Discussion comes up regularly about gas engine prices and how
they’ve changed over the years. With that in mind, I pulled
together records of my 30 years of purchases of Hercules-built
engines, including prices paid and comments about individual
engines.
In February 2003 I started tracking asking prices, sale prices
and comments relative to Hercules and related engines from
GEM and Internet sources. That list, when done, will
reflect the current market.
Date
Brand & HP
Price
Comments
February 1973
ARCO 2 GH
$10
Cart, well worn, magneto damaged
August 1973
Hercules 1-1/2 E
$50
Complete, loose, good condition
November 1973
Economy 1 -3/4 S
$25
Complete, loose, excellent
December 1973
Thermoil 6 U
Trade
Complete, well worn
January 1974
Economy 2-1/2 E
$50
Complete, loose, governor broke
April 1974
Economy 1-1/2 JK
$6
Complete, crack in hopper
August 1974
Hercules 3 E
$15
Complete, loose, small flywheels
October 1974
Hercules 1-1/2 E
$5
Complete, rusted, stuck, parts
October 1974
Hercules 1-1/2 E
$5
Complete, rusted, stuck, parts
January 1975
Hercules 3 EK
$50
Changed from TG to H&M
March 1976
ARCO 2 GH
$20
Complete, nice, stuck
April 1976
Hercules 5 E
$30
Complete, rusted, stuck
May 1976
Economy 1-3/4 S
Trade
Nice, original
June 1976
Economy 2-1/2 E
Trade
Nice, original
October 1977
Hercules 1-3/4 S
$110
Nice, was grandpa’s engine
November 1977
Hercules 1-1/2 E
$70
Nice, complete, original
November 1977
Hercules 1-1/2 E
$100
Complete, loose
October 1978
Economy 3 H
$75
Complete, stuck
April 1979
Economy 2-1/2 E
$20
Stuck, no magneto
November 1980
Jaeger 3-1/2 S
$50
Complete, rusty
May 1984
Hercules 1-1/2 F
$230
Good, complete, original
March 1987
Hercules 1-3/4 S
$200
Nice, complete, original
March 1988
Hercules 1-3/4 S
$125
Complete, rusty
May 1988
Hercules 1 -3/4 SK
$45
Parts missing, stuck, rusty
June 1989
Hercules 1-1/2 F
$325
Nice, two-piece block
June 1989
Economy 1-1/2 E
Trade
Complete, Wico PR magneto
June 1989
Jaeger 2 S
Trade
Worn, repairs needed
June 1990
Economy 1-1/2 E
$150
Repairs needed
October 1990
Hercules 1-1/2 D
$400
Running, igniter
January 1991
Hercules 1-1/2 N
Trade
Complete but worn
February 1992
Economy 1-1/2 E
$250
Rough, tag on base
June 1992
Thermoil 5 T
Trade
Parts missing
September 1992
Economy 2-1/2 D
$250
Rough
January 1994
Economy 1-1/2 JK
Free
Nice, original
November 1995
Hercules 3 F
Free
Rough and rusted
November 1995
Hercules 3 EK
$100
Rough, parts missing
November 1995
Hercules 1-1/2 E
Free
Rough, parts missing
October 1996
Jaeger 2
$500
Worn, loose, spark plug in head
August 1997
Economy 1-1/2 D
$500
Complete, loose
June 1998
Economy 3 G
$200
Parts engine
December 1998
Economy 1-3/4 XK
$250
Nice, loose, no magneto
August 1999
Hercules 1-1/2 E
Trade
Good, missing magneto
August 1999
Hercules 1-1/2 E
Trade
Good, missing magneto
July 2001
Hercules 8 S
$600
Running, 1/2 base
June 2002
Jaeger 2 S
$450
Complete, broken 3-hole flywheel
August 2002
Economy 1-1/2 E
$500
Loose, wrong ignition
August 2002
Economy 1-3/4 S
$600
Loose, on cart, wrong ignition
August 2002
Economy 2-1/2 E
$400
Nice, complete, igniter, bargain
