New E-Series™ Push Mower Engines from Briggs & Stratton Are All About Easy

MILWAUKEE, March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers shopping for a new lawnmower this year will find a new engine packed with "easy" features mounted to the decks of their favorite mower brands. The new E-Series™ push mower engine will join Briggs & Stratton Corporation's (NYSE: BGG) product line-up this spring. The E-Series engine will be available on lawnmowers sold at Lowe's, Sears, The Home Depot, Walmart and other retailers of outdoor power equipment. 

Seven in ten consumers who bought a lawnmower in 2010 felt that it is 'extremely important' to have a lawnmower that's easy to start according to PowerPulse™, an annual consumer survey on outdoor power equipment. Over half of consumers surveyed also wanted a lawnmower that is easy to maintain and maneuver. Briggs & Stratton® E-Series™ engines deliver on all the "easy" features consumers want, making it easier than ever for homeowners to have a great looking lawn. From easy one-step starting to improved performance and reduced emissions, the E-Series engines deliver a distinctly enhanced lawn mowing experience.

"The E-Series represents an evolution in push mower engines, offering homeowners distinct quality and features even on the most basic engine in the series," says JP Benjamins, product marketing manager for Briggs & Stratton. "Everything about these engines is aimed at making the mowing experience easier and better for consumers."

The new 550e and 550ex Series™ engines offer these Easy features including:

• Easy starting – An easier to pull rope helps you start the engine on the first or second pull.
• Easy to maneuver – A best in class torque-to-weight ratio means the engine has the power to cut your grass well while being light, making it easier to push your lawnmower.
• Easy to maintain – Using a Briggs & Stratton tune-up kit, this engine requires less than 30 minutes of easy-to-do maintenance per year.
• Easy on your hands and ears – Reduced vibration levels and an improved sound level delivered by the Super Lo-Tone™ muffler enhances your mowing experience. 

The 550ex Series™ comes equipped with the ReadyStart® starting system, eliminating the need to choke or prime the engine before pulling the rope to start the engine.  The 550ex Series is also covered by the Briggs & Stratton Starting Promise™.  All 550e and 550ex Series engines also meet U.S. EPA Phase 3 emissions standards.

The arrival of the E-Series™ engine, designed at Briggs & Stratton's Milwaukee headquarters using U.S. and global components, represents a major milestone for company.  In July 2010, Briggs & Stratton announced an investment of more than $35 million to renovate its Murray, Kentucky facility over three years, including installation of upgraded tooling, new machinery, and workforce training.  The Murray facility, opened in 1985, is now manufacturing the new 550e and 550ex Series™ engines.

The E-Series™, which went into production in November 2011, joins a full line of engines manufactured by Briggs & Stratton in its U.S. facilities in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri.  In 2011, Briggs & Stratton's U.S. engine plants produced more than 9 million engines and employed over 3,000 people.  For more information on the new E Series™ engines, visit briggsandstratton.com.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America's number one manufacturer of portable generators and pressure washers, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of home standby generators, along with lawn and garden and turf care through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris® and Murray® brands.  Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents.

SOURCE Briggs & Stratton Corporation