[Hugh-SS/16]

I am looking to buy an SS15 soon, as detailed in my "Quest for the 2nd Suburban" thread. I talked to the guy buying my 8XL, who knows a bit about Sears tractors, and he said the engines in the 15's were bad, and thats why they were a one year only thing. So whats the truth? What do you guys think of the SS14's and SS15's?

 

[ss12]

my ss15's are great. the 16 briggs in my wards is great. i use one of my ss15's to pull my 8x16 trailer around the yard and used it to pull a hayride on the same trailer last weekend with about a dozen folks on it. they are torqy! i love my tech 12 for garden work, but the 15 is better for the heavy hauling. the briggs carb is a diffrent animal, but you'll figure it out and its not bad. i like the points (external) too.

 

[ray the sears man]

they are great i HAD a ss15 and it worked great and my rt has a 16 hp and it runs great

 

[Johnnyby68]

thats news to me.... their not a high rpm hp motor like the 16 twin onans as far as pulling goes but their a good motor just a pain to get the carborator just right i believe i've only delt with one myself personally.... but our ss15 runs great pulled good to just had to use a lower gear

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

so sounds like a bigger torquier tecumseh?? i always thought those were king of low end torque. and how do the carbs compare to the tecumsehs? or rather walboro i guess

 

[ss12]

the briggs has a very long stroke, and is a very tall and heavy engine. the tech will do the same work, just harder. the carbs are equally a pain in the ... but the briggs carb atleast wont fill the block with gas when it leaks. and lots of em do. a fuel shut off, and a real cleaning then good tune, i think youd really like it hugh

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

then i cant wait! i like the onan, when it runs, but having a nice put put tractor that does good work is the best i think. this is so getting a stack

 

[Johnnyby68]

good point on that with the tec's filling the crank case with gas... i had that happen a few times... but theres nothing really wrong with a 15 briggs... good long lasting motor

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

awesome. sounds like it might pull better than the 16?????

 

[ss12]

then i cant wait! i like the onan, when it runs, but having a nice put put tractor that does good work is the best i think. this is so getting a stack

:trink39:maybe not as high as mine though, i gotta cut it to get her in the shed

 

[Johnnyby68]

your twin would sound good with two stacks.... just have to get it to idle down more from what your one clip on youtube has..... alot lot lower

 

[ss12]

awesome. sounds like it might pull better than the 16?????

i cant say, never had a twin:sorry1:

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

yea the idle right now is sick.. it will sound great with twin stacks. i think (hope) that fixing the pump is what i need to do.

 

[Johnnyby68]

nah its in either your idle mixture or throttle cable adjustment for you idle being that high... or the idle screw itself is out of adjustment

 

[Johnnyby68]

pulling wise i'd prefer a twin.. personal preference but never know one day one will do better then the other next day it might be the oppsite

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

the idle was just tuned to high.. its been lowered and evened out since then

 

[Johnnyby68]

ooohhh ok... if you got a ss15 it would be fun and totally different from your 16

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

yea with the onan, i pulled mostly at mid to high throttle, since that is where they peak in torque, the briggs, i will pull at just above idle

 

[J.Gibson]

I am looking to buy an SS15 soon, as detailed in my "Quest for the 2nd Suburban" thread. I talked to the guy buying my 8XL, who knows a bit about Sears tractors, and he said the engines in the 15's were bad, and thats why they were a one year only thing. So whats the truth? What do you guys think of the SS14's and SS15's?

What year is the tractor? I think that answsers the reliability question. I've had good luck with briggs over the years. I wouldn't be at all worried about the 15 hp.

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

its a 72 I THINK. they were one year though, but im positive its a 72