18.5 hp opposed twin

i would like to know opinions on this engine for a trail/mud tractor please need help deciding whether to get one or not

I've got a couple, a 14hp and a 17hp. I mow with the 17 in my MTD auto and it actually uses less gas to get the yard mowed than my murray with a 16.5 OHV single cylinder. It may be due to the mower more than the engine, I don't know. One thing I've read over and over about these twins is that they're underrated. So they probably make more power than you think.

Twins make a ton of power stock - i used a single cylender 14.5HP OHV on my mod murray - i maybe ran 15-20mph - i slapped a 18.5HP twin opposed on it and i was in the 30 plus mph range ( i couldve went faster, but it was way too unstable to drive stock) .

Flatheads stock definitely have the power advantage over stock OHV motors - BUT if a OHV had some new upgraded internals put in, the OHV motor would be a powerhouse.


Another comparison is the difference between my 13.5HP flatty 1999 murray 6 speed and my 2003 16.5HP OHV murray 6 speed - the 13.5 stomps the OHV in power - both are plain stock mowing tractors.