Chinese small gas engines?

K-2

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Apr 3, 2011
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Anyone have good luck with cheap small gas air cooled engines? What brand?
Or should I just bite the bullet and buy a Honda ? 10 HP roto tiller horizontal shaft.
 

robert graham

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If it's for an implement that you're going to use often and for a long time, probably best to pay the extra $$$ for the Honda motor. I'd save the cheap Chinese motor for a seldom used or non- essential application. Those motors at Harbor Freight may be Chinese???....
 

bigdee

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It may have been the luck of the draw but I have a HF 6.5 motor and it has been the best air cooled engine I have ever owned!
 

mla2ofus

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I installed one on my Troybilt tiller about 6 yrs ago and it has been a good one. I call them a "chonda" because they're basically a chinese copy of a honda. Like most everything, you get what you pay for.
Mike
 

rogerwa

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I have had one of the $99 harbor freight 6.5hp engines on my sons minibike for several years. Never had any issues with it. It gets virtually no maintenance or care and it always starts and runs well. The only issue I have had is that it has a crappy fuel tank cap.

I think that many of the small engine stuff you buy today is chinese variants of this same engine. I have a name brand power washer with this same knock off type engine and I am pretty certain my craftsman snowblower engine is a knock off as well.

One way to look at is that you could probably buy a couple of the chinese knock offs for the price of one Honda. But as said before if you are making money off the equipment, its better to eliminate the small issues you would have by buying the real thing..
 

tpenfield

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The Harbor Freight Predator series (212CC, 301CC, etc), as mentioned above, seem to be the popular ones.

I have the 212cc (6.5 HP) (Hemi version) on my Toro 521 Snow Blower. Basically plug 'n play replacement of the Tecumseh 5 HP that was original.
 

Scott Danforth

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Anyone have good luck with cheap small gas air cooled engines? What brand?
Or should I just bite the bullet and buy a Honda ? 10 HP roto tiller horizontal shaft.

the only chinese engine that I have had any luck with professionally was LCT (Liquid Combustion Technology) they run great, the quality is good, and parts are available. the quality is better than Briggs
 

SeaDooSam

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The Harbor Freight Predator series (212CC, 301CC, etc), as mentioned above, seem to be the popular ones.

I have the 212cc (6.5 HP) (Hemi version) on my Toro 521 Snow Blower. Basically plug 'n play replacement of the Tecumseh 5 HP that was original.

+1. I have heard only good things about predator engines. They are inexpensive too :)
 

mla2ofus

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I too have the LCT engine on my Poulan snow blower. Going into it's 4 winter and has performed well. It was hard to start from day one w/ either electric or hand crank. I checked out the primer bulb and found the chinese rubber hose was more cracks than hose. Replaced it and it has started easy ever since.
Mike
 

gm280

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Interesting read. Seem you can get good ones and bad ones from any manufacture. Even name brands can be so so. So it is a hit and miss buying most any of them. But if you are a little mechanically inclined, I'd go for the cheapo and see how it works out. If it screws up, then repair it or buy the better name brand. But you could save some money and get a good one like so many have attested too in the above comments. JMHO
 

David Young

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I have a Huskee lawnmower it 'think' it has a Chinese motor. I've had it for 5 years and has been 'perfect'. I told my Mom to buy one 3 years ago and hers has been 'perfect' too. The motor has a lot of torque for its size. I also have a power washer with a Chinese gas motor that seems to be good but I have only ran it for around 7 hours of washing :)
 

bigdee

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Not much choice these days. Either Japanese Honda (with some Chinese parts) or Chinese. No USA manufacturing. Sad......
 
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