I am going to order a new Go Devil Rig on Mon or Tues. I am looking at the 27hp Kohler Long Tail Motor. I have never owned a Kohler Engine before and I am a little nervous as the manufacturer really pushed the 23 Vanguard and said the pull start is extremely valuable over the 4 horses!! I don't have pull start on my outboard?? and it really scared me away from the Kohler. Is the motor that undependable that I need a pull start. No comments were made about the 35 vanguard not having a pull start back up!

pull start has nothing to do wit the motor being unreliable it jus that if your battery goes dead while in the feild you can always start the motor to get back, as far as the kohler engine goes i had one on a '93 husqvarna lawn mower and it ran up until my shop burned down 3 months ago, so as long as you dont have a major fire in the boat you should be good

I have a 25 Kohler on a mower at work that has close to 1900 hours and hasn't been in the shop for the engine yet.

don't be scared of a kohler engine. They are prob. better built than a briggs.

I started with the 18 Briggs GD LT on a 1436 jon. It was a sound motor. Since then I've had two 25 Kohler GD's and now a 27 MB LT Kohler. Very reliable motors; two of my friends also are running 25 Kohler LT's for years with minimal problems. The 25 or 27 have significantly more torque/push than the 23 but that is also a great motor and from what I've gleaned here and in other sites, there are plenty of mods and upgrades for the 23, not so for the 27. I think that is a lesser issue if you are trying to keep costs down and on a LT since there is no gear reduction (exception- the proposed SLT by MB), these costly mods would be a waste, not so on a SD 23. The more horses win IMO.

I know that I have an old miller blue star welding maching with a kohler on it that my dad welded with with for a good 20 years and I have been running it now for about five and have had zero issues with it it....no pull start back up either little motor puts out a charge back the the battery like a champ

hit post to early...lol.......I am currently running a mbsd 23 van. not sure how many hours I have on it but I won't say its not reliable but I will say that from just routine maintance and what not that the kohler seems better built as far as thicker heat sheilds and cowlings little heavier valve covers and what not...but I must also say that I am comparing a old kohler to a new van. my opinion is that most of the time the oldies no matter the make were better built

Thanks guys ordered boat a few days ago. 1644 split seating with kohler 27hp. I hear you on the pull starting too. Largest motor I have pull started was a 1997 Merc 225! We were offshore south timbalier blk 151 area and the starter went out, batt was good had to fashion a rope. Funniest part was when it started the rope whipped off and slapped my brother across the side of the face left a red mark. Thats what he gets for "working the key" while I pull start it.