FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it will
close their small engine business. Tecumseh’s manufacturing facility
will close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service and
warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of the
year. After that time, we anticipate that these services will be
provided by a third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

--
Art

Dave Balderstone wrote:
In article , Art
wrote:

FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it will
close their small engine business. Tecumseh‚s manufacturing facility
will close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service and
warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of the
year. After that time, we anticipate that these services will be
provided by a third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

Platinum Equity just bought it for $51 million in cash. Now they're
closing it?


They are closing the small engine division. No mention was made of the
Peerless division that essentially owns the market for rider and garden
tractor transmissions. It's just a guess on my part but I think the
engine side is not nearly as profitable. The emissions standards have
been steadily tightened which forces current engines off the market
after just a few years. That requires a pretty big on-going r&d expense
to stay in the engine business. Gone are the days of designing an engine
and building the same thing for 20 years with only minor changes.

--
Art

Art wrote:
Dave Balderstone wrote:
In article , Art
wrote:

FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it
will close their small engine business. Tecumseh‚s manufacturing
facility will close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service
and warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of
the year. After that time, we anticipate that these services will be
provided by a third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

Platinum Equity just bought it for $51 million in cash. Now they're
closing it?


They are closing the small engine division. No mention was made of the
Peerless division that essentially owns the market for rider and garden
tractor transmissions. It's just a guess on my part but I think the
engine side is not nearly as profitable. The emissions standards have
been steadily tightened which forces current engines off the market
after just a few years. That requires a pretty big on-going r&d expense
to stay in the engine business. Gone are the days of designing an engine
and building the same thing for 20 years with only minor changes.

Well it looks like want to "focus the company on its core business of
making compressors for refrigerators"

http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/news/news.asp?ID=6984

--
Art

On Nov 1, 9:43*am, Art wrote:
Art wrote:
Dave Balderstone wrote:
In article , Art
wrote:

FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it
will close their small engine business. Tecumseh‚s manufacturing
facility will close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service
and warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of
the year. After that time, we anticipate that these services will be
provided by a third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

Platinum Equity just bought it for $51 million in cash. Now they're
closing it?

They are closing the small engine division. No mention was made of the
Peerless division that essentially owns the market for rider and garden
tractor transmissions. It's just a guess on my part but I think the
engine side is not nearly as profitable. The emissions standards have
been steadily tightened which forces current engines off the market
after just a few years. That requires a pretty big on-going r&d expense
to stay in the engine business. Gone are the days of designing an engine
and building the same thing for 20 years with only minor changes.

Well it looks like want to "focus the company on its core business of
making compressors for refrigerators"

http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/news/news.asp?ID=6984

--
Art- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No pity, and its actualy good ridence. Guess it was just too muich
topproduce sucha cheap crappy product as their engines were and then
suffer through a waranty period of free labor andparts for such junk.
Its a hell of a note when you can buy a made in china OHV engine that
is pretty well identical to a top end HONDA model and most all
internal and external parts fit from the Honda tothe china made engine
and have it run and run trouble free for a ong period of time. I
bought a 13 hp electric starat OHV made in china motor for a log
splitter and its been used hard and put up wet for three or 4 years
now. I paid less than $200 for it (less battery) and its never fialed
me yet. Pressure lube with filter.......runs wide open for 7 to 10
hours a day when used and used weeks ata time, yet I had problems with
any Tech engine when used for lesser periods of time. I Used to have
to replace the engine on my vac cart every two or three years (tec
engine) now I have a China made engine installed whichcostme less than
$100 and its on its 3rd year and runs like a champ. Tec was never
anything but junk for the most part..and if it was not for Sears/
Crapsman useing their junk engines with rhew Crapsman brand on them
they would have been gone long ago.

As bad as you say they are, I have a snow blower (I think they cornered the
snow blower market with their Snow King engines) with a Tecumseh engine and
a 30+ year old Troy-Bilt tiller with a cast iron Tecumseh engine --- giving
me concern on availability of parts, possibly I should stock up on
carburetor rebuild kits for both as they tend to clog up during idle times,
and points sets for the older engine as it tends to burn them up every few
years after hard work.


"Art" wrote in message
...
FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it will
close their small engine business. Tecumseh’s manufacturing facility will
close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service and
warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of the year.
After that time, we anticipate that these services will be provided by a
third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

--
Art

EXT wrote:
As bad as you say they are, I have a snow blower (I think they cornered
the snow blower market with their Snow King engines) with a Tecumseh
engine and a 30+ year old Troy-Bilt tiller with a cast iron Tecumseh
engine --- giving me concern on availability of parts, possibly I should
stock up on carburetor rebuild kits for both as they tend to clog up
during idle times, and points sets for the older engine as it tends to
burn them up every few years after hard work.



I never said they were bad. You have me confused with ExPat. Tecumseh
made some very good horizontal engines. IMO, They got a bad rep for
building vertical shaft engines to Sears specs to meet a particular
price point rather than any certain standard of quality.

--
Art

On Nov 3, 7:08*pm, Art wrote:
EXT wrote:
As bad as you say they are, I have a snow blower (I think they cornered
the snow blower market with their Snow King engines) with a Tecumseh
engine and a 30+ year old Troy-Bilt tiller with a cast iron Tecumseh
engine --- giving me concern on availability of parts, possibly I should
stock up on carburetor rebuild kits for both as they tend to clog up
during idle times, and points sets for the older engine as it tends to
burn them up every few years after hard work.

I never said they were bad. You have me confused with ExPat. Tecumseh
made some very good horizontal engines. IMO, They got a bad rep for
building vertical shaft engines to Sears specs to meet a particular
price point rather than any certain standard of quality.

--
Art

I agree, Tec did make some good and even great cast iron block
horizontal engines, unfortunately just like ART said, they succumbed
to Crapsman cheapness. The motors they make today and for many years
since those good old cast iron engines leave a lot to be desired, as
no longevity wsa builtinto them or their design. Their crankcase is
much thinner than the typical B&S......as is their conn rods and
heads. Everyhting is redeuced tothe point to require less materials
tomake, yet nothing was done to beef up the overall design..........I
guess when you get used to building junk for such a company as Sears
you assume you have it made and no need to change.........but it seems
to have bit Tec in the backside.........

On Nov 1, 9:30*am, Art wrote:
. The emissions standards have
been steadily tightened which forces current engines off the market
after just a few years. That requires a pretty big on-going r&d expense
to stay in the engine business. Gone are the days of designing an engine
and building the same thing for 20 years with only minor changes.

--
Art- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

yeah, that's only gonna get tighter. good idea to bail.

although i've been watching those evinrude etec engines in a kind of
half-interested way.

On Nov 3, 12:57*pm, "EXT" wrote:
As bad as you say they are, I have a snow blower (I think they cornered the
snow blower market with their Snow King engines) with a Tecumseh engine and
a 30+ year old Troy-Bilt tiller with a cast iron Tecumseh engine --- giving
me concern on availability of parts, possibly I should stock up on
carburetor rebuild kits for both as they tend to clog up during idle times,
and points sets for the older engine as it tends to burn them up every few
years after hard work.

"Art" wrote in message

...



FYI -

quote
The investment firm that owns Tecumseh Power has determined that it will
close their small engine business. Tecumseh’s manufacturing facility will
close on December 15, 2008.
snip
Tecumseh will continue to support service parts, technical service and
warranty from their Grafton, Wisconsin facility until the end of the year.
After that time, we anticipate that these services will be provided by a
third party that has not yet been named.
/quote

(Sorry I can't name the source.)

--
Art- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

yeah, i have a second hand toro snow dog circa about 1968 as far as i
can tell with a tecumseh flathead, still runs. carb really needs a
rebuild, but internet parts folks kind of scratch their head when i
ask them. i've got the service manual and all so i can spec them the
carb.

On Nov 4, 10:19*am, ExPat wrote:
On Nov 3, 7:08*pm, Art wrote:





EXT wrote:
As bad as you say they are, I have a snow blower (I think they cornered
the snow blower market with their Snow King engines) with a Tecumseh
engine and a 30+ year old Troy-Bilt tiller with a cast iron Tecumseh
engine --- giving me concern on availability of parts, possibly I should
stock up on carburetor rebuild kits for both as they tend to clog up
during idle times, and points sets for the older engine as it tends to
burn them up every few years after hard work.

I never said they were bad. You have me confused with ExPat. Tecumseh
made some very good horizontal engines. IMO, They got a bad rep for
building vertical shaft engines to Sears specs to meet a particular
price point rather than any certain standard of quality.

--
Art

I agree, Tec did make some good and even great cast iron block
horizontal engines, unfortunately just like ART said, they succumbed
to Crapsman cheapness. The motors they make today and for many years
since those good old cast iron engines leave a lot to be desired, as
no longevity wsa builtinto them or their design. Their crankcase is
much thinner than the typical B&S......as is their conn rods and
heads. Everyhting is redeuced tothe point to require less materials
tomake, yet nothing was done to beef up the overall design..........I
guess when you get used to building junk for such a company as Sears
you assume you have it made and no need to change.........but it seems
to have bit Tec in the backside.........- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

manufacturers are stuck; they have to deal with the big stores to get
market share, then they get chewed up. frankly, i think the better bet
is to resign yourself to being a small, boutique operation providing
niche products rather than mass market.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/...n_snapper.html