Comparison Brigs or kawi?

[jay stortini]

It just so happens I drive a Toyota car with very few repairs, its a well made car. This has nothing to do with Kawasaki. Japan has some very well made products out there. I just don't think Kawasaki is one of them.

Nice what Toyota do you drive? I won't ever drive anything else love Toyota if Toyota made mower engines it would be a no brainer for me

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[Mad Mackie]

As there aren't many commercial operators on LMF, the down side of Kawasaki isn't mentioned much. On other forums with more commercial operators posting, you will find that Kawasaki engines have their problems just as do other manufacturers. Kawasaki FX engines are top in their line and they do cost more both on a new machine or as a separate engine than others, my Hustler X-ONE has an FX730V engine, nice engine with 200 hours . My Scag Tiger Cub was repowered last March with a B&S 30 HP Professional Turf Series engine, also a nice engine with 110 hours. Endurance, fuel consumption, and other considerations have mostly to do with the machine, where it is used, who operates it and maintenance. My generator is a 1994 with a B&S 8 HP engine and has approx. 550 hours on it at 3,600 RPM, no idling!!!
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

 

[reynoldston]

Nice what Toyota do you drive? I won't ever drive anything else love Toyota if Toyota made mower engines it would be a no brainer for me

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I drive a Camry. I also tow my trailer with it which I pick up my repairs with. I have 70,000 miles on it and so far the only repairs is oil changes and tires. The brakes even look good yet. Through my working years I was a Chevrolet mechanic for 25 years and now drive a Toyota. Now my motorcycle I ride a oil leaking Harley Davidson not a plastic non-oil leaking Japanese bike. I hate to say this but the US manufactures better get there act together so we can say a American car is the best car made not a Toyota. When I was young if it said made in Japan it was junk. Boy has time change things. Do they not know that China is knocking on out door.

 

[Carscw]

Ok let's ask the Q.. Why is kawi the best engine on the market? Is it power ( no bogging)? Blade tip speed? Reliability ? Endurance? Fuel consumption? What makes kawi the best? Sent from my iPhone using LMF

The brand of engine on a mower really does not have a lot to do with blade tip speed.
I like briggs it recovers faster when it Boggs down.
You can run a briggs at a higher rpm then the kaw.
IMO they require less maintenance I have a few with over 1500 hours with only oil, filters and plug changed. Running gas with ethanol with none of the crap to fight the ethanol.

 

[jay stortini]

The brand of engine on a mower really does not have a lot to do with blade tip speed. I like briggs it recovers faster when it Boggs down. You can run a briggs at a higher rpm then the kaw. IMO they require less maintenance I have a few with over 1500 hours with only oil, filters and plug changed. Running gas with ethanol with none of the crap to fight the ethanol.

Ok got me thinking again :/

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[Mad Mackie]

Briggs new that they had a problem with some Intek/ELS twins and they have redesigned with the Professional/Commercial Turf Series engines which is a good thing for them. As these engines are fairly new, Briggs has yet to come out with lower HP versions and so far have produced the 440000 and 490000 series which is higher HP. The 49M977 which is 30 HP and what I have on my Scag Tiger Cub has so far been a much better performing engine than the 26 HP ELS engine that was original to my Tiger Cub and I very much like the additional HP as I use a collection system about 90% of the time. The problem with the collection system is the great increase in dust with the bags hanging close to the air filter intake on the ELS engine. The Commercial Turf Series Briggs has a different air filtration system which is much more effective particularly around a collection system.
The FX Kawasaki engines have the HD two stage air filtration system which is a good system and is what is installed on my Hustler X-ONE which is a rear discharge machine with no collection system.
With this all having been said, it really comes to what you decide and you are comfortable with.
As for trucks, I was in the marine transport business and my last diesel Ford F350 had over 700,000 miles on it when I sold it and it had towed coast to coast many times with lots of weight behind it!!! My Peterbilt with a 425 Cat went 1,200,000 miles before its first out of frame engine overhaul was done, but I have digressed!!!!:laughing:
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

 

[Carscw]

Have to love a old cat engine. This one was on a sand dredge for 23 years. Run this engine wide open. Been under water about 10 times

 

[Ric]

Ok let's ask the Q.. Why is kawi the best engine on the market? Is it power ( no bogging)? Blade tip speed? Reliability ? Endurance? Fuel consumption? What makes kawi the best?

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It basically comes down to what you asked on all counts, Blade tip speed, Reliability , Endurance and Fuel consumption. I run two Kawasaki engines at the present time the FJ 180 KAI, and the FS 541V 15hp. I also have a Honda 190cc and a Briggs 175cc along with a Kohler 22 hp Courage. I can tell you that the FJ 180 kai will out preform the Honda and Briggs hands down on all counts and the FS 541 will do the same to the 22 Kohler. As people know here you wouldn't find a bigger fan of a Kohler motor/engine than myself but anything I buy will have a Kawasaki nothing else. Imo Honda and Briggs either one has never made it in the commercial market with any of there engines, Kohler and Kawasaki have, there proven.

 

[reynoldston]

Have to love a old cat engine. This one was on a sand dredge for 23 years. Run this engine wide open. Been under water about 10 times
View attachment 19452

One of my many mechanic jobs I worked on a fleet of Pepsi delivery trucks that had the 3208 Cats in them. As I recall they had there share of many problems like head gaskets and injector pumps. I also worked on a fleet of Ford trucks that had the 92 series Detroit engines in them which I thought was a lot more and better engine. Oh you say you can't compare the two engines. If you are into big trucks you know what I am saying here. That is why its hard to compare mower engines. When it comes to engine brands its like oil no one agrees.

 

[pugaltitude]

It basically comes down to what you asked on all counts, Blade tip speed, Reliability , Endurance and Fuel consumption. I run two Kawasaki engines at the present time the FJ 180 KAI, and the FS 541V 15hp. I also have a Honda 190cc and a Briggs 175cc along with a Kohler 22 hp Courage. I can tell you that the FJ 180 kai will out preform the Honda and Briggs hands down on all counts and the FS 541 will do the same to the 22 Kohler. As people know here you wouldn't find a bigger fan of a Kohler motor/engine than myself but anything I buy will have a Kawasaki nothing else. Imo Honda and Briggs either one has never made it in the commercial market with any of there engines, Kohler and Kawasaki have, there proven.

And look at my sig.
Enough said!!