New Terramite Forum

[Muhammad]

Hi Everybody,

We now have added a new section for the discussion of Terramite equipment!

Please post discussions and tell your friends. :thumbsup:

 

[Southern Comfort]

Great! I have a T5B I'm rebuilding.

 

[Terrasteve]

I just found this forum. Looks like a great place to talk Terramite.

 

[Southern Comfort]

Great to have you aboard. Welcome to the land of Terramites.

 

[Terrasteve]

Great to have you aboard. Welcome to the land of Terramites.

Thank you, Looking forward to discusing these Great little machine's

 

[Pacifictimes]

I have a 2001 T5C, it has about 1700 hours on it. Using about a quart of oil (engine) per 10 hours operation time. How wore out is it? Should I be looking at rebuild vs new engine? Starts and runs good.

 

[Terrasteve]

All air cooled engines will burn some oil even when new. A certified kohler mechanic told me that I could expect to get 3000-3500 hours out of my kohler 20 horse engine as long as proper maintenance was performed. regular oil and filter and air filter changes. My terramite has 1530 hours on it now and it also uses some oil but it starts and runs Great. I plan on running it till it wont run no more then replacing the engine with a new kohler 25 horse. Hopefully that will be a good long time down the road. I would say just use it untill something happens and worry about it at that point. You might just be surprised how long it will last. Not sure if you have the kohler motor or not.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Hey Steve, thanks soooo much for the input,that is GREAT to hear. I will go with the Kohler when time comes, right now I have a honda 20 hp in it. A little more power is always welcome. I love this little work horse. But I think it has had many years of use with little maintenance, but it seems to be a very will built machine.

 

[Terrasteve]

The honda engine is a very good engine. I have a few things with smaller honda engines and they all run Great and have had very good life. These little terramites are so handy to have around,I dont know what I would do without it now.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Thanks Steve, U have any feel for a comparsion between the Kohler and the Honda? Is the extra 4 hp as significant as it sounds when you are only talking about a 20 hp engine its almost an added 20%.

 

[Southern Comfort]

Don't worry about burning some oil in a small engine. The main thing is to keep the oil between add and full. Complete oil changes. I always change oil filters when I change the oil. I hate to put new oil through a dirty filter.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Ok a dumb question - bit afraid to ask :O/ So over about 10 hours of operation I burn most of a quart of oil. As I continue to put fresh oil in my oil does not really show dirty, so I have not per sey Changed my oil but just change out my oil filter, am I way out of line here. Be kind now

 

[Terrasteve]

Thanks Steve, U have any feel for a comparsion between the Kohler and the Honda? Is the extra 4 hp as significant as it sounds when you are only talking about a 20 hp engine its almost an added 20%.

Sorry I do not have any experience with the larger honda engines. Just the smaller horsepower ones in my generator and power washer, and go cart. All the honda engines that I have have been bullet proof so far. I'm sure the larger displacement honda engines are just as reliable. I have had several kohler motors as well and have had good luck with them as well. I dont think you can go wrong with either of them really.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Hey Steve, so any idea why a 20 hp Honda was put in when Kohler is a 24?

 

[Terrasteve]

Hey Steve, so any idea why a 20 hp Honda was put in when Kohler is a 24?

I have a 2000 terramite T5D. It has a kohler 20 horse engine in it. I think the kohler 20 is there standard engine. Some come with briggs & Stratton and also Honda engines. Not sure why all the different engine manufacturers are used. The kohler 20 that I have seems to provide plenty of power for the machine. The only thing that I dont like about the kohler engine is that it is very thirsty and likes to drink gas. My motor is tuned well and starts very well and I allways keep a clean air filter on it, but it still likes it's gas. Other than that one complaint the kohler has been a Great engine.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Beings I am quite new to this whole thing guess I am a bit like a 5 year old (why dad?). So in about 8 hours of operation I will burn a 6 gallon tank, which seems reasonable to me for a 20 horse, because I am running it hard not at an idle like I might be trolling along in my 30 hp boat motor. Which would consume half. Is this similar to the Kohler?

 

[Terrasteve]

I would assume that the two 20 horse engines would be comparable in fuel cosumtion.

 

[Southern Comfort]

I know your thought is the engine consumes that much oil you are adding fresh oil that this is changing the oil. My thought is you can have contamnants left in the crankcase. I'm far from an engine expert but I guess I'm some kind of nut on changing oil and lubricating my equipment. If you live in a hot climate you might try a heavier oil.

 

[Pacifictimes]

I feel your logic is very solid, I have wrestled a bit my self knowing I am due an oil change and have put it off debating because when I check my oil (about every 6-8 hours and before I start a new day) is usually looks clean. It only makes since to play the conservative side (maybe somewhere lays inside me a bit of a lazy streak :O/ ) but not enough to not take care of such a great asset! I love this machine and don't want to abuse it.

 

[Pacifictimes]

Hey Travis, I am just attempting to take good care of such a great machine. I took a compression test on it the other day. First (cold engine test) test was about #145, then I put a shot of oil on the piston the compression went to about a 220. So what really is a normal number?