Thoughts on the Kohler 7000? (KT740)

[oggb]

Have a new mower on order and it's my first brand new mower with a Kohler (25HP, KT740). The oldest mowers I have are running Kohler Commands, one of which has over 2000 hours on it, and it still runs like a top. Heck I've got a trash pump that runs a Kohler Courage and it's only a little bit of a POS.

I know there's a bit of a negative sentiment towards Kohler, especially from anyone that owned a Courage, but does anyone know how these Kohler 7000 series stack up? I'm only using it to mow ~4 acres once a week so it's not going to live as hard of a life as the other mowers.

 

[MParr]

4 acres once a week will rack up hours pretty fast. If you maintain it well, it should serve you well.

 

[wpod]

4 acres once a week will rack up hours pretty fast. If you maintain it well, it should serve you well.

How long does the mowing of 4 acres take?

 

[Zee09]

Kohler EFI's have treated me well.
So I'm a fan. Yes the Courage was a special brew...lol

 

[oggb]

How long does the mowing of 4 acres take?

For me probably ~2.5 hours. This is a zero turn with a 60" deck. Figure I'll be mowing every 5-7 days from April to the end of October and I'll be surprised if I put 65 hours per year on it. Maybe an extra ~15 hours per year from mowing my father in law's yard every now and then.

 

[wpod]

That seems really fast not that I would want to be on a mower that long.

 

[samven]

You must have a nice smooth yard. I have a bit over 5 and if I went that fast my teeth would fall out but its a country lot so something is always digging a hole in it somewhere. K series has always had a good reputation in the past. Since its rear mounted you have to spend a bit more time blowing all the dust and clipping off it to keep it running as cool as possible since they dont get quite as much air flow. Heat and over filling the oil are probably the biggest killers.

 

[oggb]

You must have a nice smooth yard. I have a bit over 5 and if I went that fast my teeth would fall out but its a country lot so something is always digging a hole in it somewhere. K series has always had a good reputation in the past. Since its rear mounted you have to spend a bit more time blowing all the dust and clipping off it to keep it running as cool as possible since they dont get quite as much air flow. Heat and over filling the oil are probably the biggest killers.

It's not too smooth. I just like to think of it as a free deep tissue massage.

 

[jeepman3071]

They are in a totally different league over the Courage, which has many flaws. The 7000 series pro is closer to the original Command Pros. I haven't seen any major issues yet, and run a HDEO in the ones I service.

 

[MParr]

@JRed
Just exactly what brand and model mower did you get?

 

[oggb]

@JRed
Just exactly what brand and model mower did you get?

Bad Boy ZT Avenger w/ 60" deck. Way better hydraulic pumps and just in general better construction than anything else remotely close in price.

Only thing I need to do to it is install grease zerks and remove the inner bearing seals on all the deck spindles. Bad boy, like a lot of others, have gone to sealed bearings on the deck spindles.

It's a lot of mower for $4300.

 

[Delta]

I have a 22HP 7000 series in my homeowner grade Cub-Cadet. While it has 11 hours on it, I absolutely love it. Plenty of power and well balanced. Time will tell if will stand the test of time, bit I treat all my equipment well. I run Shell Rotella T5 10w30 at the moment. Changed the break in oil out at around 3.5 hours and just changed it last weekend at 11 hours. Now going for once a season. Also use an STP 3614 filter over the Kohler one, mostly due to availability at the moment...

 

[MParr]

@JRed
I think that you will be happy with your purchase. I often use Bad Boy blades on my Toro. They are some of the best that I have used. They hold an edge and last a good while, if you sharpen them at around 10 hours. I wished that I would have bought a 60” machine instead of a 54”.

 

[Zee09]

@JRed
I think that you will be happy with your purchase. I often use Bad Boy blades on my Toro. They are some of the best that I have used. They hold an edge and last a good while, if you sharpen them at around 10 hours. I wished that I would have bought a 60” machine instead of a 54”.

I have many zts as i mow several of my own properties. Some over 30 acres but the 54" stinks in an open field but a real treat around decks and the house. You just need more mowers
Prefer to break in with conventional oil.

 

[MParr]

I have many zts as i mow several of my own properties. Some over 30 acres but the 54" stinks in an open field but a real treat around decks and the house. You just need more mowers
Prefer to break in with conventional oil.

I mow 2.76 acres every week. The 54” fits better around our tree and shrub plantings. It fits easily through 60” gates. All I use is conventional oil. SAE 30 HD.

 

[Zee09]

I mow 2.76 acres every week. The 54” fits better around our tree and shrub plantings. It fits easily through 60” gates. All I use is conventional oil. SAE 30 HD.

I have a diesel 54" MF tractor but what kills it is this was before folding ROPS and it is bad around trees and decks. Most of my mowing is along woods. ZTs rule when grass cutting is the main requirement. Lol

 

[oggb]

They are in a totally different league over the Courage, which has many flaws. The 7000 series pro is closer to the original Command Pros. I haven't seen any major issues yet, and run a HDEO in the ones I service.

Just bought a bunch of Rotella T5 10w-30 for it. Kohler says, as you did, that the 7000 is based on the Command Pro. Makes me feel better about it.

I know a lot of folks swear by the Kawasaki engines but my local Kawasaki shop says the FH and FR series residential-class engines are the worst Kawasaki has made. I've had great luck with the FH in my VERY abused Husqvarna riding mower. It only gets fired up to mow knee and waist high grass along fence lines. Never been impressed with the power of it or any other mower with a Kawasaki. All of the Kohler mowers I've run have had great power.

 

[oggb]

I have a diesel 54" MF tractor but what kills it is this was before folding ROPS and it is bad around trees and decks. Most of my mowing is along woods. ZTs rule when grass cutting is the main requirement. Lol

Thankfully this mower doesn't even have ROPS. All of the folding ROPS I've ever used have clattered and rattled like crazy.

 

[jeepman3071]

Just bought a bunch of Rotella T5 10w-30 for it. Kohler says, as you did, that the 7000 is based on the Command Pro. Makes me feel better about it.

I know a lot of folks swear by the Kawasaki engines but my local Kawasaki shop says the FH and FR series residential-class engines are the worst Kawasaki has made. I've had great luck with the FH in my VERY abused Husqvarna riding mower. It only gets fired up to mow knee and waist high grass along fence lines. Never been impressed with the power of it or any other mower with a Kawasaki. All of the Kohler mowers I've run have had great power.

The older Kawasakis, no doubt they were amazing engines. I haven't been impressed with too many of the newer ones, a lot of them are oil burners.

 

[meep]

I worked on a 2-lung kawi yesterday to no avail. 15 years old, 712 hours. Owner says the first start is rough every year. He says he gets about 2-5 years out of each coil, and there are two. Says about every 2-3 years he has to buy a new float/pin/seal for the carb or fuel spills out the weep hole. we scratched our head yesterday. To me it sounded like it lacked compression, and the spark on both coils (one brand new) looked weak. I suggested he check the flywheel magnets, and it should be checked for compression. Even during the summer, I hear them having to crank it a while to fire. I thought kawi was known for excellent engines.

I think my Yamaha inverter generator uses a 7.5 hp kawi. It has been a smooth and precise engine with zero issues. But, it’s always been babied too, with less than 100 hours on it. It’s still new.