915 Lawn Avenue, Sellersville, Pennsylvania, 18960
Many times in the short period that I have been reading GEM, I
have come across this question. Some people, when sending in
pictures, will call an Economy a Hercules, a Hercules, an Economy,
and one person even called his a ‘Hercules/Economy.’ I hope
this article will clear up this matter.
There are several ways in which to distinguish between these
two;
1 –the water hopper- A Hercules has a water hopper with rounded
edges. An Economy also has rounded edges but in a more square form.
The hole to fill the jacket on a Hercules is an oval. On an
Economy, it is square.
2 –the muffler – The Hercules muffler is shaped like a
bell, similar to that of a Domestic. An Economy muffler is shaped
like a ball.
3 — the gas fill – A Hercules has a cap that opens upward.
An Economy has one that opens sideways.
4 –On a Hercules, you will usually find a grease shield. If
there is none, check to see if there are holes drilled and tapped.
The Economy had none.
5 –the decal – If your engine was in a barn or shed, on the
sides of the water hopper are decals. On a Hercules, it is round,
with a picture of the lengendary Greek hero adjusting an engine. On
an Economy, the word Economy appears on a slant with the E
extending the length of the word.
I hope this article will benefit anyone who has trouble
distinguishing between the two. Hercules engines are my favorites,
and I would like to hear from others who have some.
