I.Q. [Innovation Quotient] award
Briggs & Stratton Corp.
Wauwatosa
www.briggsandstratton.com
Innovation: Quiet/no oil change mower engine
For some lawn mowers, changing the oil can be a hassle.
And the loud roar of your neighbor’s lawn mower at 7 a.m. on the one Saturday you had an opportunity to sleep in can be really annoying.
Wauwatosa-based Briggs & Stratton Corp. has developed a state-of-the-art, revolutionary mower engine that solves both of those problems.
In February, Briggs & Stratton launched its first self-propelled mower that utilizes both Briggs & Stratton’s Quiet Power Technology and its Just Check and Add feature.
The mower engine, currently available on several brands of self-propelled mowers, is 60 percent quieter than a standard walk-behind mower and never needs an oil change.
“We’re really very focused on user-driven problem solving,” said Rick Zeckmeister, vice president of marketing for Briggs & Stratton. “We do know that even the people who enjoy yard work want it to be easier and less of a hassle. These pieces of innovative technology do that for them.”
According to Zeckmeister, the new engine runs cooler and has an advanced air filter and debris management system. These features prevent oil from breaking down the way it does in a traditional mower engine, so the only thing the consumer has to do is check and refill the oil.
Advanced engineering techniques were used to adjust the blade shape and lift, design an advanced acoustic muffler, and adjust and maintain the engine speed – all factors contributing to noise on a traditional mower engine, Zeckmeister said.
All while maintaining the strength and power of a traditional Briggs & Stratton engine.
The quiet mowing feature was released approximately three years ago, and the oil change feature was released last year. February marked the launch of the mower engine with both features included.
The engine is designed and engineered in Milwaukee, and manufactured in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
The company plans to expand the features to additional mower models, applications and brands in the near future.
