Aluminum Axle Housings

Bob_Young · Aug 19, 2006

Checked the rear axle housing on my Kubota B7610 today and found it was non-magnetic; so I assume it's made of aluminum. Not sure if I like that. Aluminum axle housings are the stuff of lawn tractors and ATVs. Paying what I did for the B7610, I expected iron.

In the Ag tractors I'm familiar with, the axle housings are made of iron and h*ll for stout. They're meant to take plenty of abuse and come back for more. Does this mean the B7610 should be babied if I hope to get a couple of decades out of it?

Is this type of construction common to CUTs in general or is it a characteristic of CUTs with HST transmissions? I can see where an aluminum housing would shed heat faster than iron and this could be advantageous with HST. Still, fatigue cracking of the aluminum crankcases of piston aircraft engines is a common problem even without abuse and those things run under a well controlled environment compared to a tractor. I can't believe the casting technology/metallurgy used on a tractor would be any better than that used in an aircraft engine.

I was happy to see the magnet stick to everything I poked it at on the L4300. I imagine the CUT heavyweights from Mahindra and Kioti use iron castings; what about NH and JD?
Bob

Soundguy · Aug 20, 2006

There was another post recently .. I can't remember if it was about a busted axle housing.. or a 3pt hitch problem.. But I *believe* one poster commented that he had a JD with an aluminum axle housing.

IMHO.. I would want thick cast iron.. if it was cast aluminum.. I'd want it to be even thicker.. etc..

Soundguy

Bob_Young said:
Checked the rear axle housing on my Kubota B7610 today and found it was non-magnetic; so I assume it's made of aluminum. Not sure if I like that. Aluminum axle housings are the stuff of lawn tractors and ATVs. Paying what I did for the B7610, I expected iron.

In the Ag tractors I'm familiar with, the axle housings are made of iron and h*ll for stout. They're meant to take plenty of abuse and come back for more. Does this mean the B7610 should be babied if I hope to get a couple of decades out of it?

Is this type of construction common to CUTs in general or is it a characteristic of CUTs with HST transmissions? I can see where an aluminum housing would shed heat faster than iron and this could be advantageous with HST. Still, fatigue cracking of the aluminum crankcases of piston aircraft engines is a common problem even without abuse and those things run under a well controlled environment compared to a tractor. I can't believe the casting technology/metallurgy used on a tractor would be any better than that used in an aircraft engine.

I was happy to see the magnet stick to everything I poked it at on the L4300. I imagine the CUT heavyweights from Mahindra and Kioti use iron castings; what about NH and JD?
Bob

_RaT_ · Aug 20, 2006

Bob_Young said:
Checked the rear axle housing on my Kubota B7610 today and found it was non-magnetic; so I assume it's made of aluminum. Not sure if I like that. Aluminum axle housings are the stuff of lawn tractors and ATVs. Paying what I did for the B7610, I expected iron.

In the Ag tractors I'm familiar with, the axle housings are made of iron and h*ll for stout. They're meant to take plenty of abuse and come back for more. Does this mean the B7610 should be babied if I hope to get a couple of decades out of it?

Is this type of construction common to CUTs in general or is it a characteristic of CUTs with HST transmissions? I can see where an aluminum housing would shed heat faster than iron and this could be advantageous with HST. Still, fatigue cracking of the aluminum crankcases of piston aircraft engines is a common problem even without abuse and those things run under a well controlled environment compared to a tractor. I can't believe the casting technology/metallurgy used on a tractor would be any better than that used in an aircraft engine.

I was happy to see the magnet stick to everything I poked it at on the L4300. I imagine the CUT heavyweights from Mahindra and Kioti use iron castings; what about NH and JD?
Bob

I understand what your saying and for the most part agree. I have snapped two very thick cast iron casings on tractors. One on a Kubota where one of the 3 pt lower arms attached and the entire transmission case on my friends old Massey industrial loader. Split the case from front to back when a tooth broke off a gear and got lodged in between the teeth popping the case as it went around. They will all break, some easier then others. The JD 4310 uses cast aluminum rear axle parts.

JerryG · Aug 20, 2006

More of a move toward residential lawn mowing. It seems that the compact tractor industry has moved more and more in that direction. I am sure as time progresses we will see more aluminum in the base frames.

kmdigital · Aug 21, 2006

I suppose it is all in the interest of cost savings, as reduced weight makes it cheaper to mfg and ship. And it is probably cheaper to cast aluminum vs cast iron.

The mfgs know that must cut tractors only get light duty use, and minimal hours per year, as compared to an ag tractor. Most are owned by weekend warriors to maintain residential properties, so keeping the mfg cost down becomes a paramont concern.

Bob_Young · Aug 21, 2006

It would be interesting to know what (if any) make and model CUTs have iron axle housings....and also whether these models stand up to abuse better. But I think you're right kmdigital; they don't get abused or even used in the Ag sense of the word. So, from a practical standpoint, aluminum's as good as iron.

I've been complaining about the quarter inching 3 pt. hitch control on the B7610. It works, but it's Mickey Mouse compared to position control. Might be that the reason for that is that the machine was never really intended for serious 3 pt. hitch work; it just isn't up to it.

Last time I plowed with the Ford 4000 I was near the edge of the field passing a large tree and moving along pretty good when suddenly the front of the tractor was 30 plus degrees skyward. I'd hooked a big root with the plow and it stopped right-now. Hit the clutch and salvaged the situation...no harm done. Can't help but think that repeated exposure to that type of treatment would destroy a tractor with an aluminum axle housing.

But I'm fortunate to have some real iron for those types of jobs. I still like the B7610 a lot, but now have a different view of what a CUT really is.
Bob

Redneck_Randy · Aug 21, 2006

Bob_Young said:
what about NH and JD? Bob

My NH TC35 is magnetic on both front and rear axles.

Charolais · Aug 21, 2006

Farmtrac dealers in my area hand out magnets to customers that are trying to decide what brand they want to buy.

DavesTractor · Aug 22, 2006

Mahindra uses cast iron for the axle housings, which is part of the reason they are a way heavier tractor than the B series Kubotas, hp for hp. Of course heavy isn't always best, it depends on what you are doing with the unit.