Buying Advice Are JD x300 trannies bad?????

[moodyda]

I read this qoute earlier and was wondering if there was any validity to the statement. "Do NOT get an X300 or anything else with a K46 or any other trannie that is not serviceable unless you want to give JD another $900 after each 92 hours like they want from me" mg: Any truth in this? I hope not!!

 

[tsteahr]

Its not that the small, non serviceable trannies are bad, they are just limited in how much load they can handle. I believe they are adequate for moving a rider mower plus operator on fairly flat ground. They are not robust enough to to pull a heavy trailer cart or to mow up and down steep slopes. In other words, they can't handle heavy torque loads for extended periods.

Mowing on flat ground requires very little torque through the trannie to move the tractor. Going up fairly steep hills the little tranny has a significant amount of engine power going through it. It is no surprise that a tranny the size of a grapefruit that contains a quart or oil (or less) will not last hauling a 600lb machine plus a 250lb operator up steep hills.

If you have reasonable expectations for using the machine only as a lawn mower for smooth, level lawns, the little trannies will be fine. Try to use it like a small tractor and it will fail in short order like you mentioned.

Unfortunately while $3k for say a x300 sounds like a lot of money, it does not buy a new tractor. It buys a new ride on mower.

 

[hr2033]

I have a JD LT180 with a k46 and the tranny failed after 65 hours. I use it to mow 1/3 of an acre with some gentle slope, and no towing or other work. This is obviously not acceptable. After much discussion, JD gave me $300 credit toward the $900 replacement. I am curious to know what the failure rate of the k46 in JD machines is. If I had to do it over again, I would buy another machine for half the price I paid for the LT180.

 

[moodyda]

I have a JD LT180 with a k46 and the tranny failed after 65 hours. I use it to mow 1/3 of an acre with some gentle slope, and no towing or other work. This is obviously not acceptable. After much discussion, JD gave me $300 credit toward the $900 replacement. I am curious to know what the failure rate of the k46 in JD machines is. If I had to do it over again, I would buy another machine for half the price I paid for the LT180.

Thanks HR. I am quite surprised that more haven't chimed in on this particular issue with the K46 type of trannie, as it is used in an awful large number of tractors in the marketplace.

 

[yomax4]

I had a $1000 Craftsman 16hp that pulled Carts, Drags, Tillers, and Pull Behind Mowers. Up Hill Down Hill around and around for 9 years. I bought my John Deere and the Freaking Tranny went out after 44 hrs. Piece of CRAP. This is the sign of the Times. JD could care less. they said in so many words, " Oh Well " . $300 my A--, This should have never happened in the 1st place. I am looking at Cub's.

 

[tsteahr]

I went through something similar with a Simplicity Broadmoor. The grapefruit trannies used in the "lawn tractors" are one of the main reasons I went to a SCUT. I got tired of homeowner quality junk.

 

[stevem5215]

There's a lot of talk about these K46 tranny's failing. And they can be replaced with a K58 (or something similar) tranny when or if it blows. But, most of the comments are that if you maintain the tranny by keeping it clean of debris that it will last longer. The fan on the top is key to keeping it cool and there's a number of people who also change the oil in them. They are not a heavy duty tranny. But I have to admit. That the foot control K46 on my Craftsman Professional model I bought last fall for 50% off at the Sears outlet is working well. And the foot control is by far the best way to run one of these mowers. A number of people on here commented about them and after having one now I agree 1000%. Well worth it to get that on a mower. The Craftsman Professional models come with a 2 year warranty. We'll see how it goes.

Steve

 

[tsteahr]

Steve is right about being able to replace the trannies with a heavier duty unit. When the tranny on my Simplicity died after about 130hrs (I was fanatical about keeping the fan and the tranny clear of any clippings whatsoever) I looked into replacements. The stock tranny replacement was $1200 for the part from Jack's small engines and $800 on ebay. These prices were for the part only. I contacted Simplicity. They said they were aware these could fail and they had a heavier duty replacement available.

The problem is the replacement part kit (upgraded tranny plus brackets to adapt the mounts and control linkages to the new tranny) was $1900. Tax and shipping would bring this well over $2k. The entire machine was a little over $3200 new (plus the bagger, plus a snow blower, weights, chains). I actually considered dropping the $2k into this, but there were other issues cropping up (I had replaced the starter once and it was starting to go again, carb was developing rust in the bowl from ethanol gas I suspect and needed to be replaced).

So I ended up trading in nearly $6k invested into this lawn tractor with less than 150 hours for $1k toward a SCUT. I suspect I came to the same conclusion many do, that the cost of replacing these trannies is insane and not justifiable. I'm still not entirely clear why a lawn mower hydro costs as much as a tranny for a car. No demand I guess...

 

[Flying MXZ]

I have a JD LT180 with a k46 and the tranny failed after 65 hours. I use it to mow 1/3 of an acre with some gentle slope, and no towing or other work. This is obviously not acceptable. After much discussion, JD gave me $300 credit toward the $900 replacement. I am curious to know what the failure rate of the k46 in JD machines is. If I had to do it over again, I would buy another machine for half the price I paid for the LT180.

I got ~400 hours out of the k46 in my LT180 and was not happy about that. I'm looking at CUT's now (28-30 horse) and am afraid of the hydrostatic because of that failure.

 

[LBrown59]

am afraid of the hydrostatic because of that failure.

All hydrostatics or just those in that tractor or tranny ?