They might only be used to power lawnmowers and other small kit, but you've got to hand it to Briggs and Stratton for making flippin' excellent engines.

Exhibit A is a Stiga lawnmower, which I have just dragged out of the back of one of our sheds. It was owned by my father in-law, and hasn't been touched for the last 25 years to my certain knowledge. I checked the engine code and the manufacture date was 20th November 1974, so it's 46 years old.

All I did to it was change the oil, clean and re-gap the spark plug, and refill the petrol tank with some old stuff I bought back last summer. It started 5th pull on the starter, and cuts grass quite happily. Truly amazing!

A great engine we had a 3.5 fitted to a go cart when the Kids were very small it must have done hundred's of miles on Pendine sands till a piston appeared out of the side one day . It was superseeded by a very quiet 5.5 Honda which started first time every time but still fond memories of our time with the briggs at Pendine......Em

Those B & S engines were both simple and built to last ......for ever!

Nowadays everything seems to be going mains or rechargeable electric , and are almost throw-away items.

Honda do it better, B&S do it cheaper. Horses for courses.

Two Honda GX6.5's bolted to a Procart chassis & solid 40mm bar axle...oh yes

Yes, I'd agree. We have Honda engines in a lawnmower, the power barrow, 2 generators, the chipper/shredder, and the cultivator, and there's no doubt that they are flippin' excellent engines. But the ability of this little B&S engine to come back from such a long layoff quite impressed me. I wouldn't think that it's producing anything like its rated output after all these years of neglect, but it'll do for running around the grass paths in the new extended veg patch as we convert more of the field to food production.

My rechargable mower works fine, only charged from the solar, my Hatter, B&S (mic) engined mower leaked petrol and the cast chassis snapped just after warranty was up, over £200 for new part ( no I don't have alloy welding facilities)

The battery mower is lighter and works without that early spring waking it up from the dead

I should imagine that the lack of weight makes it pretty wieldy too, ideally suited for use in smaller or suburban gardens I would think.

Agreed Tim.
I had a Briggs and Stratton mower; it lasted 20 years.
Unfortunately it is no more, having decided that it never wanted to start again, despite fiddling and faddling.
I have now gone electric.
Environmentally better? Who knows. It doesn't like long grass either and can take two charges to complete the job.
Onwards and sideways I think.

If you have a bit of OCD regarding your lawn leaving it half done while you charge your mower could make you really ill, just saying.......Em