I have a hunch that Husq (and all the other MTD variants) are reluctant to say what maximum towed load is advisable because they've bought the cheapest transmission possible from TuffTorque. And TuffTorque won't say anything because there's too many variables that they can't control.
has anyone ever heard such nonsense?
- Thread starter BlackOps
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I've burned up (2) of the sealed hydrostatic lawn tractors towing a dry spreader, small trailer or 600lbs lawn roller, neither lasted more than 5-6 years. Current machine is a 2003 cub cadet 1529, 19hp Kawasaki, 48" deck, bought new.
I is still going strong and running well, and it has never towed anything at all in it's life.
I've just learned not to tow with it period,
I is still going strong and running well, and it has never towed anything at all in it's life.
I've just learned not to tow with it period,
crazyal
Super Member
My first question would be which model. Not all lawn tractors are built the same. My Deere has a TuffTorq K72 rear hydro transmission. It will tow a lot more than a box store Deere with a K47 transmission. Well they may tow the same weight but the K47 isn't going to last very long. Almost every brand seams to use TuffTorq. The best answer I could get was from Tuff Torq. They didn't say how much it would safely, they just said don't exceed 200 degrees oil temp. Of course I've never seen a garden tractor with a temp gauge for the transmission. I think they don't specifically say because then you could hold them accountable. It's much easier to say the customer abused the transmission.
RandyT
Elite Member
Gear drive trannies are more forgiving when it comes to towing. The hydrostats Hydrogear, Tufftorq, and General Tranmission. Are the 3 used in almost all mowers. The lawn tractors are designed to basically pull themselves. Limited to operator, and lawn cart with leaves. Dirt, fertilizer, lawn roller requires garden tractor designed for ground engaging equipment. Husqvarna MTD, etc don't make the hydrostat transmission and have no control over warranty. Those are covered under the manufacturer of the tranny.
If I replace a hydrogear transaxle in a mower you get 90 days warranty, If I sell you the tranaxle for you to install, the warranty ends at the moment you leave the shop. Towing a lawn roller with a lawn tractor will overheat the oil in the hydrostat leading to quick failure. And will not be covered by the manufacturer of the transaxle. After working on them and doing warranty for 20 years, you get to know what will be covered and what isn't.
If I replace a transaxle under warranty, the manufacturer will have me ship it back to them, 100% return policy. They go through their testing, and if determined it failed do to abuse, I have to pay for your new $600-800 transmission, plus don't get paid for the freight to return it to the factory, nor my labor to install or diagnose the problem.
If I replace a hydrogear transaxle in a mower you get 90 days warranty, If I sell you the tranaxle for you to install, the warranty ends at the moment you leave the shop. Towing a lawn roller with a lawn tractor will overheat the oil in the hydrostat leading to quick failure. And will not be covered by the manufacturer of the transaxle. After working on them and doing warranty for 20 years, you get to know what will be covered and what isn't.
If I replace a transaxle under warranty, the manufacturer will have me ship it back to them, 100% return policy. They go through their testing, and if determined it failed do to abuse, I have to pay for your new $600-800 transmission, plus don't get paid for the freight to return it to the factory, nor my labor to install or diagnose the problem.
coolreinfarm
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Isn't a shame that garden tractors have some sorry aluminum case transaxle that doesn't even have bearings on the rear axle shafts just some bronze bushings. The saying they don't build them like they use to certainly applies now. Garden tractors are supposed to tow, mow grass, push snow. I've had 3 in 46 years and still have 2 of them and tow whatever I need to never was concerned about weight as long as the front wheels stay on the ground.
DieselBound
Elite Member
Stuff works until it doesn't.
A BIG clue on the capacity of one's "mower" is to look at the hitch.
My hydrostatic-drive Polaris (Brutus Diesel) has a pretty impressive hitch, as well as it should since it's rated to tow 2k lbs. My lawn "tractor" has a wimpy hitch: I've hauled some with it, but never expected to haul much of anything- I've drug around my mobile chicken coops, which weigh a bit, but they have rear wheels and skid; and I wasn't dragging them around any great distances or with any real frequency.
A BIG clue on the capacity of one's "mower" is to look at the hitch.
My hydrostatic-drive Polaris (Brutus Diesel) has a pretty impressive hitch, as well as it should since it's rated to tow 2k lbs. My lawn "tractor" has a wimpy hitch: I've hauled some with it, but never expected to haul much of anything- I've drug around my mobile chicken coops, which weigh a bit, but they have rear wheels and skid; and I wasn't dragging them around any great distances or with any real frequency.
gwstang
Platinum Member
Good Lord, yes we do... I was attempting to be "sensitive & delicate" to those people.
We may be South & Downunder but we're still a Western society.
Ha, my daddy use to call them "Lard arses". Said they looked like the south end of a north bound mule. :laughing: all in good fun of course...
Gem99ultra
Elite Member
I can only tell you what I personally have done...
With my Husqvarna R155 (15 hp, K46 TuffTorque trans) I've towed MANY loads of logs weight well over 800#. That unit is 15 years old now, (>2500 hrs) and still runs like new one.
On the other hand, I have 5 year old Husqvarna GTH 26hp, 120 hrs, with the HydroGear trans that simply will not pull the same weight. It just sits there grunting and quickly shutting off.
Fearing the old R155 should be getting weaker as it gets old, I've stopped abusing it like that, so I've bought a Honda Pioneer 500 for that purpose and use the R155 for mowing only.
Now... what I've read (which should definitely be verified) is that the TorqTuff K46/47 trans should be limited to a max load of 600#. That trans of course is used in many brands of riding mowers such as JD, Craftsman, Cub, etc.
the old grind
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Larger ties in the back than front doesn't make a mower a tractor, esp when the 'hitch' is a right angle bend in a 14ga stamped 'chassis' with a 16mm hole in it. Garden tractors are for pulling, thus are 'real tractors' vs just mowers. btw, when aluminum transaxles become std fare in CUTs (your brand?
) do we expect to find CI guts any more in a 'lawn tractor' that is 25% motor and 70% stamped metal?I suspect some of the CYA aspect of towing limits is from the risk of suburbanites not taking precautions when encountering hills with a trailer in tow. We've seen enuf of the youtubes to know folks don't give a rat's backside about a maker's cautions once 'some guy' on the internet raises the bar. I mean where else do we learn to jump from solid rooftops onto flimsy sheds and patio tables.
