OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Question on Digging Equipment Rotary Hoes & Tillers Honda F401 with B&S 12 series engine

I have recently purchased a Rotary hoe which is fully working. From my bit of research it looks like a Honda F401, but has has the Honda engine replaced with a 12 series Briggs and Stratton.

I am going to use the Rotary hoe to turn over the weeds I have sprayed in my back lawn, which includes onion weed and burr grass. I will do this several times to try to remove most of the weeds, before leveling and turning it back to lawn.

I am looking at giving the Rotary hoe a service and a bit of a once over. From my first look over it and testing it I will do the following.

engine
Cylinder leakage test - to get idea of engine condition
Change air filters
Change spark plug
Clean out fuel tank and carby (fit overhaul kit to carby)
Replace cracked fuel elbow to carby
Remove cylinder head, clean up head/pistons/valves.
Change engine oil
Replace throttle cable

Chassis and gearbox
Change gearbox oil
Change drive belt
Check tines and blades
Is there anything else I need to do?

I would like to know if anyone has some info on the actual rotary hoe gearbox and chassis? As I would like to get a service manual and parts manual.

Cheers

Hi beantin,

Here is some information.

Thanks Bruce,

The operators manual is very useful and has guided me in the right direction.

Wow. Honda equipment repowered with a Briggs. Don't hear that often.

Hi MF
Many thanks for raising this festering sore.
I do wish to say something about that ...

Briggs and Stratton are a full-line small engine manufacturer.
Honda offer a very limited line of small engine models.

The implications of this have proved enormous...
And annoying to me...

I recently purchased a Greenfield domestic rotary, fitted with a
commercial grade Briggs engine - the 850 Commercial.
It wasn't even the top-liner Vanguard engine.
Yet, how often does one see these engines on AUS-made machines?

The point I make here is this:
Briggs make engines equal to any small engine maker in the world.

This was not always the case.
Honda's great small engines were a wake-up call to Briggs in the 1970s.
This was largely brought about by new (industrial) applications.

Yet, OEMs frequently do not offer a full engine range, or they offer the lower spec
engines to attempt a price advantage - regardless of application.

I would like to put to bed the view that Honda make superior small engines.
They make great high-end engines; but Briggs do too.

The problem remains - application.... and profit motive ...

Full stop.
----------------------------
Jack