Buying Advice Done with hydrostatics

[TractorGuy]

If I had been aware that the machine would not last 301 hours I would never have bought it for so much a single dollar. So my initial reaction was to investigate older Ford mowers with manual transmissions but after having spent two days researching those I'm now more interested in a roughly 30-40hp diesel tractor with a 3-point/PTO to handle a finishing mower, a bush-hog, or a hay mower according to need. I might pick up a used little 44" or something to get thsi season done and buy time to set up for the real solution.

Yep, My old JD855 pulls a 72" finish mower with no problems. It's a hydro too.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Two things I learned when researching lawn tractors/garden tractors: 1) the tranny is everything, so I sprang for the best, the K66. 2) never ever buy a piece of equipment like this from a big-box store; they literally have "special" (cheaper, disposable) models that they make specifically for sale at L and HD. Buy from an equipment dealer.

IDK but we beat the cr@ap out of both of ours and they are beasts. (Disclaimer: the newer Husqv although it is a beast for its size power-wise, has been, shall we say, a bit of lemon. Apparently the keyless ignition system causes a lot of electrical problems. The older Husqv (2009) we cannot kill, though we've tried.)

 

[bcp]

Long ago someone told me, if I wanted a good mower/garden tractor, to look for rear wheels that bolted on with lug nuts like a car. Light duty transaxles didn't do that.

Bruce

 

[Dftodd]

These same issues are common with the cheaper zero turn mowers where the transmission is non serviceable.

I had a cheaper cub cadet, which got sold a couple years ago. After the kids got done with it, it was pretty beat up. Had the cheap transmission and a stamped deck. Deck was more welds and patch work then deck. And the transmission was starting to slip.

Two things are must haves now on any mower I purchase. A serviceable transaxle, and a welded deck.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The problem with the K46 transmission is there is no oil filtration and not even any feasible way to change the oil. No drain plug on this non serviceable transmission. So it just chews itself up from its own metal particles.

Even my "better" mower bought from a dealer has a K46. 10 yrs old, axle broke last week. New axle on order, will be repairing it this week.

 

[CalG]

These same issues are common with the cheaper zero turn mowers where the transmission is non serviceable.

I had a cheaper cub cadet, which got sold a couple years ago. After the kids got done with it, it was pretty beat up. Had the cheap transmission and a stamped deck. Deck was more welds and patch work then deck. And the transmission was starting to slip.

Two things are must haves now on any mower I purchase. A serviceable transaxle, and a welded deck.

The Bolens HT-23 I've had for better than twenty years has an Eaton hydro drive.
Looking at the serial number. it was built in the late 80s. Hmmm not a bad service life, and it's still going strong!

 

[man00]

I would change the oil in it after a few years, even if you have to pump it out. Keep it clean of any grass/dirt build up so it will run cooler.

 

[sd455dan]

The Bolens HT-23 I've had for better than twenty years has an Eaton hydro drive.
Looking at the serial number. it was built in the late 80s. Hmmm not a bad service life, and it's still going strong!

Same here

about a 1985 CO-OP but has a Tecumseh/ Peerless Hydro has pressure fed spin on filter filtration and is still as smooth as when it was new. I also have a Honda hydro that is sitting because of a jerky hydro unit. The Peerless is just Better imo

Have a mid 1970's Gilson to- with manual trans is still going strong - never even have changed the trans oil.

The mower decks have proven to be the biggest problems since some parts have gotten hard to find.

I will run them until they die

It is outrageous that a new $3000 mower transmission has a service life of under a 1000 hours jmo though

OP has every reason to be irritated- Do the stores selling these K46 trans riding mowers list the mean time to rebuild or replacement in their advertising?, They should

 

[daugen]

Fitterski, was your Cub Cadet one of the newer XT1 or XT2 models? I have an XT2 with a Kawasaki engine as one of my mowers and looking at its transaxle compared to my JD X750 is like looking at a toy.
I did not read the links yet but is there an easy way to tell which model hydro one has?

Cub Cadet is now making true commercial zero turns. Most of us know MTD is a price company, everything built for the most mower and the least amount of money. But you don't get any reliability with it, just a big mower with fancy features and no durability. I swear the mower deck spindles are designed to blow at 300 hours. I've read of them failing even earlier. And if you are lucky they are greaseable which most aren't.

There is a thread going on a new MF hydro tractor having awful problems, solved with replacing oem trans oil with full synthetic aftermarket oil, and the problems just went away. Yeah, the right oil is important...

It's really dumb to design a transmission without any form of filtration at all. Not even a little screen....And on my ancient CC 125, 1968 with hydro, there is a great big hydraulic oil filter, just like on my Gravely rider.

 

[Texasmark]

Thanks for all the input, I dished out $3200cdn + 15% tax for this 54" mower, not what I call low end in 2009. Got 300 hours out of it and now I can't even give it away. Dealer says price of HST is more than the mower's worth. I wrote to Hydro-Gear, will see the reply but I don't expect anything other than a canned blurb. Am looking for alternatives like a 1956 B-275 with a bush-hog ..._it_ has been running for only 60 years.

If their customer service doesn't suit you might contact Tough-Torque and see if they have one to fit your machine. Really nice folks. Wink