Hercules Engine News

By Staff
Published on March 1, 2003
article image

The Hercules Gas Engine Co. of Evansville, Ind., is usually
recognized as the major manufacturer of the Economy brand gas
engines that Sears, Roebuck & Co. sold through their mail order
catalogs. Sears sold Economy brand engines for over 30 years, but
let’s start at the beginning.

Economy brand engines first show up in the 1908 Sears catalogs.
They are listed as being shipped from central Iowa, and they were
built by the Waterloo Gas Engine Co., Waterloo, Iowa. Serial
numbers for these engines fall between 6,000 and 10,000 and
probably less than 1,000 were made for Sears, with other Waterloo
engines being co-mingled in this numbers series. The 6,000 serial
numbers date into 1907, so Sears was apparently selling the
‘Waterloo Economy’ before it ever appeared in their
catalogs. Hopper-cooled engines were built in 2 HP, 4 HP, 7 HP and
10 HP sizes, and 2 HP and 4 HP tank-cooled engines were also
offered. They were all half-base engines with a sub-base
available.

In the spring of 1909 Sears began production of gas engines at
their newly purchased Holm Machine Manufacturing Co. at Sparta,
Mich. These were all hopper-cooled and were built in 2 HP, 4 HP, 6
HP, 8 HP and 10 HP sizes. Eventually, 1 HP and 1-1/2 HP sizes were
also built. Their first model, the Model A, was somewhat similar in
design to the Waterloo-built engines it replaced. The Model A was
followed by the Model B, C, CA and CX, respectively. Each of these
models were a modification of the previous one. These engines first
appeared in the fall 1909 Sears catalog and were last offered in
the fall 1913 Sears catalog. In all, about 36,000 of these
‘Sparta Economy’ engines were built. There were 32,000
built at Sparta, Mich., with the last 4,000 built at the new
Hercules Gas Engine Co. at Evansville, Ind.

In 1912 the Holm Machine Manufacturing Co. was acquired by the
Hercules Buggy Co. of Evansville, Ind. The Hercules Gas Engine Co.
was formed and new factory buildings were constructed. In the fall
of 1913, the parts, patterns, machinery, equipment (and personnel)
were transported by rail from Sparta, Mich., to the new factory
site at Evansville, Ind.

In January of 1914, the first of the Hercules-built Economy
engines were produced in the new factory at Evansville. These new
engines, the Model D, appeared in the spring 1914 catalog. The
Model D was a slightly modified version of the Sparta Economy Model
CX that it replaced. They were offered in 1-1/2 HP, 2-1/2 HP, 5 HP,
7 HP, 9 HP and 12 HP sizes. Over the next 15 years the E, EW, F,
FW, G, H (and the re-rated S models that were introduced in 1924)
were built. The early 7 HP, 9 HP and 12 HP sizes were offered in
the screen-cooled style, too.

In 1928 the completely redesigned YK (kerosene) engines were
introduced, and in 1930 another new design, the JK, was introduced.
The JK models were built until the fall of 1933, but Sears
continued to offer them in their catalogs until the spring 1935
issue. All in all, Hercules built about 150,000 Economy brand
engines for Sears.

In the fall 1935 Sears catalog a new kind of Economy engine made
by the Stover Manufacturing and Engine Co. of Freeport, Ill., was
offered. These engines were offered in three sizes, variously rated
at 1-1/2 HP, 2 HP, 3 HP, 3-1/4 HP, 4 HP and 5 HP. They are easily
identified because of their signature Stover flywheels with the
three teardrop holes. They were last offered in the spring 1939
catalog.

The spring 1937 catalogs announced a new line of ‘Powerful
New Economy Air-Cooled Gasoline Engines.’ Sears had been
selling Briggs & Stratton engines earlier, but now they
appeared under the Economy brand with a new Economy logo. These
engines were still offered in 1939 catalogs, but when the Economy
brand of engines was finally discontinued is unknown to the
author.

Glenn Karch is a noted authority on Hercules engines.
Contact him at: 20601 Old State Road, Haubstadt, IN 47639, or
e-mail at: glenn.karch@gte.net

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388