What is the standby rating of the Kohler KD3250?

Per the Kohler spec sheet, the KD3250 is rated at 3250 kW / 4060 kVA standby and 2950 kW / 3687 kVA prime continuous at 0.8 power factor, 60 Hz, 1800 RPM.

Is the Kohler KD3250 EPA Tier 4 certified?

No. The KD3250 is EPA certified for stationary emergency use. For Tier 4 Final compliance, see the KD3250-4 model which carries dual emergency and non-emergency certification.

What alternator type does the KD3250 use?

The KD3250 uses a brushless, permanent-magnet pilot exciter alternator with two-thirds pitch windings and skewed stator for superior voltage waveform quality — Kohler's standard for the larger KD Series industrial diesel platform.

Kohler · KD Series (Industrial Diesel)

Kohler KD3250

3250 kW standby / 2950 kW prime · Diesel · Liquid-cooled

3250 kW diesel industrial standby generator. Upper-range KD Series platform for data centers, healthcare, and mission-critical infrastructure.

Standby power: 3250 kW / 2950 kW prime
Voltage options: 277/480V
Frequency / Phase: 60 Hz · 3-phase
Engine: Kohler KD83V16 · 83L
EPA / Emissions: Tier 2
Alternator: Kohler KH09390TO4D

Data Centers Healthcare Manufacturing Commercial Government

Overview#

The Kohler KD3250 is a 3250-kilowatt diesel industrial standby generator from Kohler's KD Series platform. At 3 MW, it is designed for the largest data center campuses, major hospital systems, and heavy industrial complexes. The alternator features two-thirds pitch windings and a skewed stator for superior voltage waveform quality. The KD Series uses Kohler-designed engines and permanent-magnet pilot exciter alternators.

KD Series platform#

The KD Series is Kohler's large industrial diesel generator line, covering 800 to 4000 kW. Designed for mission-critical facilities, every KD Series unit carries UL 2200 listing and meets NFPA 110 Level 1 requirements when equipped with the necessary accessories. The upper-range KD models feature two-thirds pitch windings and skewed stators for clean voltage output.

Our service experience#

PowerGen provides installation, maintenance, and emergency service for Kohler KD Series generators throughout Northern California. Our technicians are experienced with large diesel platforms in the multi-megawatt class, including load bank testing, fuel system maintenance, and cooling system service for high-capacity industrial units.

Engineering specifications

Acoustic

Sound @ 7m, full load: 99 dBA
Enclosure: Open

Fuel system & runtime

Fuel use @ full load: 216.6 GPH
Fuel use @ 75% load: 191.9 GPH
Fuel use @ 50% load: 127.4 GPH

Photos

Documents & downloads

Spec sheets & manuals

Spec sheet (datasheet)

Ready to order this model?

Configure your Kohler KD3250

Lock the enclosure, fuel system, transfer switch, and add-ons — we'll confirm pricing, availability, and lead time within one business day. Prefer a free-form quote? That option is still here.

Configure & Quote →Just request a quote Download datasheet

Estimate runtime for the Kohler KD3250

Adjust load percent and tank size to estimate runtime. Pre-filled with this model's spec where available.

Estimate runtime on this tank

Generator size

Fuel

Fuel tank capacity

gal

Load

Override full-load GPH (optional)

GPH

Estimated runtime

1.2 hours(0.0 days)

Fuel consumption ≈ 167.09 GPH at 75% load. Estimate based on industry-typical 1800 RPM standby curves (≈0.07 GPH/kW at full load). Actual consumption varies by engine, ambient temperature, fuel quality, and tuning.

Service intervals

Manufacturer-recommended intervals for the Kohler KD3250 under standby duty. Field intervals may differ based on load profile, ambient conditions, and fuel quality.

Oil & filter: Every 500 hours or 12 months
Coolant change: Every 6000 hours
Air filter: Every 1000 hours
Fuel filter: Every 500 hours
Major overhaul: ≈ 20,000 hours
Load bank test: Every 12 months

Common failure modes

What we've seen fail on this platform. Use as a service-planning reference, not a diagnostic — actual failure modes depend heavily on duty cycle and maintenance history.

Component	Symptom	Typical hours	Severity
Fuel quality / degradation	Injector fouling, hard starting, black smoke under load	4,380+	moderate
Turbocharger	Power loss, excessive exhaust smoke, oil at turbo seals	15,000+	moderate
Cooling system (hoses / thermostat)	Overtemperature fault, coolant loss, high EGT	10,000+	moderate
Battery (starting)	Slow crank, failed exercise, low voltage alarm	8,760+	minor

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the standby rating of the Kohler KD3250?: Per the Kohler spec sheet, the KD3250 is rated at 3250 kW / 4060 kVA standby and 2950 kW / 3687 kVA prime continuous at 0.8 power factor, 60 Hz, 1800 RPM.
Is the Kohler KD3250 EPA Tier 4 certified?: No. The KD3250 is EPA certified for stationary emergency use. For Tier 4 Final compliance, see the KD3250-4 model which carries dual emergency and non-emergency certification.
What alternator type does the KD3250 use?: The KD3250 uses a brushless, permanent-magnet pilot exciter alternator with two-thirds pitch windings and skewed stator for superior voltage waveform quality — Kohler's standard for the larger KD Series industrial diesel platform.

Compatible equipment

Engine

Kohler KD83V16Engines

Transfer switches

More in the KD Series (Industrial Diesel)

Kohler-engineered megawatt-class diesel gensets from 900 to 4000 kW for mission-critical facilities.

View all 18models in this series →

Similar models

Kohler

Kohler KD3250-4

3250 kW KD Series -- Kohler KD83V16 engine, skewed stator for sub-3% THD. Purpose-built for multi-MW mission-critical paralleling.

3.3 MW standby · Diesel · Liquid-cooled

3250 kW industrial standby for Tier IV data centers, large hospitals, and campus microgrids. NFPA 110 Level 1, UL 2200 listed.

3250 kW EPA Tier 4 Final diesel industrial standby generator. Dual-certified (emergency and non-emergency) for mission-critical and prime power applications.

Tier 4 Final3-phasedata-centerhealthcare

Kohler

Kohler KD3000

3000 kW KD Series -- Kohler KD83V16 engine, skewed stator for sub-3% THD. Purpose-built for multi-MW mission-critical paralleling.

3 MW standby · Diesel · Liquid-cooled

3000 kW industrial standby for Tier IV data centers, large hospitals, and campus microgrids. NFPA 110 Level 1, UL 2200 listed.

3000 kW diesel industrial standby generator. Upper-range KD Series platform for data centers, healthcare, and mission-critical infrastructure.

Tier 23-phasedata-centerhealthcare

Kohler

Kohler KD3500

3500 kW KD Series -- Kohler KD103V20 engine, skewed stator for sub-3% THD. Purpose-built for multi-MW mission-critical paralleling.

3.5 MW standby · Diesel · Liquid-cooled

3500 kW industrial standby for Tier IV data centers, large hospitals, and campus microgrids. NFPA 110 Level 1, UL 2200 listed.

3500 kW diesel industrial standby generator. Near-top-of-line KD Series platform for data centers, healthcare, and mission-critical infrastructure.

Tier 23-phasedata-centerhealthcare

Need service or parts for the Kohler KD3250?

We service every major OEM and stock genuine parts for the most common models.

Get A Quote Or call (209) 229-1990