Kohler launches electronic fuel injection in consumer lawn mowers

Kohler Co. says it will soon introduce the company's first electronic-fuel-injected engines for consumer lawn mowers.

The two engines, 25 and 27 horsepower, will be available on major lawn mower brands beginning next spring, Kohler said Tuesday.

For years, Kohler has made fuel-injected engines for commercial mowers. Now, the technology has trickled down to the company's engines on consumer lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers.

Engines powered by electronic fuel injection can deliver more horsepower, better fuel economy and lower emissions. The technology, pioneered by Mercedes-Benz decades ago, is now universal in the automotive industry.

Kohler says its new fuel injection systems replace carburetors and eliminate carburetor-related problems including the buildup of damaging residue that can occur from using ethanol-blended gasoline.

Most gasoline available in southeast Wisconsin contains 10% ethanol. Engine manufacturers and automakers fought introduction of a 15% ethanol blend known as E15, which is slowly coming into the marketplace. Critics say the 15% blend could cause engine failures in older vehicles. They also say it could lower gas mileage and void warranties of air-cooled engines used in outdoor power equipment and motorcycles.

Biofuel proponents, however, want to encourage higher ethanol blends as part of the nation's renewable fuel goals and a move toward so called 'flex fuel' vehicles.

Kohler says it introduced electronic fuel injection on commercial lawn mowers in 1996. The technology utilizes an oxygen sensor in the engine's muffler, which continuously monitors the amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber. If the fuel mixture strays from an ideal level, the sensor triggers adjustments.

'It was a technology that was developed for, and targeted to, the professional market,' Eric Hudak, marketing manager for Kohler Engines, said in a news release.

'We're working closely with our equipment and retail partners on products that we'll be able to unveil in a few months,' Hudak said.