2023 test4 productsFuel & Additives
Which Small Gas Engine Brand Wins?
We compared 4 small gas engine options head to head. Honda GX200 came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Honda GX200
Price shown in test: $400 to $600
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Budget pick
Predator 212 (Harbor Freight)
Price shown in test: around $150
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Peak force to spin over engine | Noise level | Vibration | Muffler and cylinder head temp | Fuel used in 48 hours | Oil consumption | Single pull max pulling force | Max torque trailer pull average | 100 foot full RPM run average | Oil analysis | Reliability note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Honda GX200$400 to $600 | 17.5 kg, about 39 lb | 91.7 dB, quieter than all three other engines | around 300 mm per second squared | muffler around 430 F, cylinder head around 150 F | 57 lb of gasoline | did not burn any oil during the 48 hour test, no oil needed to be added | 239 lb, easily outperformed the Honda clone despite being rated for only 5.5 horsepower | 3.52 seconds average (3.59, 3.54, 3.44 seconds) | 4.83 seconds average (4.91, 4.86, 4.71 seconds) | lowest amount of iron wear metal among the four engines | not tested |
| 2Predator 212 (212cc overhead valve engine, sold at Harbor Freight)around $150 | 23.5 kg or 52 lb, the highest (hardest to start) of the four engines | 94.8 dB, a little louder than the Honda and Honda clone | vibrates a little bit less than the Briggs and Stratton and the Honda | not tested | 56 lb of gasoline, the best fuel efficiency of the four engines | not burning oil during the first 24 hours, burning a small amount of oil by the end of the 48 hour test | 233 lb, a little short of the Honda | 3.47 seconds average (3.39, 3.44, 3.59 seconds), fastest of the four, took the lead from the Honda by 0.05 seconds | 4.76 seconds average (4.76, 4.76, 4.76 seconds), fastest and most consistent of the four | highest chromium reading at 1 part per million, an indicator of piston ring wear, though noted as still a very low number | not tested |
| 3Briggs and Stratton 208cc engine (durabore cast iron sleeve)$312 | 32 lb, the lowest (easiest to start) of the four engines | 94.4 dB | very close to the same as the Honda | not tested | 59 lb of gasoline | not burning oil after 48 hours, spark plug looked as good as the Honda's | 213 lb, the lowest of the four engines, ran out of steam | 4.07 seconds average (4.1, 4.1, 4.0 seconds), the slowest of the four but consistent | 5.35 seconds average (5.42, 5.31, 5.31 seconds), the slowest of the four | not tested | stalled three times during the 4 hour load test powering the alternator and halogen light |
| 4Honda Clone GX200 clone (unbranded, advertised as 6.5 hp with a 7.5 hp sticker on the side)around $150 (also described as under $200) | 16.5 kg or just over 36 lb | 94.1 dB, loudest at the time of that comparison | vibrating too much for the vibration tester to measure, described as way out of balance | not tested | 60 lb of gasoline, the most of the four engines | burned 178 g (just over 6 oz) of oil in the first 24 hours and needed oil added twice during the second 24 hours to avoid running out | barely made it to 200 lb, the lowest of the four engines despite being rated up to 7.5 horsepower | 4.02 seconds average (4.15, 3.95, 3.95 seconds) | 5.24 seconds average on the first two passes (5.47 second third pass thrown out as the slowest time) | highest aluminum wear metal reading and 0.2 percent insolubles versus 0.1 percent for the other three engines, though its oil had been topped up more often during the test | not tested |
How it was tested
- 48 hour engine run test measuring fuel consumption and oil consumption under a 500W halogen light load
- noise level measured with a sound meter about 3 feet from the motor
- vibration testing
- muffler and cylinder head temperature measurement
- peak force required to spin over each engine (starting effort)
- oil sample analysis for wear metals (aluminum, chromium, iron) and insolubles
- max torque test pulling a lawn tractor, trailer, and a person up a track
- 100 foot full RPM acceleration run pulling a go kart
- single pull maximum pulling force test dragging a tractor trailer
- cold weather starting test after sitting outside overnight near freezing
“the Honda definitely seems like the best engine but we consider the price and performance the Predator definitely seems to be the best value”
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