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I was at Tractor Supply today. I was in the mower parts area and looking their spark plugs. They had an extensive selection of Stens card pack plugs. I checked the replacement part for the Champion RC12YC plug. The plug is made in China. Has Stens started repacking Torch brand spark plugs.

MParr said:

I was at Tractor Supply today. I was in the mower parts area and looking their spark plugs. They had an extensive selection of Stens card pack plugs. I checked the replacement part for the Champion RC12YC plug. The plug is made in China. Has Stens started repacking Torch brand spark plugs.

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I usually try to use NGK or Champion. I think it's because I know they're good plugs. Plus I can remember their numbers. I've gotten a lot of those Torch and other off brand plugs (when they come with a carburetor) but never use them. It's just too much trouble trying to make the numbers.

Wait, did you say TSC was selling Stens products?

PTmowerMech said:

I usually try to use NGK or Champion. I think it's because I know they're good plugs. Plus I can remember their numbers. I've gotten a lot of those Torch and other off brand plugs (when they come with a carburetor) but never use them. It's just too much trouble trying to make the numbers.

Wait, did you say TSC was selling Stens products?

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Yes, Tractor Supply is selling Stens products.
I’m not sure if they are Torch or some other brand that happens to be made in China. The card packs are printed Made in China and only a Stens part number is on the plugs.

MParr said:

Yes, Tractor Supply is selling Stens products.
I’m not sure if they are Torch or some other brand that happens to be made in China. The card packs are printed Made in China and only a Stens part number is on the plugs.

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I emailed customer service at Stens. I got a canned answer to check with Tractor Supply. That is about as lame of an answer that I’ve ever read or heard.

There are some NGK plugs coming from china as well. I avoid those.

Not sure who's making them, but if Stens will put their name on it, I Trust it.

I recently ordered a Rotary maintenance kit for my Toro. It comes with everything including spark plugs. I know the engine specs Champion RC12YC but I am going to try whatever comes with the kit. I will clean and save the old Champions in case there is an issue.

The Rotary Maintenance Kit for my Kohler equipped Gravely lists two NGK BKR5E spark plugs.
It’s a good idea to clean, re-gap, and save the old set of plugs.

Just use NGK-2460 to replace both the Champion RC12YC and the NGK-BKR5E. The only differences between the BKR5E and the BKR5ES is that the BKR5ES has a copper core and it cost $0.09 more. Much easier to stock one plug instead three different ones.

Scrubcadet10 said:

Not sure who's making them, but if Stens will put their name on it, I Trust it.

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Right.

Not everything from China is bad.

StarTech said:

Just use NGK-2460 to replace both the Champion RC12YC and the NGK-BKR5E. The only differences between the BKR5E and the BKR5ES is that the BKR5ES has a copper core and it cost $0.09 more. Much easier to stock one plug instead three different ones.

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A conversion chart is so helpful. I have a one saved on my puter.

MParr said:

View attachment 66116

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It certainly didn’t have Champion printed on the plug or the Champion part number, just the Stens part number.

Try to get an rc12yc or equivalent from stens right now. Had a shop pack backordered most of the year.

Hammermechanicman said:

Try to get an rc12yc or equivalent from stens right now. Had a shop pack backordered most of the year.

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I’m going to pick up some XC12YC from my local NAPA Auto Parts.

I

StarTech said:

Just use NGK-2460 to replace both the Champion RC12YC and the NGK-BKR5E. The only differences between the BKR5E and the BKR5ES is that the BKR5ES has a copper core and it cost $0.09 more. Much easier to stock one plug instead three different ones.

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I need to consolidate my plugs like that.
I keep BPR6ES for Honda's.
BPR4ES for the occasionally Kawasaki mule 600 or 610 that comes in fouling the plug put.
RC12YC will cover most briggs, and j19lm.

Stens get their filters from Champion
IF the plug has a Champion plug number on it then it has to be either a Champion plug or made by an authorised Champion sub contractor
Considering the tiny margin on spark plugs I would imagine that Champion has a factory in China
Down here people just did not trust the Torch branded plugs

bertsmobile1 said:

Stens get their filters from Champion
IF the plug has a Champion plug number on it then it has to be either a Champion plug or made by an authorised Champion sub contractor
Considering the tiny margin on spark plugs I would imagine that Champion has a factory in China
Down here people just did not trust the Torch branded plugs

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There were not any Chanpion part numbers on the spark plugs, just a Stens part number. The picture sent in the Stens email doesn’t look like the actual plug in the packaging. I suppose whoever produced the plugs, runs batches through for special part number markings. Much like oil filter makers run Kohler, Briggs, Kawasaki, Stens, Rotary, Motorcraft, AC Delco, and so forth through for special paint colors and labels.

Scrubcadet10 said:

I

I need to consolidate my plugs like that.
I keep BPR6ES for Honda's.
BPR4ES for the occasionally Kawasaki mule 600 or 610 that comes in fouling the plug put.
RC12YC will cover most briggs, and j19lm.

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RC12YC covers a lot of Kohler engines too.

Bought 3 Champions from TSC. They all failed within a couple of hours. Never again.

mcostello said:

Bought 3 Champions from TSC. They all failed within a couple of hours. Never again.

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Must be bad luck. I install over a hundred champ plugs a year and haven't had one fail yet.

mcostello said:

Bought 3 Champions from TSC. They all failed within a couple of hours. Never again.

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It was not the plug it was the fuel

MParr said:

It certainly didn’t have Champion printed on the plug or the Champion part number, just the Stens part number.

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so not like the photo with RC12YC printed on the plug
just 130-118 printed on the plug .

bertsmobile1 said:

so not like the photo with RC12YC printed on the plug
just 130-118 printed on the plug .

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Yep, just 130-118 and two black painted lines around two of the ribs.

:

mcostello said:

Bought 3 Champions from TSC. They all failed within a couple of hours. Never again.

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I'm still running the OE Champion in my vintage 22" MTD Briggs Flathead pusher, I bought new in 2006..
It does get a yearly cleaning & gap check.. And I have new spares. But why mess with a good thing.

I’ve never had any problems with Champion or NGK plugs.

PTmowerMech said:

Right.

Not everything from China is bad.

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In fact, many things from China these days product wise, are good. The quality and consistency has increased substantially from 20-30 years ago.

Tiger Small Engine said:

In fact, many things from China these days product wise, are good. The quality and consistency has increased substantially from 20-30 years ago.

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I try to avoid it.

If it was the fuel why is the replacement still running after more than 5 years or so? Same can of gas used. (not for 5 years.)

Tiger Small Engine said:

In fact, many things from China these days product wise, are good. The quality and consistency has increased substantially from 20-30 years ago.

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Actually the quality of stuff made in China has always been good
However they make the quality that the various USA, UK, EEU, AUST etc companies ask for & pay for.
IT is not the Chinese making junk because they can not make anything better it is YOUR companies asking them to "Make me 1.000,000,000 that look exactly like this at the lowest possible price
China has more satelites in orbit than any other country and by the end of the decade, more than the rest of the world combined
They sent up a rocket every week but unless it blows up it never gets reported so the good citizen of the West feel smug about our technical superiority .
IT is the Western companies chasing massive profits that brings so much Chinese junk into the country coupled with others who buy rejects as scrap knowing that people in the West will buy them if they are cheap because we in the West are stupid and too cheap for our own good .

7394 said:

I'm still running the OE Champion in my vintage 22" MTD Briggs Flathead pusher, I bought new in 2006..
It does get a yearly cleaning & gap check.. And I have new spares. But why mess with a good thing.

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Words of wisdom, sir.

MParr said:

The Rotary Maintenance Kit for my Kohler equipped Gravely lists two NGK BKR5E spark plugs.
It’s a good idea to clean, re-gap, and save the old set of plugs.

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I got the kit today and it came with the BKR5Es and a slightly smaller oil filter compared to the OEM. Have you had any issues running BKR5Es in your Kohler?

shurguywutt said:

I got the kit today and it came with the BKR5Es and a slightly smaller oil filter compared to the OEM. Have you had any issues running BKR5Es in your Kohler?

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No. The ones I get are labeled NGK CS6. These are the shop pack version of the NGK BKR5E. The OEM plugs for my Kohler are XC12YC (982). Champion RC12YC (71), Champion QC12YC (71 Eco), Autolite 3924, and NGK BKR5E are acceptable replacements.