Small gas engines

hanovertom · Mar 24, 2016

Harbor freight has the "Predator" and Northern tool has "Powerhouse". Does anyone prefer one over the other? They are both knock offs of Honda. I am considering one to replace engine on my log splitter

fordsonjack · Mar 24, 2016

I bought one from HF last year to run my firewood conveyor and so far it seems to be ok, only problems I've had is that when it's cold out it can be a little hard to start and it does have a slow oil leak around the shaft but not bad. I probably have about a fifty hours on it now.

My neighbor down the road bought a 6hp model from HF recently and it wouldn't start, no spark, he took it back and got another one and it seems to run ok so far, he got it to replace a 5hp briggs on his dump trailer, not real sure if it is actually 6hp, seems to struggle a little with a heavy load but it does work.

markct · Mar 24, 2016

I have water pumps powered by the same Chinese engines, they get run hard pumping maple sap and have help up for years with little trouble. I bought one of the 79cc predators to power a vacuum pump at a remote place, runs for days at a time, around the clock, and uses very little oil, I'm talking like less than 1/4 inch drop on the stick in two weeks, which is when I change the oil anyhow. Has been doing this for 4 to 6 weeks each spring for 3 years now, if it died tomorrow I wouldn't fault the motor one bit

Greg K · Mar 24, 2016

I put a 6 hp predator on the kids go kart last winter. They drove the snot out of it this year and it held up fine so far.

Jack345 · Mar 24, 2016

I have switched out(5hp) B&S engines with HF ones about 5-6 years ago and it was a good move.HF engines run very good have more power & don't burn oil under heavy use. Advise you run new engine 2-3 hours then change oil for 1st oil change.Mine start like Honda's & no problems. Read the reviews on HF some of them are real.

58 Deere · Mar 24, 2016

I put the HF special on a hay elevator a few years back. Works great no problems. A friend has one on his wood splitter with no trouble. Can not beat the price or the warranty.

4wdtom · Mar 24, 2016

I have a friend who has put Harbor Freight engines on a couple of things and he is a fan of them. None have a lot of hours so far. He will buy one of these instead of rebuilding the B&S, Kohler, or whatever as it is less expensive to do.

El Hombre · Mar 24, 2016

Seems the Chinese have figured out engine building. I would expect they have the same kind of CNC machining centers you'd see in this country. Trade barriers are the only way you're going to limit their stuff supplanting most of ours. That will be interesting....

marloweg · Mar 24, 2016

same engine

jeffcat · Mar 24, 2016

A neighbor put a HF 5hp on his TracVac like three years ago. So far it has been fine. Honda copy and it starts and runs like a Honda. I bought a beauty of a used AgriFab yard vac. and it has a 5hp Briggs on it right now. Works just perrrrfect. If it blows I will pick up a HF engine for it. The 5hp engines go for $99.95 so were is there a problem for that cost?

olddog · Mar 25, 2016

If your splitter has a two-stage pump, it will work fine. If it's a single stage;
compare torque curve of predator to the torque curve of your old engine,(if you can find it),
to determine size of the replacement. Some of the old Briggs long stroke series 14 made their HP
at only 2500 or so.

Small gas engines

hanovertom

Member

fordsonjack

Member

markct

Well-known Member

Greg K

Well-known Member

Jack345

Member

58 Deere

Member

4wdtom

Well-known Member

El Hombre

Member

marloweg

Well-known Member

jeffcat

Well-known Member

olddog

Well-known Member

Similar threads