# Is the Briggs 7.75 HP truth or underpower ?



## suspicionogignorance3 (Jun 12, 2014)

Maybe this has been discussed before...but I just bought myself a Craftsman 7.75 / 26" blower after our big blizzard....Model 536.887750 with BS 12c414-0131-e1 engine...Anyone have experience with this engine running on full size blower and 26" bucket.?? I haven't had any use yet, and I'm beginning to think I may be underpowered...as it's hard for me to see how a 205cc eng is developing 7.75HP...and torque is unknown..


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

suspicionogignorance3 said:


> Maybe this has been discussed before...but I just bought myself a Craftsman 7.75 / 26" blower after our big blizzard....Model 536.887750 with BS 12c414-0131-e1 engine...Anyone have experience with this engine running on full size blower and 26" bucket.?? I haven't had any use yet, and I'm beginning to think I may be underpowered...as it's hard for me to see how a 205cc eng is developing 7.75HP...and torque is unknown..



I also find it hard to believe that a 205cc engine puts out 7.5hp. I had a 26" MTD 640F that had enough power with an 8hp Tecumseh. Just as a comparison LCT rates their 208cc engines at 6.5hp. I personally think that a 205cc engine is best suited for a 24" auger width. However technique will help you, start in the middle of the drive and take the plow pile nice and slow using only half the bucket once you get through.


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

Cardo111 said:


> I also find it hard to believe that a 205cc engine puts out 7.5hp. I had a 26" MTD 640F that had enough power with an 8hp Tecumseh. Just as a comparison LCT rates their 208cc engines at 6.5hp. I personally think that a 205cc engine is best suited for a 24" auger width. However technique will help you, start in the middle of the drive and take the plow pile nice and slow using only half the bucket once you get through.


Honda rated their engines at SAE net Hp while Tecumseh rated by gross Hp. The HF Predator 212cc engine is at least equal in power to the 8hp tec engines. I should know since I replaced an 8hp 319cc Briggs flathead on an old Montgomery Ward ( Gilson ) 8 / 26 and the Predator 212cc engine is a good fit for that 26 inch blower since it runs great and throws the snow 35 feet. Here is my repowered Montgomery Ward 8/26 in action.


----------



## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

Yeah - don't get caught up in any HP ratings. The overhead valve engines are quite a bit more efficient the machines of old. the only way to really gauge it is by how well it chucks the stuff at the end of the day. There are a lot of factors that come into play. I think you won't be to unhappy with that purchase. Just like anything else - take care of it and it will take care of you.


----------



## Blackfin (Jan 25, 2016)

There's a reason why companies like Briggs no longer rate their engines for HP but rather "gross torque." If your engine pre-dates this ruling, the 7.75 figure is likely full of ****.

The closest Briggs analog to that engine today might be their 208cc OHV 950 series. The specs page for that engine shows "_...power levels are stated gross horsepower at 3600 rpm per SAE J1940 as rated by Briggs & Stratton_"; looking at the torque curve the engine makes around 8 ft-lbs at 3600RPM. This works out to about 5.5 gross HP at 3600RPM.


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

The term "horsepower" is completely useless, because no one even knows what "horsepower" means anyway, when applied to small gas engines..copied from another recent thread on the topic:



sscotsman said:


> I always wondered what "horsepower" really meant..
> Im sure at one point, probably about 1840 or so, there was a "one horsepower" small steam engine, perhaps on a small farm tractor, that really did have the approximate power of one real horse..
> 
> but in more modern times, am I really supposed to believe that a "three horsepower" engine:
> ...


----------



## suspicionogignorance3 (Jun 12, 2014)

Blackfin said:


> There's a reason why companies like Briggs no longer rate their engines for HP but rather "gross torque." If your engine pre-dates this ruling, the 7.75 figure is likely full of ****.
> 
> The closest Briggs analog to that engine today might be their 208cc OHV 950 series. The specs page for that engine shows "_...power levels are stated gross horsepower at 3600 rpm per SAE J1940 as rated by Briggs & Stratton_"; looking at the torque curve the engine makes around 8 ft-lbs at 3600RPM. This works out to about 5.5 gross HP at 3600RPM.[/QUOT
> 
> ...


----------

