Has any PT-owner had a Kohler engine problem?

[KentT]

As I read of quirks, issues and blown Robin engines, I don't recall hearing ANY complaints about the Kohler other than noise...

Has anyone had problems with theirs? I've only put about 200 hours on mine (now up to about 450) and it's been a no-brainer, check the oil, service as recommended, and feed it more gas (it does like gas)...

 

[MossRoad]

I have heard of Kohler engine problems on lawn service boards. There are HUGE fights about what brand is junk, what is best, etc... almost as good as the gear VS hydro and tire wars here on TBN.

My Kohler runs fine. It is 6 years old with about 300 hours on it. I am going to treat it to its first set of new plugs and air filter for its Birthday this fall! I change the oil and oil filter every 50 hours or once a year, whichever comes first. I am running Mobil1 oil in it.

 

[kmaz]

In the archives theres several kohlers that blew up.
They ALL have the same problems. Most are great, ocasionally theres a bad run.

Kris

 

[KentT]

Yes, I've heard similar complaints from the lawn-care pros, who seem to be split about evenly between Kawasaki and Kohler -- very little Briggs, Robins or Honda use, for example. I checked with a close friend who's a dealer and he says the CH25 should be good for 1500-2000 hours, at least, if kept cleaned and maintained well. He says most of the problems with them in commercial use is the buildup of grass-clippings and such, and then them failing from overheating...

I was wondering specifically about their use in PT applications...

Wasn't there a variation of the 425 between ours, MR, and the Robins engines that put the Kohler all the way in the rear, reversed, and ran all the pumps off one end of the motor the way the Robins does? I think this may be the version that has the gas tank mounted to the hood, but I'm not sure, and had a wrapped, insulated muffler...

Isn't that the model Fourteen has? High torque wheel motors and the Kohler engine?

 

[KentT]

In the archives theres several kohlers that blew up.
They ALL have the same problems. Most are great, ocasionally theres a bad run.

Kris

Guess I should dig deeper, but I have a heck of a time, sometimes with the Search since they upgraded the forum software...

 

[RegL]

As I read of quirks, issues and blown Robin engines, I don't recall hearing ANY complaints about the Kohler other than noise...

Has anyone had problems with theirs? I've only put about 200 hours on mine (now up to about 450) and it's been a no-brainer, check the oil, service as recommended, and feed it more gas (it does like gas)...

Not in a PT, but I have a Walker mower with the 26efi engine. I took it in to the dealer two weeks ago because it was burning a pint of oil per day. Got word today that parts are going to run over $400. The dealer is going to see if Kohler will help because even though the warranty is up time wise, the engine only has 200hrs. Interesting KentT mentioned failures caused by overheating. One of the parts the dealer ordered was an oil temp sensor. Walker has alarms and shutdowns on this machine but I never got a low oil or temp alarm. Maybe that's why the dealer is trying to get me some help from the manufacturer.

 

[Gravy]

There was a mention in some thread in the last day or so of a Kohler fatality. I can't think of any major manufacturer that doesn't have some. Even Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, BMW, and Rolls-Royce have had major failures.

Nobody makes perfect engines. AFAIK, all of the major small engine manufacturers offer a wide variety of choices in engine specifications and options. In my case, PT apparently chose the "light-duty" starter option (as with the previous generation light-duty fuel pumps and ignition systems). When the engine had difficulty starting in colder temps, Robin stepped up and sent me a heavy-duty starter for free. All it cost me was a phone call to Jack Gawecki (JackRobin) in customer service.

There have been several other mentions of Robin taking care of problems, even when they weren't really responsible. I don't think this is unique to Robin - I'd bet that Honda, Kohler, Briggs, Kawasaki, and maybe even Tecumseh sometimes go that extra mile. Give them a chance to make it right before deciding they are worthless. Don't ASSume that the local dealer really represents the manufacturer. The customer service department exists for a reason. Make the phone call and give them the chance to help you. It worked for me...

Gravy

 

[kmaz]

In the archives theres several kohlers that blew up.
They ALL have the same problems. Most are great, ocasionally theres a bad run.

Kris

I apologize....to say "blew up" is wrong on my part, i went back and looked and it was mostly head gasket and i believe valve problems. and not many of them at that.

Kris

 

[SnowRidge]

My Kohler swallowed a valve at 110 hours. According to the Kohler dealer that did the repair, the engine had been running hot enough to burn the oil, and that caused the valve failure. The last oil change was only 10 hours before it dropped the valve.

In my opinion, the root cause of the overheating was the poorly constructed and overly restrictive PT built muffler, which, it turned out, was also causing serious run-on issues. The engine was rebuilt under warranty. but it took nearly a month to get it repaired, and I had to remove and reinstall the motor myself, which is not the easiest job in the world.

The PT being down for a month caused me major difficulties with my Xmas tree operation, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

I junked the PT muffler and installed a stock Kohler built muffler, the same type that used to come with the PT-425's before they started installing the PT built version. I have not had any more Kohler problems, and I no longer have run-on problems. I also switched to a fully synthetic oil.

I remain concerned that the hot running caused other accelerated wear that has not yet shown itself. Of course, if that is the case, and the engine needs an early rebuild, it will be on my dime.

 

[KentT]

Snow Ridge,

Is your Kohler mounted all the way to the rear with all three pumps in front, like the Robins? Is that why it had a PT-made muffler?

Mine and MR's are mounted more in the center with the tram pump on the front and the other two on the rear. Ours have a stock Kohler muffler shooting out the center of the hood in back, through the grille.

BTW, folks, I'm not trying to say the Kohler is a great engine or anything. I'm kind of partial to Hondas and Briggs (old cast-iron singles or new OHV Vanguard twins) actually. This is the first Kohler I've owned...

What I was getting at is that a lot of the more recent complaints/issues here seem to be related to the Robins engine, not the Power Trac tractors themselves...

IMO, PT didn't help themselves any by fabbing up their own mufflers, which puts a total unknown into a system that had previously been tested for heat, airflow, reliability, etc.

 

[SnowRidge]

Snow Ridge,

Is your Kohler mounted all the way to the rear with all three pumps in front, like the Robins? Is that why it had a PT-made muffler?

Mine and MR's are mounted more in the center with the tram pump on the front and the other two on the rear. Ours have a stock Kohler muffler shooting out the center of the hood in back, through the grille.

No, mine is the same configuration as yours and Moss's. It also now has the same Kohler muffler.

The alleged reason for the Power Trac muffler was to help cool the engine compartment. The PT built muffler took in cool air on one side and exhausted mixed cool air and exhaust gasses on the other through a venturi effect. While the exhaust, which was blasted out the right side, was cooler, the muffler shell itself was darn near red hot. Mine got some dry grass on it, which caught fire and was burning vigorously when I caught it. Since the top of the muffler was flat, it tended to collect a lot more dry grass clippings than the round Kohler muffler. It was also extremely heavy.

In my opinion, it did not result in a cooler engine compartment than the stock Kohler muffler, and may have actually made it hotter. It definitely made the engine run hotter.

 

[Mith]

I dont know what model your Kohler is, but as long as it isnt a courage, you'll be fine. I have seen Kohlers on ebay with over 1000 hours on them.
I have a 40 year old tractor with a Kohler on it, runs fine.

 

[SnowRidge]

I dont know what model your Kohler is, but as long as it isnt a courage, you'll be fine. I have seen Kohlers on ebay with over 1000 hours on them.
I have a 40 year old tractor with a Kohler on it, runs fine.

It is a CH25. The series is Command Pro. Lawn care pros, who use a lot of them, are reporting 2,000 hours until rebuild.

I don't think that anything manufactured 40 years ago has much relevance to today's world. Companies change hands, brand names are sold and traded as a commodity, and today's business ethics are rather questionable.

Beyond that, our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been mandating cleaner and cleaner running engines. As a result, today's engines tend to run much hotter than yesteryears, and probably will not last as long. Besides, we have become a throw away society, and it is reflected in the build quality of many of today's products.

I hope my Kohler lasts 2,000 hours, but I won't be surprised if it doesn't.

 

[KentT]

My brother got 2800 hours on a Kohler Command as a stationary engine on his Woodmizer sawmill...

 

[tlb]

My (PT425) Kohler Command Pro CH25 blew a head gasket. Don't know exactly how many hours since the hour meter quit 2 years ago. Other than that is has been running fine, never failed to start and never "just died" except when I run out of gas. My guess would be 600+ hours on it over a 5 year period.
-Tim