# Tecumseh Still In Business?



## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

I've seen an ad for a new Sears blower with 9HP Tecumseh. I thought they were out of business.

http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_8OtNOkpimBL_600x450.jpg


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Tecumseh no longer manufactures engines. I believe they are still in the refridgeration compressor business. Not sure when the last engine rolled offthe line. Maybe Scot has that info.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

that craftsman isn't new
clean yes but not new


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

Tecumseh Products - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not sure if they're still making parts or if there's just been a massive surplus.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

nt40lanman said:


> Tecumseh Products - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Not sure if they're still making parts or if there's just been a massive surplus.


I've heard there's a massive parts surplus but no production. That may be bad information but the source is fairly reliable. Sscotsman may have better info since he's done some in depth research.


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

Here's a link to the Craigslist page with more photos. Looks to clean to be used, might be new old stock?

BRAND NEW HEAVY DUTY 9HP 2 STAGE SEARS GAS SNOWBLOWER


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

Tecumseh is still around making refrigerator compressors but they no longer make engines. We purchased one last year. That snowblower looks quite convincing that it is new due to how many features it has. I do think its a used model though. The nubs are worn off of the tires or maybe it just didn't have any.
I did find these links. Craftsman 9 hp 28" path Two-stage Snowblower : Sears Outlet
Sears.com
The second link sort of looks like they are still selling these. I wonder if they are extra engines.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

I wish they would go back into production but the company that owns the "Tecumseh Power" and "Lausen" names sells the LCT engines as well so I'm guessing it's not to be.


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## MilestoneMowers (Jan 5, 2014)

*Tecumseh Parts*

Someone has the rights to keep producing parts... I think it's some sort of investor project. http://www.tecumsehpower.com/

As for new engines, they're hard to find. To be honest, and I hate saying this, but after the 8th carburetor or carb rebuild in 8 years on my 1979 MTD Snoflite, I took my 99.00 coupon down to Harbor Freight and bought an engine and have had 3 trouble-free years with it. Fires on the second pull every time and runs circles around the old Tecumseh engine. Everything, including the crank pulley and mounting plates bolted up perfectly, except for the 2 metric bolts I had to buy for the front plate.

I use Stabil in every drop of gas that goes into that machine, and drain/refill with ethanol-free stabilized fuel at the end of the season and I still had carb troubles with that Tecumseh engine. The last time I tried to start it, the threads pulled off with the spark plug, so I just had enough. I slapped another used head on it and sold it to a kid who wanted to build a go kart for $20.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

As I said in another thread, it's not fair to compare your 35 year old TEC with a new Predator engine.


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## MilestoneMowers (Jan 5, 2014)

*Comparisons*

You're right, I'm using an 6.5HP overhead valve engine now, and not dealing with an over-rated 5HP flat-head design from the 1920's, with a poorly designed intake and carburetor system. The H50 when it ran was a good little engine, but when I compare a new carburetor at nearly the same cost as the entire engine, it's a matter of dollars and cents. 

If Tecumseh can come back with a similarly priced American built engine with a ball-bearing supported crankshaft, OHV design and carburetors that work year after year, I'll buy one. Until then, my experience has been that the old Tecumsehs aren't worth sinking the money into once you start having issues with them.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

I guess good luck with it. You can get an Oregon carb for about $30, I've never heard of a crank bushing failing, and all the carb problems I've had have been my own fault. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't like the "throw out the old for a new one" thing, maybe because I'm getting old.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

nt40lanman said:


> I guess good luck with it. You can get an Oregon carb for about $30, I've never heard of a crank bushing failing, and all the carb problems I've had have been my own fault. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't like the "throw out the old for a new one" thing, maybe because I'm getting old.


Just so you know. You're not alone.


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

I had a Toro with a Tecumseh 6hp which I bought in 1985 and I never had a problem with it in the 21 years I owned it, then gave away. Of course being it was on a snow blower the actual usage in hours was relatively low. Even so I was impressed with it.


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## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

I guess that I do not become too attached to stuff. If my 5hp Tecumseh would have worked well I would have kept it. Now what's with discrediting 40 years of innovation for a 1920's design valve in block technology flat head engine. NR racing evaluated the HF Predator engine and said it's block casting was much improved over the older Honda clones and was nearly as good as a Honda casting. It has a cast iron cylinder liner and a ball bearing supported crankshaft. There are ton's of aftermarket parts now for it including forged billet aluminium connecting rods and flywheels which are over twice as strong as stock ones. Racing engines have been built with the HF 212cc that put out 14 HP and Toro uses Loncin which makes the HF Predator 212cc engine to make all thier engines. Tecumseh is out of engine production now because they kept making the same old stuff for years without innovation and Honda came along and took away their business. When the Chinese manufacturers went into production come 2006 it was the kiss of death for them and they went out of production in late 2008.


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## docfletcher (Nov 28, 2013)

Sad, but quite true I'm afraid. Like so many other American companies that have gone the way of the Dodo bird. I'm not at familiar with any Canadian companies but I wonder if they have fair'ed better. I do know it was a Canadian that invented the snow blower.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

Tecumseh engines last appeared on new snowblowers in the 2009 model year, 
Five years ago. (this winter is the 2014 model year)

There are two possibilities to explain the Craftsman with the Tecumseh engine:
1. Its new, never used, but 5 years old. (or older)
2. Its "lightly used" and being passed off as new.

it looks new to me..it probably is..but for some reason not used in the past 5 years, it happens..
or its been used a few times and just cleaned up really well..hard to know just from the photos.

But either way, its 5 years old, at the minimum.
and either way, the guy is asking twice what its worth..

There are new Chinese engines being made using the "Snow King" name..which was Tecumseh's name for their snowblower engines..I think someone got the rights to use the name..but the engines themselves are not at all related to the last of the Tecumseh engines..they are completely different.

I have not seen any new snowblower engines at all that actually say "Tecumseh" on them anywhere..as far as I know, the name Tecumseh is not being used on new snowblower engines at all..only "Snow King"..

Scot


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## MilestoneMowers (Jan 5, 2014)

nt40lanman said:


> I guess good luck with it. You can get an Oregon carb for about $30, I've never heard of a crank bushing failing, and all the carb problems I've had have been my own fault. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't like the "throw out the old for a new one" thing, maybe because I'm getting old.


I did the engine swap in 2011 and the Oregon carbs I saw were around $50 at the time. The last carb I bought for it was a genuine Tecumseh and it cost me about $75 shipped from eBay in 2009. Despite utilizing Stabil and draining the tank every year, the checkball in it froze and I pretty much had enough. I factored my time rebuilding the carb every 2 years or purchasing a new one, I just had enough. Maybe I just don't have the luck, or something wasn't right, but the chinese engine just fires with no issue every time and with selling the old one, my outlay was the price of another genuine carb.


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