GR2100 LEAKY DECK GEAR BOX

ORANGEFEVER · May 21, 2011

After I have finished mowing the last couple of times with my GR2100, I have noticed a puddle of lubricant on the mower deck. I would assume it to be coming from the mower gearbox. This is a new machine (to me), and I am unfamiliar with what to look for. I made sure that the drain/fill plugs are tight. It has been recently serviced by the local Kubota store with the 'Spring Tuneup' special.... just getting a feel for the worst case scenario before I call them to come and take a look. The unit has a little over 330 hours on it, and thus far...no transmission complaints. The PTO makes a weird squal when raising the deck sometimes, but I think this is unrelated and prolly normal to some extent..... Thanks in advance,

Dave

jim051 · May 24, 2011

Good luck with the leaking gearbox on you GR2100. Mine leaked @275 hrs. and $500.00 later it doesn't leak.
The above cost includes $110.00 for round trip pick up and delivery back to me and $15.00 for (2) spray cans of parts cleaner.
BTW- I live about 4 miles from the dealer.
I can hardly wait until I get another 275 hrs. so I can repeat this.
I think the underhood sticker says to replace mower gear box seals,radiator hoses,hydraulic line,fuel line and air filter hose every 2 Yrs. Not looking forward to that bill !!!

easyinny · May 24, 2011

Hi. Had the same problem with the one I had with under 50 hours. Fixed it myself for under ten dollars. Just take out the vent and put in fittings to move it over and up. It takes three fittings like an L. That will solve your leak. Good luck. Bob

PHILIP8N · May 24, 2011

jim051 said:
The above cost includes $110.00 for round trip pick up and delivery back to me BTW- I live about 4 miles from the dealer.

I'm sorry, I would have driven the tractor the 4 mile trip two ways before I paid someone $110 to transport. Or, you need a buddy with a pick-up truck. Philip.

MessickFarmEqu · May 25, 2011

if it was just serviced, its probably oil blowing out the breather. Thats normal.

ChuckinNH · May 27, 2011

Well, it's nice to hear that the situation is normal. That makes me feel a lot better about not considering one as I search to replace my Simplicity Legacy. It seems that more, and more often these days we are expected to spend thousands of dollars on items that leak, or fail "normally". This isn't a rant really, but the tractor in question costs 3/4 of the price of my first house. Now I have the money to buy such things, but not the health to climb around under things like that "fixing" things that shouldn't be broken in the first place. Kubota sure isn't alone in this, but I sure wouldn't touch a GR series with a ten foot pole, and how about that BX I saw the oher day that was all stickered up as a brand new BX 25 when it was a standard BX with no backhoe, etc.? Is anyone home at Kubota?

Grrrr · Jun 9, 2011

I've got a G18 garden tractor which is a very similar size to a GR model but a UK version.

I had a bit of a leak around the mower deck, but it wasn't coming from the breather.

The seals on the deck needed replacing, and I did the bearings while it was out because they weren't a lot of money and if they went they would also knacker the seals again.

I whipped the gearbox off the mower and took it to my local dealership at the time because we were busy and had no time to do it ourselves.

The cost was about 100 dollars in parts and an hour of labour.

I didn't think that was too bad after 1000 hours on a machine that cost 10K new.

To put it into perspective, we just had a gearbox blow up on a JD ag tractor worth 100 grand plus (when new). At 3300 hours, 5 years old.

The bill was getting on for 30K. JD covered 35% of it as it was a low houred tractor.

dieselbob69 · Jun 25, 2011

Don't feel bad-mine started leaking the 2nd year I had it(2008)-now that I paid it off,the right axle seal has decided to start puking tranny fluid,rendering it undrivable. dealer tech says they are a real treat to work on-minimum 10-15 hrs to tear apart and put the seal in axle

piss poor design......I just keep checking oil level in gear box,and simple green clean the top of deck every couple months during mowing season-eventually I'll take the gear box off and take to dealer to get seals changed out. As far as owners manual stating to change hydraulic hoses and other ones every 2 years-well,they can kiss my *****-that's just to keep the dealers cash register full and your pockets empty.