Briggs Twin - Fuel Consumption Rate

[TWG1572]

I'm curious what a typical burn rate for a 18hp opposed twin Briggs might be? It's in a lawn tractor with a 38" deck, gear drive.

It seems like it's gone up this spring, and I know I haven't put on that much weight over the winter...

It's running about a gallon per hour, I'd swear it was less than that last year. I'm cutting about an inch off the grass, so it's not heavy bogging conditions by any means.

I did rebuild the carb last winter, don't know if that is a factor or not..

I know these drink fuel compared to OHV, but I'm just curious what is reasonable.

 

[JosephHarmon]

I would think thats about right. Was the grass longer than usual?

I let the grass grow out long in the spring before the first cut and I ran out of gas knowing I had more than enough to mow the entire lawn.

 

[JTK]

The old flat-head horizontally opposed twins are gas guzzlers. If you're getting a gal/hr or gal/acre of mowing, you're doing really well.

That's about the 'burn rate' for a V-twin OHV, which tend to do much better fuel consumption wise.

Joel

 

[TWG1572]

I would say the grass is "juicier" than normal... I bought the place last summer so a lot of my frame of reference is late summer/fall. That in itself will make a difference. The engine is probably working consistantly harder, since there aren't summer dead patches yet.

I'm around 1 1/3 gallons per hour. Not really scientific, I just know I pour 2 gallons in each week after mowing and the tank is full and sometimes there is a little left.

I'm definitly not getting a gallon per acre though. I just had to look, and at 80% efficiency I should be able to mow 1.6 acres per hour. Evidently I need to work on getting more efficient.

I know I overlap too much.

 

[SteveSRT8]

New 26 hp briggs platinum here. Burns about 3/4 gallon per hour on average.

 

[NHGUY]

Remember,when those engines came out(1977?),there was no such thing as gasohol.The addition of it has just gotta kill "mileage".

 

[Rob_Roy]

It is no surprise that fuel consumption will vary with load. If the grass is taller, thicker, etc...you will burn more fuel. At 1 gallon per hour I think you are doing fine with that setup. I burn about 2 gallons per hour with a 31hp twin and a 72" deck.

 

[rainman49]

My 26hp Briggs is burning gas at the same rate as SteveSRT8's. I can get three cuttings out of a 6-gallon tank on my 2.5 acres with a little left in the tank.

 

[TWG1572]

Thanks guys... More idle curiosity than anything, but it's nice to know I'm in the range of reasonable.

My grandpa bought this tractor new in 1983, and it was the first thing I drove. Used to love going to grandpas and driving it around with a cart on the back. No hour meter, but easily has 1,500 hours on it. It will probably get retired to a corner of my garage at some point in the next 10 years, and I will move on to a larger garden tractor (Deere 318/420?), or maybe a zero turn.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: rainman49
My 26hp Briggs is burning gas at the same rate as SteveSRT8's. I can get three cuttings out of a 6-gallon tank on my 2.5 acres with a little left in the tank.


Kind of amazing, isn't it? The last thing I expected was fuel economy.