I guess I will jump in on this one also..
For us, Dad and I, the rule has ALWAYS been if the tractor is "working" (Mowing, Tilling, Plowing snow or dirt, Snowthrowing, etc) it is to be at WOT. This has been the rule since before I was old enough to even drive the tractors. Dad got his first Cub Cadet in the early 70's, a 105 when he and Mom decided they wanted a garden. Before that, and I barely remember it I was so young but Dad had a gold-colored Sears (not a Suburban) lawn mower, but it left shortly after the Cub arrived. It was always used at WOT, and was traded on the #1 149 he still has in 1978 when he figured out a #1 tiller with both extensions was a bit much for the 105 and it was heavy even with the helper spring, so he wanted a hydraulic lift, plus he tilled more than just our garden, so it got a workout. We still have this tractor, and it is on its second engine. The first one lost a piston skirt during the winter in the early 80's (something that seems to happen on the 14's) which did not affect the rings, so it still ran, it just had a slight knock. Dad changed the oil and found a marbling on the oil, and piston skirt pieces in the bottom of the drain pan. This engine was over the max bore limit, and Dad was able to get a crate Kohler 14 and drop in, all he had to do was move over the PTO and the S/G. Otherwise it was complete, and why an early wideframe has a black engine, the original was yellow. This enngine ran for nearly 1000 hours before it lost a piston skirt (sound familiar). I was just starting to mow when it happened and I heard the sound change (this was in the mid 90's I was in college) and shut it off immediately, and hollered for Dad. He had me start it, and immediately shut it off because he heard it too, so it only ran for maybe 5 seconds with a bad piston. (Learned the lesson from the last one) We replaced the rod, piston and rings and put it back in service. This rod/piston combo ran for over 1400 hours before it was to the point of check the gas, fill the oil.... almost a mosquito fogger. It also had balance gears in it all that time, it doesn't now, took them out before they came out on their own, but... This rod and piston are what is currently in the engine, and still being used. We have had a total of 3 rod failures in our Cubs. We are now up to 11 between the 2 of us, a few are parts tractors, most run and get used. These failures we in: 1. IH Built 782 with the KT17. Lost a rod mowing a ditch (didn't know better at the time, we do now) it is still in service, however it now has an M18 crate engine. 2. A 149 (not the one above) that we had just purchased. It ran for a short time and just stopped. Pulled it apart and had a broken rod. No history on this tractor, but did find some questionable things with the engine on tear down. Now has a new/used 14 in it. 3. Dad's 1650. Yes the restored one he bought. It again, a fresh purchase, and had just been "rebuilt" before he bought it. Rod let go, not sure if the wrong rod was used, because the 16 HP rods and the 12/14 HP rods are different. Some of the "kits" out there on "you know where" are a lower cost because they put a 12 HP rod in the kit for a 16...... or if the rod was installed backwards. couldn't tell as the crank journal came apart and even galled the crank, so who knows, again unknown history. That one has been put back together, but he has been busy so it is not 100% complete yet. He actually has a different engine in it, found a 16 for a song, and did not want to change the crank at this time in the original engine, but he still has it, and it will be placed on the shelf as a spare, since we all know you can't get these anymore. What there is "in the wild" is all there are. I run my 1450 and 1650, for the last few years, and this year respectively as I just got the 1650 this spring, as we have done with Dad's for decades. Not sure which is right.... but that is my personal experience with several single cylinder and 1 twin cylinder Kohlers.
(Sorry for the long post)
