Kohler is no more

[Tinhack]

This is probably a year late and already posted somewhere, but Kohler has been bought out. This was the first I heard about it but I'm not in the mainstream. This occurred back in September of 2024. It will hence forth be called Rehlko (pronounced RELL-koh). What used to be called Kohler Energy is being rebranded. Brian Melka, Rehlko chief executive officer. “Our company’s new name is derived from the six letters of Kohler and reflects the reliability, resolve, reinvention, and resilience that have been – and will remain – the hallmarks of this organization in addressing the ever-evolving distributed energy needs of the marketplace.”

Perhaps it just to shed the low ratings Kohler engines have accumulated. I don't know.

 

[RandyT]

Rehlko has made a lot of changes over the last year. Name change which I still think will kill the company in the end. I feel it sets up the misunderstanding that Rehlko will be considered a new chinese engine company, and even if people are told it is just a name change for Kohler people will think that Kohler is now owned by a Chinese company. Not the big equity company Platinum Equity which also owns, other companies like Oregon Tool, and Club car.

Rumor has it the name change was the direct result of the Kohler family not wanting their name on the product after the buyout.

 

[TMGT]

Rehlko has made a lot of changes over the last year. Name change which I still think will kill the company in the end. I feel it sets up the misunderstanding that Rehlko will be considered a new chinese engine company, and even if people are told it is just a name change for Kohler people will think that Kohler is now owned by a Chinese company. Not the big equity company Platinum Equity which also owns, other companies like Oregon Tool, and Club car.

Rumor has it the name change was the direct result of the Kohler family not wanting their name on the product after the buyout.

I don't think the name change requirement is a rumor, an interview is saw with a company rep. said they only had the Kohler name rights through '26.

They did state that they would be made in the US, so hopefully that means actually made and not just assembled.

I hope they survive and keep supporting the older engines also.



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[RandyT]

I hope they survive and keep supporting the older engines also.



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Hundreds of spec numbers and in some cases entire models were not even included in the official Kohler partners website for dealers. And that goes back probably 3-4 years now.

 

[TMGT]

Hundreds of spec numbers and in some cases entire models were not even included in the official Kohler partners website for dealers. And that goes back probably 3-4 years now.

Well if they are series like the older single cylinder Courage, then I'm ok with that!

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[RandyT]

Well if they are series like the older single cylinder Courage, then I'm ok with that!

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Old K single and twins and KT opposed twin series engines. some of the newer CH/CV series engines are missing some of the spec numbers for parts lookup.

 

[BravoXray]

Here is an interview that youtuber Chicanic had with the new Rehlko CEO.

 

[Tomtint]

We have had nothing but problems with every Kohler engine I have ever owned. A couple years back I finally decided that if a machine had one.. I'd buy another one that didn't. I'm now a fan of the Kawasaki motors.. they have been extremely reliable thus far and I have 5 of them.the only Kohler left is a 23hp in a Walker mower that has 700 hours on it.. and it has recently started giving me problems.. I had expected 2k -2500 hours out of it.. but that won't happen.

 

[grsthegreat]

i had a great old Onan cast iron generator, was super reliable and quiet running. than Onan sold generator business to Cummins and they dropped all parts line for older units. i could not get some parts i needed. i ended up selling my generator to someone else who bought it for parts. i wonder whay will happen down the line for Kohler. i dont think i have anything remaining with a kohler engine...that i can recall. possibly my riding mower, but id have to go look.
i had not heard they sold out.

i guess Kohler generator section was also bought out.

Private equity firms generally SUCK. im constantly being sent letters offering to buy out my electrical contracting company. i know 2 Veterinarian offices near me have been sold to private equity firms. prices have doubled and no more nice local people. workers are always changing. i hardly ever see the same people between visits. they always push useless tests.

a private equity company purchased nearly every HVAC company in town. still kept the old names, but prices have ALL gone out the window. every time you call for an appt they want to sell you a membership??? and Push Push Push to replace.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Nothing is as good as it once was. Or at least that seems to be the case with most things that have brands that go back several years. I use to swear by Briggs and Stratton when I was young, and lately I just seem to swear at them.

I just bought a whole house generator and Kohler was in the running as a choice. I ended up going with Generac only because the area here is saturated with their dealers and techs. It used to be that Kohler made a good cast iron engine, sad to hear that it like everything else is rolling down hill and picking up speed.

 

[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.

 

[TimberFarm]

My Craftsman (Cub Cadet) riding mower has the Kohler 24HP two cyl. engine in it. That was the main reason I bought it. I have had it for about 6 years now and no issues.

 

[tomplum]

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.

PD? Yeah, I can't ever figure out why they would have 63 carbs in one warehouse, 22 in another etc. and nothing in my more local hub. My cam installs have dropped off this year. I guess I'm getting better at not fixing that junk.

 

[RandyT]

PD? Yeah, I can't ever figure out why they would have 63 carbs in one warehouse, 22 in another etc. and nothing in my more local hub. My cam installs have dropped off this year. I guess I'm getting better at not fixing that junk.

And then won't ship from another warehouse that has stock unless you are willing to pay a separate freight charge.

 

[tomplum]

And then won't ship from another warehouse that has stock unless you are willing to pay a separate freight charge.

True. Like it's your fault. I had float bowls on BO forever when another warehouse had them. Though I did have an entire order ship from Texas w/ no freight strangely enough. I clicked and unclicked in the cart for special handling if I recall. Normally I'm SLC.