cleaner or the spark plug. Just topped off the oil once or twice a year and tapped on the air cleaner every spring. I've used it every week from April through October for the past 17 years and it started first pull every time until this year. Now it takes two pulls to start and feels a little weak. I might retire it in a couple of years. We have an 8.5HP on our 1967(?) Simplicity that is only 4 or five years old. I take care of this one with regular maintenance. It is strong running and powerful. It replaced a 6HP that only lasted 30 years.

I have a Kohler Command 25HP in my Power Trac, but it is only a year old, so I can't comment on it yet.

Good luck with your hunt. Hope this helps. Let us know what you end up with.

Edit: from reading more comments, I forgot I also have a 5HP briggs on my tiller. Runs great! And the 8.5 on the Simplicity is the industrial model. Thanks for jogging my memory /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[stmiller2]

Gary,

I have had B&S and Tecumseh engines, and each brand seemed to last about the same amount of time. When I was looking for input in the purchase of a new riding mower, I came upon http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tractor/

Posters to that site are very vocal in their preferences for the various engine brands. You might want to do a search at that site to get a flavor of those vocal opinions.

 

[Mike_Dumond]

You've mentioned the big 4, but have you considered an Onan?

 

[s1120]

You looking for new, or used? For used, you can't beat the old Kohler K series singles. For new, the Honda would be a good choice, or the new Kohler singles.

 

[diggerjim]

Had alot of trouble with our Craftsman mower motor. It is a Briggs 18 hp. Craftsman repairman recommended Briggs for under 12 hp and Kohler for over 12 hp. the Briggs have alot of carberator (?) trouble. He said the Kohlers in service required less visits than the Briggs. Just advice from a repairman, don't remember his name tho....Bought a new Kohler 16 hp. One year of mowing, no trouble at all.

 

[RocketJSquirrel]

My rank would be Kohler, Briggs, Tecumseh. Actually I don't know if we've ever owned a Kohler but they have very good reputations. MossRoad is right, you have to try real hard to kill a Briggs. Their basic models are not very sophisticated but they seem to know where to cut corners. Their Vanguard line is made in Japan by another company and is excellent. My experiences with Tecumseh have all been bad. So in the price-leader end, I'd stick with Briggs Intek (the low end).

 

[northcreek2624]

Paul,I'll second that,Kohler or Honda would be my first and second choices.
I think Briggs has cleaned up their act and are a cheap alternative.
Kawasaki engines have also given me excellent service.
Tecumseh's have always broken my heart....Mike

 

[Will_C]

Gary, Not much experience in the size range you mentioned, but here goes my thoughts...
I have had great luck with a pair of Briggs 8hp I/C engines, one on a Troy-Built tiller, and one on a log splitter. I don't know the age exactly, but both belonged to my father, and he has been gone ten years.
I also had two Case garden tractors with the Onan engine. The second one was an 18 hp engine, and I traded it with about 850 hours on it with never an engine problem.
My new pressure washer had a Honda GC engine, a less expensive model, and I am real impreesed so far.
Only bad luck was a Tecumseh on a lawn mower.
Will

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

overall performance and endurance, I would personally go with 1. Onan, 2. Tie with Kohler and Honda 3. Briggs 4. Tecumseh
although, it seems to me that Briggs & Stratton has such a wide range of engines it's hard to determine where they rank. I think the OHV such as Vanguard are very good.

 

[Rockyroad]

gmason-

I'll add a few cents worth of opinion here. I have an 8 horse Kohler Magnum on my TroyBilt that I bought in 1986. Lot of use on that engine (also powers a special generator that snaps on when you take the tine unit off). Does not burn any oil, runs great, and I have rebuilt the carb once. They say that they are easily rebuildable since they are solid cast iron, not aluminum. I really like Kohler and the way they are built.

I have a strange Kowasaki engine on a real good small landscaping push lawnmower I bought about 1986 called a Sensation that has a cast magnesium alloy deck. It is a 3.5 horse 2 cycle with a crankcase that you put oil in. You still have to mix oil with the gas like any other 2 cycle. Has a cast iron sleeve, and the only thing I have had to do to it was replace the mail shaft oil seal. Still running great despite some heavy use.

I have a Briggs 5hp IC (Industrial and Commercial) engine on my log splitter. I also purchased that in the mid 1980's. The Briggs IC engines have cast iron cylinder sleeves which add a lot of life to the engines. The engine just plain wore out after about 15 years of very hard use on that splitter. I was going to have the cylinder bored out and rebuild the engine, but I found out that for just a little more, I could buy a brand new 5hp IC Briggs from Northern, which I did.

I think the Briggs engines are fairly good, but get the IC models if you can.

I know Honda is very good, as is Onan, but I have had no personal experience with them.

 

[knucklehead]

Most of the small engines I own are Briggs. I service my neighbor's Ariens rider that has an 18 horse Kohler Magnum; it seems to be a good engine. The shop where I get parts told me that their "rule of thumb" is the Briggs is for Summer, the Tecumseh is for Winter, but the Kohler runs all year 'round. I can only assume it has something to do with carburation, but I'd be interested in other people's take on that.

If you are looking for a used engine, I'm told by garden tractor pullers that some older Craftsman riders had Kohlers.

 

[ronjhall]

<font color=blue>OK, yes I know Honda are really the great small engines,</font color=blue>

Gary

Looking at the pricing that <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.northern-online.com/>Northern Tool</A> has as a guide. Engines 12 hp. and above are fairly close in price. If you are buying new then go with the best for the money. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[gmason]

I ended up biddng and winning a new Kohler cs12 12hp from ebay the other night for $320. Much better than Northern's prices for a 12 hp.

I'll be putting it on my homebuilt bandsaw sawmill I'm finishing up welding this week in my welding class. I think this engine should work just fine for my application.

I'll be posting a few pictures over the next few weeks and hopefully be sawing lumber by Christmas.

gary

 

[ronjhall]

Gary
Last ime I bid on Ebay someone out bid me again. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Congrats on the good deal. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

 

[Inspector507]

Gotta keep after it Ron......../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[budman72]

My $0.02 worth...
#1 Honda. I bought a Honda mower, never had to pull it more than twice to start it.

#2 Kohler. Sturdy engine, good parts support

#3 B & S Built to price, but still good parts support

#4 Tecumseh Built to price but poor dealer & parts support

B & S is good for occasional use, use Honda or Kohler for heavy duty.

JMHO,

Bud