My Husqvarna YTH-150 42" tractor is 21 years old this year. The Kohler Command 15hp engine is holding up well at 675 hrs, doesn't use or leak oil and has good crosshatch in the cylinder. But someday the tractor is going to need to be replaced.
I haven't been impressed with newer engines as seen on forums and YT reviews. I'm not crazy about newer conventional lawn tractors either, they feel cheap.
I asked the mechanic at the mower shop about newer engines. He recommended B&S over Kohler.... but added, get a Kawasaki if you can with a 
.
I doubted there would be a Kaw in a 42" tractor but there is in zero turns. Good reviews on Husqvarna Z242F recommended over other brands.
Thoughts on these engines?
TIA
Kohler still makes the Command and its still a great motor, but you mostly see their lesser quality engines anymore
I think most mechanics like B&S because they know how to fix them and I'm guessing parts are cheaper. One guy won't even touch a Honda.
I have an older model John Deere 170 I bought from a family friend that has a Kawasaki engine. I love it. It just sounds right.
I have a 19 hp Kawasaki v-twin (FH580V) in my 54" Hustler walk behind. It was a crate motor to replace the Kawasaki 17 horse unit (FH500V) that failed at the head gasket and started losing mass quantities of oil.
The old engine had served me well for nearly 20 years and had been worked hard. I looked around for a more affordable replacement option but I kept coming up empty. There was some deal about the Kawasaki that made my hydraulics and the magnetic clutch work properly. They also had to confirm the age of my machine before they could order the new engine because of current emissions standards. The crate motor was ridiculously expensive at nearly two grand, but it seemed like my only option mid-pandemic.
Installation was a straight drop in that only took an hour or so. I drove the mower into the garage and drove it out again before lunch.
I'm happy with the use that I got out of the first engine, and I'm happy with the replacement that chose. It would have cost me several times more than what o paid to replace the mower, and supplies were non existent.
berkeley briggs, and berkeley husqvarna. My yta18542 that i bought new has a briggs intek 18.5 on it and a hydr transaxle. In 68 hours of ownership ive had the trans out twice. And now its slipping. Additionally, it popped the head gasket at 66 hours, and even after repair consumes a significant amount of oil. This was not a bix box store spec tractor, and was beoken in properly and maintained properly.
I will NEVER purchase another husqvarna product. Of any fashion.
Buy a kohler. Or a honda. Tbe kohler in the craftsman i borrowed has 922 hours on it. I used it all summer, and it used a quarter inch of oil on the dipstick. Im actually rehabbing that tractor and selling the husqvarna.
My kohler took a dump (23hp) almost two years ago. Just under 500hrs on it. Oil changed twice a year, air filter changed regularly. Started losing power warm and hard to restart a couple years before. Finally didn't have enough compression to start.
replaced with a 25hp Briggs. No choke, quieter and stronger than before. Happy with it and would recommend. Put about 50 hours on it so far and it's been good.
TJL (Forum Supporter) said:
Kohler still makes the Command and its still a great motor, but you mostly see their lesser quality engines anymore
So I see after looking, but they are commercial class and not likely to be offered in residential tractors. After my Command engine there were two other engine series, one being the Courage series, the other I don't remember. They were not as good as the Command series tho.
Dusterbd13-michael said:
berkeley briggs, and berkeley husqvarna. My yta18542 that i bought new has a briggs intek 18.5 on it and a hydr transaxle. In 68 hours of ownership ive had the trans out twice. And now its slipping. Additionally, it popped the head gasket at 66 hours, and even after repair consumes a significant amount of oil. This was not a bix box store spec tractor, and was beoken in properly and maintained properly.
I will NEVER purchase another husqvarna product. Of any fashion.
Buy a kohler. Or a honda. Tbe kohler in the craftsman i borrowed has 922 hours on it. I used it all summer, and it used a quarter inch of oil on the dipstick. Im actually rehabbing that tractor and selling the husqvarna.
I agree on Husqvarna conventional lawn tractors. They feel cheap, too plasticky, even the controls. But so do every other brand in the smaller classes. I'm not happy with any of them.
I'll keep my 21 y/o tractor running as long as I can until it gives up. Besides regular maintenance I have around $700 in parts on it. Tires, electric PTO clutch, fuel solenoid, safety switches, blades, seat, belts and pulleys, steering shaft and new grille just for looks. Unless the engine or transaxle pukes out I can keep it running.
The Husqvarna Z242F zero turn with the Kaw sounds tempting tho, but more expensive than conventional.
fasted58 said:
The Kohler Command 15hp engine is holding up well at 675 hrs, doesn't use or leak oil and has good crosshatch in the cylinder.
Based on that, I wouldn't worry too much about replacement - it sounds like you have many more years before it's worn out.
Extreme generalizations here: Hondas are great, but parts are expensive and nothing about them is easy to work on. Finnicky. Kohler is pretty rock solid but unrefined. B&S is a chunk of iron that will last longer than a water molecule and likely run on that leftover Kerosene from 1987 when you had tiki torches in the back yard. Parts are ubiquitous and cheap. Equally unrefined, but they're a hammer.
If you're thinking replacement mower, I wouldn't even think about new. I would rather have a John Deere 322 from 1985 with 1500 hours than some of the stamped-steel, plastic-axle junk you find at a hammer store.
So, every brand engine has had failures. Single, twin or model/ year specific? Some may be better than others within a brand.
Likes and dislikes for every brand.
General dislike for new lawn tractors, myself included.
I don't see myself buying an old tractor that turns into a project, don't have the time or ambition anymore.
My tractor was down for several weeks this year, deferred maintenance, waiting on parts and trouble shooting. Ended up the problem was a wire broken off a connector to the electric PTO clutch. Had to dig deep for that one.
But it made me think of looking for a new tractor. Just put gas in it, mow, maintain it. There will come a time tho.
In worst case scenario I can get a used tractor from the mower repair shop. CL might be a pig in a poke. I know a lawn guy that would cut also. He's big on zero turns too.
I got time for now.
