dated Kohler generator year?

ArlyA · May 17, 2021

We spied this old Kohler generator powered by a flat head 4 cylinder engine, might be a continental. Can any guess what year this setup might might be?

ponytug · May 17, 2021

Great find! Might be a fun restoration project...or not.

It was built 1926-1948. The giveaway is the "electric light plant" language. It is a very very early term to describe generators.

All the best,

Peter

ArlyA · May 17, 2021

So we think the engine is a Kohler??

ponytug · May 17, 2021

Definitely Kohler. (Did you see the article that I linked to above?) There is a fair amount out there on the electric light plants, and you can still get manuals for them.

Do you have a serial number, and a model number? Some of those units were DC. These days might be useful for LED lights, or directly charging batteries.

They all have a large flywheel, and, I'm told, run very smoothly. They were designed to run for long periods of time. I think that they sound like fun items, but then again, I have a soft spot for Lister diesels, too.

All the best,

Peter

ArlyA · May 17, 2021

Oh no. We are not the owners and found it amongst an old cabin that was falling apart and thinking its age, might indicate when it was built. It was in the back room of this shed...

ponytug · May 17, 2021

Definitely old school cabin building. The only thing I see that is atypical, to me, is that the plank roof runs up/down (easy to build, but leaky toward rain) vs. horizontal which is more weather resistant. To me that argues for winter protection over summer, or a one person build over a team.

I would look at the nails to see if they are hand made or not to try and date the cabin from that. Unless you luck out there, it could have been built almost anytime, though the chinking and posts are both very well done. I am guessing it is near an inlet or lake. If it is in the middle of nowhere, I would wonder about about someone living off the land during the depression, but who knows?

All the best,

Peter