Tecumseh Boat Engines: Where Are They Manufactured?

Tecumseh Products Company was an American manufacturer of engines and compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration products. The company was founded in 1934 by Raymond Herrick, who aimed to apply Henry Ford's concepts of automobile mass production to refrigeration compressors. Over the years, Tecumseh expanded its business and entered the small engine market in 1956. By the 1960s, it had become the second-largest manufacturer of small engines in North America. However, in 2008, Tecumseh closed its small engine manufacturing division, and its engine business was sold to various companies. While Tecumseh engines are no longer produced, the company's legacy lives on, and its engines are still sought after by boat enthusiasts.

Tecumseh Products Company history

Tecumseh Products Company is an American manufacturer of hermetic compressors for refrigeration and air conditioning products. The company was founded in 1931 as the Hillsdale Machine and Tool Company, with the aim of making parts for Ford Motors. The founding members were Charles Floyd Sage (known as Bill), Ray W. Herrick, Olin Freed, Marshall Davis, and Wilbut Groauman. The company was based in a livery stable on Railroad Street in Hillsdale, Michigan.

In 1934, the company moved to Tecumseh, Michigan, and changed its name to Tecumseh Products Co. This move was prompted by the addition of Frank Smith, who had an idea for a refrigerated compressor. By 1936, the company had begun to focus on manufacturing hermetically sealed refrigeration compressors. In 1937, the first shares of the company were offered to the public. In 1938, the first hermetically sealed refrigeration unit was released, but production was soon sidelined by World War II.

After the war, in 1945, Herrick's son, Kenneth G. Herrick, returned and joined Tecumseh Products as the company resumed its focus on compressors. By 1950, Tecumseh was the largest independent manufacturer of refrigerated compressors in the world, with sales reaching $72 million, and a production capacity of over two million compressors a year. The company continued to expand, acquiring new businesses and introducing new products, such as air conditioning compressors for automobiles in 1953.

In 1956, Tecumseh entered the small engine market by acquiring Lauson, and in 1957, they acquired the Power Products Company, which manufactured 2-cycle engines for antique chainsaws. By the 1960s, Tecumseh had become the second-largest manufacturer of small engines in North America. Their engines were used in a variety of equipment, from lawnmowers to snow blowers, and were known for their power and dependability.

In 2007, Tecumseh sold its gasoline engine and power train product lines to Platinum Equity LLC, and in December 2008, the company closed its engine manufacturing division. In 2009, Tecumseh Products moved from Tecumseh, Michigan, to Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan. In the same year, Platinum Equity LLC sold certain assets of Tecumseh Power Company's engine business to Certified Parts Corporation.

In 2015, Mueller Industries and Atlas Holdings completed the purchase of Tecumseh's refrigeration business.

Tecumseh engine parts

Tecumseh has been one of the most prominent names in the small engine business for over a century, growing in the 1960s into the second-largest manufacturer of small engines in North America. Tecumseh engines power both residential and commercial equipment, including lawn mowers, snow blowers, chippers, shredders, edgers, augers, pressure washers, tillers, pumps, generators, and recreational vehicles.

In 2007, Tecumseh's former gasoline engine and power train product lines were sold to Platinum Equity LLC, which does business as Tecumseh Power. In December 2008, the company closed its engine manufacturing division.

In February 2009, Platinum Equity LLC announced that Tecumseh Power Company had sold certain assets of its engine business to Certified Parts Corporation. This included the sale of existing and unfinished engine parts inventory, tools to make finished products, and certain intellectual property assets.

Certified Parts Corporation (CPC) of Janesville, Wisconsin, announced in September 2010 that it had entered into an agreement with LCT (Liquid Combustion Technology) to jointly manufacture air-cooled engines for outdoor power equipment. The agreement allowed CPC and LCT to provide single-cylinder and V-twin vertical engines to outdoor power equipment manufacturers.

Today, Tecumseh engine parts can be purchased from various authorized dealers and websites. These parts include:

• Carburetors
• Gaskets
• Filters
• Fuel lines
• Ignition coils
• Spark plugs
• Recoil starter assemblies
• Electric starter motors
• Float bowl gaskets
• Mufflers
• Oil dipsticks and tubes
• Fuel tanks
• Breather tubes
• Air filters

Tecumseh engine models

Tecumseh has been a prominent name in the small engine business for over a hundred years. The Tecumseh label is synonymous with powerful, dependable, well-designed, and long-lasting machines.

The Tecumseh Products Company is an American manufacturer of compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration products. The company began in 1931 as the Hillsdale Machine and Tool Company, making parts for Ford Motors. In 1956, Tecumseh entered the small engine market by acquiring Lauson.

Tecumseh engines power a variety of residential and commercial equipment, including lawn mowers, snow blowers, chippers, shredders, edgers, augers, pressure washers, tillers, pumps, generators, and recreational vehicles.

• 3.5 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model LEV80 - Small Frame - Rotary Lawn Mower/Trimmer Applications
• 6.0 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model LEV105 - Small Frame - Rotary Lawn Mower Application
• 8.0 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model TVM220 - Rider Application
• 13.0 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model OV358EA, OHV130-135 - Overhead Valve Rider Application
• 5.0 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model LH195SA, HSSK50 - Winter Application
• 10.0 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine - Model HM100 – Medium Frame

Some of the models are also available in other horsepower variants and are used in different applications. For example, the 3.5-4.5 Horsepower Tecumseh Engine has Model LV148EA and LEV90, which are used in small frame rotary lawn mower/trimmer applications.

Tecumseh engine products were once sold in over 120 countries. However, in 2008, the company closed its engine manufacturing division, and its former gasoline engine and power train product lines were sold to Platinum Equity LLC.

Tecumseh engine repairs

Tecumseh has been one of the most prominent names in the small engine business for over a hundred years. By the 1960s, it had become the second-largest manufacturer of small engines in North America. Tecumseh engines power a range of residential and commercial equipment, including lawn mowers, snow blowers, chippers, shredders, edgers, augers, pressure washers, tillers, pumps, generators, and recreational vehicles. The Tecumseh label is synonymous with powerful, dependable, well-designed, and long-lasting machines.

Tecumseh Engine Parts

Tecumseh engine parts can be purchased from various suppliers, including TecumsehEngineParts.com, Jack's, and MTD Parts. TecumsehEngineParts.com offers a range of parts for Tecumseh-equipped machines, including lawn mowers, snow blowers, and outdoor power equipment. MTD Parts also offers a selection of Tecumseh engine parts, including carburetors, starters, oil filters, air filters, ignition coils, and spark plugs.

Repair Information

While Tecumseh no longer manufactures engines, repair and maintenance services for Tecumseh engines can still be found. Certified Parts Corporation (CPC), which acquired certain assets of Tecumseh Power Company's engine business in 2009, provides servicing for Tecumseh Power engines through its existing dealer/distributor network. CPC also jointly manufactures air-cooled engines for the outdoor power equipment market with LCT (Liquid Combustion Technology).

History of Tecumseh

The Tecumseh Products Company began in Hillsdale, Michigan, in 1931 as the Hillsdale Machine and Tool Company, making parts for Ford Motors. In 1934, the company moved to Tecumseh, Michigan, and changed its name to Tecumseh Products Co. By 1950, it had become the largest independent manufacturer of refrigerated compressors in the world. Tecumseh entered the small engine market in 1956 with the acquisition of Lauson and expanded further with the acquisition of the Power Products Company in 1957.

In 2007, Tecumseh sold its gasoline engine and power train product lines to Platinum Equity LLC and closed its engine manufacturing division in December 2008. In 2009, Tecumseh Products relocated to Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan, and Tecumseh Power ceased operations. The company's engine business assets were sold to Certified Parts Corporation, which assumed responsibility for warranty and servicing of Tecumseh Power engines.

Tecumseh engine competitors

Tecumseh Products Company is an American manufacturer of compressors for air conditioning and refrigeration products, as well as a former manufacturer of engines for outdoor power equipment.

In 2007, Tecumseh sold its gasoline engine and power train product lines to Platinum Equity LLC, which does business as Tecumseh Power. In 2008, Tecumseh Power closed its engine manufacturing division, and sold its Peerless transmissions business to Husqvarna Outdoor Products (later sold to McDermott Outdoor Products).

In 2009, Platinum Equity LLC sold certain assets of Tecumseh Power's engine business to Certified Parts Corporation (CPC), including existing and unfinished engine parts inventory, tools, and certain intellectual property assets. CPC assumed responsibility for the warranty of previous engine sales.

CPC, based in Rock County, Wisconsin, intended to initially supply parts for Tecumseh Power engines, but also stated that it could eventually resume engine production. In 2010, CPC announced an agreement with Liquid Combustion Technology (LCT) to jointly manufacture air-cooled engines for the outdoor power equipment market. The engines would be sold under the Snow King, Lauson, and LCT brands, and serviced by CPC and the existing Tecumseh Power dealer/distributor network.

Therefore, competitors of Tecumseh engines include:

• Platinum Equity LLC (through Tecumseh Power)
• Certified Parts Corporation
• Liquid Combustion Technology
• Husqvarna Outdoor Products
• McDermott Outdoor Products

Frequently asked questions