Iridium sparkplugs - have you tried them?

[charles p]

I have an old Craftsman push mover with a B&S engine.  It used to start on the second pull, then one day it started giving me problems.  Went to the autoparts store for a new plug and purchased an EasyStart Iridium plug.  Wow, what a difference it made in my mower.  No longer surges while I am mowing and it starts very easily.  Went back and bought a couple of the EasyStart plugs for every small engine I own.  Don't know what the downside can be but they surely seem to generate a hot spark.
 

[scootrd]

Maybe in the high performance cars of today. Many cars using iridium plugs are needed because modern high current / voltage / high heat/ ignition systems and engines. However it's been my observation in lawn equipment over the years , I saw no significant change in performance whatsoever.  The best thing I have found for my lawn and tractor Equip is to stick to MFG recommended plugs, ensure they are properly gapped , and use good quality plug wires.

I'm glad they worked for you.

note:
If your Craftman was giving you fits , on pull start, and surging , Iridium plugs may only hide the issue for a period of time. I would be looking at plug fouling , Ensure air/fuel mix is good , and a good carb cleaning / jets. Surging, normally points towards a varnished carb, air / fuel restriction, or a govenor out of wack.

[243dave]

Last year I replaced my spark plug in my mower thinking this would solve the surging and hard starts.  It did for a cutting than it went back to doing the same things again.  I found a place that sold pure gasoline instead of the 10 percent ethanol stuff that is sold nearly everywhere.  After a tank or two of the pure gasoline my mower started running like new, I wish I could have said the same for my weed-eater, all of the gas lines that was emerged in the ethanol gas inside the tank was reduced to jell over the winter.
 
Beware of gasoline with ethanol, it is especially hard on small engines.  Find 100% gasoline for them.
 
Dave
 

[scootrd]

I agree Dave ,

It's been my experience in small engines that are not used quite as frequently as say your Automobile ethanol tend to attract water. then the domino affect begins , the water starts to rust the fuel system, The solvent properties of ethanol start cleansing all that gunk accumulating in fuel tanks and lines and helps move it right on through straight to carb gumming it up.  I also agree it softens some gaskets and fuel lines. I had to replace the fuel line on my Craftsman Snowblower last year. Softened it enough to where natural vaccuum kept pinching it shut.

My 1959 Bolens now only gets ethanol free gas (as well as most of my other vintage equip and as mentioned earlier , I stick with MFG recommended plugs.

Seems to keep me out of trouble through the years and helps me avoid a tear down on a Saturday. I would much rather be shooting then monkeying around with a gummed up carter carb. (unless of course it's raining , then there's no place Id rather be anyways).

I'm certainly not saying iridium plugs are bad , I just don't see them as necessary on small engines, and I personally have never seen a significant performance difference.

JMHO

[charles p]

I live at the coast and all our marinas carry ethanol free gasoline - at a much higher price.  It is well worth the price for small engines because they use so little fuel.  Stabilizers are helpful as well.  I use Seafoam.
You are so correct.  It does make a big difference in  performance.
 

[mechanic]

Don't come to GA.  All our gas has ethanol...like it or not.
 
Ben