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

Hi guys,

Called Briggs with the spec # on the Simplicity I am looking at . The guy was very nice!! Called me back and spent a lot of time  but couldn't find the exact # I gave him. He said he was 90% sure the spec# I gave him  is an aluminum bore engine. What he was able to give me was the Phone # for Simplicity which I couldn't get on Friday. For you Simplicity fans the #is (262)284-8669.Hit 2 on your phone after you get through to get to the tech dept. Real interesting conversation with that gentleman.

1)All the engines in the large frame line are the same except for the 13hp unit."If you buy the the 9560E,1060DLXE,1170Eor 1280E you get the same engine."

When I asked him why he said it's more cost effective to power everything with the 12hp engine than to buy different engines for each model. He was very specific about saying the engine is the 12. The stickers are different.

2)" All the engines are aluminum bore models because they are the same engine" Simplicity chose to go with aluminum bore because they run cooler and in an environment absent of dust and dirt the cast iron isn't necessary.Today"s Aluminum alloys wear very well under winter conditions according to their tests."

3)"I should consider using the Briggs synthetic oil because it doubles  the life of the warranty. There is a chemical dye in the oil that colors the internal parts of the engine. If you have a failure they check for the color and you get a replacement." Sounds like a good deal to me.

4)He suggested using Simplicity part #1704636 to lubricate the gearbox. Infomed me that it is really a Snapper lubricant and that when Simplicity bought Snapper they found it worked very well. Said it doesen't thicken in the cold as much as other gear oils.

I pressed him a little on the aluminum bore issue reminding him that Simplicity used cast iron bore Tecumsehs before Briggs bought the company. He said that the purchase by Briggs had nothing to do with it.Simplicity started using Briggs three years ago when the Snow Intek first came out. He reminded me this was before Simplicity was bought by Briggs.When I asked him why the change he said there were too many issues with the Tecumseh carburetors .

 I went to the Briggs web site and spent some time looking at their replacement engine spec. book. Sure enough there are 9,10 and 11 hp. engines of the same displacement. To further confuse/enlighten me they listed engines of the same horse power that have different displacements.And to further confuse the issue Briggs does not list a 12 hp engine. 

I have a headache,

Marc

MissSnowshoveler wrote:
Yep, there are two different thickness gaskets for them.  The thicker gasket gets placed on one engine and called an 9 HP, the thinner gasket gets placed on another engine giving you more compression and there you go, a 10 HP 

OK, if it turns out to be that there are very subtle differences that end up making more HP, I could care less, HP is HP regardless how you get it. If it turns out that an 8HP engine is a 12HP engine, detuned if you will, I can live with that. I can understand that a manufacturer would want to produce one block and make minor differences in other parts to make engine rating different, that's nothing but creative manufacturing and marketing, practiced by all companies. If it is said to be the same engine with no differences at all and they all produce the exact same HP and the only difference being labels, that's a completely different ballgame.

I have been following this thread with fascination.

I cannot wait to hear the answer if there is any. 

I do have to agree with Marshalls thoughts a bit in that if it were me I could care less how they get to the HP rating as long as the engine is a strong performer, is reliable, and lasts a long time. 

I can understand with the competive markets as they are today producing one block size and getting as many engines out of it they can to save money.

I now sit back with my drink and popcorn and relax and see how this pans out. 

You all are like a big-dog with a bone here, I would not want to be the owner of that bone or be the one to have to take it away from you lol.....You all are not going to rest until someone comes clean lol.....

C

Hey Chris, want some melted butter on that popcorn, I have a little extra? 

LOL....

Can't have too much melted butter baby! lol.....

C

jubol wrote:

You can say that again Jubol. 

I think the best way of keeping up with a shell game is to keep in mind that "the end justify's the means"

Why aren't they blowing the whistle on each other? couldn't they get in legal trouble ,,,are a couple of great questions.  

How can this all be possable, It depends on who is controlling it all.  Would be my answer to that 

Just my 2 cents

Ben07

This is what I know for sure so ar - I HAVE A HEADACHE!!!!!!!  Too many techs that aren't truly willing to tell you the whole story.

So at least the 9 - 12 hp have 18.6 cubic inches of displacement, these engines have the exact same model and type numbers on the Snapper and Simplicity models.  In case you have forgotten them - 20G414 0111E1.  So the guy I talked to said that they are rated at 9hp.  With the pounding on my head I'm going to try to get the rest of what he said right.

He said the hp is just a rating.  Since the emissions controls (yeah good old emmisions) came into effect it puts a hole new spin on things.  20 cubic inches used to mean 9hp in an L-head model, now with this new fangled OHV stuff that's all out the window.  Don't ask me how you're supposed to know what the actual hp is.

I've used the 9, 10, and 11's on the Snappers this winter in hard packed snow above the buckets.  They were very impressive that they didn't labor and had all the power anyone needed.  In fact, that's how we sold everyone of them, we got perspective customers to try them out in 2 1/2 feet of snow.  They were impressed, so they bought the machine that they wanted. 

I have no idea where this tale is going to end - hopefully with some rock solid answers.  But knowing that the engines are the exact same - ahhhhhhh.  What can I say????

Sherri

PS - Not sure how I got into this - I must have run out of popcorn - can someone share????

Hi Again!

I believe the disclaimers let them off the hook. The reality is the engine is only one component of these machines which do differ materially in other ways. It is not the honorable way to present your product but would we as consummers be better served if using four completely different engines would raise the price of  ope  a significant ammount. I for sure  wouldn't be happy with that .

Marc 

Richie-- Are you saying that you know the gaskets are different or are you using this as an example? The use of the different gasket would be reflected in the spec#. If the spec #s were different we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Sherri-- Can't be rpm differences because the spec# for an engine in the Briggs line dictates the governor spring etc. As you know the spec#s are the same.

Correct me if I'm wrong but none of the techs any of us has spoken to has said the engines are different. To the contrary,the tech at Simplicity said the engines are the same 

Marc

mml4 wrote:

The Tecumseh l-heads used a different thickness of head gasket to make their hp.  The thinner it is the higher the hp.

I'm just grasping at straws.  I know there has to be some difference somewhere, looking at the IPL's for the Snapper machines, there are only a few parts different.  The gear boxes are the same - so they're not picking up hp there.  I'm still trying to fight my way through a group of men on the other end of the phone that think an air head just called them to find out some info.  Now that the Technicians got me PO'd I'm going to keep digging.

Sherri