Honda vs Other small engines.

Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
3,301
Location
WY
Kind of curious. Not too long ago the Honda engines were touted as the best in small engines. I could personally attest to their ease of starting and build quality. I have had a hate/hate relationship with B&S, cheaply built and not very good in general. I haven't bought any small engined equipment in a decade. I am now in the market for a pressure washer and have come across a myriad of manufacturers. Most now are OHV designs. Should I still hold Honda in a higher regard than the B&S, Kawasaki, Generac,Kohler etc...?
 
Honda GX engines are still solid, not sure on their lower end engines but I haven't heard anything horrible. Kawasaki has been good, their twins have had head gasket issues. Kohler I know nothing about. Robins Suburu are pretty well regarded. The Generac motors I've seen look just like a Honda. B&S are about what you'd expect, they work but I haven't had the best experience with them running for years with minimal maintenance like their old flatheads used to.
 
Honda is probably the best. However, I have a 12 year old pressure washer with a Briggs engine and it has performed flawlessly. I use stabilizer and run it out of gas every fall.
 
Kohler Command = Excellent
Kohler Courage = Chinese garbage

Briggs & Stratton Vanguard = Japanese quality
other Briggs & Generac = Assembled in USA with Chinese parts

Subaru Robin = VERY Excellent, maybe even better than a Honda

Honda GX = GREAT
Honda GC = cheap, built to a "price point"
 
While I don't have much experience with it, I just purchased a new lawn mower with Honda's new gcv200 engine and it runs excellent. Very smooth and easy to start. It seems to run better than a briggs ohv design but that could be just me.
 
My 20 HP twin B&S Intek has been excellent. Hours to date are ~ 200 hours. Neighbor has similar John Deere with the same B&S and he has 465 hours without issues. Not sure where Linctex is getting the information, LINK? Ed
 
Honda pretty much lead the way with OHV and definitely with OHC small air cooled engines, so I'd agree that they were tops for a long time and may still be for commercial use.

To me, where Honda shines is with the overall design of their OPE in general. Their mowers can have some quirks and their little inline 2cyl liquid cooled rider is like a piece of artwork, but they work well.

The actual engine make is just a piece of the puzzle to me. The only ones to date that I still would recommend avoiding is Kohler SINGLE cyl courage series. I don't like the design or how they run/perform. I do like the V-twin courage. That's a decent engine for the price range.
 
Last edited:
Funny you ask. I love Hondas; their engines just seem to run and run.
Having said that, I had a mower with the Honda OHV engine.
Nothing but trouble.
 
Honda GC engines are made in the US.

Honda GX were made in thailand, I think they still do.

I have a Honda HS1132 snowblower with a GX340 engine that is 20 years old and start in 1-2 pulls every time with no measurable oil consumption.

I also have an Husqvarna lawn mower with a GCV160, it runs great but feels cheaply made compared to the GX.

Personally I am a big fan of the honda engines, if you can get one with a GX engine, that engine will last you a lifetime.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
I am now in the market for a pressure washer and have come across a myriad of manufacturers. ...


I own a Honda powered pressure washer. It is very difficult to start, noisy, and a gas hog. The pressure washer is DeVilbiss, I think.

I would not purchase another Honda powered pressure washer.

edit: been a while since I looked at the pressure washer; I believe mine has the same 160 cc OHC engine that was common on lawnmowers at the time I bought the machine, probably fifteen or so years ago.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by dave123
Honda GX engine
CAT pumps
Them the two things ya look for in a pressure washer.

That pretty much sums it up.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted by Danno
Any thoughts on LCT engines?


My Husqvarna snow blower has an LCT engine. Runs great, no complaints. Only 2 winters on it so far though.
 
I have many Chinese engines on OPE, they all work well, but:

4 stroke engines:
I start them and run carb empty literally every month, change oil every year, use TCW3 in fuel, and store them in a dark and we'll ventilated place. Check valve adjustment once in a while. The one that have many years on is a UP160 engine on a 2kw genset. Many hours at >50% load, amazingly reliable, always starts on 2nd pull

2 stroke engines:
I run synthetic oil in fuel, and empty tank after using tool if not planning to use again the next day. Storing them in a dark and ventilated place. Eventually carbs still goes bad from time to time (membranes)
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by sloinker
I am now in the market for a pressure washer and have come across a myriad of manufacturers.


This is my area of expertise.

Always, always, always, when buying a pressure washer, buy a Honda GX200 (NOT Honda GC190) engine (or Chinese clone of GX200) with a triplex pump. Pump brand doesnt matter. And I will tell you why.

Never under any circumstances buy a pressure washer with a Honda GC160 or GC190 engine. This is the worst pressure washer engine in existence. Literally any engine, any engine, would be better. These have plastic camshaft pulleys that snap like clock work at about 50 hours, when used on high demand engines, like pressure washers. I had about 40-50 of these "pressure washer" engines in my junk pile. Too expensive to fix, not worth the effort.

Always, always, always, buy a horizontally mounted pump and not a vertically mounted pump. Just about every vertical mount pump is rated for 50 hours. The horizontal pumps are most often rated for 300 hours, and are easier to service and change the oil on.

First, the GX200 engine is super ridiculously durable. Don't be scared of the Chinese clone engines. They are very durable.

Second, parts are the cheapest for this engine than any other engine in existence. Need a new carburetor? $10 on eBay. Need a new coil? $10 on eBay. Need a need recoil pull start assembly? $10 on eBay. See where I'm going here? The engine is ridiculously durable, but if something breaks, you can fix it, easily, in 5 minutes, with a $10 part.

Now onto the pump. Brand doesn't matter. Why? Because even the cheapest pump will give you years of service. And when it dies, you can buy a Cat or a General name brand pump for about $200 and slap it on. And then you will get another 10-15 years of service out of your pressure washer.

Its not unreasonable to think that a person could get 25-30 years of service out of a Honda GX200 pressure washer and triplex pump, assuming that you keep it maintained and throw new parts on it as they break.
 
I have a Craftsman mower with an OHC Honda engine. Starts on the first pull every time. I've had it for about 15 years and have changed the air filter twice (once because my movers tipped it on its side and a lot of the engine oil ran out through the air cleaner), change the oil every year or two, and have never changed the spark plug. I use regular gas (probably has 10% ethanol) but I run the carburettor dry for the "winter" season - which is only about 6 weeks around here. I use up any left over gasoline in my trusty Honda Accord and start the "spring" season off with fresh gas. I say "spring" season because my first mow of the year is before the end of January.

I think I'll get a self propelled Honda mower with a GX engine. That should see me through (I'm 70 now and it should last 25 years - don't know if I will). I'll keep the Craftsman - I need a mower at the top of my back yard hill and it's too hard to keep dragging it up and down. I think I'll make a hutch out of a plastic bin to keep the weather off it. Though I might put it in the garage for our 6 week rainy "winter".
 
I don't think many have experience with the Subaru/Robin engines but I have had 3. One 2 stroke on a Makita weedeater that is over 20 years old and has been extensively abused. Found out 10 years after buying it it was supposed to have an air filter and went that long without it. I was going to retire it and try a Greenworks battery model their best one and was severely disappointed. Makita weedeater back out of retirement and still running strong. Next one is a commercial Snapper self propelled mower. Very heavy duty and heavy. It will literally drag me with both rear wheels spinning and digging. It will cut through knee deep grass as fast as you want it too and won't bog down. It has it's own oil filter and 3 stage air filter. It pulls first start every year no matter how I stored it. Last a few years ago I bought a pressure washer at Costco with a Subaru engine. The engine sold me and starts first pull every year. I will now seek Subaru/ Robin engines whenever I can but they do normally command a premium price but I believe they are worth it. Would like to find a riding mower with one on it but don't know anyone who uses them. It must have a heavy duty transmission to climb my hill and not overheat though as well.
 
Back
Top