Does anyone remember Tecumseh engines?
Tecumseh lawn mower engines were to Briggs and Stratton engines, both sharing a side-valve arrangement in multiple displacements. There were some key areas where the Tecumseh sat above the equivalent Briggs.
The first of which being a positive displacement oil pump instead of the splash lubrication/oil slinger used on Briggs engines.
When compared to the smaller 148cc and 158cc Briggs, the Tecumseh use a mechanical governor instead of the air vane type. The larger 190cc Briggs use a mechanical governor.
The Tecumseh engines use a float style carburetor, the same design used on the 190cc Briggs, but different to the pulse/diaphragm style used on the 148cc and 158cc engines. However, I don't like how Tecumseh put the carb right next to the muffler, Briggs have a transfer pipe/intake manifold to have the fuel tank and carb on the opposite side of the exhaust.
Another thing I noticed is the how Tecumseh plated instead of painted their hardware.
These Tecumseh engines were seemingly superior to the equivalent Briggs, while also offering more displacement for the same money. So why are they no longer in business? Some research suggests a series of ownership changes and restructures from 2007 to the early 2010's was the cause, each change resulting in parts of the business being cut up and divided. No doubt, the buyers wanted something Tecumseh offered, but the manufacture of small engines wasn't one of them.
I guess those added features over the equivalent Briggs meant cost per unit was higher. So, while they were better engines, they were competing for the same customers as Briggs, who could either price their engines lower or produce higher profits from each unit. At the end of the day, its not like the average lawn mower buyer is going to notice, let alone care, about mechanical governors or pressure lubrication. What they do care about is lower prices, which Briggs were always on top of.