Kohler vs well, everybody else

[jstewart]

Can anybody give some opinions on Wisconsin 12 hp engines, I may have an opportunity to acquire a Brand X garden tractor for not very much and was wondering how the Wisconsin would compare to a similar Kohler.

 

[PACub100]

An older guy who drives truck for one of our customers and was a diesel mechanic said that they were excellent motors but parts were expensive... At least that's what I remember.

 

[PACub100]

This was just back late summer, he showed up while I was taking my lunch break and sat in the break room to BS with me. I was on the forum here and we got to talking about motors. I'd never heard of Wisconsin. We were talking about Tecumseh and how I didn't understand why people didn't care for them here. (my only experience with them was on a tiller my parents have)
He basically broke it down as follows...
Tecumseh was determined that their motors were not meant to be serviced by individual replacement parts. Told me that you basically had to replace a whole unit if one part went bad.
Briggs just sucked.
Onan spent just as much time being worked on as they ran.
Kohler was a fine motor.
Wisconsin was an even better motor but finding parts and the prices made it difficult to justify vs the Kohler.

 

[jstewart]

I remember seeing a good number of old Wisconsin motors around, they were old in the 80's. Never had occasion to mess with one. They were always on old equipment.

 

[-CӞ]

Lots of great designs/products have been lost to time for nothing more than being too good to be priced low enough to draw the attention of a marketplace that fails to recognize quality/value (while seeking the lowest price).

I can’t speak to the quality/value of Wisconsin engines, but there is some really good cheese and beer up there.

 

[1811Cub]

I've owned/serviced several Tecumseh Snow King engines. Overall, they work really well, but they have two major issues. One is the lack of oil capacity, so checking the oil every time you run one is imperative. Two, the connecting rods were weak. Keeping the engine under 3600RPM is a good idea. Also, since they are not a pressure lube engine, they shouldn't be operated on an incline. I run full synthetic 10W30 in them, and haven't lost one in a very long time.

 

[Mark Evans]

Back when I was younger and had my own shop in the family barn had a vacuum pump made out of a international Harvester deep freeze compressor pump best vacuum pump I ever had, and made a couple of toys out of old baler V-4 cylinder engines the homemade two wheeler out of an old mustang front end and a bigger Honda was a ride with an old baler dog clutch in and out hooked up like lightning every time ?!?!?! Yeehaw a neighbor had some ol hot rod parts for them also the ol man gave them to me for free !!!!

 

[Mark Evans]

Yes creep the rpm around 3200 and 30wt HD oil and they pull better at mid range than full 3600 never ran one on the high side !!!!

 

[ffgosda]

Where's it at this year? RPRU
We, IA Chapter #5 are doing it in '24 at Spencer, IA, Clay Co. fairgrounds

Red Power Roundup is in Grand Island, Nebraska this year. June 15-17, 2023

 

[tgarner]

B
I have worked on Engines for over 50 years everything from 5 HP Briggs to 855 cummins and cat construction equipment. I have enjoyed working on 1,2, and 4 cylinder Wisconsin and have very little trouble finding parts. I always felt for a cheaper small motor Briggs were one of the BEST however now a days I would have to say Honda is the best and never liked Tecumseh were hardly worth a paper weight, carburetors always out of adjustment, didn't handle off seasons well. As far as Wisconsins they later became Wisconsin Robins and then Robins Subaru both good little small engines. Kohler cast iron lines were definitely a high end dependable motor.

 

[Beltrack]

Always had high regard for the older Briggs, Kohlers and Wisconsins - up until the 70s at which time I lost interest in small engines. Never had much use for Clintons or Tecumsehs. As far as parts are concerned (talking older engines here) I would think that of those three, Wisconsin might be the more difficult.

 

[jstewart]

I never had problems with Tecumseh, I worked on them and Briggs for @ 4 years (many years ago) and we had a rear engine Snapper with a Tecumseh for a very long time that I only had to fix the recoil start a few times but aside from oil changes, it never needed anything.

 

[tgarner]

I have been able to find almost anything I needed at PittAuto or E-bay

 

[jkoenig]

Our sponsors in the rectangular boxes at the top of page would be better In most cases.

Ignore the big ones like eBay, and Amazon.

 

[jstewart]

I'll know tomorrow if this deal goes through, I keep saying that "I'm done buying" , but these things keep popping up and I have no willpower,

 

[1811Cub]

I have zero willpower too. I'm keeping my eyes out for a clean 582 to do a Command swap sometime this spring.

 

[jstewart]

I have zero willpower too. I'm keeping my eyes out for a clean 582 to do a Command swap sometime this spring.

It is a lot easier to buy them than it is to do the work on them that they need.....................and in the 30-60 years, that can be a lot.