Hondas have worked out well for me in the small engine world. Kawasakis have also been running for 20 years now.
tit for tat most small engines these days can run well for a long time. with new emission standards or some other nonsense, my newer Honda engines run lean at start up, always need a choke, and need to be warm to take a load. I know that's normal but it is a little more exaggerated now.
I hear a lot of scuff at Briggs in the last 10 years. Some people will never go back to Briggs, yet some still love them.