Kohler vs Briggs & Stratton

[Phred]

I agree the Kohler Magnum series are far better than BS.

BS is the cheapest but not the best.

Can not comment on the new Kohlers but I have a walk behind tractor with a mangun 8 that is pushing 20 years and still runs great. I am a second owner and this thing was run hard and put up wet on a regular basis but still runs.
Parts for the older kohler's are a little harder to get, you can't get them at a box store.
But then again I have found that the box stores only stock the parts for the latest stuff they are selling. The 5 year old models and plus are harder to find.
A local lawn and garden shop can get me anything I need for the Kohler as can a number of web based companies.

Fred

 

[RalphVa]

I had a Briggs engine on a Sears lawn mower quit starting well into about its 3rd season. The self-propelled gear box on that mower also locked up. The engine acted as though the valves had recessed like we've heard about in older engines with unleaded gas.

Other Briggs engines have been miles ahead of any of the other lesser makes like Tecumseh or Lausen. The 12 hp Kohler on my Gravely has been good over its last 300 hours after my buying it with 104 hours.

The jury is still out on the Suzuki on my Arctic Cat generator. It should be easier to start than it is.

Ralph

 

[Egon]

B&S builds, or used to, engines of different qualities.

I have a 25 year old B&S powered lawn mower still going. It gets an oil change about three times a year and I run 50:1 oil/gas mixture in due to the change in gasoline. Gasoline sits in it all winter. Runs well and doesn't use any oil.

Egon

 

[yellowsocks93]

We have the old original Kohler motor in our 1975 JD 214 garden tractor. Still runs great and starts within two seconds of cranking even after it has sat for months. I think the quality of these old motors is better than what Briggs and Kohler produce now as cheaper models. The Briggs in our MTD push mower only made it 2 years.

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have no idea of how good either of these engines are presently, but I've nursed my Mom's 12 year old Murray rider along having only to repair the tractor, not the engine. Uses no oil, no smoke, starts quickly every time. The only thing I modified was the addition of a fuel shut off so that I can run all the gas out each time so if it sits it won't shellac the carb. By the same token, my late grandmother's old Snapper walk behind with a Kohler is still running with nothing having ever been done to the engine. It is a 60s model. Personally, I wouldn't do the walk up. I don't think the difference is worth it. John

 

[JJC]

Briggs has always had good products I can not stress that you get what you pay for. I have been a briggs mst since 1998. as far as valve seats comming loose this is almost always caused by overheating, usually a mouse nest under the cooling shrouds. As far as electrical problems. in most cases it's a problem in the equiptment electrical system not the engine. The systems they use for ignition, fuel delivery, and battery charging are basically the same for all manufactures. But all types have different features. plastic parts are not always used for cost savings. they are used because they create less noise. Either way briggs is as good or better than most. Their vanguard line of engines will give a commercial user a full two year warranty that most engine manufactures do not . Personally if their were two tractors on the show room floor one with a briggs and one with a kohler I would go with the briggs. Their quieter, can offer replacement parts easier . In todays newer market they offer a broader selection of engines.

 

[Old_Hickory]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> The Briggs in our MTD push mower only made it 2 years. </font> )</font>

Thats not very common to have one fail that quick.

 

[JJC]

If it failed in less than two years on a push mower then I wonder how steep of an incline it was used on.... It wont get the proper lubrication all make pushmowers have this problem pressure lube or not .

 

[normde2001]

"The Briggs in our MTD push mower only made it 2 years"
What failed in the engine? You can't count a gummed up carb as a failed engine /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

[BIGUN]

B&S lost me on their push mower engines with the 2 pickup tube "constant level" carburetors with the automatic choke. These work great till they quit then from my experience they won't work right even when rebuilt with the rubber pump/choke diaphram.
I liked the old single tube, manual choke version a lot better.
So I decided to go with Tecumseh. Their push button primer doesn't work very well. That 3-4 pumps stated in the manual is usually more like 20+ for mine, and then it always dies once before finally running. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif