Briggs and Stratton 5 HP
Well I got one of those and so a little "review".
My 5 hp Briggs will run my 14' aluminum @ 12 mph wide open. It cruises
at around 9 mph. (where it seems the most comfortable) This is with a
small box holding tackle, papers, extra life jackets ect. and two
people on board.
It starts first pull when cold, sometimes two pulls when hot. It has
around 20 hours on it so far with only and oil change (be sure to use
the recommended synthetic oil)
It's air cooled, no water pump-super simple. I've heard that it's a
"lawn mower engine, and not a particularly good one put on a drive
unit". Well it's a little more than that. There are subtle but
important differences. Revs higher, fuel pump, made to be left out in
the elements with no cover, adjustable carb, to name a few.
A lawn mower runs with a variable but moderate load for hours- so does
the outboard. I have Briggs mowers that have thousands of hours (15
years of regular use) and it runs just like it did new, so no reason to
think anything different from the outboard.
Drawbacks? It's a little heavier than my 6 hp Merc and it is a little
loud (open air exaust and a hearty intake growl) The throttle won't
stay set, the return spring is a little too good.
I'm working on a different exaust for it......
Did I mention it costs nearly half the price of other 5-6 hp
outboards?
Over all a solid 7 out of 10.
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