I have only had a few "newer" Briggs engines. One is a late 80s rider that didn't get a lot of use, less than 100 hours, and it has an oil problem. If you bog the motor down it'll suck up oil and burn it like a fog machine. It's done it for the last decade. It's on a sub $1000 Sears Craftsman. The second is on a slightly newer and pretty well used garden tractor that has a v-twin Briggs. It smokes a little and burns oil. But when it was given to me I found out that it doesn't have an air filter. Don't know when it was removed or why it never got reinstalled but it could be smoking from sucking dust, can't blame Briggs for that. The last is a 10 year old walk behind DR string trimmer with a Briggs Intek engine. The float in the carb seals against a rubber washer. When we were forced to Ethanol gas it ate the washer and the engine would flood itself out. I had to make my own seal as a couple of years later the replacement carb had the same problem.
Since then I have bought Honda engines. I think if I had the choice I would buy Kawasaki. As a kid I had lots of toys with the older Briggs engines and they ran great. The occasional adjusting of the points and that's it. Go carts, mini bikes, lawn mowers, you name it, I had it and they all just worked. Now I'm not so sure. I had the option when I bought my Troy built rider and got the Kohler courage engine over the briggs. It will not start unless you fully choke it no matter how hot it is but it starts every time. Of course it's 5 years old with well under 50 hours.