Briggs & Stratton 5 hp outboard

[Raftman1979]

I'm considering buying a 5 hp Briggs & Stratton outboard. They're $700 or $800 new, sold at Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, etc. I don't know anything about them. I'm pretty sure they use a standard vertical shaft push mower engine and that they don't exhaust underwater.

Can anybody who owns one of these things tell me if they're worth the price?

[Manie B]

i was told that they are going out of production because volumes were too low

rather stick to well known makes mercury yamaha etc.

[Butch .H]

Briggs & Stratton are known as Breek en Staan in SA:P

[TollyWally]

Fresh water only, and even so it's a step backwards from a clean used conventional outboard. LOL my opinion, worth price paid! good luck with what ever your choice ends up being.

[Raftman1979]

I don't need a salt-water engine. I live in Illinois. Marketing info I've read say they're supposedly good for muddy water. They're air-cooled, so they don't have water intakes down by the prop. My dad and I blew his 40 horse Mercury when seaweed blocked the intake.

I'm familiar with Briggs & Stratton engines, as I grew up with go-karts and minibikes, and the old man didn't chip in one cent, so I found myself putting engines together with parts from several broken ones quite often. I figure I can rebuild a Briggs engine in my sleep. And since these engines are used on so many things, parts can easily be found.

It's the lower units I know nothing about. I'm wondering if Briggs & Stratton builds it's lower units here in the USA or if they import garbage from China and just bolt their engines to it.

[MattZ]

They're cheap, at the expense of noise. Do you really want your lawn mower engine like four feet from your ears? A rather ill contrived idea if you ask me.

[ondarvr]

I think the air cooled part in very muddy or weedy water would be the only reason you "might" even consider one.

Loud, vibrate a great deal, relatively low quality, short lived, warning says not to troll with it and these are the good points. You could get an excellent used brand name small outboard for the same or less money. People sometimes say that these small B&S motors last a long time because they've had the same mower for 8 to 10 years. Think about it, it gets used for an hour or so once a week during less than half the year, that's maybe 20 hours per year. It doesn't take long for them to start smoking and using oil, this means it’s wearing out. Small outboards seem to last almost forever with even minimal care, I have a 6HP from the late 60's that runs great and is light years ahead of a B&S in quality and technology. I may troll with it for 10 hours a day, so in two days of use it would have the same number hours as what's put on mower in year, it's been used that way since new.

[spare parts]

im reading a lot of OPINIONS on this thread but not a single fact.
I am currntly running a 11 hp briggs on my own boat i built the outboard using the lower unit off a 7.5 hp johnson.
Me and my wife took a voayge ojn summer vaction with it from Tampa to fort meyers..allmost 180 miles the route we took.
that thing never fliched sputtered or poped once the whole time I even made my exaust out of stainless and it goes undewater so its considerably less noisy than many outboards ive run across..as for clean running ..being its air cooled four stroke it doesnt use oil in the gas so it burns clean and nearly all the briggs made int the last 10 years have had to meet EPA standards.
as for reliablity it has proven to me beyond dought i would crank it up for any voyage without dout or reserve and it gets excellent economy and parts are available in every corner of the world without the huge marine industry markup prices. i even went a step further wih my home made out board and belt dirve a 60 amp car alternator whick now i can use a inverter on my battery to drive a small air conditoner and a full computer system for GPS and fishing finders and and many other 110v needs that one would never ever find on another 20 ft cuddy cabin.

[spare parts]

yea and i dont type well......the point is the motor not my typing skills

[troy2000]

I have an old commercial belt-drive reel mower, with a horizontal-shaft, 4.5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. I've hung onto it for years, figuring that someday I'll use the engine as inboard power for a boat.

[Tug]

Very loud exhaust.....
Vibrates like crazy....wont be able to feel anything from the elbows down after 20 min....
I tried to blow one up so i could get a new different one...they are tuff...
The exhaust goes into the boat in the right wind conditions making all the people and stuff smell like the inside of a muffler...
Buy a real outboard...
Suzuki is the best deal for the price....yamaha, then mercury...
Cheers
Tug

[ondarvr]

im reading a lot of OPINIONS on this thread but not a single fact.

Everything I stated was a fact, they vibrate, are loud, it says in the manual not to troll (run at low RPMs) and they are not designed to run (last) for nearly as many hours as a brand name outboard. So other than the air cooled part being possibly better for very dirty and muddy water, I see no advantage in buying one. I have also read the reviews of people who own them, they support everything I said and are typically looking to sell it and buy a real OB.

[CDK]

This post was from 2008 when they dumped the B&S outboard. They seem to have vanished completely.

[pistnbroke]

Well I got one and I love it .....if you rev it up out of the water and it goes over 4000 rpm the rev limiter cuts in and it sounds like it misses ...so dont panic ...on the water its great ..they still seem to be availabe new ....the lower leg is made by B and S and is only for fresh water because it does not have any anodes on it ...let me know if I can give more information.

[Robbo]

if you rev it up out of the water and it goes over 4000 rpm the rev limiter cuts in and it sounds like it misses

LOL-thats probably valve bounce not a rev limiter, unless its more sophisticated than any other B&S Ive seen! Top motors though.

[pistnbroke]

Robbo you clearly know nothing about this engine ..there is an electronic reve limiter module fitted ....if you unplug it it will run over 4000 without missing. In normal use it runs about 3800 so the limiter which shorts out the ignition over 4000 is not an issue.

[Pjitty]

I bought mine in 2006. I use it in the Hudson River [brackish]. the only issue i had so far was the gas coupling leaking. I use it with a 10' Zodiac and have had 4 people on it still got up and plained. Yeah it runs like a lawn mower and spits and miss'es, and is a little loud, [not as loud as my sterndrive], but its a throw away. when it breaks and can't be repaired I'll buy another [if their still around]...

Joe D

[pistnbroke]

Stopped production in 2008 I am told ....

[radfordc]

Production may have stopped but they are still for sale on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Outboard-Motor-5-HP-4-Cycle-Briggs-Stratton-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1e5f2286f2QQitemZ130445117170QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

I like mine a lot.

[swampdog]

I bought a new one summer 2010. It was noisy but otherwise great.

I think the people most opposed to briggs outboards are marine mechanics. Every time somebody buys a briggs the marine mechanic loses a customer for life.

Also, I added a couple feet of copper plumbing pipe to the exhaust and ran it down near prop. Now it is not noisy at all.

[Robbo]

Robbo you clearly know nothing about this engine ..there is an electronic reve limiter module fitted ....if you unplug it it will run over 4000 without missing. In normal use it runs about 3800 so the limiter which shorts out the ignition over 4000 is not an issue.

yep-so it would appear. I was trying to help but it appears I have offended you in some way-my apologies.

[pistnbroke]

SWAMPDOG....what diameter pipe did you use ? did you keep it about 15mm 5/8 all the way down or use a bigger pipe after the joint.....how did you join it ...crude or clever?

Did it affect starting in the water ? or did you put a 1/8 hole in the pipe with a sliding sleeve to releive back pressure ....?

[dillonbeadle24]

I'm looking to buy a 5 hp briggs and stratton but I can't seem to find a distributor of any kind. I was wondering if there is a store or a website I can go to find it. Also I was looking at all the motors stats and I can't find anything about its speed

[ondarvr]

Save yourself some money and sanity...just buy a real outboard.

[dillonbeadle24]

I have a real out board. three to be exact I just want a small aircooled outboard to get around shallow duck ponds where I hunt

[ondarvr]

Well, that's about the best answer someone can give for a reason to buy one of those "things".

I wouldn't expect the plastic prop to last long.

You would probably be better off with a Mudbug, or whatever they're called, its a better design for shallow, weedy, dirty water.

[dillonbeadle24]

Where can I find more info on a mudmug and how much do they cost

[dillonbeadle24]

But does anyone know about the briggs?

[ondarvr]

I googled it and found this right away.

http://www.equipatron.com/briggs-and-stratton-outboard.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_campaign=Google%2BShopping

[pistnbroke]

It does NOT have a plastic prop ..aluminium....and it goes 3800 rpm with a 1: 1.58 reduction to the *8 x 8 prop . work the speed out yourself ..its a love it or hate it thing ..exhaust can be extended to underwater for a quiet ride .... are fish deaf ?

[ondarvr]

The unit that was on display here at the local sporting goods store had a plastic prop, this may, or may not have been normal for production at that time.

[pistnbroke]

Ok certainly mine is aluminium and the spares that I have seen are aluminium ...there was a 3 hp electric version using the same lower unilt .that may have had a plastic prop and later productin may have been plastic ..mine was an earlier production model exported to australia ...people buy ..start it up and rev up and it misses ..they dont realise that they have gone over 4000 rpm and the limiter has cut in ...fine on the water

[dillonbeadle24]

I didn't think it was plastic and I have rode in one and loved it just bc it is compact and aircooled. It wored great in shallow duck pond.

Does anyone know why they were discontinued in retail stores?

[slow fred]

I purchased one new in 2005. It is a little noisy and does vibrate a little. This year I replaced all of the fuel lines and filter, no big problem. That is the only repairs since new. $6.50. It is a cheap motor but, it always starts and runs decent. New price then was $495.00

[dillonbeadle24]

I was wondering if there is a difference in the black and camo engines beside the look of it? And what pattern of camo is it

[pistnbroke]

I think it just went out with the global crash .....Briggs & Stratton had a big share in johnson so did not need to make outboards ..... this is the only true Briggs & S ever made ...like yu say very simple ..starts easy BUT always use SAE 30 oil not 20-50 or similar that is what kills the b & s engine......pipe to the water and its quiet ...

No difference camo or black ....carry a bit of 3 x2 to tilt the leg up ...will not start in gear ( not spin fast enough) prime..choke . part throttle ..pull and off it goes hot or cold . Best to fit a tiny tach or similar so you can bend the prop to ensure it gets up to 3800 at WOT ...over proping is a bad idea.

[dillonbeadle24]

Pistnbroke, What did you use to extend the muffler to the water and what kind of boat did you have on it and how fast did it go(mph)

[pistnbroke]

Had it on a 16 ft canoe and with two up about 12 mph...but it did not quite get on the plane due to weight distribution,,,,,,,,,,remember it idles at 1300 rpm so troll is not the word ..some have used the prop off the electric one as its less pitch ( less top speed)
used an elbow and 3/4 copper plumbing pipe ....difficult to get he shape right ...the full parts and exploded view manual was on the internet at band s but seems to have gone ..I have a printed copy ..could photo and post if you buy one ....

[dillonbeadle24]

Just curious, do you know how much the canoe weigh? Bc I have a 12 ft. Jon boat and I was just wondering how fast you think it might go. And I'm very interested in the pipe system. If you don't mine e-mail me a pic of your design and the diagram. dillonbeadle2@yahoo.com

and how do yall think it would work on a super light jon boat.

[lokolatino2004]

I have that same motor on my 12 ft and i used it in the salt water down the jersey shore...

[pistnbroke]

had an e mail from someone about how to keep this motor running and forgot something ...

All I can say is only use SAE 30 engine oil ,change every 50 hrs and fit a rev/hourmeter so you can check its at 3800 at WOT ...
What I forgot was its a good idea to put an anode on the ventilation plate...drill hole ,scrap off paint and bolt in place ...I use the one from a 4 hp Suzuki...I dont think the ali is top marine grade and the driveshaft not stainless so worth pulling the leg and greasing everying in sight inside...

[lokolatino2004]

can you post pictures?

[hoytedow]

I saw one first time Friday at a lawnmower shop.

[lokolatino2004]

was it brand new?? and how much?

[hoytedow]

It was in for a tune up and was about 8 years old.

[hoytedow]

I am told the owner is interested in selling. I haven't spoken with him about it.

[pistnbroke]

Attached is photo of 5 HP ( its not 4 that because in australia you have to register a boat with over 4 HP ..new logo is cheaper)

Anode from 4 hp Suzuki is on the Ventilation plate .
To make exhaust ..bend a length of welding wire to the shape you want ..then bend 22mm pipe to same shape ..well try ..I had to put a joint in it ..a bender is better than a spring. Plumbing angle at the top 22mm female to 22mm male .This is silver soldered to the 22 mm pipe. I intend to hold it on with a sping as the B/S outlet is "split" as you will see if you examine it carefully....I bolted the support bracket to the shaft casting ..there is nothing inside it at this point.
Nice and quiet ..glug glug glug ...you can hear the tappets ...

Throttle cable goes to conventional Evinrude throttle/shifter...one cable to pull for the B/s and one to push for the throttle on the 30 HP alternative engine. Any questions just ask

[rankamature]

People who come across it might want to have the facts. B&S outboards aren't lawnmower motors. They are 4 stroke OHV marine motors. They do have a rev limiter which will kick in when revved out of the water. They top out at 4000 rpm, which is about 1200 rpm lower than most traditional 5hp outboards, but still put out comparable power. They are a bit louder as well, but are built with a fairly effective muffler so it's not like sitting next to a lawnmower. Are they the top of the line for a small outboard? No. But they are a great value for the price, are tough as nails if you're not a dope and take care of them, and parts are readily available everywhere. Just my 2 cents.

[Pjitty]

As posted previously, I bought mine in 2006. I use mine in my dinghy on the Hudson River, brackish water. I do my own maintenance, I take care of my machinery, and to be honest, this outboard is the best investment I've made since I started boating. I've had it apart to clean and grease and I can't believe how simple it is. I use my dinghy more than my cruiser, and I enjoy it more. I can't see spending twice on an outboard when this one is [to me] just as good as any other brand. And yes, I would buy another in a Heartbeat...

Joe D