Petrol chipper engine longevity- how many hours have you clocked up?

[Muddy42]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

Briggs have been rubbish for decades. Trading on the name, along with Black and Decker etc.

 

Just because your grandad says they were good doesn't mean they're worth a wank now.

Agreed.  I have a 14 hp briggs vanguard engine from the 1980s that is still going strong, but Ive got rid of newer ones that were not so good.  I have three honda engines on various machines (14-21hp carb and injected) and they have been faultless.

[markieg31]

1 hour ago, GA Groundcare said:

 

What chipper did you enquire about?

6 inch tracked machine

[paddyvero]

Mine is up to 700hrs now, nothing at all wrong touch wood. 230vtr. 

 

None of the chippers are that old yet, so we arent going to be seeing huge hours yet. 

 

Agree with Mick, throwing another motor in isnt a huge deal, and base machine is cheaper, and the 25hp diesel just isnt powerful enough.

 

Obviously if the 35hp diesel was still available new there would be no contest. 

[PeteB]

Seem to recall that there some 3k hours units still working on gennys etc stateside but these are running longer hours per session and are serviced by the book etc. Chippers are started, worked hard from then and switched off and likely to have sketchy servicing.  The thing is supposed to be plugged in to laptop every time and tappet lash checked every time too!

[markieg31]

Yes presumably chippers get a lot of heavy sudden loads on top of the conditions stated above, I would assume generators are generally running at set revs and it is all a bit more gentle. 

[maybelateron]

13 hours ago, paddyvero said:

Obviously if the 35hp diesel was still available new there would be no contest. 

Makes me wonder if there will be a role for rebuliding/reconditioning the older chippers.

[Ty Korrigan]

9 hours ago, PeteB said:

Seem to recall that there some 3k hours units still working on gennys etc stateside but these are running longer hours per session and are serviced by the book etc. Chippers are started, worked hard from then and switched off and likely to have sketchy servicing.  The thing is supposed to be plugged in to laptop every time and tappet lash checked every time too!

Why do the tappets need checking so often and why does the engine require plugging in so often when others don't?

 

I just don't get it, the Efi Briggs approved dealer network is incredibly thin on the ground and the two I used were utterly incompetent.   

 

How can Briggs sell a product that has such a limited dealer back up?

 

Only Stellantis and Ford have a worse reputation for shonky engines.

 

 

 

 

   

 

Edited December 19, 2024 by Ty Korrigan

[green heart]

No worthwhile experience of more modern B+S chipper engines, but I do still sometimes grab to our little 1999 vintage 18hp Kohler engined Cramer 4'' chipper, for those awkward/narrow back garden type of jobs.

Reckon it must have 4000 hours now.. plugs, filters, silencer, one ignition unit and nothing else, in all that time .

Still runs like a good un !

 

[PeteB]

The Vanguard engines need a plug in to see if there is a better tuning package released - and update, checking valve lash used to be done as a service item on many engines, especially performance units!

[difflock]

I bought a pressure washer re-engined with a Loncin honda clone, absolutely faultless, easy started and easy on fuel too. No wile hours on it yet, but I suspect that will not be likely to be an issue.