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Briggs vs Honda?

Started by woodrat, June 15, 2022, 02:11:32 PM

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woodrat

I'm from the era when the old, simple Briggs five horse engine was on everything and was basically indestructible. I also had a Briggs 18hp on my first sawmill in 1995, and it seemed pretty solid, too. 

Does Briggs still have that reputation in their new offerings?

Would it be worth spending several hundred dollars more for a Honda engine on a splitter, over a Briggs?

Briggs 208cc 6.5 hp vs Honda 196cc 5.5 hp
1996 Woodmizer LT40HD
Yanmar 3220D and MF 253
Wallenstein FX 65 logging winch
Husky 61, 272XP, 372XP, 346XP, 353
Stihl 036, 046 with Lewis Winch
78 Chevy C30 dump truck, 80 Ford F350 4x4
35 ton firewood splitter
Eastonmade 22-28 splitter and conveyor
and ...lots of other junk...

barbender

I have to admit to a Honda bias. I have had so many problems with Briggs engines over the years that at one point I vowed I would never own another! I may have calmed down a bit on that (I did buy a used Briggs powered splitter after my vow that ran fine). 

 I used to put in hours and hours behind plate compactors on a paving crew. That is some of the most severe duty an engine can experience- hot, dusty, and ridiculous amounts of vibration. Honda was the only engine that could hang. Briggs was never a consideration 🤷‍♂️
Too many irons in the fire

Menagerie-Manor

Grew up the same way on B&S engines and there is no way I would even consider one given the choice of a Honda Engine.

Wish Woodland had the Honda option.
If you come to a fork in the road take it.....

Woodland Mills HM126
Yanmar YM2310D
Stihl 031AV
Stihl MS251

Menagerie-Manor

Quote from: barbender on June 15, 2022, 03:17:33 PM
I have to admit to a Honda bias. I have had so many problems with Briggs engines over the years that at one point I vowed I would never own another! I may have calmed down a bit on that (I did buy a used Briggs powered splitter after my vow that ran fine).

I used to put in hours and hours behind plate compactors on a paving crew. That is some of the most severe duty an engine can experience- hot, dusty, and ridiculous amounts of vibration. Honda was the only engine that could hang. Briggs was never a consideration 🤷‍♂️
My 18 year old 11HP natural gas Honda generator ran for 27 days during hurricane Sandy without missing a beat. That was the B&S nail in the coffin for me.
If you come to a fork in the road take it.....

Woodland Mills HM126
Yanmar YM2310D
Stihl 031AV
Stihl MS251

fluidpowerpro

The first splitter I built in 84 used a 5hp Briggs. I still use that splitter and the engine starts every time in 2 pulls. That splitter has split tons of wood over the years and I can't believe the engine is still going. I haven't had to touch it, honest, still has the original spark plug. I have since built 3 more splitters for other people. They all used Predator engines and the feedback on them has been good.
Change is hard....
Especially when a jar full of it falls off the top shelf and hits your head!

stavebuyer

The commercial Briggs 10hp I had on a EG50 single blade edger was a gem. The lower grade Briggs engines often found on the box store splitters not so much.

That 5.5 Honda has been used and abused on about every severe duty type of contractor's equipment imaginable. It is the gold standard IMO.

The larger Honda twin cylinder engines I am not near as found of.





 

B.C.C. Lapp

Kohler, of course.  ;D   Sorry, had to say it.  I would pay several hundred more for a Honda over a Briggs.  
Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.

SwampDonkey

I can remember the old Briggs'es on all the potato seed bulk trucks and the conveyor to load the planter had one.  Ran them all for over 30 years. I have one on the tiller, been 24 years, starts by the 3 pull, same plug. Not ran that many hours a year, so it's not like it's been used for 1000's of hrs. One on the snow blower, been no trouble either, it's probably 15 years now. Never had a problem on any of them. I have a Honda generator and a portable water pump. Been no trouble either.

Keep in mind my stuff is low hours and not out in the bad weather. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

gspren

Both Briggs and Honda make more than one grade of engine so comparing must be done carefully, don't compare the top line of one with the lower line of the other. I've had and have Briggs, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Kohler, and Subaru small 4 stroke engines and most were good. In the "way back" I had a few other brands like Onan, Wisconsin, etc.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

B.C.C. Lapp

grespen 24 years ago  I had an old "even then" early 70ies garden tractor that had a single cylinder Wisconsin motor on it. I think the plate on the thing said "Gentleman's estate tractor and it was made in MI.   Looked like a real old power king.
That wisconsin motor was huge and heavy.  The spark plug was huge.   But man did it run.
Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.

barbender

Well, Honda only makes the GX commercial grade and then the GC consumer engines. I have one of the GC engines on a push mower, it is abused and has ran flawlessly for 10-12 years. Maybe a Briggs Vanguard would be ok, but they're as much as a comparable Honda so they're not getting the chance. When a manufacturer is willing to let engines leave the facility that don't run right and probably never will, because they are consumer engines, I will avoid you as much as I can.
Too many irons in the fire

Walnut Beast

When talking to the  swing blade guys they all recommended the bigger cc with the EFI. And had better performance than a higher hp with less cc

Spike60

Question is more properly WHICH Briggs and WHICH Honda. The red and white commercial Honda is one of the best engines ever made. The black consumer engines are just average. Have one on a splitter in the shop now. Fair amount of time on it, but it has started sticking the intake valve. Non-replacable head, so it's not something that can be repaired beyond lubing it and crossing your fingers.

Like Fluid posted, I have a 5HP flathead Briggs on my splitter and it runs great. (also starts on 2 pulls!) Of course that engine is long gone and has little to do with current engine options. Problem with Briggs recently is that there are so many engine families that have come and gone it's kind of impossible to say "Briggs" is either good or bad.
Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

petefrom bearswamp

Built my splitter in 1978 with an 8hp Craftsman (briggs) engine.
Base of the engine cracked after about 20 years.
Honda 5.5 hp gx model since, only things replaced are the starter apparatus and one spark plug.
Much more fuel efficient, but Im sure Briggs has improved a lot in the ensuing 40 years.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

barbender

Spike, you're driving home the point I was trying to make. If you're looking at a red and white Honda, you know it is a top quality engine. If you're looking at a Briggs, who knows? 
Too many irons in the fire

beenthere

Had an 8hp Briggs on a new splitter (5 owners so was worked a lot for a splitter) in 1985. Ran great, never a problem other than a muffler rotting out and eventually after 30 years decided to replace it. Bad experience with a Briggs replacement.. likely Chinese with a new version of carb and could not get a replacement due to fuel leak. So running a new Vanguard now (so far so good). Never had an opportunity or need for a Honda. Will read all about them here on FF. 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

sawguy21

As a small engine mechanic for years I got to know the L-head Briggs inside and out. The old cast iron versions were bullet proof, with a little care they ran forever. The later aluminum engines were good for consumer use but were not up to heavy industrial use, that was Wisconsin territory.
Unfortunately the Walmart syndrome has taken over, lowest price rules so the manufacturers have 'dumbed down' to survive. The Intek series are built for this market, they work to a point but require regular maintenance which the majority never see and lifespan is limited. The Vanguard is every bit as good as the Honda GX industrial engine but that quality doesn't come cheap. FYI all their engines except the intek horizontal shaft versions are now built in the good ol' U.S.A. so quality should improve, their reputation really suffered.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Spike60

Quote from: sawguy21 on June 16, 2022, 11:35:36 AM
As a small engine mechanic for years I got to know the L-head Briggs inside and out. The old cast iron versions were bullet proof, with a little care they ran forever. The later aluminum engines were good for consumer use but were not up to heavy industrial use, that was Wisconsin territory.

You sure about that? Those engines had "industrial/commercial" decals on them.  :laugh:
The intek single cylinders get my vote for worst ever Briggs. Head issues very common. Twin cylinder intek isn't that bad, but like you said, good maintenance is a must.  
Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

sawguy21

The I/C engines were a definite improvement with cast iron sleeves and stellite valves but still relatively crude, to be fair most air cooled stationary units of that era were.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

barbender

 A couple nasty Briggs experiences over the years. Had a 14 hp on a riding mower. It liked to dump the gas from the carb into the tank. I rebuilt that stupid carb several times, and had to change the oil about every time I mowed the lawn because it was full of gas. Finally put a shut off valve on it. The starter didn't have enough power to crank that engine, they had some sort of auto decompression valve where the valves apparently had to be set exactly, or it wouldn't crank. Ka-clunk. That was just one Briggs engine. My concern isn't it that it lasts 30 years. If it only has a 2 year lifespan, fine. It should at least function correctly for those 2 years. That is what I hate about them above all else. If I have to adjust valves on the mower when I get done with a 12 hour day, just so my wife can mow the lawn, you'll probably never redeem your  reputation with me🤷‍♂️
Too many irons in the fire

sawguy21

The larger Intek vertical single cylinders were an absolute nightmare for us and the factory. Made in China with no quality control and we couldn't fix the problems without factory support. Other than those I have no problem with Briggs. Trouble is, the only alternatives are made in China Kohler Courage and the OEM branded engines.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Spike60

Thanks, and I need to clarify what I said in the last post. It was exactly those large intek vertical singles I was referring to. The 18-20 HP engines that are used on Lawn tractors are horrible. The small 5.5HP motors that you'd see on a log splitter were fine.

The proliferation of different engines, nearly all from China, has made it hard to be able to service much of the equipment out there. Most of what we call the "Honda knockoffs" such as the Predator engines use parts that are interchangable with each other and even the Hondas they copied. In a general sense, they really aren't that bad. Most consistant weakness we see with these various Chinese engines is rust/corrosion on the inside of metal gas tanks that causes the carb/run issues.

But there are so many oddball things out there, and we simply turn them away. We've always been selective on what we work on to begin with. The idea that we are supposed to work on everything that is sold by the stores that don't work on anything is a concept that I've never embraced. Gets awkward sometimes when you have a customer you'd like to say "yes" to that walks in with something you need to say "no" to. :)

Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

sawguy21

Apparently you are not a Briggs Diamond dealer, they are required to service all Briggs products. They get the best discounts and warranty rates but it comes at a price.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

hedgerow

I only have two Briggs left on the farm both are doing wood processing work. Both V twin horizontal shaft engines running 28 GPM two stage pumps. 16-18 HP I think would have to check.  One is thirty plus years old and the other 25 years old. Should have put hour meters on them years ago. They get a oil change and oil filter and air filter every year. Mobil one 20-50. Both kept inside. I run NKG plugs in them. I keep my gas clean and no corn fuel in them. I have never had a issue with either one. Two old Wisconsin's one on a firewood conveyor and one on a buzz saw. Just change oil in them and use them. Have a lot of HF engines from boom lifts to water pumps and one on a buzz saw. Just change oil in them and they run. A few Honda's 13HP on a compressor a 20HP on a generator its new so we see how it goes a 13 HP on a seed tender. Then two with a fair amount of hours on them have been good. Never had to wrench on them. I am pretty protective of my equipment and I thing that helps keep things running.

petefrom bearswamp

Interesting point on NGK plugs.
Looking on line, some were indicated country of origin, China.
The 2 I just bought for a JD 425 mower are "assembled in Thailand"
I have a Husky mower with a Briggs, says guaranteed to start in 2 pulls.
Has not been started in over a year.
Took 5 pulls and fired right up with old ethanol gas in the tank.
Guess Im just lucky.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

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