How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems?

   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #11  
I believe that the key is proper maintenance - and this goes for any brand. All my small engines: Kohler 14hp (20 years +), Kawasaki 24hp (10 years +), Generac GP17500E - (10+ years) and still going strong. May not have racked up lots of hours per engine but they start right up and do what I need them to do. No smoke, no surging or sputtering.

Who makes the engines for Generac? I'm guessing they don't make their own.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #12  
Not sure which model(s) I have, I have 2 on my zero turn and they each have spin on filters, drain plugs and fill plugs on top. 2 years ago I did both charge pumps. Other than that, no repairs.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #13  
Who makes the engines for Generac? I'm guessing they don't make their own.
For the standby generators? I believe they sub contract them offshore (air cooled). Water cooled are industrial engines made by GM and Ford and diesel powered have Kubota or Yanmar diesels. The little ones, I have no clue about.

Have a Kubota in mine. Been bullet proof.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #14  
3000 hrs is a good target for kaw and Kohler motors without any internal engine issues.

It's the extremities that Nicole and dime you. Coils fail...o2 sensors and computers on new ones, fuel stop solenoids, misc switches and electrical issues, carb cleanings, etc.

But with proper maintenance (oil changes) it's not common at all to hit 3k without opening the engine up.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #15  
3000 hrs is a good target for kaw and Kohler motors without any internal engine issues.

It's the extremities that Nicole and dime you. Coils fail...o2 sensors and computers on new ones, fuel stop solenoids, misc switches and electrical issues, carb cleanings, etc.

But with proper maintenance (oil changes) it's not common at all to hit 3k without opening the engine up.
I agree on the Kowalski but not the Kohler, at least the vertical V twins. Pushing 3 on my 24 horse Kowalski on just regular oil changes and a valve adjustment here and there. My wife's Kohler on her mower is an oil burner, always has been.

The Kohler horizontal singles are good motors. I have a K241 on my Lincoln welder and it's 25 years old and runs like a top.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #16  
The Kohler K series cast iron engines were a real workhorse. They don't make them like that anymore is an understatement.

The little Kawi gasser in our 1995 Club Car golf cart has been a bullet proof little engine too. I've been after my wife to let me sell it and get a UTV for yard work - she threatens divorce if I get rid of it lol. When we got our new CC 560 S - the Kawasaki engine was one of the deciding factors. I just changed the oil / filter at a trifle over the 8 hour recommended service interval - even though the operator's manual called for only changing the oil not the filter. I will change oil / filter again after the mowing season for good measure and then probably every fall since we won't put more than 65 - 70 hours on it each season. I'm planning on stocking valve cover gaskets too since I'm planning on checking / adjusting the valves each season as well. I happily crossed the OE Kawi oil filter to a WIX 51394 filter that I also use on our Kawasaki FE290 golf cart and our little run around car - a 2001 Toyota Corolla.

I've always believed in good maintenance - and shorter than called for maintenance intervals. I sleep better at night and in the big scheme of things - it's of little matter to me. I'm hoping that this new CC 560 S will be the last mower that we will need over the next 20 years or so - the good Lord willing. I still use and maintain my one remaining 1969 John Deere 140 with the above mentioned K321 Kohler engine as a back up and some seat time with such a vintage piece of equipment.

I was under the CC 560 S the other day doing the oil change and really gave it a look over underneath. Time will tell the story - but they are heavy duty built. I'm going to see what I can find on the Parker hydro pumps that come with this unit? I'm wondering if the other manufacturers of ZTR's use the Parker pumps as well or if it is a CC only deal?
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #17  
I have a couple of F725 mowers I bought as a package. They have the FD590V water cooled Kawasaki engines. I am running the 96 that shows 1699 hours but i think the hour meter must have died. It was reading 1629 when I bought it in 2018 and I have run it every year since. The 99 is a parts machine but I checked compression on it's engine and it had 150 PSI on both cylinders. It is reading 2369 hours. Somebody robbed the carb on that one so I haven't started it and I don't know why it was parked.

I am contemplating a tear down, inspect, and rebuild on the parts engine one day. My 96 smokes some on start up but doesn't use a lot of oil and clears up as soon as it warms up.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #18  
I worked at a lawn company as a mechanic. As an American, I hate to say this, but avoid Briggs & Stratton. I worked at a dealership for tractors and they also sold a few lawn mower brands. Briggs would blow the bottom seal out, of course you lost oil instantly, broke a rod and quit before you knew there was a problem. Most had a broke rod and still would run. Just no power. Some just broke rods. At the lawn business the Mexicans love it because I'd replace the 19 hp mower engine with a 37 horse Kawasaki. I had to change blades every other day. Sharpen 60-70 blades on the other days. I liked to be ahead.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #19  
I have never had a Briggs and Straten engine blow up or start leaking. Have owned some I ran for 20+ years. I have a push trimmer I bought in 1988 with a 6 HP Briggs that still runs fine. I've seen plenty of blown Tecumsehs and Kohlers.
 
   / How many hours will a 17HP Kawasaki Industrial Engine run without major problems? #20  
I have never had a Briggs and Straten engine blow up or start leaking. Have owned some I ran for 20+ years. I have a push trimmer I bought in 1988 with a 6 HP Briggs that still runs fine. I've seen plenty of blown Tecumsehs and Kohlers.
My portable genny with B&S engine shot the piston arm out the side of the block.

Generally speaking small gas engines will run until they don't. If you fail to maintain them they stop working sooner. Personally I hate small gas engines in mowers etc because they tend to be temperamental, noisy and stinky.
 
 
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