diesel or petrol?

« **on:** November 19, 2009, 08:39:56 pm »

I have had my spitfire 4.0 for over 5 years now and it was old when i had it!

i replaced the 20hp b&s engine 4 years ago with a 22hp b&s due to the old one being nackered.

The new engine has been nothing but trouble from day one and has kinda knocked my confidence in the small petrol engines.

so my question is given the choice would you pick diesel or petrol taking into account the difference in price and reliability! do the diesel machines warrant the extra cost?

Also take into account the added weight of the diesels.

aaarrrrgggghhh

Cheers Goron

« **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2009, 08:53:22 pm »

I was involved with grounds maintenance several years ago and i had loads of machines and I wouldn't touch a Briggs & Stratton engine if you paid me, the best petrol engines are Honda or Kohler engines.
And diesel engine's steer clear if its got a Lombardini engine. And the only diesel engine i would use is a Perkins or Kubota anything else we had loads of trouble with but these engine are bullet proof if serviced and maintained correctly.

« **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2009, 08:59:50 pm »

If anyone's gonna know, it's Sherco..... Don't you just love petrol heads and grease monkey's

« **Reply #3 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:02:50 pm »

colin i was a grease monkey but the kinda engine i was used to were 4 storey diesels.

Cheers Goron

« **Reply #4 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:23:10 pm »

Diesel's a bit smelly and I reckon it must soot the inside of the van up a bit

I run on LPG, smells sweet as a nut

« **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:25:17 pm »

Nice bike,used to ride an old Villa when i lived up niorth

« **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:32:45 pm »

I've got a 4 cylinder diesel Kubota, absolutely beautiful engine. I spoke to our local Kubota dealer and he said I'll get 10,000hrs easily. but they are heavy so can be hard to use for T/Ms

I'd go for diesel everytime, but there is a bit of a gap in the 35hp-50hp engines. I was looking for a 55hp diesel engine for ages but they are just too industrial (very heavy)

Jim, they do blow out a bit of smoke, I vent my exhaust through the van floor

« **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:37:37 pm »

I was talking to Stuart Clemence yesterday and was very surprised that his 13hp prowler very nice looking now as it's had a face lift and very compact and also at 150ft he ran it for 3 hours and it cost him £3.15 in petrol.

Shaun

« **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2009, 09:46:05 pm »

Quote from: CARPET KNIGHTS on November 19, 2009, 09:02:50 pm

colin i was a grease monkey but the kinda engine i was used to were 4 storey diesels.

Cheers Goron

Stoker, Goron?

« **Reply #9 on:** November 19, 2009, 10:40:03 pm »

Goron I too have a spitfire 4.0. I got with a ropey old engine so I put a Kohler 18hp. It's never missed a beat. Bit of a faff around getting the exhaust and the first heat x in but it's been great.

« **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2009, 11:33:49 pm »

Goron as you know I have the Phoenix with the 18 horse briggs engine and so far it has'nt missed a beat.
I have had the Boxxer 421 which is the 20 horse and frankly anything over 18 horse with briggs to me is trouble.

My Prochem Cub had the 16 horse and that was magic, again it ran and ran all day.

The only 20 horse machine that gave me no trouble was the Panther 20 why because it had a kohler engine. that's why I jumped at the Panther 25 when it came up for sale earlier in the year because of the Kohler engine.

I can't comment on diesel machine as I have never owned one, I know people who have some say they are good and some say they shake themselves to bits and soot up the inside of their vans.
Many will say I'm bias but I prefer a petrol machine when it comes to anthing with a 45 blower. If I was cleaning shed loads of carpet I would go for a Maxx 47 petrol and run it on gas, but thats me at the moment the Phoenix fits the bill nicely.

« **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2009, 03:53:13 am »

As many people know i first started using truckmounts about 20 yrs ago and in that time i have used many different machines with different engines. Generally speaking the Spitfire 4.0 was a bad machine fullstop. B&S engines are the most common engines used within truckmounts. As Dave has said the range below 20hp is better for reliability. I have known B&S 16hp engines on Prochem Cubs go well over 10,000hrs. Most of the truckmounts that run B&S 20hp engines dont get over 3,000hrs before replacment. I dont rate the Honda 20hp engines as they dont seem to run reliable either. The Kohler engines are very reliable and it surprises me that more truckmounts dont use them. Kawasaki water cooled engines are also troublesome. HM Maxx450D runs a Dihatsu diesel engine, these are super reliable engines. Never had a problem with the van sooting up. Have a word with Dave Ingram. If the engine on your 4.0 is knackered, replace it with a Kohler, take the machine to Dave and he will im sure redesign the machine & will make it super reliable.

Richie.

PS
Dave are you on about the Prochem Cub that i sold you years ago?

« **Reply #12 on:** November 20, 2009, 10:08:51 pm »

mine doesnt do anything to the inside of my van because the zorst is sticking out of the floor, job done

« **Reply #13 on:** November 20, 2009, 10:19:26 pm »

Alltec do a nice TM fit, they ask you what you want, Susan has mentioned that the TM exhausts the diesel fumes under the van so it's more of a retro fit, Dave Ingrams Tms have always been retro fit, the Phoenix is testiment to that.

Shaun

« **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2009, 02:37:02 pm »

Goron
If cost not a factor
!st choice diesel
2nd choice water cooled petrol running on lpg
3rd choice water cooled petrol
4th choice air cooled petrol running on lpg
5th choice air cooled petrol
in my opinion

CHEERS TONY

« **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2009, 03:02:33 pm »

Hi Tony,
To a degree i agree with you however, watre cooled engines such as the Niassan A12 on your machine have true proven reliability and will run & run & run. The A12 is near bullet proof, i have even seen a PC Performer 405 that had a additional pulley system fitted with a extra vac blower & vac tank. The engine was then reved higher when the machine ws used in dual mode (which was most the time). The engine still performed great and appeared not to suffer from the extra load & speed.

Richie.

« **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2009, 03:39:11 pm »

Richie that sounds like an interesting mod.

Cheers Tony

« **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2009, 04:19:18 pm »

doesn't matter. as long as you look after them, service them, clean them, oil them including the blower regularly, they'll pay for them selves 10 x over.

derek

« **Reply #18 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:42:23 pm »

Correct you need to service anything to look after it correctly Questio was PETROL or DIESEL

« **Reply #19 on:** November 21, 2009, 07:31:33 pm »

Yes it was Tony. In doing this it made sure that one wand did not lose any suction if the other wand was off the floor as both wands were connected to seperate vac tanks.

Richie.

Poll

what tm would you have