I purchased this engine as a replacement for a Briggs 12 hp V-twin. The $329 price tag was the deciding factor - that's about half the cost of the Briggs short block. The engine is mounted on a BCS 30" roto tiller.
All of the mounting was ready-to-go right out of the box. The clutch slid on the keyed shaft, and the retaining bolt turned right into the 3/8 - 24 tapped hole. It was only about an hour from opening the box until I was ready to go.
After reading the other reviews, I was concerned about the starter connections, and also about building a battery box. Neither was an issue, as the engine is very easy to start and I haven't felt any need to use the electric starter or connect a battery. A brief examination, however, makes it clear that the only connection necessary is the battery cables - shouldn't be a problem. My tiller has a "dead man" switch that kills the engine if the machine gets away for some reason. Using the schematic, I was easily able to figure out how to connect the kill switch.
The only difficulty I encountered is that I wasn't able to connect the throttle cable from the tiller control handlebar. That hasn't been a big problem - I merely set the engine rpm before I start work, and it goes fine.
The engine is a piece of cake to start - it has started on the first pull every time. It does require a fairly stout tug on the cord, usually a "two handed" tug. It seems louder than the Briggs, but I don't have any way to measure decibels, and if louder, it's by just a little. It runs very smoothly, with no surging or "hunting", and fuel consumption seems reasonable - but, without a meter to count hours of operation, my opinion of fuel consumption is quite subjective. Without a dynomometer, there isn't a way for me to measure actual horsepower output, but there is no doubt is has a bit more zip than the old Briggs.
As of this writing, I have used the engine for about 20 hours without any problem whatsoever. My own measure of engines like this one includes longevity, so I might be back to edit this if the engine doesn't give me a few years of good service. At this point, I don't hesitate to recommend it.
| Brand | DuroMax |
|---|---|
| Wattage | 420 watts |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline |
| Power Source | Gas Powered |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Residential |
| Item Weight | 83 Pounds |
| Voltage | 240 Volts |
| Special Feature | Electric Start |
| Included Components | Engine |
| Color | Blue |
| Product Dimensions | 20.47"L x 18.5"W x 22"H |
| Model Name | 420cc Recoil/Electric Start Gas Powered, |
| Engine Type | 4 Stroke |
| Tank Volume | 1.75 Gallons |
| Engine Displacement | 420 Cubic Centimeters |
| Frequency | 50 Hz |
| Engine Power Maximum | 16 Horsepower |
| Manufacturer | DuroMax |
| Part Number | XP16HPE |
| Item Weight | 83 pounds |
| Item model number | XP16HPE |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | XP16HPE |
| Style | 420cc Gas Electric Start |
| Pattern | Electric Star |
| Horsepower | 16 |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | Electric Start |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 3-Year Warranty |
