Man you hit the nail on the head. I've Been doing commercial lawn maintenance for over 35 yrs. So I seen them all. In the last 15 yrs I've tried all 3 of the modern day " heavy hitters" i also will say the Kawasaki with the pro series filter is the best built most reliable engine on the market. I put thousands of hrs on my machines. The kaws are the only engines that I've never had a problem with.i run them 12 months a yr. They never stop. I have 3 gravelys 2 have the pro series and the other has the 619v. In the last 15 yrs I've only had 1 kaw engine blow up. And it was some kind of manufacturer flaw because it only had 130 hrs on it when it popped. But they replaced it and it now has 1400 hrs on it and still going. I do have a walker mower with a pro series kholer on it. It has 1200 hrs with no issue. But I've tried all the brands. None will hold up to the kaw.
Far as an apples to apples, just bought a new mower that came with two engine options. The Kawasaki FR691V 23 HP or the B&S 2500 CXi 25 HP, if you took labels off not knowing each brand and did a side by side comparison, everyone would pick the Briggs. That model Kawasaki just looked cheaply built in comparison to that model Briggs.
I agree with you! I had 60 lawn accounts and when we ran full time the Kawasaki was always the best performer and longest lasting. Briggs/Vanguards are 2nd best with good durability
Depends on the mower and engine availability. On the higher end mowers, you start to find Vanguard options, and in my opinion, they are the best, at least in larger commercial mowers. I tend to agree that Kohler are the least desirable these days. Kawasakis are generally very good, but there were a run of bad FX730V’s that were throwing rods out the side of the block. Frankly, they’re Kawasaki’s worst v-twin. Their best seems to be the FX850V. The big blocks are good too, but are rather thirsty and frankly I find the Vanguards to just be better. Still, for a basic dead simple carb engine for a 60”, the FX850V is tough to beat for the money. One bad thing about Kawasaki, they are loud as fuck, much louder than any other engine.
Seems like many times its the model of engine. Some models just simply had trouble. Kawasaki is usually the most expensive engine. Then Kohler than Briggs. Alot of times. U get what u pay for.
Yes, the rodents can sure be a challenge. Sometimes they block the air flow so bad it can overheat. Thanks for taking the time to comment, we really appreciate it.
What are the differences in the Kawasaki models? FH, FR, FS, FX I've heard the blocks are the same for the size ranges. What are part interchangeably things like that.
I'm gonna be the oddball here I'm guessing. I've had mowers over the years with pretty much every make engine, and Briggs has been consistently the most reliable engine on my machines...going back to the old opposed twins. Every Kawasaki I've owned has been nothing but problems. The two most recent problems have been FH680 23hp. Everything from bent pushrods, carb issues, leaking oil, head gaskets, ignition coils, you name it. Always working on them...and this is with less than 600hrs on them. Granted when they run, they run great and have good power...but man it's been a struggle. I've got a Commercial Turf with over 1000hrs that has been bulletproof. I've got some old opposed twin Briggs with 2000+ hours on them that just keep going. So yeah...I'm a little leery of Kawi's even though everyone says I shouldn't be. I used to love the old Kohlers, but it seems to be a crapshoot with those now.
Sorry that happened to you , how disappointing. In theory they should all last if well maintained, but unfortunately that’s not the case . Thanks for watching, we really appreciate it 👍
I won't buy a Briggs. I've got about 15 free generator heads off Briggs that threw a rod through the block😊 New kohler idk about but I have 2 pre '05 kohlers, 25hp, 1480hrs on 1, 892 hrs on the other. I take good care of them though.
I'm looking at a 34" Toro Timecutter with a 725cc Kohler Command Pro engine. I've seen more bad reviews about the Courage series of Kohler than the Command series. What's your thoughts about that?
The pro series is a better choice, if purchasing a Kohler. With proper maintenance it should serve you well. Thanks for watching, and taking the time to comment.
I have a Honda GXV630 on my Cub Cadet RZT-L 46 zero turn mower. Bullet proof engine. Sips gas. Cub Cadet only put a Honda engine on their zero turns for one year only. Glad I bought it from Home Depot when I did. In 2024 no zero turn mowers come with a Honda engine. Must be a cost issue.
