I have been a subscriber for several years. I have asked many
questions and had them answered in fine order. I have also written
some articles. Thank you for a very fine magazine. However, I do
have a question: How do you tell the difference between an Economy
and a Jaeger engine? I have an engine, serial no. 215797, 550 RPM,
1-1/2 E. It has a Webster magneto and is an igniter engine. I’m
thinking the E stands for Economy. It is painted blue; under the
blue is a reddish color. If it is a Jaeger, what shade of blue
should it be? Bruce Dixon, 8880 Hartel Road, Grand Ledge, MI 48837;
(517) 627-5618.
Hercules was not producing the Jaeger brand engine at serial
no. 215797.
Jaeger engines started with serial numbers around 146000.
The E on the tag is simply the engine model letter. E models were
made from mid-1914 to mid-1921. A few Hercules-built ARCO brand
engines were built near your serial number. They were a blue-gray
color.
Since all three brands mentioned shared the same design and
parts, the only difference was the color. Ford tractor blue is a
good color for a Jaeger. Rust-Oleum Regal Red is a good color for
an Economy. As for an ARCO, the Ford blue with a hint of gray mixed
in is a close color to use.
– Glenn Karch
