Mower Engines: Taking Care of Business

Aside from horsepower, contractors primarily seek one other aspect in their mower engines: low maintenance. Randy Lockyear, sales manager-turf and OEM, Kawasaki, Grand Rapids, Mich., identified three key maintenance points that pose little hassle and allow contractors to extend their engines’ lifespan. “First, maintain your air filters,” he said. “Right now, we’re [Kohler] pushing for remote air cleaners. Second, change your oil – I suggest a 100-hour interval for oil changes. Finally, pay attention to cooling. Check the cooling fans on your air-cooled engine, do a visual check on the radiator, check overflow and fluid levels.”

At times contractors have held the preconception that liquid-cooled engines require extra maintenance because of added parts, Lockyear said. “A lot of people think there is more maintenance involved, but there is probably less,” he said. “You still have the normal things: Checking air filters, oil filters – those things have to be maintained with both engines.” However, because the radiator is easily visible in a liquid-cooled system, cleaning becomes easier.

Paul Blum, product manager for single-cylinder engines, Kohler, Kohler, Wis., and Cam Litt, product manager for twin-cylinder engines, Kohler, discussed several engine attributes that are being revised and improved throughout the industry, regardless of cooling type. Again, these changes stem directly from contractors’ seemingly inborn desire for speed and efficiency on their properties. “One trend has definitely been more power, more horsepower and more productivity,” Blum stated. “We’ve asked ourselves, ‘How do we save the contractor money with extended maintenance intervals?’ If they don’t have to change the oil as often, if he can go faster and cut faster, then that’s a positive to him because it means less hours on the job.”

For example, heavy-duty air cleaners prevent contractors from changing out air filters as often. “Typically, we’ve had a dual element air cleaner, but it became dirty quickly,” Litt said. “The heavy canister air cleaning system can run hundreds of hours without changing, and although you pay more upfront, you are not changing the filter a lot over the course of time.”

In addition, manufacturers have been tweaking engine design to extend the intervals between oil changes, preventing the oil from breaking down as quickly, Litt claimed. And, with electronic fuel injection, which eliminates carburetor maintenance, the engine becomes more cost-effective and productive by saving 30 percent in fuel consumption, Blum continued.

The author is Assistant Editor – Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at kmohn@lawnandlandscape.com.