Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Mainly for the lawnmower segment -- I flip through the ads for Sears & the borgs, and almost all the mowers use side-valve engines again.  I thought the trend was toward the OHV like the Briggs Intek for the 5 to 7 h.p. range.

When the Tecumseh died on my aging Sears self-propelled unit, I bought a 'bulk' Briggs Intek brand new for $115 at a shop near O'Hare airport in Chicago.  That engine has performed so well that I can't see ever putting up with less.  It's just absolutely trouble-free, powerful and quiet.  The only small gas engine I've ever owned that was this good is the GX Honda in my HS621 snowthrower.

So why all these cheap side-valve engines now?

My guess is taken from your description  "... cheap ...".

Yes they are cheap in the sense of not well made but they are also cheap as in doesn't cost much. Since most consumers tend to buy based on price the manufacturers tend to lower the quality to make the price point/profit margin.

It takes a lot of self education to be able to make informed decisions about all products every where. The Internet and forums like this help a lot but only for people who have access and have the interest to take the time.