Which engine for my Troy Bilt Tiller


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Old 04-15-09, 06:13 PM
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Which engine for my Troy Bilt Tiller

I have a Troy Bilt horse tiller. I think the original engine is a 6 hp Tecumsen (very loud). I need a new engine and would like opinions on HP and make I should get.

I have been thinking either the Honda 6.5 hp or the Briggs 8 hp as seen here Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller Outdoor Power Equipment Repower from Small Engine Warehouse This also seem to be the cheapest site I have found ($365 for Honda, item # GX200QX and $395 for Briggs - item # 202332-0563).

Do you think I would see much performance diff between the two? Which engine is quieter? Anyone know of a cheaper place to buy?

Any suggestions/opinions are appreciated! Thanks.
 

Last edited by Kurto; 04-15-09 at 08:13 PM.
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Old 04-15-09, 06:51 PM
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First, you should know that I have never seen a Honda repower on a Troy-Bilt tiller, but at that price, I'd go with the Honda. I'm guessing it's the quieter of the 2, the only thing that might be a problem is the low oil shutdown. I know what angle these run at when tilling deep, and I'd be a little concerned that the low oil level switch might cut out the motor.
 
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Old 04-16-09, 08:56 PM
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I think you are right on the low oil issue. The seller says you may have to disable this feature but not sure how easy that may or may not be?
 
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Old 04-28-09, 06:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Kurto
I think you are right on the low oil issue. The seller says you may have to disable this feature but not sure how easy that may or may not be?
Probably as simple as clipping a single wire. They probably just have some sort of float that shorts out the ignition when it sinks down to the predetermined low oil level.
 
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Old 04-28-09, 09:58 AM
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I recommend buying the make engine for which you have a local shop that handles that brand. Lets say you buy a Honda but you have no local shop and need either warranty or parts or advice, then the Honda isn't much good at that point.
 
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Old 04-28-09, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by puey61
I recommend buying the make engine for which you have a local shop that handles that brand. Lets say you buy a Honda but you have no local shop and need either warranty or parts or advice, then the Honda isn't much good at that point.
I thought about that but locally they are a couple hundred dollars more and then you have to take it to a shop for all the service which results in hundred or more dollars per year. All this just to get a warranty, I'm better off paying less intially and then doing my own service and not getting the warranty rather than paying $200-300 more just so I can have a warranty, which I probably won't use anyway.

I learned this the hard way with my mower I bought locally and it had a warranty issue. They refused it based on I did not have the oil "professionally" changed at the required intervals. Warranties are nothing but a false sense of security.
 
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Old 04-28-09, 12:58 PM
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Being a small business owner, I would hope you purchase from such, especially locally, but that's not my point here. As I stated, you may, at some time in the future, need warranty service...or service parts...or service advice. Point being, you want a local guy to go to for such, should you need it (and you very likely will, it's a mechanical piece of equipment). In other words, after the online sale, see how much support you get! Or, say you buy the Honda but the nearest Honda service shop is 100 miles away from you and you need an air filter on a Saturday at 7:00 in the morning. FYI, apples to apples, your local shop should be able to get you the same piece of equipment as the online store at a comparable price and you won't have to pay shipping.
 
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Old 04-28-09, 01:24 PM
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I cannot and will not buy locally when it costs me 25%-50% more by doing so. Local businesses usually do not match online competition. Shipping was free, plus no tax. Try talking local into that.

Why do you think honda is the only one who sells filters for their engines? You apparantly don't know much about parts.

As my post said, I'm not buying it for any support since I'm not willing to shell out hundreds more for support. Also, just about any town in america has a honda dealer so you don't know what you are talking about saying there is no support where I live. Just because you buy something from store A does not mean that store b will not service/warranty stuff. You buy somehting with a manufacturer warranty, not a store warranty.

Any by the way, my engine I just ordered does have an issue and a new replacement is on it's way free of charge, no questions asked. I'd never get that locally, at least not after weeks and weeks of waiting because it is the 'busy season' and then I'd probably only get a repair not a replacement.

So do some research before you spout off about things you know little about.
 
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Old 04-28-09, 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Kurto
I cannot and will not buy locally when it costs me 25%-50% more by doing so. Local businesses usually do not match online competition. Shipping was free, plus no tax. Try talking local into that.

Why do you think honda is the only one who sells filters for their engines? You apparantly don't know much about parts.

As my post said, I'm not buying it for any support since I'm not willing to shell out hundreds more for support. Also, just about any town in america has a honda dealer so you don't know what you are talking about saying there is no support where I live. Just because you buy something from store A does not mean that store b will not service/warranty stuff. You buy somehting with a manufacturer warranty, not a store warranty.

Any by the way, my engine I just ordered does have an issue and a new replacement is on it's way free of charge, no questions asked. I'd never get that locally, at least not after weeks and weeks of waiting because it is the 'busy season' and then I'd probably only get a repair not a replacement.

So do some research before you spout off about things you know little about.
I am going to have to say that YOU are the one who does not know what he is talking about. So you avoid a sale tax on your engine. Well your state is going to increase other taxes to make up for lost taxes that you refuse to pay. But you will pay for it eventually like when they go up 5 cents a gallon on the gas tax to make up for lost revenues.
Honda is not the only one who sells filters for their engines. However, A Honda dealer would stock air filters for ALL of their engines where others may only have the top 5 filters in stock and the aftermarkets may not seal properly and now you need a new engine.
And No, "any town in America has a Honda dealer". Sorry, but the closest Honda dealer to me is 50 miles away.
Yes, store "B" can warranty something from store "A". But if you did not buy it from store "B", it gets pushed to the end of the line so they can service their loyal customers first. You bring your tiller in on Monday and a loyal customer brings his in on Wednesday, the loyal customer has his back by Friday and yours is still sitting there untouched.
And if the manufacrturer has a recall, EVERY dealer has to honor it. No 2 ways about that as that is imposed by the government!!
Think about it next time you want to go shooting your mouth off about locally owned small businesses. In case you haven't heard, it is MAIN ST. that keeps this country going, not the internet.
 
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Old 04-29-09, 12:14 PM
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Well put Indy.

Kurto, just like sometimes you need to find a second doctors' opinion for yourself, sounds like the dealer you are referring to may not be a good choice. Or, they may be fine and it is you that has the issue(s), which may be the case based on your reply to my posts.

As far as your local shop "matching" an online seller, it's not likely to happen but they should be comparable, again, apples to apples. You're probably buying a GV-series engine online and your local dealer likely doesn't even stock them since they are low grade engines and the dealer most likely only sells GX-series, commercial grade engines. You'd be comparing apples to oranges in this scenario. As Indy indicated, wait 'til you NEED to see your local guy and he knows (and he will) that you purchased this from sphincterfreight.com and you need warranty service due to a loosened rod bolt and you need it yesterday and he tells you it will be 2 weeks and, sorry, he does not have a free loaner for you (but the next guy in line at the counter who purchased a mower from this dealer last year has a nice zero turn delivered later that afternoon, until the dealer can settle that customers problem). That's when you'll say, "Jeez, I should have taken note when those guys at DIY.com told me to give my dealer a chance".

And even if you're a bonehead just to spite your local dealer and you were to make this same, hypothetical repair yourself and eat the cost, what reasonable sense does that make? Find another dealer! This isn't NASCAR, you don't have to like Driver Z just because he drives a Chevy. There are plenty of good, other makes to consider. And if you purchased an engine locally at a reputable dealer, I'll bet you would never have had to return it because they would be sure it ran well prior to your picking it up and taking it home and, furthermore, it would have been full of engine oil and gasoline.

For your information, I have been involved in the outdoor power equipment industry since 1980 and third generation owner since 1992 of our family run business in our fifth decade of business. So, my research is based solely on experience, not Consumer Reports. We have a customer base of over 3000 regulars with many doing business with us for well over 30 years and you just don't get that with inexperience! I'll repeat what Indy pointed out, long after the online guys go belly up or just fade away, I'll be watching my youngest son reap the prosperous benefits of small business ownership.

I was willing to offer you more good advice, like, Tecumseh actually is a good tiller engine but with their recent undoing (but still able to buy their products) I would not recommend doing so right now until we find out how good Certified Parts Corporation is going to support production and warranty. But since you knuckled up I will not provide you with any useful information.
 
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Old 04-30-09, 06:39 AM
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Kurto, you are so mis-informed.
"then you have to take it to a shop for all the service which results in hundred or more dollars per year. All this just to get a warranty" You were told this by a dealer who was tired of dealing with such an arrogant customer like you. The law states that any dealer of that brand must do warranty work on it if it is indeed under warranty. However, if you do your own repairs and screw it up, then any warranty is void because you don't know what you are doing.
Another thing about local businesses. They employ your neighbors. A small shop will have at least 3 employees, bigger shops could have 20. How many of your neighbors are employed by that internet compant that is 2000 miles away?
 
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Old 04-30-09, 01:00 PM
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Originally Posted by indypower
Kurto, you are so mis-informed.
"then you have to take it to a shop for all the service which results in hundred or more dollars per year. All this just to get a warranty" You were told this by a dealer who was tired of dealing with such an arrogant customer like you. The law states that any dealer of that brand must do warranty work on it if it is indeed under warranty. However, if you do your own repairs and screw it up, then any warranty is void because you don't know what you are doing.
Another thing about local businesses. They employ your neighbors. A small shop will have at least 3 employees, bigger shops could have 20. How many of your neighbors are employed by that internet compant that is 2000 miles away?
Seems like this forum is full of idiots. Try reading the posts instead of putting words in my mouth. No repairs myself were made, letting alone screwing them up. Its called an oil change which is maintenance dumbass. And yes, your great local dealer would not warranty because he was not the one who performed the oil changes not because some repair was attempted as you claim (you must be a greasemonkey becuase that sounds like something a repair shop would claim to avoid any actual responsibility and service).

You contradict yourself because I bet if I bought an engine online from a store in your town you would be nothing but happy because I am supporting your local economy.

I have nothing against buying locally, I do it all the time, the problem is I won't pay almost double for EXACT same thing just to 'buy local'. It's called competition and if the local guy doesn't want to keep his prices fair and compete then he will lose my business.

And like I told the other fag on here, my engine arrived damaged and I have my replacement already for a brand new on, no questions asked. Not some used part to fix the engine like I would get locally. You can't beat that kind of service anywhere! I will definetly buy from them again in the future.

I bet all you duche bags buy from walmart all the time, making you a bunch of hippocrites since they are the ones who have destroyed small business.

This is the last thread I will make here as I am unsuscribing from this lame post. You rednecks are too stupid and ignorant to evolve with technology and convience available. So get off your cell phones because your local phone company is hurting since you refuse to buy from them anymore...

Later *****es!
 
 

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