Predator engines

[JAinVA 4,619]

I know this may not be a true WH subject but I know many on this forum have put a HF predator engine on their tractors.I bought a 5 horse to power a 12" wood planer not a tractor but I can not find a source for a replacement air filter.I tried a Honda filter from one I own but no go.Anyone here have a suggestion.Of course at $100 dollars maybe run this till it dies.Any thoughts folks?Thanks,JAinVA

[maxed500 10]

My Predator 6.5 uses a foam air filter.  I don't know if the 5 hp uses a paper or foam element.  Here are the directions for foam filter maintenance from the Predator engine manual: 

For foam filters:

Wash the filter in warm water and mild

detergent several times. Rinse. Squeeze out

excess water and allow it to dry completely.

Soak the filter in lightweight oil briefly,

then squeeze out the excess oil.

[JAinVA 4,619]

maxed500,

         The five has a round pleated paper filter..Until I can get a source of replacement filters the best I can do is blow out the one on the engine now.You would think that as popular as these engines are someone would start supplying some filters.JAinVA

[305 379]

i'm not familiar with the Preditor 5 hp.....is it a vertical or horizontal?    i don't see it on their website

 

is there a number on that paper filter to cross reference?

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Have you tried HF Customer Service for buying a new one? I don't see a 5 hp either.  Is it the 79cc engine? That has a flat paper filter.

[ohiofarmer 3,156]

Plenty of suppliers, but the Go-cart race community is the source. i could not find a direct OEM replacement, but here is one example of an aftermarket.

http://www.bmikarts.com/Air-Filter-Kit-for-Predator-212cc_p_4339.html

 

 Maybe HFT itself could supply them, and your engine manual will have your repair parts listed, but I have heard that the actual ordering of this stuff can be an adventure. So getting an upgrade for a 99.00 engine can be quite a chore. Paying almost half the cost of the engine for a performance air filter may or may not be worth it to you

 The best way to spend your money at HFT is to get the 2 year extended warranty. That extends your factory warranty to two yeas and three months. Take back your perfectly functioning engine with the primer bulb out or a small oil leak and they will replace it. Just saying. I had a great engine [14 horsepower pulling a 520-H] that the electric starter puked and I hand cranked it until 5 days before the warranty expired. They took it back on my word alone. No checking or testing at all. The best thing about it is they offered ANOTHER warranty on my new engine. To someone less honest than myself, it would be possible to use the warranty as a rental payment and replace the engine every 2.25 years.

 Since this engine is a Honda clone, i wonder if the Honda filter would fit? BTW, the 99.00 engine [on sale] is probably a 6.5 HP

[JAinVA 4,619]

The reason that no one has heard  of a 5 horse Predator engine is because it's a 6.5 horse.Brain fa#t on my part.It is the 212 cc engine.I have seen the aftermarket go-cart filter but it seems a pricey option for a disposable engine.I got this engine to see if I could convert an electric drive to a gas engine drive on my Belsaw planer.This would allow me to put it in a remote outdoor structure without having to run electrics.I plane a lot of pine for framing lumber. If this works out I probably will upgrade to a Honda.I may try some of your suggestions to get a filter from HF but you would think some would have something.Thanks to all, JAinVA

[slammer302 2,154]

On eBay the Honda gx160 & gx200 air filters look the same as the predator 212 but looking the same may be different than being the same

[ACman 7,505]

Will the aftermarket filter fit the Honda too   ? Just saying , good washable filter .

[Agage1 83]

I don't think the predators are disposable anymore. I run only Hondas on my compressor s at work(5 guns) and we work em hard.  Last year I replaced a worn out honda on one of my compressors with a hf predator 212.  All I can say is that thing always starts first pull and has given me no problems. Rain, shine, whatever. I just did the swap cause I had a hf coupon for the motor and I was bored. It's nowbecome our workhorse. 

[JAinVA 4,619]

slammer302,

     I have a Honda 8horse GX240 engine in the shop now and I knew it's filter was to big in diameter.I have a gx200 on the wood splitter but old Fa#t that I am I never thought to check it.I will definitely do that tomorrow.If it can be used you can bet I will let the folks here know.I know a lot of us have the predators on our auxiliary equipment.JAinVA

 

Agage1,

   I didn't mean to imply that there is anything wrong with the Predator when I referred to it as disposable.I popped mine out of the box filled it with fluids and second pull it roared to life.When you can buy a new 6.5horse engine for a hundred bucks why would you spend any money to overhaul it? Hence disposable to me.For what I have in it I'm happy with it but I would like to be able to keep it serviced including, frequent oil changes and new filters.I will see if the gx200 filter will work. JAinVA

Edited October 13, 2016 by JAinVA

[Agage1 83]

I originally bought the predator as disposable too. Just saying I was pleasantly surprised at how good of an investment it was considering the abuse we have put it through. 

I buy parts from the gokart catalogs too. I bought a washable filter for like $15.

[JAinVA 4,619]

Agage1,

 Glad you didn't take offense at the disposable remark.If the Honda filter doesn't pan out I will check out the Go-kart filter.Like you ,I have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the Predator engine.I grew up with Tecumseh and Briggs powered pushmowers.I remember when my folks bought one at the grocery store.10 hours of run time and it smoked terribly.The folks here decry the new disposable society and it is a shame but some of us remember the number of push mowers for sale at the local grocery store.Just where were the buyers supposed to get them serviced?Blow it up and buy a new one isn't a new consept. Can anyone here imagine getting a mower at the local Food Lion? Thanks for the input.JAinVA

Edited October 13, 2016 by JAinVA

[slim67 2,730]

I put a 6.5 on my logsplitter after my dad seized up the old Briggs. I would definitely buy one again for repowering something. I might even try to fit one on my suburban project.

[JAinVA 4,619]

OK folks through the efforts of my wife searching the internet we have a source for a predator 212 cc replacement air filter.

She found a place called   V Power Equipment.com .I  went there  and typed in a search for Predator air filter.They had a listing for the element and filter box without the vapor hose for $11.95 and with the hose for $14.95.I think I will order one and see what arrives.

I'll let you folks know what I find.JAinVA

[Agage1 83]

I'm pretty much unoffendable. I am just passing on my personal experience with the predators. I thought I'd be the last one to jump on the predator bandwagon. I have 3 pieces of equipment I've put these things on and they've really performed well. Not that much time has passed so hopefully  not putting my foot in my mouth by defending the predators. 

[maxiblue 352]

I have predator 6.5hp 212cc on my walk behind airens snow blower which was a 7hp, have been running it for 7 years now only thing I did was put a inline fuel filter on it. has more power then the old 7hp. I also have a 9hp one on my harbor Freight towable trencher have had that over 13years again no problems. that's my 2 cents.

Edited October 13, 2016 by maxiblue

[slammer302 2,154]

I believe back in the early days of predator engines they were not as well made but they have gone through a few changes over the years and now they are just as good as Honda Briggs and maybe Kohler. They used to use a plastic cam gear and now they use steel ball bearings on the crank shaft they went from the foam air filter to a actual paper filter. A friend of mine that is into gokarting said they changed the head to what he called a hemi head that had the same size valves that he  paid a machine shop put in his Honda head. Even though they are cheap its nice to know they keep working to make a better product.

Edited October 13, 2016 by slammer302

[WHX?? 46,707]

Whoever remembers us ranting about cheap stuff that didn't last being made in Japan a few years ago raise your hand!!

[82Caddy 851]

I have a predator twin in a d series with close to 70 hours on it. Works just as it did out of the box. Most of those hours have been with a loader. 

[ohiofarmer 3,156]

 My 14 horsepower pred has good torque and pulls the 520H with a 48" SD just fine. Sure, it is not the Onan Beast, but it also sips fuel and uses half what the Onan did.

 I put a vertical Pred on a lawn mower and all is well except the primer bulb is made out of the same grade of plastic as a McDonalds toy. i re-worked it by adapting a Briggs primer bulb

 

Good job and thanks J.Anderson for sharing a replacement filter. Harbor Freight could and should sell them in the store. It is a mystery why they do not...

[pfrederi 17,129]

21 hours ago, WHX8 said:

Whoever remembers us ranting about cheap stuff that didn't last being made in Japan a few years ago raise your hand!!

Or Taiwan after that

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

11 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Or Taiwan after that

I think it was Korea next. Soon it will be India. 

[JAinVA 4,619]

I  remember all the countries being derided for shoddy goods over the years.Make no mistakes the Chinese make some excellent things but I fear they ship us mostly their rejects and keep the good stuff for themselves.Why not ship their junk here, somebody will buy it just because its cheap.JMHO,JAinVA

Edited October 15, 2016 by JAinVA

[tarcoleo 119]

I have a Honda 11 hp engine with an air filter arrangement very similar to your P-6.5. This engine

has been in service for some 25 years and I have used white abrasive cloth wrapped around the

filter body and secured with wire.  This abrasive cloth (actually a felt) is washable and as such will last forever.

Edited October 15, 2016 by tarcoleo
clarification