What engine?

[pugaltitude]

I here the same things about the Kohler Command engine being the bad motor and having all the problems. I think a lot of problems with the Courage is the people who preform the maintenance on the motors and the things they use. As far as a throw away engine, I feel the same way about Briggs & Stratton

IMO you cant say any manufacturer is just a throw away engine.
Some engines suit certain applications and some dont.
I dislike the Honda GC range due to reliability problems but the GX range is great.
Im not too keen on the B & S Intek range but no manufacturer can beat the vanguard range at all.
Tecumseh vertical on a lawnmower is weak but horizontal on a cylinder mower is great.
I prefer the beast of the Command to the weak Courage.
You could keep going.
Everybody has different experiences.
It can sometimes only take one bad experience to then brand the rest bad.

 

[Rivets]

Pug, you said it better than I ever could. Ric and I are going to disagree on this forever, that is why anyone who uses this forum must realize and take to heart just what you posted.

 

[Raw Dodge]

I dont like any of your engine options . Just being honest here...the engine is the heart of the machine, zero turns tend to work the engine alot harder than a typical garden tractor.Most have much higher blade tip speed and the hydraulic system places a bigger load than a typical lawn tractor...iys because of this that Id try to find a machine with a higher quality engine ( Vanguard/Command/Kawi FV..) I know its more money up front but youll save overtime and resale time.. especially if you have enough lawn to actually need a ztr... But if you are set on the machine you looking at I would avoid the Kohler Courage... Even if you had good luck with it you would never be able to sell the machine. There reputation is terrible..

 

[rfl]

Yes, I've changed the oil a couple of times. The first at break in and I change the engine oil every 50 hrs and the hydraulic once a season since I never reach the 250 hr recommendation. I use Castrol 10W-30 for the engine and Castrol 20W-50 for the hydraulics. I use only the Kohler recommended oil filter for the motor and Bad Boy filters for the hydraulic system. Like I said, I have not had any problem with the engine other than that one time but I won't use it on much of an angle anymore. Why tempt fate? The only other thing I have noticed is that when cold, you can't get it to stop increasing and decreasing rpm until it gets warm, no matter where you set the choke adjustment. Once it is warm, it will idle and smooth out just fine. I never have even seen a puff of smoke other than that one time.