Briggs and Stratton

Bought a Woodlands Sawmill with Briggs and Stratton engine. After five hours it started running erratic. I have to pay for services since their warranty doesn't cover carburetor. After ten hours, using high grade gas, malfunction is back. I'm buying a new not B&S carburetor. Eventually I may have to buy an engine and it won't be B&S. I don't trust it.

Bought a Yard Machine from Lowe's. It worked once, then never worked again, despite troubleshooting. Took it back and got a replacement. The replacement wouldn't even start out of the box, even though I was meticulous in following the instructions. Once again, went through troubleshooting to no avail. Will never buy another Briggs and Stratton.

I bought a Toro lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton engine at the end of May 2018 from Home Depot. It was a big purchase for me since this mower cost almost $400. I brought it home unpacked and assembled as directed in the owner’s manual. I was able to use this mower 4-5 times in my 2000 sq ft yard and it appeared to do a good job, however the last time I used the mower I was halfway done with my lawn, and the motor let out a loud snap and then stopped working. I did not run over anything, so I was not sure what had happened. I called Toro and explained the situation and I was instructed to bring the mower to an authorized dealer, so they can find out what was wrong with my 2-month-old mower.

Bought a brand new lawn mower (Yard Machine). Took forever to get it starting right out of the box. The first could times I actually did get it to start it took forever. Now, the 3rd time I am using it, it won't even start. Followed all directions but apparently (and according to other reviews I read) this company makes garbage products. Should have read the reviews before I bought it, hopefully you are seeing this prior to your purchase. Stay away.

18 months ago I bought a lawnmower fitted with the B&S 415e engine. This year it does nothing but surge continually. The carburetor has been deep cleaned three times, to no avail. Two local authorized dealers have said that the carburetor is basically crap and is now regarded as a consumable, like a spark plug. I'll fit a new carb, sell the machine as soon as I can and avoid Briggs and Stratton forevermore.

The lawn mower is a piece of junk. First of all it burned oil and engine froze up not allow it to start. I added oil to it and getting motor to start. Then today I went use it. Oil was leaking and it started blowing white smoke out of engine rendering is a piece of metal of junk. The head gasket also broke.

We recently bought a NEW Briggs & Stratton lawnmower at Home Depot because we only have about 24 square feet of grass to cut as we live at the coast. We have used this mower 3 times, keep it in the garage and not out in the elements, and it no longer starts. We took it to a repairman to see if it could be fixed. We were told the carburetor is completely plastic and cheaply made and that it would cost $180 to replace it to get the mower running again. The mower only cost $150 brand new. I called the company and was given a ridiculous story about how they have made the carburetor smaller to conserve fuel use and now the plastic tubes that feed the fuel can easily get clogged and that it's not covered under the warranty... Surprise! So, basically they don't intend to do a thing. Moral of this story, don't EVER by a BRIGGS & STRATTON product if you actually expect it to work.

We had a previous Briggs and Stratton power washer for approx. 8 years. Used it only about 2 times per year. Wouldn’t start this year so found out pump needed replaced. Instead of replacing the pump we went to Lowe's and purchased a Troy-Bilt. After bringing it home and it not staying running we returned it to find out that the gas line was leaking. We leave approx 30 miles from the nearest Lowe's. I also wasted two weekends trying to power wash our house. I have gas and oil all over my deck. After contacting Troy Bilt, was told Briggs and Stratton makes the power washer and called them for some kind of apology or compensation. Was told they couldn’t do anything about it. We spent over $500 and hours of aggravation on this piece of equipment for nothing. Hopefully when we put the new one together it will run. The customer service at Briggs and Stratton is horrible.

540CC Platinum Series Head Gasket Problem - I purchased a Craftsman 42" Zero Turn lawn mower in 2012. Figured given Sears had been in the business forever that they knew who to source quality mowers from, guess not. I just finished getting back my mower after its second blown head gasket. I live in Canada, how many times do you think I cut my grass but after 3 years the first one went - $550 plus tax. Now last week it went again, another $550 plus tax. This is totally on the back of Briggs and Stratton. The tech repairing the gasket said the probable cause is the distance between bolts holding down the head - poor design. Can't sell it, Sears is out of business, who's going to buy it. Guess I need to start saving for the next one, gasket that is.

I was a firm believer in B&S 500e engines. Never had a problem for the last 30 years until I bought a new B&S equipped lawn mower and a B&S equipped edger last year. The lawnmower will start but fails to restart if the engine is warm. I have to let it set for several hours. The edger stopped starting after 2 times, with new fuel in it. I tried to winterize it but it wouldn't start so I emptied the gas and put it away for the winter. This spring I spent time on it trying every trick I knew. It would only start after I put a teaspoon of gas directly into the cylinder then stopped after the gas ran out. I took it to a 'certified' B&S dealer who told me that it's not under warranty because the gasket dissolved and that was my fault. Bad gas, etc. BS is right. Never again. This series of engines should be recalled. There are obvious issues with it.

I purchased the first rider lawn mower from Sears, had a Briggs 19HP, it did not even make it to the garage before backfiring bucking and dying. Every time I started it, it would idle, but no driving. Took it back to Sears, the guy there says, "Oh it may have old gas from the factory, and the carb needs repair"... NOT me so I left it there, went to Home Depot, picked up another tractor, again with the 19HP... Took it out for a drive for a teaching run on pavement. Then to my 2 ac. lot. About 45 minutes later. It goes into a frenzy, no idle at all just full speed ahead. Last Briggs here.

Had trouble with mower from the day I bought it. Won't start most of the time and when it does start and I stop to empty bag won't start again maybe the next day. Bag doesn't fit properly. Drain plug broke the first time I used it. The wheel adjusters broke. Grass gathers under mower. Should be a recall or maybe I got a lemon. Had mower about 4 years but I had a lawn man so I didn't use it often.

I've got two separate issues with two separate pieces of equipment. I bought a Yard Machines push mower three years ago after building my house. It worked perfectly the first summer/fall but I could not get the thing started at all the next two years. Last year as a last resort before throwing it away, I sprayed starter fluid into the filter intake. Surprisingly I finally got the thing started. I had to do this every time I wanted to use it. This Spring I tried to do the same thing and that won't even help.

Growing up I used to mow the yard with a B&S lawn mower. That thing was a tank and I abused it. It lasted almost 25 years without too much trouble. Bought a mower from Lowe's and it ran fine for a couple months. Prepped it for winter and wouldn't start next summer. Water in the gas was to blame according to the repair guy (used same gas after waiting three weeks and it ran fine.) Third summer now here and will not start again. Can put a little gas in the fuel/air filter and it will run till the filter dries out. Won't start without doing so and once the filter is dry stops running. What the ** happened to good quality small engines?

I bought this Murray lawnmower with Briggs & Stratton engine June 27th of last year. It was a big purchase for me, I wanted a self propelled this time so spent a lot more than I did ten years ago for $89. Because of this I empty out the gas and oil which I have NEVER done in the past. I put in fresh gas oil and new spark plug and it refuses to start. I called 2 dealers stating bad compression (since I could not call Briggs & Stratton from my cell phone the phone tree would not go thru no matter what I pushed) as my mechanic told me. They basically told me $35 to even look at it and pretty much I would be blamed and have to pay over a hundred dollars to fix it.

I bought a Snapper self propelled, three hundred dollar mower with a B&S fresh start engine from Walmart last summer. I used it maybe six times and properly winterized it. I ran it with non-ethanol gas and drained the oil. I tried, tried and tried to start it with new oil, fresh ethanol free gas this morning. It had a catastrophic encounter with my splitting maul and has been delivered to AIM metal recycling in Bangor, ME. I will never own a BS powered anything ever again. Absolute garbage!!!

I too am one of the suckers that purchased a mower at the end of the season last year. Used it 3 times and put it away for winter. I have had many mowers over the years and they ran well, like Craftsman and Huskee mowers. This Briggs and Stratton Brute mower is nothing but garbage. They cut corners on the parts and almost everything on it is plastic. The cost was $279. I bought it at the a local Menards, who refused to let me bring it back. Obviously they know it's trash too.

I had always trusted B&S small mower engines to be reliable. In fact, I had a Quantum engine work well for about 17 years with NO major problems. Then, I had to replace that mower & bought a Murray mower with a B&S 125cc engine from the Walmart website, fully expecting similar quality & not bothering to check CURRENT reviews of B&S engines. BAD MISTAKE on my part. First off, the new B&S engine's oil port is inaccessible to pour the oil in without a funnel with a long extension hose because the oil port is squarely under & blocked by the engine housing. Next, since there is no drain plug underneath, the instructions say that you have to turn the mower upside down to drain the oil out the same oil port that you used to put it in, being careful not to flood the engine with gas while doing that.

Had a new Vanguard engine install in spring of 2015 by Mayo Garden Center. They are scag dealer. In Dec of 2018 engine started to blow smoke and leak oil from rear of engine. Mayo told me engine was shot. After sending engine and pics to Briggs they told me engine would not be covered under warranty even though Mayo Garden Center believed it was workmanship problem. Don't understand why Briggs puts a 3 year warranty on a commercial product but won't stand behind it. Beware if you are going to purchase a commercial mower. See what engines are available.

Briggs & Stratton or just pain BS makes a cheap poorly manufactured gasoline engine for a number of vendors that are looking for a quick profit by using cheap second rate parts. A perfect example is a Troy-Bilt branded pressure washer I purchased from Lowe's. Despite all proper maintenance, the engine will not start. Sure B&S will pay to have it repaired as long as I go out of my way to take it some obscure repair shop. Insulting as that is, there is no excuse for a B&S engine with maybe ten minutes of run time to fail to start, other than the engine was built from inferior parts likely imported from some sweatshop in China. I know I will not purchase any product with a B&S engine in the future.

Nothing but trouble, Sears absolutely no help! Broke first year, will never shop at Sears again! Can't even talk to service tech 'cause they ship it out! I was a longtime customer!

I'm a landscaper. We have all Briggs equipment. Some of the engine are well over 20 years old. We never had any issues with them and they get worked hard in the mowers to the sod cutters leaf sucker. My boss tried a Honda for the hell of it. Lasted 2 years. Nothing beats a Briggs!!!

July 2, 2015 I bought a Ferris IS 2100 Zero Turn Mower from Midstate Turf and Tractor in Springfield, TN. 28 HP EFI engine. 284 hrs. engine developed a loud ticking in engine. Took it to Midstate. It was supposed to be under warranty. Tech checked oil and asked what kind of oil I used. I said full synthetic 10w20 Pennzoil. He said they recommend Briggs' oil. I said my manual said they do or any premium oil that meets the required specs. I said Pennzoil does. He told me he had a degree. I told him I had been a mechanic for 50 years. He called the next morning told me it was a quart overfull of oil and broke a rod. He would not tell me the rep's name he spoke to. If it was overfull of oil why was I not told when he checked the oil. I went and got my mower. Found the problem. Broke intake valve spring piston was hitting the valve. Fixed it myself. I will not do business with them again!

5 year old Briggs and Stratton 21 HP Platinum Series engine on riding mower carefully used and maintained spontaneously started blowing blue and white smoke. Spoke with B&S Techs and used manual to troubleshoot. Removed intake and valve cover to examine. Without expense and time of bringing it to a shop for and R&R tear down, the likely problem is head gasket or piston ring. Parts and labor to R&R engine is greater than several hundred dollars. Many other owners have reported similar problems and complained about this model (search the model number and check FAQs). B&S has discontinued the model. Contacted B&S for "out of warranty" (two years is their written warranty) and got run around. I have another B&S motor on a push mower that is knocking. I can't afford to be a B&S customer when engines fail 5 years into useful life. B&S: Count me out. I'm not playing your game anymore.

The mower is Briggs and Stratton motor. They used to be a good company but now they are not. I got a new push mower 1 year and 2 months ago and now it can't run anymore. I called the company and they told me that, "The mower needs a new carb, we can send you a new one for $50 bucks". Seems like they are putting a carb that fails after 1 year and they want me to put on a new one. I don't know how so now I have a mower that I paid $179 bucks for that will go out with the trash. This is the second mower with the same problem. Shame on you. Now I got a Sears mower. I will buy anything but a Briggs and Stratton.

MTD mower w/ Briggs & Stratton 125cc OHV engine from Home Depot - Recently bought a new house with a small front and backyard (front is 50ft x 50 ft; back is 50ft x 100ft with another 25ft x 100ft dog run). Saw a special from Home Depot around Father's Day for MTD 20" push mower with B&S engine for $149. I had a similar mower years ago that I used for about 15 years that I bought from ACE hardware (it had the B&S 140cc engine) - it was a beast. I was trying to save a buck and again my yard is small and I didn't want to spend $300 on a mower – it literally takes 30 minutes to mow the whole thing and that's taking my time. Pulled the mower out of the box and assembled it and used the supplied oil. I saw in the booklet that gas with more than 10 percent ethanol should not be used.

24 HP Briggs Professional Series - Bought a new Husqvarna lawn tractor in late 2016 with this engine it used oil from day one. I did not buy this from a box store. It was from a authorized husqvarna dealer. Was told they all do that. Uses 8oz.s of oil every 2 hr. of run time only has 75hrs on it. It runs good but fouls plugs and of course the oil adage problem. I highly plead with anyone thinking of purchasing this tractor or other brand with this engine to walk away from it. Total piece of junk. Briggs totally disgraced itself with these P.O.S. engines. I would never buy anything powered by their name.

I purchased 2 small engine parts from Briggs and Stratton from an online review then called in the order. Parts were delivered promptly by UPS. No packing slip, no receipt, not proof of order or purchase. I called Briggs and Stratton, customer service. I explained that I purchased the parts on my credit card and needed validation with a receipt or packing slip to validate to a customer for my payment. They said they could not help and would pass it along to a different department who "might" be able to help me. This is a multimillion dollar company and that was their response??? Guess we better try other company that manufactures engines.

Purchased a DR Power 9.5 Chipper Shredder with a B&S OHV Manual Start engine. Engine blew after two hours of use and B&S will not cover warranty. The company claimed user error due to improper oil added. This was not the case, but when it comes down to your word versus theirs the consumer has little to no leverage. I talked with tech support twice but to no avail. Definitely feeling 'ripped off'; I will never purchase another product with a B&S engine again. Never.

I place an order for a generator new. After I used it for few weeks, went bad. I place an order for the part I need, and they never send part. 4 days later I ask for the part they never send it. All customer service it's the worst and all lie to you. They say it was ship, some of them that was not on stock and a manager start blaspheming God's name. I will sell my generator or put it on trash and go with other company, never again will shop from Briggs and Stratton. To all my fellows soldiers and brothers in arms don't shop this name brand.