Kohler is no more

[Little Red Tractor]

My last Kohler=powered device was just about worthless. The engine had a number of issues. I'd bought it right, and let it go for what I had in it. I was glad to see it go down the road. Several friends had similar issues with similar products. They used to be a reliable power plant, sad they went downhill.

 

[tstorzuk]

I use to swear by Briggs and Stratton when I was young, and lately I just seem to swear at them.

This might have something to do with why B&S aren't good anymore;

Briggs & Stratton Announces Completion of Sale to KPS Capital Partners

Briggs & Stratton, a recognized global leader in providing power to get work done, announces that KPS Capital Partners, LP (“KPS”), through a newly formed affiliate, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation and certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

www.briggsandstratton.com

 

[mjonesnh]

Have a Kohler Command CV23 from 2005 on a Cub Cadet ZTR. Replaced both coils 2019-20 and voltage regulator maybe 10 years ago. Has been very reliable with around 700 hours on clock. That being said my next ZTR will have a Kawasaki engine. Just don't believe the current Kohler engines will have the longevity of earlier Commands and cast-iron engines. Looking at ZTR's this summer at TSC with Kohler engines all were 7000 series and Confidant, I assume Chinese made.

 

[RandyT]

. Looking at ZTR's this summer at TSC with Kohler engines all were 7000 series and Confidant, I assume Chinese made.

Both are newer variants of the Courage twin, which for the most part wasn't a bad engine. Biggest issue with that engine is the weak starter that gets destroyed in more ways than one.

Don't think they are Chinese made, but I can about guarantee contain Chinese made parts.

 

[RandyT]

This might have something to do with why B&S aren't good anymore;

Briggs & Stratton Announces Completion of Sale to KPS Capital Partners

Briggs & Stratton, a recognized global leader in providing power to get work done, announces that KPS Capital Partners, LP (“KPS”), through a newly formed affiliate, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Briggs & Stratton Corporation and certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

www.briggsandstratton.com

It will never be admitted and was covered up using various excuses going back as far as 2017. The dealers were having issues with backordered parts and they blamed it on a software update. But the issues started about 6 months before the update. And then they blamed the loss of revenue leading to the buyout on the events of 2019-2021

The biggest issue the last few years has been the continued on and off backorder of the famous compression release failure camshaft. And is currently sitting with no stock at their Iowa warehouse in the Briggs distribution system. The other 5 warehouses show stock.

The Iowa warehouse is a robot inventory system like Amazon uses, and seems to have more backorder issues than the other warehouses. I have always blamed it on the fact the robots haven't figured out how to reorder their own inventory.

 

[Yander]

I remember when Kohler used to make a quality product. Now they kuscs just like the other Chinese makers.