BEST LAWN MOWER ENGINES 

I did commercial mowing for years. We would buy new mowers every 2 years. Had all the brands. Briggs and stratton, kawasaki, kohler. Vangaurd even a walker with the diesel engine. None of them ever gave us problems. So i think that it's up to your own personal preference which one to get.

I mow a little over 2 acres. I purchased a new John Deere GT235 in 2004 with an 18 HP Kawasaki 2-cyl air cooled engine. I ran it for at least 12 summers before it needed to go "see the Doctor". All I did was oil and filter changes every year, and one transmission service. Now I have almost 700 hours on her, and she still runs like new.

im not a commercial mower, but my 1986 briggs opposed twin 40 ci flathead splash lube engine is still running as well as the day i bought it.i service it every spring & only needed to remove valves for adjustment once in 36 years.it mows in summer & plows the driveway in winter. id consider that pretty damn reliable.for a price thats unbeatable in todays world.it will probably still be running when im dead from old age.

Regular high quality oil changes, air filter changes and high quality fuel will keep any of the engines lasting a very long time.

I own a Craftsman push mower with a 149cc Kohler engine. We bought this mower 16 years ago, it sits outside year round in the rain and snow and the only thing I have had to fix was the pull string. I change the oil and change the filter yearly. I change the spark plug every 2 years. And sharpen the blade yearly as well. This this has all the power i need. My might seem a little extreme but it has lasted the last 16 years because of that. A little maintenance goes a long way.

My father had property, did massive mowing. Think he just found it relaxing. Gravely was his first, seemed his favorite. For house lawn, a Kubota.

The new 28hp and above Vanguard motors with the oil guard are the best gas motors you can get. A diesel kubota is the best period.

This will def help someone needing to choose a mower power plant

Good job Buddy.. When I went 4 buy one never they explain the prices between Kawasaki and Kohler ..Now I know for you video thank you.

read all the comments and my experience has been great with the two John Deere Mowers I own. Both have a Briggs and Straton engines that come with a crew on oil filter. I am thinking having an oil filter ups the quality on the engine.

That was a great review thanks it really helped.🙏🏻

From my personal experiences with outdoor power equipment over the last 30 years, I've found: 1. Honda Engines: Used GSV and GXV Honda Engines: Reliable, Good on Fuel, Underpowered. 2. Kohler: Used Command Pro: Hard to start, consumed oil, good on fuel, smooth running but weak on power. 3. Briggs and Stratton: Used Intek Engines: It's not regarded highly by many but I've surprisingly had great experiences with them. Reliable, good power, and pretty good on fuel. 4. Kawasaki: My personal favourite. Most powerful of the group, reliable, good on fuel....a little finicky to start in colder weather. 5. Robin Subaru: Had one years ago and it was ok but not on par with the other 4. Parts were also hard to come by. There are good ones and lemons in each group but in the end, it comes down to personal preferences and maintenance.

Sticking with Briggs and Stratton. American made and owned. Solid

Have a 20H.P. Kohler Courage on a Cub cadet Zero turn. Purchased mower in 2009 and engine has been excellent. Lotta tuff grass, but have taken good care of it. Remember, sharp blades, oil changes, non-ethanol fuel. The care you take engine will be future money you can keep in your pocket .

All of my Briggs & Stratton Engines run like hell and delivering a lot of Power. They Cheap and good, so wheres the Problem?

I have to say that I haven’t had any trouble with my Kohler, it’s going on 12 yrs. But my last snapper push mower had B&S which gave me trouble straight out of the box. Never own another one. I went to Honda.

I really like my 4 Kohler twins. The low end Courage engine still runs great on my 2010 Bad Boy....Al Scott

Interesting viewpoint on these engines. Like everything else I suppose, manufacturers have “changed” their product quality. I can’t imagine today’s small engines are built like those many years ago. The old Wisconsin, Briggs etc. My 33 year old Gravely has a Kohler Magnum 12. Single cylinder flathead. A ton of hours over the last 3+ decades and still does not smoke at all. It has to move 1150 lbs of tractor plus my 200+ pound carcass and turn a 50” mower. I’ve never had to run wot to get a good cut like so many of the new garden tractors. I’ll stick with the old outdated stuff… Oh I paid $5,100 for it back in 1989. Best money I ever spent.

Good information

All my lawn equipment has the original Briggs and stratton engines on them I'll start from the oldes... Bolens riding mower vtwin 19 years old....troybuilt push mower 15 years old...my husqvarna riding mower is 8 years old and my cyclone rake is 7 years old and all of them are still running with synthetic oil all their lives 👍🏿👍🏿

I have multiple mowers with Briggs&Stratton Intek V-twin engines. The oldest is 21 years old. The newest one is 6 years old. The Intek V-twin engines are tough, reliable, and are workhorses. They start right up and not a single Intek V-Twin engine has ever failed me. I currently have a total of five mowers. My biggest maintenance issue is blade sharpening, not engines.

I have a Kohlar 7000 series and will love it a very dependable engine.you must take care of your engine.

I’m 68 yo and have been using lawn equipment for more than 55 years and two engines have stood out, Koehler (35 years old in JD 300 series still running like new) and my small mower is a Honda and it has never failed either.

I have had many Briggs engines for the money they do the job only thing about those engines I have had to replace the oil pan seal it starts leaking after awhile the commercial series is a step above it’s a good engine . But for the top Briggs engine is the vanguard. For Koehler the command is a good engine for the money . But my top pick is Kawasaki all I run in both my mowers and I only use Amsoil products in my engines .

I expect this mower will last several seasons with decent care. ru-vid.comUgkx1VWTrayKBdCKAjzAcZ_Eg4dhHTae3LkN also recommend Also, I ran across the problem with it not starting the 2nd time I used it. There is a safety switch which is pushed in by the chute or mulching piece being attached to the deck. I took the cover off and it wouldn't start. Put it back on, no problem. It takes only a minute with 2 easily accessible wingnuts and no tools. This mower starts up first crank each time and it is a joy to use. It also mows in reverse by putting the key to the reverse area after starting and pushing in the triangular button. It will stay in reverse mode until you turn it off. All in all, for my homeowner needs, I really like this mower-and at 70 bucks a cut here in Miami, it's already more than 1/3 paid for itself in a month.

I purchased my Gravely 42 with the Kholer yesterday because no on within 30 miles of me had anything else but a Briggs. Was looking for the Kawasaki

Good, Thx

Have a Cub Cadet RT-z with a Kohler 7000 series engine. It's 7+ years old and still running strong to this day. Kohler engines are tough and durable engines. Mows 4-5 acres a week and I change its oil biannually like car.

The increased use of plastic and chinesium in small engines has changed the game in the last few decades. Built in obsolescence is now a manufacturing standard among all of the brands. These are not your fathers small engines. You can't compare a Kohler of today to one of 20 or 30 years ago. The quality just isn't there and it's not meant to be. The political trends are as much to blame as maximizing profits. Emissions standards are changing for everything that burns gas or diesel and mandates are coming down favoring all electric even in the mower industry . Unfortunately the politics are moving faster than the technology and that typical rider mower that used to cost $1500 or so is now going to cost closer to 5 grand and will be limited by the technology of its batteries. The future is here and it's going to screw everyone.

I am running a mower with a Honda , built in early 1970s . It needs a set of rings now , need I say more

Thanks for the information. Always good information on your channel. 🇺🇸

Thanks for the video, it gave me a better understanding of what I’m looking for. What’s your opinion on the Briggs & Stratton CXI?

Use to work for a ztr manufacture. They loved kawasaki because they paid less for them than a Kohler or Vanguard but could charge more for the mower because people think it is a better engine.

Have a 61 inch great dane chariot lx with a 29hp kohler with EFI. It sips the gas compared to the identical mower I have with the 25hp kawasaki. The Kohler is smooth quiet and powerful and runs flawless and has 3000 hrs on it. I just change the oil and run the hell out of it. I will buy a Bad Boy 61 inch with a big Kohler, No kawi for me. Just my opinion.

I.m happy with Briggs and Stratton had them over 18 yrs and still 1 is 2004 MTD Grarden tractor and 2 is John Deer 1998 model Sabre Garden tractor with Vanguard motor. Both still running and I do the maintaining. So use fu cleaner change oil and filters every years.

We have been a dealer for 15 years. The kubota gas 3 cylinder engine is the best I’ve ever seen on a mower for reliability. I’ve seen 11 out there still running with no issues and over 11 thousand hours. Seen many over 6 thousand, really don’t even see that with the diesels. All the rest of the engines have their lemons and hero’s. I’m a huge vanguard fan, kawa fx and ft are amazing, and the new 27hp efi honda im very excited about on the hd maverick (bought one myself for my personal yard). Love the videos keep them up:).

THANK YOU MAKING VIDEO AND YOUR OPINION LAWN MOWER ENGINES LIKE YOUR HONSET OPINION YOUR AVERAGE HOMEOWNER DONT KNOW YOU DO RESEACH .THANK YOU

I love Honda engines, but I've never seen them offered on a non Honda Mower. ((I've looked) Get a commercial grade Kohler if you get one. I had a Kohler Courage and it eventually blew up like all of them did. When I say "blew up" I mean that literally. Bang, fire, smoke, and oil everywhere.

I have a 22 horsepower 725cc V Twin 7000 series and yes it has cast iron sleeves and it's designed after the Kohler command commercial pro engine..so Tractor Bob where did you get your information from?

Briggs and Stratton commercial vanguard series is what o run on my spartan can't be beaten

Bought the 920 M 23 horse Kawasaki motor wanted to get something that would last for years. Commercial. Mower you can cut grass when it’s wet keep on going

‼️My zero- turn mower has a Kawasaki engine, and it still runs just as great as the day I purchased my mower back in 2011‼️

Right now I have 2 identical scag mowers, one with a efi kawasaki and one with the efi Briggs vanguard. Not only is the vanguard far superior in power and I have to use ear protection with the kawasaki and not required with the Briggs vanguard. I dare anyone to compare the 2. With an unbiased opinion you too will agree there's no comparison.

Just pulled the trigger on an exmark with a kawasaki. Kawasaki is an absolute beast

I think the biggest thing to worry about with an engine is reliability, ease of maintenance, and availability of parts in your area. Otherwise you are splitting hairs.

I have a backpack blower with a Kawasaki motor that is at least15 years old. I have done the spark plug each spring and replaced the gas cap twice... gotta love them. You are right though, the Honda motors sound really cool.

we got a john deer with a kawaski and its 17 years old and runs

Amazing that with the claims of which engine is better, they all are warranted the same length of time ! I will stick with the Kohler for the money, it's been reliable and does the job just fine.

Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ru-vid.comUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.

Every small engine manufacture has produced a less than stellar engine design at some point. Kawasaki and their FD series liquid cooled v-twins for example were nightmares with electrical issues and camshaft problems. A lot of their engines drink oil and leak oil out the governor seals. Also some of big block engine have a tendency to drink oil and bend push rods. Kohler had all kinds of ignition issues with some Command engines hand for a while had head gasket problems. The courage single cylinder was a horrible engine and had problems with plastic camshafts and cracking blocks. Kohler at one time made a v-twin that was OHC and it was a disaster as engines would fail out of nowhere. It was so bad that Kohler offered replacement Command conversion kits for those affected. Briggs Intek single cylinders had crappy Nikki carburetors, had valve lash issues, poorly designed camshafts where the compression release would fail constantly, head gasket problems, and poorly designed pressure lubrication that could cause premature engine failure from oil starvation if used on slopes. Some of Briggs’ low-mid grade push mower engines they make are VERY cheaply made. Honda once made a OHC V-twin that was a failure and had time it belt problems. Honda’s newest GCV200s are already having problems with overheating because they didn’t allow big enough air passages to have air get sucked into the flywheel blower. Pretty much every GX engine has a problem with gas leaking into the crankcase over time. A lot of these engines may not be necessary bad, but there is no such thing as a perfect engine. Some are certainly better than others. I haven’t seen too many problems with the Vanguard engines except for the big block engines with their crappy Nikki carburetors.

Regardless of which one you choose, in the end you keep your fingers crossed that you got a "good one." Biggest starting issue for me is spark plugs, keep lots of fresh plugs on hand and as a back-up a spray can of "Start you bastard" to boost the charge should the need arise.

Cruising in to show some love and support from my channel to your channel. Nice video!

Good video. My preference is Briggs&Stratton or the higher end Vanguard engines. I do agree the Honda engine is great also.

You must have been around a bunch of shitty Briggs.. almost every Briggs I've ran worked flawless. But to each their own

my briggs works great, 17 hp vanguard

I was told that Vanguard made the best commercial engine when I bought my Bad Boy Rebel at your OKC location this summer. It wasn't even mentioned in this video.

MASSIVE difference between mowing commercially & residentially. Generally, any of these, well maintained (that's the key!) will last years of residential service. Japanese engines have long been highly regarded for good reason. But having said that, Briggs & Kohler have never let me down, given regular oil/filter changes...Maybe the better test is which one lasts the longest when neglected! 😂 That's usually the bigger issue.

Been landscaping for years. My experience- Honda makes good everything- they cost more for a reason. I've had good luck with briggs and Stratton. Kohler motors (at least the older ones) eat starters that cost almost 300 bucks to replace.

id take a kawi over a honda everyday of the year.

Over the years with many different makes using a good synthetic oil will give any engine the best chance at a long life.

I agree I've had employees run them out of oil and the only ones that I was able to save was the kawasaki/s Briggs and Honda are now boat anchors And the Kohler was never the same again it ran another two years but used a lot more oil

Ive done small engine repair for over 40 years . the engine ive seen the least through my shop is the Kawasaki . but to be fair not a lot of equipment has that engine . second is the Kolher engine and the third is Honda engines .

Happiest with my Yanmar Diesel.

I have the Yamaha on my gravely it's a beast

Honda has a problem with thier carberatters , mine surges and from what I've seen on the internet it's a common problem. If so why in the hell haven't they solved the problem. I have never seen this problem before with Briggs or Tecumseh or Kohler. I have worked on e few hundred mowers in my life and fixed them all since I'm a pretty good lawn mower mechanic. Mine started surging after about three months, instead of taking it in to get warranty work done on it I set about cleaning the carb myself. The screw in the top of the carb took three men and mules to break it loose, must have been welded in there. The jet in the stem would not budge , so I cleaned it the best I could with carb cleaner. Have to use mechanic in a bottle (good stuff) to get the mower to run half way decent, but still surges some. I can't complain about how the mower cuts because the double blade does a fantastic job. I just think this surging shit should have been a distant memory by now. Come on Honda.

I'm in the market for a riding mower... so a zero turn it seems these days... coming from my 21" walk behind Honda mower I've used for 8 years and I won't lie... haven't been consistent with preventative/ regular maintenance...... it still runs like the day I bought it 8 years ago when I bought my first house. I bought a new house last year and it has a much bigger yard. I thoroughly enjoy lifting weights but hate cardio - so I used the Honda last year to get my 2 hour "cardio" in cutting grass, haha. But.... this lawn is in terrible shape and I can't keep ignoring it. The house was built in 2016 and I am certain the former owner who was in his 80s NEVER rehabbed the yard post- construction of the house as there is about a 10 foot perimeter around the house that looks like shit.... the rest of the yard is no prize either. Around the house I'd say is about 70% weeds, 25% grass, and 5% dirt. The rest of the yard.... about 60% grass and 40% weeds. I need to get a riding mower to take that 2 hours to now down to like -

Hog wash the best engine is call change your oil I been doing commercial mowing for years and only used reg residential mower there only as reliability if do the maintenance on them

I think they all have changed Have a Kawasaki FR651V with less than 85 hrs and leaking oil smoking on start up Maintained professionally

My current Br St V2, 725 cc 25HP has been 100% reliable for the entire time i have owned it, my old 20 HP V2 was 100% reliable for the 7 years i owned it. Difficult to say Honda and Kawasaki are not the most reliable of all

Beware the Kohler Courage single cyl. Very Known for cracking engine block! Look for oil at the base of the engine on right side of tractor or better still avoid it all together.

I had an interesting conversation with a power equipment mechanic once. He works on various makes/models, but the shop is a regional repair center for a major manufacturer. His word on what engines he prefers? He said, "I would have a damn Kawasaki !" He went on to say they were junk, and he had lost count of the warranty work on ones with connecting rods through the block. He went on to say, "I'm no damn fool about Honda, either." His picks for his own use? Number one is Kohler, but he added "Briggs and Stratton are good, too." Since the guys has worked on more small engines in a year than many repair shops see in a lifetime, I tend to trust his opinion.

Vanguard EFI

On these season we have many more talented man's to make deffirents equipments to make pass doing work like this.

Way back in the day when Pluto was a planet Briggs was the best and was for a long time, unfortunately they have just fell off in modern times. Then 20 years ago Kohler was all the rage and all you heard about was how much better Kohler was than B&S, but they too have went downhill in the last several years. Nowadays if you want top quality, reliability, value, and variety for your money it is definitely all about the Kwikasaki! Yes I said Kwik-a-saki, it's more fun to say that way. They have absolutely taken over the small engine world in recent years and from my experience with them they have definitely earned it! They are fine running beast of burden.

Are you sponsored by Kohler? They have to be the worst engines. My commercial zero turn went through three Kohler engines before I sold it.(used exclusively at my residence). Kohler told me the engines had known problems but since it happened 1 month out of warranty they wouldn’t warranty it (this happened exact same way twice). After I installed the third engine I sold it before that one crapped out. It’s only Kawasaki or the Commercial Briggs on anything else I buy

Everyone I’ve known with a Kohler 7000 has had nothing but problems out of them. 2 of them actually ended up with cracked blocks after about 150 hours and that was with good maintenance. Kawasaki for this guy lol

This guy should have done his research before he said anything the KOHLER 7000 series engines are cast iron sleeved

Think about it Briggs parts cheaper then other brands easy to get parts to plus Briggs last forever I never had issues with Briggs

Is it worth the extra $545 for the upgraded Kawasaki engine on a Rebel?

I’m looking at the Bad Boy Maverick HD. Of the 3 engines available the Honda seems to have the least Horse Power. Should that be a factor when making a choice, say over the Kohler Confident if you have a hilly yard?

I've had 4 faris's, 1 had a Kawasaki that one blew a rod right through the block at 450 hours on it,, the other three are Briggs & Stratton ( commercial) with over a thousand hours on them and going strong my experience I will never buy another Kawasaki, sorry.

Next one i get wont be a briggs my 25 horse commercial motor only 200 hrs. got broke a rod

Walker the best

I guess the grasshopper lawn mower must be the best out there because you don't see nobody advertising it... And you do not see people from RU-vid channels using grasshoppers

I have a gift kabota z724 with a frozen briggs and stratton engine. I believe the Kawasaki fx730v vertical shaft engine will work but I can not get any kind of verification. Do you know which kawasaki or Kohler engine will work.

Kohler 7000 engines are cast iron Sleeved these engines are actually commercial grade engines in residential tractors they are designed after the Kohler Command pro commercial Engine this guy should have done his research first before posting this video this video is not valid

Every mower I’ve owned that had a Honda engine started up every time and had power! I can’t say that for Briggs and Stratton engines. If it’s not made in Japan, I don’t want it.

best engines I've ever experienced on any mowers especially zero turns is Kubota Diesels. I worked at a state park here in SC and over the years we had a few different Kubota 2 and 3 cyl diesel powered mowers that would run all day non stop and never break. and really good on fuel.

The commercial mowers use Kohler command pro and Kawasaki.

Had a Kawasaki on a gravely HD blew up after 500 hours

Yrs ago y’all have my Dixie chopper in the shop that Koehler command is one the best a whole lot better then these new kohler

Any reason why B&S didn’t make this list?

My kohler command 25 went from running great to dead very quickly and after only 300 logged hours. It was very well maintained with oil, and filters changed regularly. It took me 8 years to put those hours on, so it's out of warranty and I'm left looking for a way to resurrect a $9000 kubota that would cost me $15000 to replace today. I can tell you I won't buy anything with a kohler motor on it again.

I disagree with you about all those engines I have two grasshoppers that have the 26 hp Briggs & Stratton vanguard’s on them those vanguards have not let me down and they are known to be extremely powerful my dealer told me that they’re the best engines on the market right now

Kohlers engines are not worth a $hit !!!

Don’t buy a kohler 740 efi. Nothing but trouble and my other Kawasaki’s run circles around it. Maybe it’s just the emissions 💩 on the kohler but for a commercial engine I’ll take a Kawasaki all day everyday, seems like once a week I swing by the toro place and get it flashed/looked at because it’s bogging down 😮‍💨

I have never had a Kohler engine failure. I do like the Kawasaki better because it’s a bit more powerful and smoother running. Honda engines I have had were finicky and required more maintenance. I gave up on Briggs engines. Blown head gaskets and casting sand in the oil wiped bearings. No thanks.

Kawasaki is the best in my book! Kohler is Decent if you get the Command. If you get a Kohler, DONT get a Courage, 7000, or Confidant. Those are Junk Some not all have plastic camshafts in them. The starters on the 7000 is horrendeous the literally break. For Briggs id prefer the Vanguard or Sidevalve engines.

I cut a few yards and have two walk behind mowers. One with a Vanguard and one with a Kawasaki. The strange thing about them is the Vanguard is made In Japan and the Kawasaki is made in the USA. That seems ass backwards to me.

You never talked about Briggs? are they junk?