Transaxle oil for Wheel Horse 8 speed?

[NothinToSeeHere]

Hello: I just purchased a used Wheel Horse 312-8 garden tractor. No manuals came with it. The transaxle (3 forward / 1 reverse + hi/lo range has seemingly dirty/'sludgy' oil. I would like to change it, but do not know what lubricant to use...What is the spec for the oil in that gearbox?

thank you for any information.

 

[Brett Miller]

Any 80W-90 gear oil will work fine.

 

[exranger06]

Nice purchase! I have a Wheel Horse 312-8 too. It is one tough machine! Brett Miller is correct, just use some 80w-90 gear oil.

 

[JTK]

Yep. Gear oil like Brett suggested is what they take. Nice find BTW!! I love those machines. That is one wicked old school, between the knees gear shift trans. It is the very last of it's kind for a garden tractor. They are no more. I believe Toro/WH just stopped making the "Classic" last year. What engine do you have on yours? The latest used a 17hp Kohler OHV single. Do you have the rear discharge cutting deck on it?

Joel

 

[NothinToSeeHere]

Thank you for the information and the compliments on the Wheel Horse. It is a 1985 or 1986, 12 hp Kohler Magnum engine. 42" side discharge, deck was purchased new in 2000 from a WH dealer.

 

[JTK]

Nice. There are quite a few deck options for that machine. Seeing as they were made for 30+yrs parts should never be an issue.

Joel

 

[Brett Miller]

It is really sad that Wheel Horse went down the tubes after being purchased by Toro. I grew up on Wheel Horse tractors and worked for the local dealer in the summer.