On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 09:39:11 -0600, "Bob Shuman"
wrote:


"none" wrote in message
.. .

Experience w/ Techumseh and B&S so noted, but cut for brevity...

That said, ask yourself how many hours on a given day you actually run
your briggs engine. If you just cut your own yard at most an hour? And
what one a week tops?
Remember when I told you about the actual ratings that Briggs gives
for expected engine life for their engines? On consumer models at best
50 hours.(pathetic really)

I am surprised by the B&S 50 hour life rating. Can you cite a reference for
this number?
Just check any of the specs in the parts manuals on replacement
engines. They'll give a max hour rating for warranty purposes,
something the salesman at the parts counter doesn't want you to see.
After all 200-500 bucks for a engine that if run for 1-2 days non-stop
is past it's warranty.
If you stop and think about the time it actually takes you to cut the
average size yard with a walk behind mower it's what an hour at the
most?
And the average homeowner cut their yard around 6-7 times during the
average summer. This would give you about 3-4 years on the engine
warranty. Heck most homeowners toss their mowers off after one
summer's use.( They'll push it under the edge of the house or worse
yet just park it in the corner of the back yard leaving it exposed to
the elements. Worse yet they leave gas in it over the winter, then
expect it to start first pull in the spring. Bad gas, soupy, burnt oil
and a dirty plug anf they're suprised when it doesn't start.)
I can drive around in early spring and pick up mowers off the street
where homeowners put them out with the trash, simply because the
failed to take proper care of them over the winter months and are
either too stupid or lazy to do the required service to get them going
again.( Not to mention too damn cheap to pay a service shop even as
little as 20 bucks for a tune up.)
Yet they'll toss it out and go and plop down another 190-300 bucks on
a new one, which of course will be tossed out in a years time as well.

Lawn care professionals know about the very limited time warranty on
engines today and choose the brand and models that'll give them the
best value.
Once upon a time virtually all the pro grade snappers came with a
commercial Briggs engine. Not true anymore. just go by your local
commercial lawnmower supply shop and you'll see the top of the line
Snappers usually have Tecumseh. They only offer B&S on some to sell to
those who are loyal Briggs fans.( I started out many moons ago as a
B&S fan when I started cutting yards in my youth, and stayed loyal
untill just the past decade or so. After enough years being trained in
engine repair and even more working on them brand loyalty WILL take a
back seat to plain facts. There was atime when like many I saw
Tecumseh's as being cheap in construction. The roles have been
reversed though, just look at all the Craftsman brand mowers that'r
still going strong after years of use.)

And yes IF you really take care of them you can get more, most owners
don't though which is where I get SO much business.( most scoff at the
thought of changing the oil at least every two use cycles which is
paramount for keeping an engine clean.)

Can you please clarify what is meant by "use cycle" above. IIRC, my Honda
lawnmower engine user manual stated that under normal homeowner use (every 4
days for 1 hour for me from Spring through Fall) the engine oil was to be
changed after the 1st hour of use and then after every 25 hours. I'm just
not sure what a "use cycle" means in terms of cumulative hours of operation.
A use cycle is one cutting.(Time of engine operation is just one
factor to consider in wear. The real damage to the oil occurs AFTER
you turn the engine off. All the trapped gas vapors condense down into
the oil pan and break the oil down, which is why it better to change
the oil before each use, not after.)
I change the oil in my home mower before each use, or every two
cuttings at the most. On US made single cylinder simple air cooled
engines the oil is the lifeblood and dirty oil will greatly shorten
engine life.
However on a Honda you can get much longer use on an oil change,
they're built that much better.( Honda/Toyo machine and polish the
internal facings to a much higher degree and use a more porous steel,
which holds oil on the cylinder walls to a greater degree than their
American counterparts.)
I've had several SX series Honda mower and find them to be far
superior to domestic offerings. That's why they genrally cost much
more than the run of the mill, they'll give you a lifetime of
dependable use with the proper care.(I've always let my neighbors talk
me out of them. They know of my rep as a honest repairman and come to
me for good lawn equipment at a fair price.)
I've always been a big fan of Honda, Virtually all my higway bikes in
the past 40 some-odd years have been Honda with a couple of BMWs for
good measure.(I had one Goldwing that I put nearly 300 thousand miles
on before retiring it.)


Thanks in advance for the response.