ScottC160 0 #1 Posted June 12, 2011 Hey Guys, looking for your opinion. i have the opportunity to go look at a C-175. i talked to the guy and he says it has the series 1 Kohler on it. I have a few hills here to mow. It has with it hydro rear end, hydraulic lift, and a 42" RD deck. Should I be afraid of this or give it a good look? He wants $550 for it but I think I could get it for less. he says it runs and mows good. Let me know what you think. Thanks, Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cody 277 #2 Posted June 12, 2011 The series 1 engines had oil issues, But i have never heard of the wheel horse with a series 1 engine in it. I think i would take a look at it and double check to see if its in fact a series 1. As far as the tractor, the C-175 is a great tractor and well built. In my opinion I would go look at it, get the hydro good and warm to make sure the tranny is good and if it had a series 1 in it the tractor would have to be in excellent condition for me to bring it home. I have heard that if you keep the series 1 over full with oil it will help with the oil issues they had but i have never done this to verify it. Like i said the C-175 is a great machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigd 0 #3 Posted June 12, 2011 if you dont want it let me know i'll buy it.my opinion about the series one is that the oil problems are a little exagerated they may have been a little weak but i know of about 20 that are running strong the three i've seen that are blown have owners who fail to do oil changes on a regular basis change air filters etc.etc.if the engine is fairly clean and it runs good buy it if not please get me in touch with the owner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #4 Posted June 12, 2011 Hi Scott, The Series I KT17 are in the C-175's including my own 1983 8 Speed. (KT17S, Spec Number "24223). The Series II "Full Pressure" would would have a spec number of "24300 and higher". IMHO:..............if you have a lot of hills/slopes that you plan to mow with this tractor, I would advise not to. I chewed the top-end of my tractor up by mowing a shale bank sloped yard for years. This despite being very fussy about maintenance. I emphasize "a lot" of slope. If your mostly mowing a hill.....don't! That price for a running C-175 hydro is great. I just don't trust the KT17S-Series I over time mowing across slopes. I learned the hard way. By the way, I blow snow and mow flats with my C-175. I love the old girl! As always, it's your call though. Good Luck! BooVuc Mill Hall, PA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottC160 0 #5 Posted June 12, 2011 The most hills I have is at the edge of my drive that goes up 3-4 feet high by 50 ft long and I have a slope at the side of my house thats at roughly a 45 degree thats 20 yards wide 35 yards long. As far as winter goes, I have 1 drive thats on a 45 degree thats 2 cars wide by 60 ft. long. If this has the series I, is this too much for it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #6 Posted June 12, 2011 Hi Scott, My lot many years ago consisted of about 350 feet x 150 feet. Just a hair over an acre. Three quarters of that lot was side hill meaning I was mowing the narrow portion north and south and the longest portions along the slope east and west. Leaning that tractor on that slope, or in other words, having that engine leaning left or right well over what WH/Toro recommend for sustained periods, over 5 mowing seasons, at full RPM and under load caused my KT17 problems. The same issues that haunt that engine's reputation to this day. You just shouldn't mow at those angles. I put very wide ag tires on it and mowed with my wheel weights to stay on the hill. It was half mowing and half motocross. Forget the engine damage. It wasn't a smart thing to do. My yard was extreme but if that tractor's motor was fully pressurized, I "MAY" not have had issues. Again.....I maintaned that tractor very well and still use it to this day. If your yard isn't near what I had, you should consider it. Only you know what you have. Synthetic oil can also extend the life of the Series I KT. Good Luck, Scott. BooVuc Mill Hall, PA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottC160 0 #7 Posted June 12, 2011 Does anybody know if the the pressurised engines came standard on these or were these put on after the series I blew up. If they came standard, what was the year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnWHfan 47 #8 Posted June 13, 2011 We ran a series 1 KT17 for 28 years mowing almost 2 1/2 acres. This also included a couple of hills along the driveway and the street that are almost 45 degrees and we mowed sideways along them. When I rebuilt the engine last year, with about 2,800 hours on it, the cylinders and crank journals were worn just to the point of needing to be rebuilt. However, it was using almost a quart of oil everytime I mowed. After rebuilding it last spring, it is used to mow that same yard for 3-4 hours every week and it doesn't seem to use any oil and runs great. Just my history with the series 1 engine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ol550 830 #9 Posted June 13, 2011 Does anybody know if the the pressurised engines came standard on these or were these put on after the series I blew up. If they came standard, what was the year? Both series I & II had a pressure lube system. The series I & II use the same oil pump, the pickup in the case was relocated in the series II more to the center of the crankcase and a tad lower. The series I ran about 5 psi that lubed the crank bushings and had two spray holes in the camshaft directed at the rods. The plus side is the Wheel Horse spec engines had ball bearings on the crankshaft instead of bushings which allowed more oil flow to the cam as the crank bushings wore. The series II pressure runs between 25 to 50 psi. The series II plus was the pressure lube to the rod bearings. The series I is not to be run in excess of 30 dergee slope. From what I can see there would be no harm in running the series I 1/2 inch over full to compensate for the slightly higher pickup location. Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
