First...I do not want to start a war or badmouth either make! I would just like some honest pros and cons of each? I am new to steam and have a nice older D20 on order and am considering the purchase of a Jensen 75 as well, this is the propose of my thread. I would like to make my beginner observations known so that others may correct me if I am wrong and also ad to the observations of things I may not have considered? I will point out my observations are from watching a few hrs of YouTube and not personal experience!
Jensen pros and cons...the Jensen seems known for power so the piston/cyl/valve must be well machined, also the boiler is considered far stronger than Wilesco...this is a very important component! The steam pipelines are very simple and easy to work on Jensen, this is a plus in my book!
To me the largest downside to Jensen 75 is the bearing towers on each side of flywheel seem to only be bent sheet metal tabs with a drilled hole for shaft vs Wileso is castings bolted to base with oil cups.
The brickwork around boiler seems to discolor more easily than Wilesco? I may be wrong about this? I am hopeful if I use a BIX burner may reduce or eliminate problem?
There is a red knob near cyl that jumps wildly during run (reversing knob)?? Could this be adjusted to not jump around???
Wileso D20 has a bit prettier tin work base and perhaps posts around engine are nicer? The brick embossing in base a nice touch. The Wileso seems to have cast connecting rod perhaps a bit more substantial than Jensen? It seems to also be known for decent power and smoothness. Also the Wileso fly ball governor seems a little nicer than Jensen?
Have I given these engines a fair shake? Are these two models fair to compare or is there a Wilesco model closer in spec to the 75? I hope I have not offended anyone with my thoughts and would welcome input!
You have made quite an austute observation , and accurately so of both engines, keeping in mind that I favor Jensens & am currently into Wilesco's , I would choose the Wilesco D20 over the Jensen #75 for most of the reasons you discussed . I differ with you a little bit in that I think the Wilesco fire box is better looking , Jensen refuses to use heat resistant paint & thus they look bruised very early on. if you take care of a Wilesco boiler (empty it and keep dry when not in use) , it will last a long time . both throttles have their own special quirks , a Jensen throttle tends to leak and are not very good for incremental adjustments (an important benefit) Wilesco throttles (the wheel type) don't generally leak but are finicky to use ,many times I've went to turn it in and have the engine speed up first before slowing down , if you pull up on them as the engine is running the engine Will speed up, it has a rubber bushing that is a little spongy until some steam passes through & the threads don't appear to be all that precise. The standard Wilesco stanchions (bearing towers) are better than the Jensen stamped tabs on the #75/25 , but the Jensen are more than adequate and I've rarely see one worn oval. I also believe the Wilesco faux governor is superior to the Jensen, the Jensen governor robs a noticeable amount of power and therefore I usually don't connect the spring on my Jensen (when not making a video) not so on my Wilesco's. The bobbing of the Jensen reverser is proper and needs to occur , any attempt to circumvent this activity will result in the valve not opening or closing unrestricted and will cause poor running....or no running at all. The connecting rods on both are adequate for they're specific applications.(Jensens #75/25 have a replaceable connecting rod pin/screw) Now if we were comparing a Jensen #20 to a Wilesco D20...hands down the Jensen #20, leagues apart !
My 2 1/2 cents worth. (I do currently own all of these engine plants)
Looks like Bruce and yourself have already covered it all, other than my opinion of get them both
But then we move onto the next point... if you’re going for a Wilesco D20, why not just skip ahead for a few more bucks to the D24 which is my favorite of the larger Wilesco’s... In all honesty, I think you’re headed for a downward spiral like the rest of us and your shelves will soon be full 😂
Nick - curious, you said a few bucks more... what would you say are the going rates for both used and new D24s? I've always thought they were quite a bit more than a D20.
Thanks
My $94 D24 (ignore the ugly Photobucket watermark)
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Really? I havent seen a D24 go for $200... ever.
I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.
The one in the link above sold in October at $285, but came with 6 accessories which if sold on would have made it a $200 engine. I don’t think I’d ever sell one on again for $200... Owen was a good friend and it was a dream of his to own one.
OK... got it. I don't think they come up all that often tho, especially for under $100. Good job on that one.
OK... got it. I don't think they come up all that often tho, especially for under $100. Good job on that one.
Definitely not often enough! I just did a completed listing search on the D20 and even those are selling for good money right now, most in the $150-250 range, and some as high as $300, where the Jensen 75 is common enough to still find a good one in the $100 range.
I've been looking for a D24 for a few months now , best one (for the money) I saw had an older style generator included & had a BIN of $399
I for one would like to know where nice Jensen 75 is for sale for $100??
