Mower buyers, take heed !!!

[JDgreen]

Was at the local Menards about an hour ago, picked up a brochure about their lawn care equipment. It states neither horsepower nor torque of the push mower engines, only cc's displacment for gas powered engines, either 139cc or 173cc, and , for the two BRUTE brand mowers, only "premium Briggs and Stratton" no displacement given. The sale flyer that arrived in yesterdays paper from Home Depot has 3 push mowers pictured and described, still no horsepower or torque given. The Sears sale insert, at least, describes one model as 158cc, 5.5 foot pounds gross torque. To those buying a new push mower I advise getting at least 158cc and 5.5 foot ponds torque, the smaller 139cc engines will work pretty hard and a small engine working hard will use as much fuel as a bigger engine running comfortably. All my pushers are at least 173cc and I am very happy with their performance.

Just my biased opinion, once again.

 

[173abn]

Yes JD,it's kinda hard to figure out this "new"way of rating mowers.good info to know russ

 

[Slater]

Great advice! I know its only going to get more confusing with hp and all that as these engine emission regulations begin to get enforced and implemented. :confused2:

 

[indypower]

I found this chart. It is an approximate. Bear in mind that carburation and muffler plays a HUGE role in horsepower. This chart was compiled mainly for push mowers, snowblowers,tillers.

123 cc = 4 hp
179 cc = 5 hp
208 cc = 8 to 9 Gross Torque = 5.5 to 6 hp
277 cc = 11 to 11.5 Gross Torque = 7 to 8 hp
291cc = 9hp
305 cc = 13.5 to 14.5 Gross Torque = 9 to 10 hp
342 cc = 15.5 to 16.5 Gross Torque = 11 to 12 hp
357 cc = 13 hp
420 cc = 13-15 hp

 

[JDgreen]

I found this chart. It is an approximate. Bear in mind that carburation and muffler plays a HUGE role in horsepower. This chart was compiled mainly for push mowers, snowblowers,tillers.

123 cc = 4 hp
179 cc = 5 hp
208 cc = 8 to 9 Gross Torque = 5.5 to 6 hp
277 cc = 11 to 11.5 Gross Torque = 7 to 8 hp
291cc = 9hp
305 cc = 13.5 to 14.5 Gross Torque = 9 to 10 hp
342 cc = 15.5 to 16.5 Gross Torque = 11 to 12 hp
357 cc = 13 hp
420 cc = 13-15 hp

THANK YOU....very useful information...:thumbsup:

 

[jd335]

jd i don't know if this has anything to do with it or not but a couple years ago there was a major lawsuit filed because the engine manufacture rated the engine hp larger than it really was i know i got a letter about it but i don't remember what all it said now maby they think if they say cc's instead of hp we won't compare.:confused2:

 

[JDgreen]

jd i don't know if this has anything to do with it or not but a couple years ago there was a major lawsuit filed because the engine manufacture rated the engine hp larger than it really was i know i got a letter about it but i don't remember what all it said now maby they think if they say cc's instead of hp we won't compare.:confused2:

Yeah...I gpt a letter too "Lawnmower Class Action" the lawyers who started it are the only ones who came out ahead.

 

[jd335]

well that is all ways the case isn't it

 

[KennyV]

Hey if the attorneys were not litigating ... they might try mowing.
And then our fun activity could become over run by incompetent beginners, lets leave them indoors and us outdoors... :smile:KennyV

 

[Grass ala Mowed]

A little off topic, but many places advertise electric tools as peak horsepower. That is a measure of the maximum toque an electric motor can develop right before it stalls (quits turning) and burns up. Obviously, you can't run a tool like this all day. I suspect a lot of the mowers were rated the same way, they could make the numbers, but at the expense of excessive fuel comsumption, excessive pollution or shortened engine life. Torque is somewhat meaningless, it is a measure of force, not power. I regularly develop 115 ft-lbs of torque when I tighten the lug nuts on my truck, but I don't think I can mow much grass with a torque wrench. Finally, as one of the racing greats (whose name I forget) said, there is no replacement for displacement. So this is good advice, the smallest motor I've got is a Honda 160 cc on my power washer. My new Toro has a Kohler XT-7, which the Kohler website says is 173 cc and 4.8 horsepower. I'll see how it goes when the grass really takes off.