320 operating hours

Glyn Robinson

Glyn Robinson

Well-Known Member
My John Deere 320 (i believe it's a 1994 model) has approx 975 hours. the mower is original other than the belts, blades, and filters. How many hours does the Kawasaki engine usually run before giving problems? I realize the main factor is the way the operator runs the unit. I'm asking as a general rule of thumb if the mower has been taken care of and serviced properly.

Thanks
 
Glyn Robinson said:
My John Deere 320 (i believe it's a 1994 model) has approx 975 hours. the mower is original other than the belts, blades, and filters. How many hours does the Kawasaki engine usually run before giving problems? I realize the main factor is the way the operator runs the unit. I'm asking as a general rule of thumb if the mower has been taken care of and serviced properly.

Thanks
Click to expand...

The answer to your question depends on the type of engine your mower has. Commercial grade? Residential? If you could post the model number it would help us give you a better answer.
 
sjessen said:
The answer to your question depends on the type of engine your mower has. Commercial grade? Residential? If you could post the model number it would help us give you a better answer.
Click to expand...

it has the water cooled Kawasaki engine. i believe it's a commercial grade.
 
Glyn Robinson said:
it has the water cooled Kawasaki engine. i believe it's a commercial grade.
Click to expand...

Used to be the rule of thumb was 100 hours of life for every horsepower, such as 23 hp =2300 hours. Biggest determining factors of engine life seems to be keeping the fins clean, changing oil and air filters. I've read lot of posts where guys were losing engines at 800 hours. Come to find out the engine had developed an oil leak under the shroud resulting in the cooling fins becoming caked with dirt and then damaging the heads or the entire engine. Since your's is a water cooled engine one might expect to get better than that.

As an extreme example there is a guy locally who has a 23 hp Kawasaki; h680-v that just turned 6700 hours and has never been overhauled or the heads worked on. But that is not the norm. This guy changes his oil at 25-35 hours but does not use synthetic.
 
There is nothing like regular oil changes to extend the working life of an engine.
There is an 84 year old "retired" market gardener up the road who occasioally pops in for some parts.
Being retired he only works 2 acres, single handed.
the first tim I went into his machinary shed, I thought I had gone through a time tunnel.
The newest piece of kit in there was a Jawa industrial engine from 1959 on an open crankcase pressure pump from 1942.
Most of his gear he inherited from his father.
Anyway there were empty 44's everywhere, cut in 1/2 lengthways for sorting and seedling beds, perforated for tumbling dirt from the spuds, supporting tables, being used as water tanks etc,etc,etc.
I thought he must have been a mechanic at some time, but no, the oil drums were all emptied on site.
He goes through 2 to 3 drums per year in total ( six different types of oil ).
Anyway , the 1941 BSA 320cc engine I was there to service, is still on its original bore,hanging off a 6 tyne walk behind rotary hoe he inherited from dad that was more weld than original parts.
I had a thought about it , 3 44s of oil is about $ 1600 down here and you could not service a quarter of the gear he had there for that price.
 
i appreciate the feedback! i change the oil in my mowers every year. i don't have that much to cut. as a spare, i put 33 hours on the john deere last mowing season. i typically pull my spreader and sprayer with it. i did do some mulching last fall.
 
A few weeks ago I changed all the hoses on the engine. That meant removing the radiator, the fan, and the fan shroud. oh my goodness at the mess! i cleaned it all the best i could. I'm sure that alone added several more years to the life of that engine. thank y'all for the feedback.
 
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