Kohler Courage Single cylinder engines are called bucket engines for a reason. because when you're done tearing them apart to find the failure, you have a nice bucket for the parts. The issue is oil. The oil journals on those engines are undersized and vertical..and when you use old oil, contaminated oil or run them low on oil, the rod bearings quickly wear out because it can't pump the oil upward and you end up snapping either the crank or the connecting rod. They're a cool design over the Briggs singles because you can get to everything without removing the head...but I run from them anytime I see them because you never know how they were taken care of. All that aside, Kohler Magnums are great, as well as their Command series. And courage series vtwins are relatively safe also. I prefer Kohler over Briggs most of the time for twin cylinder/vtwin, and briggs over Kohler for single cylinder stuff. I flip riding mowers for a side hustle for the last 5 years. Answer from 06EXTN on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/lawnmowers › why are kohler courage engines so bad?
r/lawnmowers on Reddit: Why are Kohler Courage engines so bad?
April 17, 2024 -
I have a 21 hp single cylinder Kohler Courage. From what I can tell, the main issue with these is a cracked block which can be prevented. Are there any other issues that can be prevented? And how long could I expect it to last after lock titeing the cover bolts along with diligent maintenance? Thanks
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Kohler Courage Single cylinder engines are called bucket engines for a reason. because when you're done tearing them apart to find the failure, you have a nice bucket for the parts. The issue is oil. The oil journals on those engines are undersized and vertical..and when you use old oil, contaminated oil or run them low on oil, the rod bearings quickly wear out because it can't pump the oil upward and you end up snapping either the crank or the connecting rod. They're a cool design over the Briggs singles because you can get to everything without removing the head...but I run from them anytime I see them because you never know how they were taken care of. All that aside, Kohler Magnums are great, as well as their Command series. And courage series vtwins are relatively safe also. I prefer Kohler over Briggs most of the time for twin cylinder/vtwin, and briggs over Kohler for single cylinder stuff. I flip riding mowers for a side hustle for the last 5 years.
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Can't say on a single cylander, but the courage twin was the prone to blowing head gaskets, valve problems, etc. I believe the manual does say to have the valves adjusted every 300 hours.
My Tractor Forum
mytractorforum.com › home › forums › tractor talk › small engines and repair
Kohler Courage Engines | My Tractor Forum
So for me , so far, it's been a good engine. And there's my two cents. lol Thanks, Mike. ... Thanks for the response Mike. I am also using Mobil 1 synthetic 10W-30W. I also get the gray puff of smoke when first started. Does not use any oil. ... I heard bad things early on but not for the last couple years. ... I was leary going from the Kohler Command to the Courage.
Videos
09:18
Common Issues On Kohler Courage Single Cylinder Twin Cam Engine ...
FREE KOHLER COURAGE 19HP ENGINE WON'T CRANK ...
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01:06:40
The Best Fix for a CRACKED Kohler Courage Engine - YouTube
10:16
Kohler Courage 20hp SV600 Engine Teardown and Rebuild - Part 1 ...
BobIsTheOilGuy
bobistheoilguy.com › home › forums › motorcycles, boating, small engine, aviation, powe › lawn mower and small engine
Kohler Courage engines | BobIsTheOilGuy
June 2, 2017 - iirc, the v-twin courage engines are based on the Kohler command and are very good design. The single cylinder engines are said to be less reliable. Apart from ordinary maintenance (oil change, air filter, spark plug) I imagine the only other thing to do is make sure the bolts and dowel pins ...
My Tractor Forum
mytractorforum.com › home › forums › tractor talk › small engines and repair
JUNK KOHLER Courage engines | My Tractor Forum
Sorry you're having problems, but ... a 20HP Courage engine with about 320 hours on the clock. So far, the engine has been the most reliable part of this mower....
TractorByNet
tractorbynet.com › forums › lawn & garden › lawn & garden equipment
is kohler courage that bad compared to the command - TractorByNet
March 21, 2006 - If a 1000 series unit is the right tool for you (mowing maybe an hour every week, and never cutting more than a few inches, or pulling hard up & down hills while mowing); the engine is likely well matched. On the other hand if you need that thing to run several hours at a time; plan to torque it hard, or you expect 2000 hours out of it; well, I wouldn't try it with that mower or that engine. Mar 22, 2006 / is kohler courage that bad compared to the command
My Tractor Forum
mytractorforum.com › home › forums › lawn and garden tractors › backyard round table: l & g tractor related topics
Kohler Courage: Junk or not? | My Tractor Forum
The singles are junk the Vtwins are ok but my 3 cylinder Yanmar Diesel in my John Deere 332 Diesel is the best engine ever manufactured.:tango_face_grin: ... Eric, I had a carb off a blown 19hp courage that I used on a Command. They may be different spec numbers but they were both LMK's. Seems like I had to open up the idle circuit a turn or so. I would keep them too. Cannon ... Cannon they do work, think we had same issue. It is slightly different. Think starter was same though. ... I asked the same question to some Kohler factory sellers, they said stay away from the singles but the twins were good.
Lawn Mower Forum
lawnmowerforum.com › home › equipment › general topics › mower & equipment operation
Is the Kohler Courage really that bad? | Lawn Mower Forum
April 12, 2012 - It seem to many of us there a too many lemons in this engine basket. ... The problem with the courage is it seems like the bugs never get worked out. Fix the cracking block problem, then they have camshaft problems, Fix the camshaft problem, then it was water running into the starter and causing corrosion. Fix the starter issue, and then it was leaking valve cover gaskets. It is a ongoing wicked stepchild. ... I recently purchased a 5 year old Ariens Zero Turn with a 23 hp Kohler Courage engine.
SlashGear
slashgear.com › 1781516 › kohler-engine-common-problems-owner-complaints
Common Problems With Kohler Engines (According To Owners) - SlashGear
February 11, 2025 - However, the overall opinion was pretty low for Kohler engines, with most mechanics recommending Kawasaki engines instead, which are simple and bullet-proof, or Honda for those with deeper pockets. Common complaints were leaking valve covers, loud vibration issues, and very cheap and nasty air filters that offer little protection, such as on the RH Series 6.5 hp. Oil leaks were extremely common, as we found many reports of oil running out suddenly on Courage engines — which can lead to catastrophic engine failure – even if it has only had a very short operating life.
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › small-engine › 6vufe-life-expectantcy-kohler-courage-24-hp-twin-used.html
Kohler Courage 24 HP Engine Life Expectancy on Mowers?
It was designed to compete with lower-cost engines found on discount store mowers. These engines typically do not have the longevity of superior Kohler engines. I cannot provide an exact lifespan, as they generally do not endure long under heavy use.
Tractor Forum
tractorforum.com › home › forums › lawn garden tractors › craftsman / sears
Kohlr Courage 26HP - life expectancy | Tractor Forum
The Kohler Mangum engines will hold up. I heard to avoid the Courage series too.
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › small-engine › 2b8tf-2008-kohler-courage-25-hp-v-twin-cub-cadet.html
Kohler Courage 25 HP V-Twin Engine Problems - Expert Q&A
These engines, particularly the new Kohler models in the Courage series, are notorious for catastrophic failures. They experienced oil pump issues that resulted in excessive bearing wear, leading to seal failures and significant engine damage.
Yesterday's Tractors
forums.yesterdaystractors.com › general topics › tool talk
kohler courage engine sv590 19 hp | Yesterday's Tractors Forums
May 19, 2018 - Kohler Command engines run forever with hardly a problem. ... Yes, very different engine that is not built to meet a "price". The courage engines now are supposed to be all right but the early 2000 engines don't even make a good boat anchor.
Lawn Care Forum
lawnsite.com › home › forums › equipment › 🔧 mechanic and repair
Anyone have problems with their Kohler Courage 20 SV600 engine blowing the oil drain plug cover off the side of the engine? | Lawn Care Forum
The Kohler Courage engine was absolutely the worst engine ever made. It was an embarrassment to Kohler, who actually make great engines. Every now and again, even good company’s make mistakes.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
This is why the Kohler Courage engine is so BAD - YouTube
The Kohler Courage engine has a bad reputation. It Does have more problems than other engines. However most of the issues are repairable. This video looks at...
Published September 30, 2024
Tractor Forum
tractorforum.com › home › forums › lawn garden tractors › craftsman / sears
Kohler Courage 26HP engine bad on a Craftsman 917.289470 | Tractor Forum
Half of the time, its cylinders work every-time! Old but still good tractor with a bad engine (the little one on top): ... I have a Craftsman 917-289470 with a 26HP Kohler Courage Kohler Courage SV735-0016 that has bit the shed.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/lawnmowers › are kohler motors pretty good for riders?
r/lawnmowers on Reddit: Are Kohler motors pretty good for riders?
March 7, 2023 -
Have to replace my 54" Husqvarna, had to many oil leak issues with it, so do not want another from them.
I am looking at a Cub Cadet 50" with a Kohler motor
Not familiar with Cub but reviews seem good
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Kohler command and command pro engines have a good rep of being reliable, low maintenance, and strong, but at the cost of fuel. Would recommend Kohler courage engines have a bad rep overall, you can get a good one, but blown head gaskets, cracked blocks, and warped valve covers are all too common. Would not recommend I don't know about Kohler 7000 series engines, but I have read they are kind of half way in between, after courage engines had a ton of issues, kohler starting building them more like the commands again and that's where the 7000 came from. I personally wouldn't pay much for one until I've run it enough to know if it's reliable. Kawasakis are generally regarded as the best, but they tend to be higher maintenance needs than a command. Mostly just from valves and dust screens. Would recommend
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You want a Kawasaki engine.
Lawn Care Forum
lawnsite.com › home › forums › equipment › 🔧 mechanic and repair
kohler courage 20 hp vs kawasaki 20 hp | Lawn Care Forum
Kawasaki....no comparison.... Courage engine was designed to last 300-500 hrs....riding lawnmower engine...plastic cams.. ... Get a different machine entirely. You must be looking at some POS homeowner model. ... A 20HP Kohler Courage V-twin does NOT have plastic cams.
Houzz
houzz.com › discussions › 1633338 › troubles-with-kohler-courage-23-hp-twin
Troubles with Kohler Courage 23 HP Twin
This motor is on a Gravely 2359 Zero Turn - it is about 4 years old. I bought it with about 60 hours on it three years ago. Last weekend I was cutting grass and all of a sudden I had a huge cloud of blue/white smoke coming from the exhaust. Shut it off, let it cool down and re-started it to ...
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › small-engine › 5sg5e-kohler-courage-20-hp-cub-cadet-tractor-about.html
Kohler Courage 20 HP Engine Problems and Solutions | Expert Q&A
Customer: I have a kohler courage 20 hp in a cub cadet tractor (about 100 hours). It stalled out and the engine turns with a wrench but the starter won't rotate it enough to start (it strains). Backfires from the carb when turned by hand.
Rehlko
engines.rehlko.com › troubleshooting
Troubleshooting | Customer Support - Kohler Engines - Rehlko
Often the best way to identify and correct the cause of engine trouble is to use a systematic approach to problem solving.