I agree man! the Briggs classic and the Briggs quantum are built to last and I would recommend them to anyone who wants a mower that will last darn near a life time!
but I disagree with you on the 300e engine. I put a brand new blade on one and the power feels limitless. my grass was super long and I was trying to bog it down by me basically running with it and it didn't skip a beat. I'll have to test it out again this summer. the not bogging down at all was weird
The Briggs and Stratton Quantum is my favorite motor. They are easy to work on and are bulletproof. I've even got them running after having water in the cylinder. Love the classic too and starting to see a lot of the 550 ex powered machines have trouble with carbs.
@@EllisMowersandmore Of the Briggs engines, the Quantum series was pretty nice. With the right muffler it was smooth and quiet like a 1980s Oldsmobile. That said, just to put a new starter rope on it requires the removal of ten fasteners, three different types and head sizes, the fuel tank and often two different shrouds (the decorative one and the actual fan one). That's where Tecumseh (often two screws, occasionally three) and Honda(three bolts on GXV and three nuts on GCV) beat Briggs. Of course the primer bulbs on Tecumseh were their own set of problems.
I bought a Toro with a B&S flathead engine back in 1996. 25 years later, that mower is still cutting my grass. I have a small 1/4 acre lawn which only takes me about 30 min to cut my grass, so consider that when it comes to engine life. But other than normal maintence (oil changes, spark plugs, ect.) I have had zero issues with it.
Mine is a 99 Toro recycler. The body and wheels are still mint. And I don't know if the engine is as good as my 81 classic type was but other than a puff of smoke on cold start it's been flawless for the past 3 or 4 years since I bought it used.
@@1984Cutlass2nv if you were having a puff of smoke on a cold start, run 2 to 3 ounces of seafoam on a full gas tank a couple of times and see if that don’t help. Puff of smoke on cold starting usually indicates the valves aren’t seated probably because they are dirty.
I like Briggs and Stratton engines the 675 EXI on my DR trimmer is amazing. despite the plastic carburetor I've used it in 3 foot tall grass it bogs down but it does it right every time starts on the first pull I find them better than the Honda gcv160. because the Briggs has greater ease of service than the Honda gcv160 and add to that it the Briggs has a removeable head the GCV (Garbage Can Vertical) or GC horizontal (Garbage Can) does not. you cant go wrong with the quantum or the old school 3hp and 5hp Briggs flathead I ignore the just check and add I change the oil with Pennzoil 10w30 conventional oil
I found a Craftsman mower for FREE ten years or more ago. I've been using it tomow my lawn and that of my rental house ever since. It has a 12H802 Briggs engine made 0799. My repair skills are only average. When the mower quit working 10/22. I found that the electrical shutoff wasn't opening properly to allow the engine to operate. I yanked the whole safety system off and replaced it with a switch to ground out the ignition to shut it off. The bag is failing. I rebuilt part of it with some plywood, but more needs to be done. The bottom of the bag is wearing out. I'm thinking about ironing a patch designed for clothes over that faili9ng part of the bag, and perhaps take it to a shoemaker to have it stitched up and repaired. So ----- engines aren't everything. Other stuff is more likely to fall apart, perhaps.
I have a 1995 Lowes special push mower with the 3.75 HP Briggs flathead engine. I cut an acre of grass with it every year from April to November. Lord knows how much run time is one it. It even locked up me one time from cutting grass in 95 degree heat. I broke it loose with my foot on the blade, started it and let it smoke for 20 minutes. It cleared up, changed to oil and added STP. That was last year and it is still going strong. You can't hurt them.
I own a Briggs Quantum 4hp engine, and I must say it's of excellent quality. The code on the engine indicates that it was manufactured in the late 1992. I've only had to replace the coil once and clean the carb a few times, but other than that, it runs flawlessly and starts on the first pull. I recently checked the valve clearances, and they were perfect. The mower itself was produced by white company, and it seems like it is very hard to find info about it. Hell, even the deck is so well engineered. It's a shame that nowadays, most things are of poor quality.
GREAT VIDEO. Well I don't even consider the new overhead valve engines a Briggs. As you are doing the department store rejects I saw these engines on your channel before i saw them come in the back door of my garage. Great work When I get a classic engine (or a quantum) into the shop I smile even before I work on them . Most of us back yard mechanics have learned to jet a carb. When I was a kid it was only the best mechanic guys that did jetting. We have a learned a lot eh !!!! I do like plastic fuel tanks. You are starting to sound like an old guy LOL. One more comment. It can't be better for the environment when a lawn mower is thrown into the trash after 2 or 3 years of use only to be replaced by another dud. These foreign plants aren't monitored for pollution like a local plant. Yes a Quantum may not be as efficient as a new overhead valve but there is more pollution on production of replacements every few years. WHEW!!! Can I get your email?
I totally agree with you Bruce, it can be good what so ever, today is such a throw away society it's insane..... I enjoy the work we do, bringing mowers back from the dead, or just no start, the snapper I'm doing now for my own collection, it's the old carb with the choke and choke setup, it's really taking me back to my roots, it feels so good to go back there and see the simplest ways things were done, and the messed up way things are done now..... OK breathe Robert..... LMAO
Totally agree Bruce, I see a Classic or Quantum and never really question if it will run or not. I saw very few videos out when I got my first customer return lot which is a main reason why I started the channel to get info out there on them. It's such a backwards philosophy, make a more efficient engine in a less efficient factory only to throw it away because of such poor quality. I've only learned recently how to jet a carb! Sure my email is putterputter93@gmail.com. Thinking about making a dedicated Ellis Mowers account soon!
Still holding on to my Toro with a Briggs Quantum with primer bulb...very good mower...no readystart complications and easy filter cleaning...carbs are reliable and if they ever need to be replaced the replacements are very inexpensive and easy to find, not the case with the newer OHV ones
Please understand you can get more power out of an overhead valve engine with less displacement. That 163 cc engine can probably put out as much power as that 190 cc flathead that you’re talking about. That’s one of the benefits of overhead valves, they burn cleaner, they burn leaner, and they Will run just as good for a long time. If they are taken care of, run dry at the end of the season and then put away and have the oil changed at least once a year I have a flathead quantum and a overhead valve 7.75 Briggs & Stratton professional on two different mowers. They both run fantastic as fuel shut off valves have been put on both of them and I run them dry just about every time I use them by flipping that valve also run a little bit of seafoam with every tank of gas and your carburetor will always perform as specified. Still shut off the fuel valve at the end of every run, or at least at the end of every season
With the mowers I have had and worked on in my life so far, now I'm talking early 70s mowers, be it Snapper, Murry, I have seen them dumbed down, in my personal collection I have a 82 Snapper, 83 snapper, the 82 snapper is the standard push mower snapper, bagger but no drive, it has the 3.5hp briggs engine, all I have ever done to it, was regular maintenance, carb gasket and simple stuff like that, and it has been through hell, it always starts on the first pull, every time, the 83 I just got, and it's the professional one, super heavy rear drive keystart, and a 5hp tall briggs, this thing is so heavy, I have a hard time lifting it onto my work table, it is built like a tank, ball bearing steel wheel, thick rubber on the wheels, gauge of steel the deck is made out of is truly awesome, both are the high vac, and I love em, I also have the early 90s snapper big six, it isn't any were near the toughness of the early 80s snapper, but it's a damn sight better then the new crap they are putting out, you should of seen my face, when I went to work on a new briggs engine, saw the plastic carb, I was like what in the hell is this crap briggs, omg you cheap bastards, and now the add and go, it's a poster child for buy our engines follow our guide lines and we will see you in 2 years for anothrt mower, cause sorry our guide lines are not covered under our own warranty, they really did sell out on anything built after 2012, thats why when I see a rusted mower with a good briggs engine I take it off that rusted out deck and keep it for one of these new decks with the pos new briggs engines, also have you noticed, the plastic front and rears on these mowers actually bedijg so bad the metal part of the deck is to low to the ground to even mow, I've had quite a few of them, shame on you briggs.
It is a shame what Briggs has done with the new OHVs. Love the old Snappers, have a Snapper RER from 84 myself with the 11hp Briggs. Smokes a lot on startup but runs great and sucks the pine straw up better than anything else I've ever seen!
I've only ever come across one Quantum engine with a bent crankshaft and that one was on one of those ubiquitous mulching and bagging decks made by AYP for Sears Craftsman. I'm the one you said you couldn't adjust the height of the mower that's not exactly true unbolt wheels and pick from three different whole positions. Something else I noticed on your overhead examples is that break is one with the short dipstick instead of the longer tube in the hyper tough actually has a cutout in the blower housing to accommodate the longer tube.
Very last of the summer of 2011 I bought a "cheap" Troy-Bilt push mower from Lowe's with a 675 Briggs Flat Head engine. I didn't need it, I had a lawn tractor and a push mower I just love, a lightweight Lawn Boy with an OMC built 2-stroke engine that just won't quit, and still use it more often than not. I knew (this is a French word) the damn government in their infinite wisdom was going to do away with the wonderfully reliable and easy to maintain little Flat Head or L-Head engine design with something that sounds good but was more complicated and expensive both to purchase and maintain, as if a lawn mower pollutes all that much running in my case less than 30 minutes once a week. So I bought it while I could just to have one. Actually I use it quite often especially for some bigger jobs as it's better suited for being more powerful than my Lawn Boy or my old body is. I'm almost as happy with my old Briggs Flat Head engine and mower as I am with my 2-stroke Lawn Boy. I grew up with those Flat Head engines, they are tough., reliable and nostalgic. I am amazed how the government can take something that works great and improve it to where it not as good! Typical anymore!
My dad has the 675 I believe...looks way newer than my 99 6hp but it is a flathead...he said his air cleaner housing warped and was letting dirt in....he fixed that issue but the carb had gotten dirt in by then and wouldn't run. We sprayed some cleaner into all the ports on the carb, didn't even have to remove it and it runs perfect again.
I totally agree, the older flat head motors were king, with my favorite being the early 80's motors. I've got at least 30 mowers here right now, four are blown up 6.75hp models, and one 6.5 Quantum that's nearly seized up. What I'm seeing a ton of lately is dead coils on the 5-6.5hp Quantum motors, most from the early 2000's. I've got two dozen here, all with bad coils. They started to show up about two years ago, and have gotten more and more common. (My personal mower is a 1967 'Easy Spin' 3.0hp Briggs on a 19" deck with offset wheels. My father paid $35 for it new and its still going strong with only a few sets of points, a couple carb diaphragms, a handful of blades, and a lot of oil changes over the years.)
Some good info! I've seen a lot of Quantum flywheel keys sheared. Very few if any dead coils though. The old school pulsa prime is a bit of a pain but mostly due to age.
I agree the flathead quantum is very durable. I have been running one with a sheared flywheel key for 3 years until I figured after hitting a large rock that damaged the blade. Didn't put 2 and 2 together until a few days ago.Real hard starting just quit overheated. Put a mag on the 1980 3.5 hp classic got it running first time in 16 years.Like the vid.
Thank you, excellent video. My opinion, Briggs & Stratton is number one and with simple technology. I have not had any luck with Hondas, although I know they are good engines. I have two TB-130, 140cc machines at home in very good condition but with the cylinders damaged by the low quality of their rings. I spent money on a piston and two sets of rings to save the machines but without results. Thank you very much for this video.
The quantum line of briggs engines were the best engines to ever be put on a push mower as far as im concerned. 150ish cc to 190cc. I rarely see much to go wrong with them. I own 4 of them myself. Ranging from 1986 up to 2001. Shame there arent many of em in circulation anymore. People seem to throw away a rotted mower deck with a good engine
i love the quantum's and the flat heads more , i have 2 engines in my garage with the base plate broke in what u said by the oil stick by those newer briggs now.
I started fixing my Craftsman 6.75 190cc Flathead had not changed oil since back 2013 It still going strong recently I going changed carburetor due to failing leaking gas and change oil and filter same time I loved the Flathead I know it get worse fuel guzzlers I got another 2012 Craftsman 5.50 OHV still goes after 12 years always changed oil every 20-30 hours after use Least carburetor still original and few preventative maintenance I started liking the gotten used to OHV
did the quantum engines have a cast iron cylinder sleeve? I've got one that's drinking a bit of oil, & has a sizable difference between wet & dry compression. I'd think about replacing the rings, but it doesn't seem worth it if the bore was aluminum.
I want to say they are cast iron, but either way ring replacements are something many people have done successfully on these engines from what I've seen.
If your cylinder is in good shape (minimal scoring) you can re-ring it. Even an aluminium bore. A cast iron bore engine can be slightly bored out to oversize. Get an oversize piston and rings and hey presto you have a new engine again. Those ic briggs flatheads were the best. And the regular kool bore briggs's were tough. Lob in the cast iron cylinder and its just the best you can get
Briggs and Stratton have gone downhill very quickly which is unfortunate my only Brigg flathead is still going strong with a little bit of work and servicing every now and then. But any company who makes any motor but doesn't want you to change the oil needs serious avoidance.
I'd like to see a heads up performance comparison between the old and new of equal torque ratings...Perhaps using the same deck in tall-wet grass.. a side by side drag race. Then we'll be able to see which has the most usable power..We all [those of us that cut for a living] know which is the most reliable.
If I did yard mowing for a living I'd love to try this out and may still in time. Thing is there's a lot of factors in old vs new so it would be hard to make an accurate comparison.
I consider a Briggs only a flathead. The easiest mower I ever fixed was a flathead Murray from 1993. Carb clean and a new plug and that’s it. The worst one was a 2012 Briggs 125cc plastic carb ohv engine. It started after 8 pulls and sputtered, stalled (broken governor), and backfired. I don’t work on ohv Briggs anymore unless it’s self propelled or ride on mower. The only fault on Briggs flatheads was the pulsi jet carb. If it didn’t have a pulsi jet, it was the best.
Nothing beats the Quantum and Classic style engines. I still have my 5.50 Briggs Classic Quattro mower with a Gator blade , and it goes through everything
I have a 2011 Toro with a Quantum 190cc flattie and it has been perfect. Just a few plugs and air filters. Oil change every year, run it dry of fuel for storage and blow off the dust. Of course I plan on keeping it but after watching this video I may go Honda (at least for the engine) when this one goes to mower heaven. I also have a 43 year old Ariens blower with a 5hp Tecumseh snow king, runs pretty good too. In storage are 2 OMC Lawn Boys 2 strokes. One 40 and one 53. Can't kill those things.
Thanks. I heard that too. Wish I put away a fwd Toro with optional Honda engine a few years ago. Two neighbors have Toros with OHV Briggs and one never changes oil or does anything at all. It runs crappy, must need a carb clean but is at least 10 and won't die. Oil is over full and black. Point is, I'd get one if needed and be all set as I take good care of machines. I may have to act as some states are going to ban gas yard equipment śales. Yard is too big for battery electric, plus not crazy about battery life and replacement cost.
@@gmzx3 Definitely I would act. From what I can tell Kawasaki Engine might be the best bet. They last around 5,000 hours with expert maintenance before needing a rebuild. The downside is they can be hard to troubleshoot, very efficient engine though, more powerful than Honda's commercial albeit not as easy to work on. Pressurizes lubricated so great for hills and steep angles. I personally own an FJ180V and have had zero problems with it. You could always pick up a Honda GX160 vertical shaft engine while they are still around. They run forever, are easy to work on, and fully iron sleeved and rebuildable. Just read the owners manual on the dipstick so you don't blow the engine. I know most commercial guys get 2,000-3000 hours out of them. I always wonder if that is from imperfect maintenance though? Very easy to work on. Splash lubricated so not great for steep hills. Parts will be supplied for the next 8 years and there is a huge after market for it. Pick up a couple of spare things like a gasket/rebuild kit, a spare oem carb, and you should be good to go for the rest of our lives. Kohler Command Pro 223CC. Easily the most powerful of the bunch. Estimated lifespan is 5000 hours and you can get an oil drain house. Honestly this engine takes a filter like a car engine. Really good service manual too. Downsides would only be possible quality control, but this the go to engine for commercial lawn contractors. It outdoes a GX160 or a Kawasaki. I have heard it's harder to work on but it's such a newer engine time will tell or it won't until it's too late. Worst comes to worst, pick up the good engine. Buy the deck you want for it later and bolt it on.
I'll keep my old junky quantums, got a Yazoo brush mower with a 24 inch deck and I/C quantum and the sucker smokes when you start it and it struggles to run that blade and the self propell but it just won't stop running. 25 years old.
Ellis Mowers. I am new to your TH-cam channel and really enjoyed what you had to say within this video. Although I am not in the small engine repair business per say - I maintain several of my personal owned mowers as well as my sisters mower. I have a spare mower with the 300 series B&S engine on a WeedEater 20 inch trashy deck and my sister has the 550 series B&S engine on a Weed Eater 22 inch deck. The only real issue that these two engines have would be the diaphragm & gasket replacement every 2 to 3 years. Also, I have a 21 inch Snapper with the heavy mower deck and the 3.5hp B&S Engine with a early version of AutoChoke. These Three B&S engine(s) are very solid performers with virtually no other issues other than maybe a muffler replacement, blade swap or a new spark plug when I do my service. My Question Is: Are the Professional Series B&S Engines Made As Cheaply As The Ones In Your Video? I’m rather impressed with the Predator engines from Harbor Freight - They seem to be pretty durable compared to the garbage engines that B&S and Kohler with their “Courage” are dishing out. At least the Tecumsehs would run until the connecting rod went through the block. Thanks & Best Regards From Central KY.
Thanks for watching! I think you have to go commercial to get the professional series engine now, but to my knowledge they are made better than the E series. I have yet to see a Tecumseh blow up. The Classic engines are great and I happily change diaphragms on them.
Ellis Mowers. Some of the toughest B&S engines were the 326434 cast iron engines. I have a Yazoo YR48 rider that while using one 90+ degree day - Got hot enough that the kill switch no longer worked. So I pulled the mower in a shady area and cooled the engine by idling it to a safe temperature before shutting it off with the kill switch that time around. You would have thought that engine would have been toast. That engine still runs to this day. The older engines do not like this crappy gas at all. The Kohler K Series Cast Iron engines were pretty awesome too. My two Cub Cadets are built like tanks; My 107 with a K241 and my 683 with a KT17 Series 2 engine. To Mr, It just doesn’t seem quite right to see Cub Cadets that are solid yellow and not shaft driven.
Yep, my mower has a 190cc flat head on it. It was new in 2015. has a metal carburetor. I bought it because it had the flat head engine, I haven't seen one since new.
One more thing. Yes you got I change the oil. Oil doesn’t go bad but the detergent break down and contaminants from the cylinders do get into the oil and the oil gets dirty. It Hass to be changed seasonally. I wish that sticker is something that Briggs & Stratton would stop putting on their engines
I have a 6.0 Commercial Quantum model # 12J702-1757-B1. I've had it 20 years doing just my home lawn. Just having my first major problem with it, it won't start. Only other issue I had was to replace the tank., it was originally metal and had sprung a leak. I ran it 2 years before I had it replaced because it still ran like a sewing machine. Going to have my baby fixed.
I bought an older mower from my small engine mechanic neighbors with quantum 6.75 and is a great mower I beat the crap out of it I also bought a small pressure washer with a 6hp quantum from him for my painting business and has never let me down very good engines
One thing I started to notice and I’m sure you’ve noticed as well is that modern mowers made by MTD are extremely modular. And they share as many components as possible to keep manufacturing cost down. They don’t need to have separate castings for the block or separate stampings for the deck. They just add different components or they machine it differently. I can admire them for their efficiency in production but I don’t see them being desirable down the road like older mowers.
Yes I have noticed that too, makes it easier for me to replace parts on them from junk mowers but generally they are all a throwaway item now. Not a money maker for MTD so why put a lot of time and effort into it.
Some good points in this video, though like most things in todays world it comes down to cost, emissions and noise regulations. Shame that Briggs are making so many parts obsolete, so pushing people to move to newer models. That seems to be the trend for most manufacturers of engines and machines though to be honest. I will just point out that the old Briggs classic also had a plastic carb, and the gas tanks have been plastic for many years even on the quantum. Plastic I guess is cheaper to work with and doesn't rust or corrode.
The only problem I've ever had with a 675 is it smoked for almost a minute after I changed the oil and put Pennzoil in it. But every other flathead I've had not one problem other than overheating
Nothing will ever compare to my 1981 3hp Briggs on a 20" push mower. It never smoked or made noise, tons of hours and abuse and it didn't die until I hit a huge bolt hidden in the tall grass and bent the crank. My 99 6hp Briggs "GTS" has been good so far but smokes on cold start and the plastic tank leaks above half. It probably won't last as long and hasn't been abused like the old one was.
In 2023 I called the local honest mower dealer and insisted on a mower with a Briggs & Stratton flathead engine. They only had one. It was a Brute 22 self-propelled with a 675 series engine. Some lovely person broke it while it was barely used and let it sit around for years before the shop got it. I paid $255 plus tax. I could have bought a new crap mower at Walmart for that price, BUT I DIDN'T!
My 2019 550ex briggs craftsman locked up on me once last year but then a few hours later it started up and its still fine especially after cleaning that plastic(wtf?) carb
Best briggs were the quantum engines and the next best was the Briggs classic. The new OHV ones are made as a throwaway after maybe 5 years . Gone are the days you got 15-30 years out of a small engine. But quality of fuel also makes a impact Ethanol burns at a higher temperature so. What’s is metal ‘s kryptonite, “heat” Tecumseh “had” some good ones years ago. I used one from 1973-1998 never had a issue. Only added oil and gas.
You got it right on, the OHVs are good for a few years but the weak points will start showing especially if not taken good care of. Old Tecumseh is good too, way to many carb problems on the newer stuff but have yet to see one blown up.
I prefer the older Quantum engines and the new 190cc and 223cc commercial engines over any other Briggs and Stratton engine. I really do like the new GCV170 and GCV200 Honda engines even better than the old GCV160 and GCV190 as they are good new designs. The way to get these Briggs and Stratton EX and EXI engines to last a long time is to treat them the same way as the other engines and still change the oil annually. Yes, the plastic parts are cheap. I absolutely hate the plastic recoil cups and carburetors the most. Such a design flaw. However, it can still last with proper maintenance. Unfortunately, the recoil cups and carburetors may need to be replaced occasionally as they are plastic. I know people that have had the first of these engines from 2015, and they have actually had good luck with them. I bet they do change the oil every year!!😉
Personally, I have never been impressed with Briggs and Stratton engines. They always seemed temperamental and prone to small fuel issues. I grew up with Honda as a mower and engine brand and that's what most of my equipment is now, flathead and overhead valve Hondas as well as derived from Honda engines. Notably the GX200 in one Chinese clone, GXV140 clone on my pressure washer as well as GXV390 derivatives on my snow blower and generator. My oldest Honda mower is an HR214SX with a GXV120, rated at around 3.5 hp and works incredibly well for something that runs a two speed gearbox, blade brake clutch-operated (Roto-Stop) blade and bags. Honda no longer makes this engine but its horizontal shaft variant continues to be made and Honda's replacement, the GXV160 is what runs my current commercial unit. Oddly, Snapper, once (and probably still) a Briggs company uses the Honda GXV160 on its top of the line commercial mower.
Yes, it might be true that they are “cheating out some”. However, they are having to compete with their Chinese competitors, as well as Honda. Nobody makes flathead engines anymore. If they were still around, Tecumseh would be Brigg’s only competitor with flatheads. As long as you change the oil, despite what they say, and run it dry at the end of the mowing season, you should never have a problem with it, maybe other than a minor recoil issue, which is easily fixed, and happens on Hondas all the time. Also, yes the crankshafts are easier to bend. I used to have a 3 1/2 hp flathead Briggs back in the 1980s and I hit so much with that thing and never bent the shaft. However, if the shaft is bent, it can be fixed and straightened by putting the mower on its side and using a floor jack. Roll the wheels of the floor. Jack onto the deck of the mower position the bent part of the chef, so that is at the lowest part when it is on its side use the jack to push up on it to straighten it out. I’ve seen this done and it can bring the shaft back into almost perfect straighteness. Honda mowers also have easily bendable shafts.
The old Briggs sure are a lot better than the newer ones. I've had several of the newer Briggs and was not impressed. A neighbor had one for a season & I had to clean the carb this to year to get it started.
Briggs and Stratton nowadays build their engines cheap with having lower quality to them because they decided to move onto designing their engines of being more lightweight with enough maneuverability and with lower maintenance. The reason why Briggs and Stratton moved onto externally building their engines with plastic because plastic doesn't corrode or rust like metal that can lower the maintenance problems of using tools. Although, plastic is lighter and more shock-resistant than metal.
The cc's don't matter, I do lawn care and the overhead valves have WAY more power than the flatheads. When i do overgrown yards and have a sections where my big mowers can't fit I have 2 20inch bolens push mowers that's as basic as can be that I solely use for overgrown yards that will cut weeds taller than me clean without hesitation. Had them for about 6-7 years now I found both free on side of the road, a quick carb clean and both have been running great since then no issues. I do have flat heads style with self propelled for my basic mows but they have no balls to cut anything over 8 inches tall And I side discharge.
They cheapen the engines because they have to compete with Chinese engines. If the public were willing to pay more for quality they would surely make it. WE are the reason they are so cheaply made. People today only buy the cheapest things and complain that they don't last. Maybe you could get a 3-D printed engine even cheaper? So many people can't even recognize quality construntion these days. A carburettor made out of cheese would be fine for them if it was shiny.
yes sir haha new tech in my opinion has just reached a point of no return.. i mean, you take one of those old classic brigs you can't kill them, i have one its been submurged in a flood its hit a huge metal pipe oil in the carb it will phal a spark plug just like that it has a blow head gasket it burns so much oil and has the most blow by in the world and keep going.. so if you ask me brigs & stratton as we know it has gone to trash. it really sadens m,e that it has gone this way but it has. :(
You’ll be lucky if you can get your average home owner it even do that. Most people that run a mower will do the absolute bare minimum to keep it from blowing up.
@@lawnmowerdude Can't get some adults to wipe their asshole properly, let alone wash their hands. Why would they spend one second on checking the car or mower.
I think a big part of the problem is that you have these Chinese engine manufacturers that can make these clone engines for next to nothing that briggs now has to compete with.
Yep, that’s why Tecumseh Products dropped the outdoor power equipment line and only does refrigeration compressors now. They lost their bread and butter accounts to much less expensive Loncin and Powermore, who can compete against Chinese labor rates?
This is what happens when companies try to keep up with Honda but can’t because the price would be too high. OHV is not the problem it’s their plastic carb and cheaper design for briggs that’s killing them. China clones went more with the Honda design than they did with the briggs new design. Briggs I guess saved their great OHV designs for the lawn tractors.
this is why my snapper from Walmart has a honda briggs and Stratton has screwed us over with terrible Briggs engine i would buy the company an force there asses to go back to the old engines
I agree man! the Briggs classic and the Briggs quantum are built to last and I would recommend them to anyone who wants a mower that will last darn near a life time!
but I disagree with you on the 300e engine. I put a brand new blade on one and the power feels limitless. my grass was super long and I was trying to bog it down by me basically running with it and it didn't skip a beat. I'll have to test it out again this summer. the not bogging down at all was weird
I have 2 old B&S. Not letting those go!
The Briggs and Stratton Quantum is my favorite motor. They are easy to work on and are bulletproof. I've even got them running after having water in the cylinder. Love the classic too and starting to see a lot of the 550 ex powered machines have trouble with carbs.
You are right on. Lots of carb issues with the new ones, old Quantums sitting for years which will fire right up no matter how bad they are abused.
@@EllisMowersandmore Of the Briggs engines, the Quantum series was pretty nice. With the right muffler it was smooth and quiet like a 1980s Oldsmobile. That said, just to put a new starter rope on it requires the removal of ten fasteners, three different types and head sizes, the fuel tank and often two different shrouds (the decorative one and the actual fan one). That's where Tecumseh (often two screws, occasionally three) and Honda(three bolts on GXV and three nuts on GCV) beat Briggs. Of course the primer bulbs on Tecumseh were their own set of problems.
I bought a Toro with a B&S flathead engine back in 1996. 25 years later, that mower is still cutting my grass. I have a small 1/4 acre lawn which only takes me about 30 min to cut my grass, so consider that when it comes to engine life. But other than normal maintence (oil changes, spark plugs, ect.) I have had zero issues with it.
Mine is a 99 Toro recycler. The body and wheels are still mint. And I don't know if the engine is as good as my 81 classic type was but other than a puff of smoke on cold start it's been flawless for the past 3 or 4 years since I bought it used.
@@1984Cutlass2nv if you were having a puff of smoke on a cold start, run 2 to 3 ounces of seafoam on a full gas tank a couple of times and see if that don’t help. Puff of smoke on cold starting usually indicates the valves aren’t seated probably because they are dirty.
I like Briggs and Stratton engines the 675 EXI on my DR trimmer is amazing. despite the plastic carburetor I've used it in 3 foot tall grass it bogs down but it does it right every time starts on the first pull I find them better than the Honda gcv160. because the Briggs has greater ease of service than the Honda gcv160 and add to that it the Briggs has a removeable head the GCV (Garbage Can Vertical) or GC horizontal (Garbage Can) does not. you cant go wrong with the quantum or the old school 3hp and 5hp Briggs flathead I ignore the just check and add I change the oil with Pennzoil 10w30 conventional oil
I found a Craftsman mower for FREE ten years or more ago. I've been using it tomow my lawn and that of my rental house ever since.
It has a 12H802 Briggs engine made 0799.
My repair skills are only average. When the mower quit working 10/22. I found that the electrical shutoff wasn't opening properly to allow the engine to operate. I yanked the whole safety system off and replaced it with a switch to ground out the ignition to shut it off.
The bag is failing. I rebuilt part of it with some plywood, but more needs to be done. The bottom of the bag is wearing out. I'm thinking about ironing a patch designed for clothes over that faili9ng part of the bag, and perhaps take it to a shoemaker to have it stitched up and repaired.
So ----- engines aren't everything. Other stuff is more likely to fall apart, perhaps.
I have a 1995 Lowes special push mower with the 3.75 HP Briggs flathead engine. I cut an acre of grass with it every year from April to November. Lord knows how much run time is one it. It even locked up me one time from cutting grass in 95 degree heat. I broke it loose with my foot on the blade, started it and let it smoke for 20 minutes. It cleared up, changed to oil and added STP. That was last year and it is still going strong. You can't hurt them.
I own a Briggs Quantum 4hp engine, and I must say it's of excellent quality. The code on the engine indicates that it was manufactured in the late 1992. I've only had to replace the coil once and clean the carb a few times, but other than that, it runs flawlessly and starts on the first pull. I recently checked the valve clearances, and they were perfect. The mower itself was produced by white company, and it seems like it is very hard to find info about it. Hell, even the deck is so well engineered. It's a shame that nowadays, most things are of poor quality.
Nice, I know white was acquired by MTD but with the age of your mower it may have been made by another company at that time.
GREAT VIDEO. Well I don't even consider the new overhead valve engines a Briggs. As you are doing the department store rejects I saw these engines on your channel before i saw them come in the back door of my garage. Great work When I get a classic engine (or a quantum) into the shop I smile even before I work on them . Most of us back yard mechanics have learned to jet a carb. When I was a kid it was only the best mechanic guys that did jetting. We have a learned a lot eh !!!! I do like plastic fuel tanks. You are starting to sound like an old guy LOL. One more comment. It can't be better for the environment when a lawn mower is thrown into the trash after 2 or 3 years of use only to be replaced by another dud. These foreign plants aren't monitored for pollution like a local plant. Yes a Quantum may not be as efficient as a new overhead valve but there is more pollution on production of replacements every few years. WHEW!!! Can I get your email?
I totally agree with you Bruce, it can be good what so ever, today is such a throw away society it's insane..... I enjoy the work we do, bringing mowers back from the dead, or just no start, the snapper I'm doing now for my own collection, it's the old carb with the choke and choke setup, it's really taking me back to my roots, it feels so good to go back there and see the simplest ways things were done, and the messed up way things are done now..... OK breathe Robert..... LMAO
Totally agree Bruce, I see a Classic or Quantum and never really question if it will run or not. I saw very few videos out when I got my first customer return lot which is a main reason why I started the channel to get info out there on them. It's such a backwards philosophy, make a more efficient engine in a less efficient factory only to throw it away because of such poor quality. I've only learned recently how to jet a carb! Sure my email is putterputter93@gmail.com. Thinking about making a dedicated Ellis Mowers account soon!
I enjoy it too, taking something that is hurt or has no life and giving it new life. Smile every time a non running mower runs again!
Still holding on to my Toro with a Briggs Quantum with primer bulb...very good mower...no readystart complications and easy filter cleaning...carbs are reliable and if they ever need to be replaced the replacements are very inexpensive and easy to find, not the case with the newer OHV ones
The old Quantums are tough, much better than anything else on the market today.
@@EllisMowersandmore they really are
Please understand you can get more power out of an overhead valve engine with less displacement. That 163 cc engine can probably put out as much power as that 190 cc flathead that you’re talking about. That’s one of the benefits of overhead valves, they burn cleaner, they burn leaner, and they Will run just as good for a long time. If they are taken care of, run dry at the end of the season and then put away and have the oil changed at least once a year I have a flathead quantum and a overhead valve 7.75 Briggs & Stratton professional on two different mowers. They both run fantastic as fuel shut off valves have been put on both of them and I run them dry just about every time I use them by flipping that valve also run a little bit of seafoam with every tank of gas and your carburetor will always perform as specified. Still shut off the fuel valve at the end of every run, or at least at the end of every season
With the mowers I have had and worked on in my life so far, now I'm talking early 70s mowers, be it Snapper, Murry, I have seen them dumbed down, in my personal collection I have a 82 Snapper, 83 snapper, the 82 snapper is the standard push mower snapper, bagger but no drive, it has the 3.5hp briggs engine, all I have ever done to it, was regular maintenance, carb gasket and simple stuff like that, and it has been through hell, it always starts on the first pull, every time, the 83 I just got, and it's the professional one, super heavy rear drive keystart, and a 5hp tall briggs, this thing is so heavy, I have a hard time lifting it onto my work table, it is built like a tank, ball bearing steel wheel, thick rubber on the wheels, gauge of steel the deck is made out of is truly awesome, both are the high vac, and I love em, I also have the early 90s snapper big six, it isn't any were near the toughness of the early 80s snapper, but it's a damn sight better then the new crap they are putting out, you should of seen my face, when I went to work on a new briggs engine, saw the plastic carb, I was like what in the hell is this crap briggs, omg you cheap bastards, and now the add and go, it's a poster child for buy our engines follow our guide lines and we will see you in 2 years for anothrt mower, cause sorry our guide lines are not covered under our own warranty, they really did sell out on anything built after 2012, thats why when I see a rusted mower with a good briggs engine I take it off that rusted out deck and keep it for one of these new decks with the pos new briggs engines, also have you noticed, the plastic front and rears on these mowers actually bedijg so bad the metal part of the deck is to low to the ground to even mow, I've had quite a few of them, shame on you briggs.
It is a shame what Briggs has done with the new OHVs. Love the old Snappers, have a Snapper RER from 84 myself with the 11hp Briggs. Smokes a lot on startup but runs great and sucks the pine straw up better than anything else I've ever seen!
I've only ever come across one Quantum engine with a bent crankshaft and that one was on one of those ubiquitous mulching and bagging decks made by AYP for Sears Craftsman. I'm the one you said you couldn't adjust the height of the mower that's not exactly true unbolt wheels and pick from three different whole positions. Something else I noticed on your overhead examples is that break is one with the short dipstick instead of the longer tube in the hyper tough actually has a cutout in the blower housing to accommodate the longer tube.
Very last of the summer of 2011 I bought a "cheap" Troy-Bilt push mower from Lowe's with a 675 Briggs Flat Head engine. I didn't need it, I had a lawn tractor and a push mower I just love, a lightweight Lawn Boy with an OMC built 2-stroke engine that just won't quit, and still use it more often than not.
I knew (this is a French word) the damn government in their infinite wisdom was going to do away with the wonderfully reliable and easy to maintain little Flat Head or L-Head engine design with something that sounds good but was more complicated and expensive both to purchase and maintain, as if a lawn mower pollutes all that much running in my case less than 30 minutes once a week. So I bought it while I could just to have one. Actually I use it quite often especially for some bigger jobs as it's better suited for being more powerful than my Lawn Boy or my old body is.
I'm almost as happy with my old Briggs Flat Head engine and mower as I am with my 2-stroke Lawn Boy. I grew up with those Flat Head engines, they are tough., reliable and nostalgic.
I am amazed how the government can take something that works great and improve it to where it not as good! Typical anymore!
My dad has the 675 I believe...looks way newer than my 99 6hp but it is a flathead...he said his air cleaner housing warped and was letting dirt in....he fixed that issue but the carb had gotten dirt in by then and wouldn't run. We sprayed some cleaner into all the ports on the carb, didn't even have to remove it and it runs perfect again.
@@1984Cutlass2nv That's a Briggs flathead alright!
I totally agree, the older flat head motors were king, with my favorite being the early 80's motors.
I've got at least 30 mowers here right now, four are blown up 6.75hp models, and one 6.5 Quantum that's nearly seized up.
What I'm seeing a ton of lately is dead coils on the 5-6.5hp Quantum motors, most from the early 2000's.
I've got two dozen here, all with bad coils. They started to show up about two years ago, and have gotten more and more common.
(My personal mower is a 1967 'Easy Spin' 3.0hp Briggs on a 19" deck with offset wheels. My father paid $35 for it new and its still going strong with only a few sets of points, a couple carb diaphragms, a handful of blades, and a lot of oil changes over the years.)
Some good info! I've seen a lot of Quantum flywheel keys sheared. Very few if any dead coils though. The old school pulsa prime is a bit of a pain but mostly due to age.
Just check and add until it starts knocking, then simply throw away and buy a new one! Brilliant strategy.
It's all in the marketing!
I agree the flathead quantum is very durable. I have been running one with a sheared flywheel key for 3 years until I figured after hitting a large rock that damaged the blade. Didn't put 2 and 2 together until a few days ago.Real hard starting just quit overheated. Put a mag on the 1980 3.5 hp classic got it running first time in 16 years.Like the vid.
Unless it rips the cord out of your hand it'll run with a sheared flywheel key for forever it seems.
Thank you, excellent video. My opinion, Briggs & Stratton is number one and with simple technology. I have not had any luck with Hondas, although I know they are good engines. I have two TB-130, 140cc machines at home in very good condition but with the cylinders damaged by the low quality of their rings. I spent money on a piston and two sets of rings to save the machines but without results. Thank you very much for this video.
The quantum line of briggs engines were the best engines to ever be put on a push mower as far as im concerned. 150ish cc to 190cc. I rarely see much to go wrong with them. I own 4 of them myself. Ranging from 1986 up to 2001. Shame there arent many of em in circulation anymore. People seem to throw away a rotted mower deck with a good engine
I like the Classics and Quantums because they are so simple and easy to fix and keep going. Honda OHVs are very good also.
Yes all three are good engines. The GCV160 is the way to go nowadays.
What're your opinion on Honda mower engines?
Honda across the board makes excellent engines. The GCV160 is probably the best consumer engine you can buy today.
i love the quantum's and the flat heads more , i have 2 engines in my garage with the base plate broke in what u said by the oil stick by those newer briggs now.
Me too, always have one or two broken base plates in every one I get from my wholesaler.
I started fixing my Craftsman 6.75 190cc Flathead had not changed oil since back 2013
It still going strong recently I going changed carburetor due to failing leaking gas and change oil and filter same time
I loved the Flathead I know it get worse fuel guzzlers
I got another 2012 Craftsman 5.50 OHV still goes after 12 years always changed oil every 20-30 hours after use
Least carburetor still original and few preventative maintenance
I started liking the gotten used to OHV
did the quantum engines have a cast iron cylinder sleeve? I've got one that's drinking a bit of oil, & has a sizable difference between wet & dry compression. I'd think about replacing the rings, but it doesn't seem worth it if the bore was aluminum.
I want to say they are cast iron, but either way ring replacements are something many people have done successfully on these engines from what I've seen.
If there i/c
If your cylinder is in good shape (minimal scoring) you can re-ring it. Even an aluminium bore. A cast iron bore engine can be slightly bored out to oversize. Get an oversize piston and rings and hey presto you have a new engine again. Those ic briggs flatheads were the best. And the regular kool bore briggs's were tough. Lob in the cast iron cylinder and its just the best you can get
How would some one get set up to do the Walmart returns
I found a pallet liquidation company in my general area. This was a few years ago but have since stopped as costs rose and profits fell.
Would a Briggs & Stratton 6.5hp Quantum engine have the same bell housing bolt pattern as a Tecumseh 4.5hr Eagle 1 engine?
It should be, most all consumer small engines have the same bolt pattern to adapt to many deck types. So they should be interchangeable.
@@EllisMowersandmore Thank You!!
Briggs and Stratton have gone downhill very quickly which is unfortunate my only Brigg flathead is still going strong with a little bit of work and servicing every now and then. But any company who makes any motor but doesn't want you to change the oil needs serious avoidance.
I'd like to see a heads up performance comparison between the old and new of equal torque ratings...Perhaps using the same deck in tall-wet grass.. a side by side drag race. Then we'll be able to see which has the most usable power..We all [those of us that cut for a living] know which is the most reliable.
If I did yard mowing for a living I'd love to try this out and may still in time. Thing is there's a lot of factors in old vs new so it would be hard to make an accurate comparison.
I consider a Briggs only a flathead. The easiest mower I ever fixed was a flathead Murray from 1993. Carb clean and a new plug and that’s it. The worst one was a 2012 Briggs 125cc plastic carb ohv engine. It started after 8 pulls and sputtered, stalled (broken governor), and backfired. I don’t work on ohv Briggs anymore unless it’s self propelled or ride on mower. The only fault on Briggs flatheads was the pulsi jet carb. If it didn’t have a pulsi jet, it was the best.
Nothing beats the Quantum and Classic style engines. I still have my 5.50 Briggs Classic Quattro mower with a Gator blade , and it goes through everything
I have a 2011 Toro with a Quantum 190cc flattie and it has been perfect. Just a few plugs and air filters. Oil change every year, run it dry of fuel for storage and blow off the dust. Of course I plan on keeping it but after watching this video I may go Honda (at least for the engine) when this one goes to mower heaven. I also have a 43 year old Ariens blower with a 5hp Tecumseh snow king, runs pretty good too. In storage are 2 OMC Lawn Boys 2 strokes. One 40 and one 53. Can't kill those things.
In case you aren't aware. This is the last year for Honda. My advice is to get a Quantum Rebuild kit and have it handy for when the time comes.
Thanks. I heard that too. Wish I put away a fwd Toro with optional Honda engine a few years ago. Two neighbors have Toros with OHV Briggs and one never changes oil or does anything at all. It runs crappy, must need a carb clean but is at least 10 and won't die. Oil is over full and black. Point is, I'd get one if needed and be all set as I take good care of machines. I may have to act as some states are going to ban gas yard equipment śales. Yard is too big for battery electric, plus not crazy about battery life and replacement cost.
@@gmzx3 Definitely I would act. From what I can tell Kawasaki Engine might be the best bet. They last around 5,000 hours with expert maintenance before needing a rebuild. The downside is they can be hard to troubleshoot, very efficient engine though, more powerful than Honda's commercial albeit not as easy to work on. Pressurizes lubricated so great for hills and steep angles. I personally own an FJ180V and have had zero problems with it.
You could always pick up a Honda GX160 vertical shaft engine while they are still around. They run forever, are easy to work on, and fully iron sleeved and rebuildable. Just read the owners manual on the dipstick so you don't blow the engine. I know most commercial guys get 2,000-3000 hours out of them. I always wonder if that is from imperfect maintenance though? Very easy to work on. Splash lubricated so not great for steep hills. Parts will be supplied for the next 8 years and there is a huge after market for it. Pick up a couple of spare things like a gasket/rebuild kit, a spare oem carb, and you should be good to go for the rest of our lives.
Kohler Command Pro 223CC. Easily the most powerful of the bunch. Estimated lifespan is 5000 hours and you can get an oil drain house. Honestly this engine takes a filter like a car engine. Really good service manual too. Downsides would only be possible quality control, but this the go to engine for commercial lawn contractors. It outdoes a GX160 or a Kawasaki. I have heard it's harder to work on but it's such a newer engine time will tell or it won't until it's too late.
Worst comes to worst, pick up the good engine. Buy the deck you want for it later and bolt it on.
I'll keep my old junky quantums, got a Yazoo brush mower with a 24 inch deck and I/C quantum and the sucker smokes when you start it and it struggles to run that blade and the self propell but it just won't stop running. 25 years old.
I have seen Quantums abused to no end and still kicking. Sold one that smoked last week but still ran great!
New rings should fix it if it’s an I/C.
Ellis Mowers. I am new to your TH-cam channel and really enjoyed what you had to say within this video. Although I am not in the small engine repair business per say - I maintain several of my personal owned mowers as well as my sisters mower.
I have a spare mower with the 300 series B&S engine on a WeedEater 20 inch trashy deck and my sister has the 550 series B&S engine on a Weed Eater 22 inch deck. The only real issue that these two engines have would be the diaphragm & gasket replacement every 2 to 3 years. Also, I have a 21 inch Snapper with the heavy mower deck and the 3.5hp B&S Engine with a early version of AutoChoke. These Three B&S engine(s) are very solid performers with virtually no other issues other than maybe a muffler replacement, blade swap or a new spark plug when I do my service.
My Question Is: Are the Professional Series B&S Engines Made As Cheaply As The Ones In Your Video?
I’m rather impressed with the Predator engines from Harbor Freight - They seem to be pretty durable compared to the garbage engines that B&S and Kohler with their “Courage” are dishing out. At least the Tecumsehs would run until the connecting rod went through the block. Thanks & Best Regards From Central KY.
Thanks for watching! I think you have to go commercial to get the professional series engine now, but to my knowledge they are made better than the E series. I have yet to see a Tecumseh blow up. The Classic engines are great and I happily change diaphragms on them.
Ellis Mowers. Some of the toughest B&S engines were the 326434 cast iron engines. I have a Yazoo YR48 rider that while using one 90+ degree day - Got hot enough that the kill switch no longer worked. So I pulled the mower in a shady area and cooled the engine by idling it to a safe temperature before shutting it off with the kill switch that time around. You would have thought that engine would have been toast. That engine still runs to this day. The older engines do not like this crappy gas at all.
The Kohler K Series Cast Iron engines were pretty awesome too. My two Cub Cadets are built like tanks; My 107 with a K241 and my 683 with a KT17 Series 2 engine. To Mr, It just doesn’t seem quite right to see Cub Cadets that are solid yellow and not shaft driven.
Subscribed on the basis of this video. Get this great american manufacturer back on track!
Yep, my mower has a 190cc flat head on it. It was new in 2015. has a metal carburetor. I bought it because it had the flat head engine, I haven't seen one since new.
2015 or 2016 were the last years of the flatheads for Briggs.
One more thing. Yes you got I change the oil. Oil doesn’t go bad but the detergent break down and contaminants from the cylinders do get into the oil and the oil gets dirty. It Hass to be changed seasonally. I wish that sticker is something that Briggs & Stratton would stop putting on their engines
How did you go about buying Walmart return mowers?
I buy from a wholesale liquidation company who gets them from Wal-Mart.
I have a 6.0 Commercial Quantum model # 12J702-1757-B1. I've had it 20 years doing just my home lawn. Just having my first major problem with it, it won't start. Only other issue I had was to replace the tank., it was originally metal and had sprung a leak. I ran it 2 years before I had it replaced because it still ran like a sewing machine. Going to have my baby fixed.
I bought an older mower from my small engine mechanic neighbors with quantum 6.75 and is a great mower I beat the crap out of it I also bought a small pressure washer with a 6hp quantum from him for my painting business and has never let me down very good engines
One thing I started to notice and I’m sure you’ve noticed as well is that modern mowers made by MTD are extremely modular. And they share as many components as possible to keep manufacturing cost down. They don’t need to have separate castings for the block or separate stampings for the deck. They just add different components or they machine it differently. I can admire them for their efficiency in production but I don’t see them being desirable down the road like older mowers.
Yes I have noticed that too, makes it easier for me to replace parts on them from junk mowers but generally they are all a throwaway item now. Not a money maker for MTD so why put a lot of time and effort into it.
Some good points in this video, though like most things in todays world it comes down to cost, emissions and noise regulations. Shame that Briggs are making so many parts obsolete, so pushing people to move to newer models. That seems to be the trend for most manufacturers of engines and machines though to be honest. I will just point out that the old Briggs classic also had a plastic carb, and the gas tanks have been plastic for many years even on the quantum. Plastic I guess is cheaper to work with and doesn't rust or corrode.
The only problem I've ever had with a 675 is it smoked for almost a minute after I changed the oil and put Pennzoil in it. But every other flathead I've had not one problem other than overheating
Nothing will ever compare to my 1981 3hp Briggs on a 20" push mower. It never smoked or made noise, tons of hours and abuse and it didn't die until I hit a huge bolt hidden in the tall grass and bent the crank. My 99 6hp Briggs "GTS" has been good so far but smokes on cold start and the plastic tank leaks above half. It probably won't last as long and hasn't been abused like the old one was.
Great video. I have a Snapper with a 875 series Briggs and Stratton engine it has a metal carburetor on it.
The 875s are really good engines, they phased them out too I believe except for commercial use in lieu of the check and add stuff.
There's MILLIONS of working quantum motors.. They are literally my go to engine when I can find them.
The new ones last a season....
In 2023 I called the local honest mower dealer and insisted on a mower with a Briggs & Stratton flathead engine. They only had one. It was a Brute 22 self-propelled with a 675 series engine. Some lovely person broke it while it was barely used and let it sit around for years before the shop got it. I paid $255 plus tax. I could have bought a new crap mower at Walmart for that price, BUT I DIDN'T!
The flatheads are great. I think they stopped making them in 2012 and Brute mowers around that time.
My 2019 550ex briggs craftsman locked up on me once last year but then a few hours later it started up and its still fine especially after cleaning that plastic(wtf?) carb
Best briggs were the quantum engines and the next best was the Briggs classic. The new OHV ones are made as a throwaway after maybe 5 years . Gone are the days you got 15-30 years out of a small engine. But quality of fuel also makes a impact
Ethanol burns at a higher temperature so. What’s is metal ‘s kryptonite, “heat”
Tecumseh “had” some good ones years ago. I used one from 1973-1998 never had a issue. Only added oil and gas.
You got it right on, the OHVs are good for a few years but the weak points will start showing especially if not taken good care of. Old Tecumseh is good too, way to many carb problems on the newer stuff but have yet to see one blown up.
I prefer the older Quantum engines and the new 190cc and 223cc commercial engines over any other Briggs and Stratton engine. I really do like the new GCV170 and GCV200 Honda engines even better than the old GCV160 and GCV190 as they are good new designs. The way to get these Briggs and Stratton EX and EXI engines to last a long time is to treat them the same way as the other engines and still change the oil annually. Yes, the plastic parts are cheap. I absolutely hate the plastic recoil cups and carburetors the most. Such a design flaw. However, it can still last with proper maintenance. Unfortunately, the recoil cups and carburetors may need to be replaced occasionally as they are plastic. I know people that have had the first of these engines from 2015, and they have actually had good luck with them. I bet they do change the oil every year!!😉
Personally, I have never been impressed with Briggs and Stratton engines. They always seemed temperamental and prone to small fuel issues. I grew up with Honda as a mower and engine brand and that's what most of my equipment is now, flathead and overhead valve Hondas as well as derived from Honda engines. Notably the GX200 in one Chinese clone, GXV140 clone on my pressure washer as well as GXV390 derivatives on my snow blower and generator. My oldest Honda mower is an HR214SX with a GXV120, rated at around 3.5 hp and works incredibly well for something that runs a two speed gearbox, blade brake clutch-operated (Roto-Stop) blade and bags. Honda no longer makes this engine but its horizontal shaft variant continues to be made and Honda's replacement, the GXV160 is what runs my current commercial unit. Oddly, Snapper, once (and probably still) a Briggs company uses the Honda GXV160 on its top of the line commercial mower.
Yes, it might be true that they are “cheating out some”. However, they are having to compete with their Chinese competitors, as well as Honda. Nobody makes flathead engines anymore. If they were still around, Tecumseh would be Brigg’s only competitor with flatheads. As long as you change the oil, despite what they say, and run it dry at the end of the mowing season, you should never have a problem with it, maybe other than a minor recoil issue, which is easily fixed, and happens on Hondas all the time. Also, yes the crankshafts are easier to bend. I used to have a 3 1/2 hp flathead Briggs back in the 1980s and I hit so much with that thing and never bent the shaft. However, if the shaft is bent, it can be fixed and straightened by putting the mower on its side and using a floor jack. Roll the wheels of the floor. Jack onto the deck of the mower position the bent part of the chef, so that is at the lowest part when it is on its side use the jack to push up on it to straighten it out. I’ve seen this done and it can bring the shaft back into almost perfect straighteness. Honda mowers also have easily bendable shafts.
The old Briggs sure are a lot better than the newer ones. I've had several of the newer Briggs and was not impressed. A neighbor had one for a season & I had to clean the carb this to year to get it started.
I know Alan, the new Briggs are notorious for water in the fuel and clogged carbs as the jets are so small.
Briggs and Stratton nowadays build their engines cheap with having lower quality to them because they decided to move onto designing their engines of being more lightweight with enough maneuverability and with lower maintenance. The reason why Briggs and Stratton moved onto externally building their engines with plastic because plastic doesn't corrode or rust like metal that can lower the maintenance problems of using tools. Although, plastic is lighter and more shock-resistant than metal.
The cc's don't matter, I do lawn care and the overhead valves have WAY more power than the flatheads. When i do overgrown yards and have a sections where my big mowers can't fit I have 2 20inch bolens push mowers that's as basic as can be that I solely use for overgrown yards that will cut weeds taller than me clean without hesitation. Had them for about 6-7 years now I found both free on side of the road, a quick carb clean and both have been running great since then no issues. I do have flat heads style with self propelled for my basic mows but they have no balls to cut anything over 8 inches tall And I side discharge.
They cheapen the engines because they have to compete with Chinese engines. If the public were willing to pay more for quality they would surely make it. WE are the reason they are so cheaply made. People today only buy the cheapest things and complain that they don't last. Maybe you could get a 3-D printed engine even cheaper? So many people can't even recognize quality construntion these days. A carburettor made out of cheese would be fine for them if it was shiny.
It's also lack of awareness on the customer's part and the emphasis on price that has caused us to get to this point.
The older mowers are built. Way better.
oh yeah
by a long shot haha
It’s kind of funny, i’m sure when those engines were introduced they were considered inferior to the order in cast iron ones.
Yes much better!
I'd take a flat head briggs any day them overhead valve one's are junk
Agreed!
Yeah, just "Check and Add" with multi-viscosity oil. :D If people ran 30 SAE and changed it often, there wouldn't be very many "blow ups." ^_^
yes sir haha new tech in my opinion has just reached a point of no return.. i mean, you take one of those old classic brigs you can't kill them, i have one its been submurged in a flood its hit a huge metal pipe oil in the carb it will phal a spark plug just like that it has a blow head gasket it burns so much oil and has the most blow by in the world and keep going.. so if you ask me brigs & stratton as we know it has gone to trash. it really sadens m,e that it has gone this way but it has. :(
You’ll be lucky if you can get your average home owner it even do that. Most people that run a mower will do the absolute bare minimum to keep it from blowing up.
@@lawnmowerdude i feel like schools should have a lawn mower /vehicle maintenance how to
I know, but some are defective from the factory too, seen many more check and adds blown up over the standard E series engines on new mowers.
@@lawnmowerdude Can't get some adults to wipe their asshole properly, let alone wash their hands. Why would they spend one second on checking the car or mower.
I think a big part of the problem is that you have these Chinese engine manufacturers that can make these clone engines for next to nothing that briggs now has to compete with.
Yes, and dare I say the Chinese companies are gaining ground quickly on Briggs, if they already have not passed them.
Yep, that’s why Tecumseh Products dropped the outdoor power equipment line and only does refrigeration compressors now. They lost their bread and butter accounts to much less expensive Loncin and Powermore, who can compete against Chinese labor rates?
This is what happens when companies try to keep up with Honda but can’t because the price would be too high. OHV is not the problem it’s their plastic carb and cheaper design for briggs that’s killing them. China clones went more with the Honda design than they did with the briggs new design. Briggs I guess saved their great OHV designs for the lawn tractors.
Their rider OHV engines have gone down too, I've had a lot of machines made since 2016 where Briggs engines have not held up either.
The. 675 are good engine. As. Long as the oil is changed.
i have a 6.75 hp brigs and it was sittin over six years i fixed it no starter fluid first pull it fired to life. they used to be good motors
its a real shame they let them go
Yes I've seen many 675s come in and out and they are almost always running great even with black oil.
Can’t beat the flat head mower s
The new plastic carbs stop up very easily
this is why my snapper from Walmart has a honda briggs and Stratton has screwed us over with terrible Briggs engine i would buy the company an force there asses to go back to the old engines
Plastic killed B/S
i think troy-built owns murray? don't take my word on that but i think they might.
MTD owns them all now, Murray, Craftsman, Troy Bilt and the list goes on.
@@EllisMowersandmore oh my bad..
Ellis Mowers Bolens, cub cadet, yard machines...
I'll take the flathead engines anytime
Comparing flat head cc to OHV cc doesn't make sense, OHV makes a lot more power than a flat head.
I believe Briggs and Stratton owns Snapper
I think they do now, or at least some rights to the name.
That is sad that Brigg,s is going down hill it Will come back & them in the long run later mower fix all bro
It is a shame but the Chinese would eat them for lunch if they didn't cut costs which is a shame.
@@EllisMowersandmore yes it is ☹️🙁😕😟