gawald 30 #1 Posted April 20, 2016 What engines originally came in D series Wheel Horse tractors? Were D160 engines Kohler K series? D180's with Onan engines? D200 with ??? Also, were there other horsepower engines? I had a D180 with an Onan in the early '80's but my knowledge of the D series doesn't go much beyond that. In looking for a D series, is the Kohler engine more desirable than others due to parts availability and price? What are the advantages/disadvantages of the different engines? Thanks for educating me on the D series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
"D"- Man 827 #2 Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) Wheel Horse offered 5 "D" models and an 18 Automatic: the D-160 was either the single cylinder Kohler or the twin Onan the D-180 & D-200 were Kohler's the D-250 was a 4 cylinder. Edited April 21, 2016 by 23 Automatic LSE Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pacer 3,159 #3 Posted April 20, 2016 Leaving out the D-250 (its sort of the stepchild) there are 4 engines. As mentioned the D-160 had the venerable 16hp single cyl Kohler and the twin Onan, the Auto 18 and the D-180 had the Kohler 18hp twin, and the D-200 had a Kohler 20hp twin. Now, the 16hp single Kohler is very likely the most desirable (in my lowly opinion), its a beefy, strong, long lasting engine with virtually all parts readily available at reasonable cost. The Onan is prone to quirky problems and parts availability is somewhat limited. OK, the 2 big Kohler twins, 18 & 20hp are very strong engines with brute strength, but... parts availability for them is VERY limited. The D horses are loved by some (I'm one of em) and disliked by others. I have all 4 of the ones mentioned and I have to say while its a hoot to tear around the yard on all 4, my D-160 with that strong pulling 16hp Kohler is probably my favorite. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gawald 30 #4 Posted April 20, 2016 Did not know my D180 twin had a Kohler engine. I always thought it was a Onan. But my D tractor might have been a D160 with twin Onan. I got it from my employer and had it only about a year before having to sell it. I did replace the starter - just took the tractor model & serial number to the WH dealer and he handed me the starter. But that was 30+ years ago and details fade into the fog of history. Thanks for the info guys. I'll look for a D160 with Kohler engine as I have rebuilt Kohler K engines and like them very much. My D tractor had a hydrostatic trans to the best of my memory. Do all D series have hydrostatic trans? How reliable are the trans? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pacer 3,159 #5 Posted April 20, 2016 Yes all the D's had the hydrostat (Sundstrand) and while they are quite robust it would pay to have a close look at any purchase as now that so many years have passed many have become weak or other problems. Parts are somewhat scarce but if caught early on often can be refurbed without much outlay on parts. Mind you they are intimidating and are labor intensive... I am seriously considering selling one (or two?) of my D's, as I mentioned I have 4 of them along with a C-175 and recently acquired a nice Power King that I want to play with, so I'm tight on space to put them all! To bad you arent a bit closer we might could work something out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackC 616 #6 Posted April 20, 2016 I have two 1977 D-160s with the twin cylinder ONAN engines and a 1978 D-200 with the big Kohler twin. I have had good luck with all 3 engines. One of the ONANs needed a carburetor cleaning. I would swear it needed an engine overhaul but the carburetor cleaning made it start and run like new. It also needed a new starter so it must have a few hours on it. I like the smoother running of the twin cylinder engines. I am not sure why Wheel Horse switched from the single cylinder Kohler to the twin cylinder ONAN for the D-160. I know they did it for the 400 and 500 series tractors because the ONAN engines have more torque at lower RPM. That was important to be able to put a 60 inch deck under the 500 series and not have the engine stall at lower RPMs when the deck is engaged. The big Ds grow on you if you have the room to store them. I keep them on pressure treated platforms with double tarps over them. I use them for plowing and general pushing and pulling. My D-200 has less than 400 hours on it. The PO sold it because of a motor to pump spline problem that I was able to fix. My boat has been in storage for a number of years and I used the D-200 this past weekend to pull it out so I could work on the boat. The D-200 pulled like there was nothing behind it. The boat is an antique also and the same vintage as my Ds. It is a 1977 Browning Mustang waiting for a new to me 140 horse Johnson that I picked up for $300. Note that the boat is the correct color to be pulled by a Wheel Horse. The trailer needs paint but I may swap it for a galvanized one and skip the work needed to refinish it. The lake is the Sacandage in upstate NY. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tommyg 152 #7 Posted April 21, 2016 Parts for the K series Kohler are extremely difficult to find. While I didn't want to do it, I was forced to repower my D with a Kohler Command. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
