squonk 42,534 #26 Posted January 15 (edited) Kohler would probably be gone completely if they didn't get bought out. Just like Cub Cadet would be gone if it weren't for MTD. Our Wheel Horses were built till 2007 (18 years ago) You think Kohler would still be making Valves and pistons for a K181 today? Heck WH got bought out by AMC and bought out again. Where is the thread complaining about TORO on the side of our 520H's. Kohler was a big company with engines, pluming and generators. It happened to be purchased by a power generating company. The stock holders approved a sale to Platinum Energy and it's stockholders decided to change the name to Rehlko. As far as our tractors are concerned, This is a lot about nothing. The hospital I work at announced an "affiliation" with a big city hospital about a year and a half ago. They said it was not a take over. Well money was spent for all new signs at every campus with the city hospital in giant letters and the old name in small letters. They want us to shave 6% off of our operating budget but want to re-paint the entire interior in the city colors. The IT dept is taking over office space like it's going out of style. I tell the boys you can use the word " affiliation" but it is getting taken over slowly but surely. So either accept the change or do without. (company closing) Edited January 15 by squonk 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kpinnc 13,732 #27 Posted January 15 (edited) 1 hour ago, squonk said: As far as our tractors are concerned, This is a lot about nothing. While I agree this doesn't affect decades-old engines, I still think it's sad to see any successful manufacturer "sign off" after such a storied history. Yeah, I know most of us wouldn't purchase anything they've built in the past 15 years. But this being a sign of our times is still a downer. The days of quality and longevity being part of a company mission statement are now a thing of the past. It's not only sad, it's also a bit frightening in my opinion. Of course that discussion is a slippery slope within our forum guidelines. Our history included a bit of pride in our manufacturing standards. We had as many flops as successes, but overall quality has suffered greatly as we outsourced so much. When everything is junk- down to the building material itself, that's a problem. Edited January 15 by kpinnc 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lagersolut 723 #28 Posted January 16 Even the big box stores of yesterday had a decent basic tractor that could mow grass and pull a wagon for years. I have a garage we deliver oil to every so often, one time he had an old probably early to mid 70's Montgomery wards tractor ....in great shape sitting out front - looking it over he said it mowed grass for years - now uses it to pull the cars and trucks in the garage that won't start - I just pondered it all day thinking of the green ones that passed through my neighborhood people paid 5-7k - broke 75% time and/or the transmissions couldn't handle the slight hills here with a rider . Me and my 40 year old horses watched a lot plastic green/orange stuff come and go broken - I did sell one neighbor a horse so he could lose his plastic green . 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 42,534 #29 Posted January 16 Outsourcing for a cheaper part is different than another company buy Kohler. If Kohler decided to source pistons from Mexico or China because they could buy 20 of them for what it cost them to make 1 then I would agree. But this looks more like a company leveraging a buyout and stockholders cashing in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Easton Rich 466 #30 Posted January 16 Any bets on how long this lasts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wild Bill 633 866 #31 Posted January 16 (edited) John Kohler (1844-1900) started the Kohler Co. in Sheboygan, WI in 1873 making plows and farm implements. In 1920, Kohler Co. started to make engines. John's son, Herb Kohler Sr. (1891-1968) took over running the company from his father. Then, Herb Kohler Jr. (1939-2022) took over for his father. In 2019, the engine division was relocated from Kohler, WI. to Hattiesburg, MS. It is my understanding the reason for the move was to try and make the engine business profitable. As many of us know the deep south has a highly unskilled labor force along with high turnover which results in quality issues. It is also my understanding Stanley/Black & Decker, after acquiring MTD, was interested in purchasing the engine division but decided to purchase less expensive engines built in China. FYI, a 22HP Predator from Harbor Freight is $950 versus a Kohler Command 22HP is $2500, 2.6 times the cost. How can you compete? After Herb Kohler Jr's. death in Sept. 2022, both the engine and generator division was sold to Platinum Equity in May 2024. My understanding is Platinum Equity is the same firm that acquired Tecumseh. Edited January 16 by Wild Bill 633 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adsm08 2,644 #32 Posted January 16 1 hour ago, kpinnc said: The days of quality and longevity being part of a company mission statement are now a thing of the past. I want to agree with this, but my dad used to joke that this is why WH went out of business in the first place. They made them so good you bought one and never had to buy another. The fact that my 855 is still going at 60 years old is kind of evidence that he may not have been wrong. 1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kpinnc 13,732 #33 Posted January 16 21 minutes ago, adsm08 said: I want to agree with this, but my dad used to joke that this is why WH went out of business in the first place. Oh I understand that comment. But when you look at the original cost of a Wheel Horse, it was almost an investment. Sure you had to maintain them and replace the occasional part, but you expected years of service. Sadly, cheap big box junk at least looked the same to customers who didn't know better, so brands like Wheel Horse lost sales. Not to mention most customers didn't need a garden tractor with implements. In the long run, big box stuff devolved into throw away yard machines. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kpinnc 13,732 #34 Posted January 16 5 hours ago, squonk said: But this looks more like a company leveraging a buyout and stockholders cashing in. Which is all too common today. I absolutely believe in Capitalism, but such underhanded practices are extreme in my opinion. Which is probably why I'm not rich. That being said I prefer to keep my conscience clear. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 42,534 #35 Posted January 16 13 hours ago, adsm08 said: I want to agree with this, but my dad used to joke that this is why WH went out of business in the first place. They made them so good you bought one and never had to buy another. The fact that my 855 is still going at 60 years old is kind of evidence that he may not have been wrong. Pretty much why just about every garden tractor manufacturer besides Deere is gone. You can only sell so many. They just kept going and going. If MTD built quality stuff they'd probably be gone too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 13,340 #36 Posted January 16 2 minutes ago, squonk said: Pretty much why just about every garden tractor manufacturer besides Deere is gone. You can only sell so many. They just kept going and going. If MTD built quality stuff they'd probably be gone too. Observe the automobile industry. Build quality and expected service life are definitely a factor. But also, fewer people are doing themselves what garden tractors were made and sold to do--gardening, lawn maintenance, etc. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 11,125 #37 Posted January 16 (edited) The McDonalds drive up and get it now mentality pervades our society. The World Wide Web has only made the desire to satisfy wants and needs greater. Virtual and Artificial Intelligence generated ads, answers and creative thinking does not seem to bode well in my opinion for human innovation , real personal knowledge and skill for employment and self sustenance . Corporations only reflect individual human beings - they are not omnipotent and ever foresighted! Edited January 16 by Lane Ranger 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 42,534 #38 Posted January 16 2 minutes ago, Lane Ranger said: ever foresighted! Walked in the shop at work on Tuesday. There are like 8 boxes of new eye wash stations to be installed. I asked what happened to all of the eyewash stations we installed 10 yrs. ago? I was told they switched the chemicals they use top clean so they weren't needed anymore so they took them out. Now they are switching back to the chemicals they used before so now the need eyewash stations again. Every year they switch Paper towels and TP vendors. So that means all new dispensers and holders need to be installed and walls fixed. Save a couple of bucks on the product and spend those savings many times on man hours when important stuff gets neglected. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gasaholic 257 #39 Posted January 16 20 hours ago, kpinnc said: Agreed. And I have a couple Honda clones- one on a generator and one on the kid's gokart. Shockingly they both run well and start on the first pull even after sitting all winter. Even so, they are nowhere as good as even a older engine. Largely thanks to the US EPA and environmentalists - They also don't use (supposedly) as much fuel.. However due to the need to increase power from the newer engines to power the same stuff (These days, need 20 HP twin to power the same stuff that used to be handled easily by a 10 HP Cast iron) they actually use MORE fuel to do the same job. (Newer Cub Cadet/Columbia with 20 HP Kohler powering a 46 inch cut, just barely, burns through 1.5 gallons/acre whereas my older 10 HP C100 running a 36 inch rear discharge still has gas left over after mowing the same lawn....and I don't think that little tank holds even a gallon.) Those older engines had a longer stroke so they could get more torque from the same displacement.. I have a 9 HP Farmall Cub too, and it develops more power than the newer Cub Cadet Yanmar 24 HP diesel that I traded for it. (Plowing and disking the garden, Cub works better than Yanmar.) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gasaholic 257 #40 Posted January 16 15 hours ago, Wild Bill 633 said: My understanding is Platinum Equity is the same firm that acquired Tecumseh. And they couldn't make any money at it so they sold out most of Tecumseh to Certified Parts Corp , which went on to cut a deal with LCT (More Honda clones) to make engines under the LCT and old Lauson branding. Around 2017 or so I started seeing so few Tecumseh engines at all any more, I quit stocking parts entirely, and by 2020 I was closed down for good when it started costing more to fix the machines than to just buy new ones. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 13,340 #41 Posted January 16 Yep, change can be hard and our generations are seeing it accelerate. Still, I like being able to go to a medical professional or dentist having up-to-date tools and knowledge. Leeches, bleeding, poultices, patent medicines, and 65 year life expectancy? No thanks. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 27,532 #42 Posted January 16 Except for leeches and maggots... still FDA approved for specific medicinal purposes... Leeches - blood flow in amputated limbs that are reattached... Maggots - they eat only dead tissue in infected wounds... 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 40,484 #43 Posted January 16 1 hour ago, SylvanLakeWH said: Leeches - blood flow in amputated limbs that are reattached... Maggots - they eat only dead tissue in infected wounds... Good reminder, Fishing season is just around the corner. Soon time to buy some bait. 1 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kpinnc 13,732 #44 Posted January 16 2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said: Good reminder, Fishing season is just around the corner. Soon time to buy some bait. Thank you Ed! This thread needed correction! Not pointing fingers for the content. It was as much my doom and gloom as anyone. My grandma always said "and this too shall pass", and one way or the other- those things that remind us of so much change is included in the statement. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wild Bill 633 866 #46 Posted January 20 On 1/15/2025 at 6:13 PM, squonk said: But this looks more like a company leveraging a buyout and stockholders cashing in. Not true. FYI, the Kohler Co. is a privately held company by the Kohler family, Herb's wife, son and (2) daughters. Herb's son has stock majority and it was his decision to sell the engine and generator divisions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 50,730 #47 Posted January 20 Sounds like Bill has his hand on the pulse of the Kohlers. 23 minutes ago, Wild Bill 633 said: privately held company by the Kohler family, Maybe could have saved the name if they went public?? The whole business just floors me ... It's like Harley changing their name after what 100+ years??? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
