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TravelinJavelin

wheel horse c-111 ?

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TravelinJavelin

i'm looking at a wheel horse c-111 8spd and noticed a briggs in it well how does it compare to k-301 kohler or the 10 hp k241? are motor mounts the same as the kohler I know these were made 1 year and some other tid bits of info looking for anyone who had these and see the thoughts of were this machine comes with a tall chute single stage snowthrower too......valves have been redone too every thing for $500 firm he wants

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Sparky

  I've owned a couple GT 1100's with the Briggs 11hp power plants. My personal option is that they don't have the torque of the Kohler 10, are not as smooth running and are a whole lot louder. Don't know if it applies to all of the Briggs machines but on both of mine the headlight brightness was directly related to the engine RPM's, I never liked that. One of mine had an issue with the crank PTO side bearing. Can't remember exactly what went down but it had something to do with the crank bearing being unable to handle the side pressure of the PTO. 

  I personally wouldn't buy one.

Just giving my honest opinion, I'm sure the Briggs fans will wanna castrate me 😵

 Mike......

 

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Docwheelhorse

Im a Briggs guy.... but like mentioned above--they are louder, have less giddy up hp for hp and have low amp charging and a dedicated ac lighting circuit. I have a near mint one that I keep for collecting. If you want a worker look for a Kohler 10+ . There are PLENTY nice ones at $500. Unless is factory mint the Briggs guy is dreaming.

 

Tony

 

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Daddy Don

I have a c-111 and took  the brigs off and put a 14hp Koler on it. Had to change some of the wiring out and put a different key switch on it.  The charging system was also different. It was a little work but it was worth it. The mounts were different but it all bolted up easy. Have to change out the belt sizes and you may have too change out the PTO. Took some work but I love it.  A lot of it is what engine you would put on it. The picture on my supporter is the c-111

Edited by Daddy Don
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TravelinJavelin

well that's good to know i'm trying to get back to wheel horse stuff earlier this year I thought i'd try a bolens h14 xl with tech 16 hp oh cast iron wicked compression 135lbs but you had to wind it up on rpm to get power of it and then if you needed engine parts hang on to your wallet electrical was scarry money so sold that so went on to cub cadet 107 10hp kohler  hydro where narrow frame attachments are rare to find in maine if your in mass or conn all kinds to choose from but to find wheel horse stuff when you do up here average is $700 to 1000 just about any model my dream machine of wheel horse is a c-160 8spd had a chance to get one earlier this fall reasonable money but like always just didn't have it at the time

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cschannuth

I have a low hour 2000 314-8 Kohler and a 1978 C-161 Briggs Twin that is all original.  The Kolhler is quiet but under powered compared to the old Briggs. I can mow in 3rd with the 16 Briggs but need to stay in 2nd with the Kohler when mowing with the 42" deck. Also, when engaging my unloaded WH generator the Kolhler drags down noticeably while the Briggs doesn't even know it's there. I love both of them but they are definitely not the same. 

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doc724

My first WH was a C111 as I could not afford a Kohler powered machine back in 1979.  It had the briggs engine and since I had nothing to compare it to, I thought it was fine.  I put close to 900 hrs on it (had it rebuilt around 700 hrs though I do not know if it needed it) and kept the machine for 17 years before buying my 314 in 1996.  I always had "Kohler Envy" for a big block K series so when I had a chance a few years ago I bought a C141 and completely restored it.  It is by far my favorite.  Memories of a time long ago when I was younger with small children.  The C141 has 1150 hrs on it and it gets only casual exercise now, about 15 hrs per year tilling, sweeping. and hauling a trailer.

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Racinbob

I bought a new GT-1100 off the showroom with no attachments for $850. Being a Kohler guy I figured that when the Briggs let go I'd slap a Kohler on it. I had an extra 48" deck that I put on it and I was amazed how well it handled it. That tractor gave me a new respect for Briggs motors. I had it 16 years before selling it to move down here. It never gave me a bit of trouble and even survived total submersion in a pond on a super bowl Sunday :huh:

 

Than being said, I'd still take a Kohler but, depending on the condition, with that tall chute blower it may not be a bad deal.:)

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Docwheelhorse

As I said... Im a Briggs fan, to clarify my statements concerning louder and less powerful I am referring to the 11 hp single. The twin Briggs is snotty (still not as snotty as KT17 ser 2 / Magnum  twin or the Onans. And no where did I say that any of the Briggs werent reliable. I currently have a GT1100 that is plain tukered out and screams at high rpm and thrashes around due to the throttle shaft being worn and governor springs that are whooped. Been waiting for it to blow up as I plow snow but it keeps on trucking. Plowing snow in 3rd the rpms are normal... stab clutch and it starts screaming around 4000. Poor thing is just tired. The Briggs 11 / Wheel Horse Workhorse series filled the middle ground between a "cheap" lawn tractor and an "expensive" full tilt Garden Tractor. They did have the PTO plate / roller bearing to make up for the lack of the thrust bearing in the "cheaper" engine.

In the end they ran and got the work done. Would I buy a 30 yr old one now?---only if it was mint and I had to have it for my collection. Otherwise Im sticking with my original statement of "find a Kohler 10+ and run it".

I also believe the Kohler ten makes more torque over the Briggs 11 because the Kohler has a nice heavy cast iron flywheel while the Briggs has an aluminum one.

 

Tony

 

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Ken B
4 hours ago, Racinbob said:

I bought a new GT-1100 off the showroom with no attachments for $850. Being a Kohler guy I figured that when the Briggs let go I'd slap a Kohler on it. I had an extra 48" deck that I put on it and I was amazed how well it handled it. That tractor gave me a new respect for Briggs motors. I had it 16 years before selling it to move down here. It never gave me a bit of trouble and even survived total submersion in a pond on a super bowl Sunday :huh:

 

Than being said, I'd still take a Kohler but, depending on the condition, with that tall chute blower it may not be a bad deal.:)

Wound up totally submerged in a pond on Super Bowl Sunday? Now there's a story worth hearing! Who done it?

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Racinbob
1 hour ago, Ken B said:

Wound up totally submerged in a pond on Super Bowl Sunday? Now there's a story worth hearing! Who done it?

 

I’ve got nobody to blame but myself. My daughter wanted to ice skate so I cleared a path to the pond which was over ¼ mile back off the road. I was just about done clearing the pond as my daughter watched and all of a sudden the rear of the tractor broke through. I was in the water about halfway up my chest and the tractor hung there by the front axle. i couldn't get back to the house and get the soaked Carharts off fast enough.

There’s a small towing service in the one flashing light town of North Liberty. I called but had little hope that they were open. A guy did answer and I asked if he as open. He said no but he was just there to do some paperwork and answered the phone. Then he asked what I had. I told him and he said  “I gotta see this”. He had to come in to the pond from a ridge at the back of my property. He couldn’t get real close but his winch cable was long enough. As he started winching in the tractor would start to pull up on the ice but then it broke through again and that’s when it was totally submerged. He continued pulling it and the same scenario occurred a couple more times. Finally he cleared the pond. He towed it out on the ridge and back to the pole barn. As we are looking at it in the barn I asked him what I owed. I was ready for a small fortune. “Aw, give me $40”.

Of course the tractor was a cube of ice so I just had to wait for warmer weather. Once that happened I changed all the fluids and one part on the clutch that broke from pulling on the ice. She fired right up and she never thought twice about her experience. That was about 1990 so I used  it some 10 more years spinning a 48” deck and pushing snow and that 11hp B&S just kept purring along.

Sorry TravelinJavelin for sorta hijacking your thread but maybe that will ease your concerns about the Briggs motor. You asked about a Kohler fitting and the answer is yes. The left side will bolt to the frame and if you have an oil pan with the blind holes in the bottom two bolts will come up through the frame on the right side. If you don't have the blind holes you can use J-bolts hooked under the frame. It’s a very simple and straight forward swap. :)

Edited by Racinbob
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TravelinJavelin

racinbob that was a hell of good story..........don't worry about the hijack when a good story like that comes in but thank you on the good advice but I have had a member get back to me on possibly to talk about some c-160 stuff so i'm on hold now on c-111 ...........I don't know how you guys feel but my dream horses are the c-160's or series of them I just love that thump of that k-341 kohler.........next is the GT-14 and the 953 and 1054's  I like the D series too but wish they made a standard version

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chip61

Hope you can get the C160 they're awesome machines!

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Daddy Don

I also have a GT1100 with the 11hp brigs. I have not had any problems with it. But my best friend is the C-111 that I put the 14hp Koler on. I use the GT1100 for hauling things in the trailer. Only issue is the carb has giving me some problems but easy fix.

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doc724

C111's must be attracted to water.  Like Racinbob, mine also got a dunking.  We has a small pond on the property about the size of a hockey rink.  Access to the far side was by a small bridge just wide enough for the tractor so we could cut grass on the far side.  The far side had a reasonably steep slope and my wife was cutting grass there.  She got off the machine, put it in neutral with no brake set and the tractor rolled into the water.  Fortunately, the air cleaner was above the water so no water got sucked into the engine.  Since the was no access to get a car to pull it out, I went to the hardware store and bought 25 feet of hemp rope, waded into the water and my wife and I hauled it out.  The C111 is long gone but I still have the rope which I now use to pull the big mower decks from the shed to the garage so I can attach them.

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Docwheelhorse

 

"Been waiting for it to blow up as I plow snow but it keeps on trucking"

 

Me and my big mouth.... hit the key on the old 11 Briggs and the starter drive grenaded... there it sits. It gets to be on the sidelines for this storm.

 

Tony

 

 

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TravelinJavelin

well that's a bummer:(

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leeave96

IMHO the C-111 is a good tractor.  Maybe the Briggs ain't the best, but they have an 8 pinion rear end, so if repowered, good to go there.  Simple and tough the C-111.  I ran one with a 36 inch RD deck and it was a nimble tractor, great cut.

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ACman

When growing up we had CC1150 (11hp kohler hydro) that was a good tractor , it never bogged down  . Then we got a Grazer zero turn with 52" deck and BS 18hp opposed twin I/C pressure lube engine. Hour meter broke at 480hrs , I bet it had 2500 or more before it went bang . It would bog down in tall wet grass . Never smoked thou . Later on my dad picked up a white (same as Grazer) with 72" deck and a BS 18hp ohv V-twin engine . That engine wouldn't even bog down mowing weeds and brush down with the deck all the way down ! It was a night and day difference between the two . But those old kohlers sure do run good  :) .

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TravelinJavelin

the one thing that concerned me on the c-111 was that it did not have the original engaugement PTO it just has a pulley stuck on the shaft and when I look at the pic i'm trying to figure out.....how the heck is the belt is running the attachment this one is at $500 firm engine has been revalved

00k0k_UPoyLAX2ig_600x450.jpg

Edited by TravelinJavelin
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Sparky

Hmmm....I see no way to engage the blower not to mention the belt is slack as heck? I would stay away from that one unless the price came down.

  Mike.....

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TravelinJavelin

that was my thoughts too

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c-series don

I am the original owner of a GT 1800 automatic with an 18hp Briggs. Although it has no hour meter on it I would be willing to bet it has well over 2000 hrs on it and it is still going strong. Yes I love those one lung Kohlers (I have 8 of them that run just fine)but I will never say a bad thing about my Briggs!! 

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TravelinJavelin

you know I really don't have anything against briggs and Stratton but Tecumseh uughhh if they stay on snowblowers that's fine but the over head valve no thank you I tried a bolens recently and granted it ran good super compression but I found you got to wind up the rpms to get anything out of it and hang on to your wallet for anything on electrical parts

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