Best snowblower engine 9HP Tecumseh or 250cc BS?

Answer 1

It depends. If society is to break down, give me the old style 9HP Tecumseh - I could keep that piece of gear going the rest of my natural life, and it can be modified to run on almost any fuel.

That's if the B&S 250cc engine in question is an overhead valve design. If the B&S is also a flathead design, then it's the better choice. All things equivalent, Briggs and Stratton was always a hair ahead of a Tecumseh (but don't tell that to my Tecumseh powered MTD snow blower... :).

If you value quiet and efficient operation over "being able to fix it with Chewing Gum and baler twine", and trust that society will not break down, then an OHV design is the way to go.

BTW - don't believe all the hype of OHV being all that much more efficient over L-head or flat head (which means valves in block) designs. They are a little, but only because they are a bit more maintenance free than the older engines. If one takes the time to maintain and tune the older style, they are every bit as fuel sipping, yet usually have the ability to pull in more throttle under load. On the other hand, OHV makes more torque and doesn't need as much throttle under load. <shrug> YMMV.