Which Tranny in a $2000 riding mower/tractor?

MrCritical · Mar 13, 2008

Friend talked me into looking at a Cub Cadet. Longer warranty, Kohler engine, but only hydrostatic trans. Friends say the tranny wont hold up on my hills. I don't know how to calculate angle, but the hills are too steep to mow sideways, will have to strictly go up and down. Looking at a Craftsman 4500 series 42 cut with a 6 speed. The local Snapper dealer advertises a h.d. auto trans but doesn't have the best reputation service wise.

Sounds like I need to go with the Craftsman. Whaddaya think?

JTK · Mar 13, 2008

MC, the ~$2K Cubs are similar to any low-end MTD rider, but with some higher quality hardware (better deck, steering, seats, higher end engines, etc..) They use 'sealed' Hydro-Gear brand hydrostatic transaxles. A great company and not a bad trans, just not made for hill climbing, 300+lb operators and/or pulling. I've got a Cub Cadet 2544, which is a ~$3500 machine. The shaft-driven trans holds 6qts and has a spin-on filter on the 2000 series. It boils down to the fact that all ~$2K new machines are the same. You have to cough up a cpl extra grand to get something heavier and more serviceable. FWIW, Sears and John Deere uses TuffTorq transaxles. They are a good company as well.

Joel

JTK · Mar 13, 2008

Most all of your cheaper fender shift gear drives are light duty Peerless grease filled jobs. Sears used to have a HD dual range, between the knees shift on their garden tractor line. That was an awesome trans. It's gone now I beleive. This Sears model list a HD 6-speed gear drive: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605...+Tractor+Series

Joel

kd5byb · Mar 13, 2008

I'd love to know who made the hydrostat tranny in my 1994-era John Deere STX38. Uses 10W-30 oil, has a fill and drain plug, and I change it every year - last year it was M1, this year SuperTech Synthetic. Next year I might splurge for AMSOIL for it.

14 years later its going strong.

later,
b

sweezy722 · Mar 13, 2008

I have a Craftsman 48 in and 20 hp Kohler with the Hydrogear unit. Sears will tell you they are sealed for life but there is a plug on top where you can pump the old oil out and refill with 20-50 which is what Hydrogear recommends. I have about 500 hours on it and never a problem but I do change the oil every year.

My dad has a John Deer with a Tuff Torq which has the plugs as described and refills with 10-30. It has never given any trouble as well.

If I had to buy a new mower today it would probably be a Husqvarna. I looked at a 2007 model and it had a Tuff Torq with a Heavy duty 48" deck - Foot control transmission and your choice of Briggs or Kohler. I think the price was around 1700.

I am a firm believer in getting the one you personally like the best even if it costs a little extra. If you get one you like, it makes using it much more enjoyable for the next 12 years.

MrCritical · Mar 13, 2008

You guys with the hydrostatics-how big a hill do you pull, and how often?

TylerL · Mar 13, 2008

The local Deere says they have more problems with the manual trans than with the Hydrostatic trans.

I have disassembled 2 manual transmissions. The first one we had was a 6speed manual made by peerless, in a 1989 JD STX 38. The only problem we had with it was the seal on the output shaft for the brake "rotor." Grease and brakes don't mix. I really shifted nice, and took a beating.

The 5 speed Dana Spicer trans on our current 2001 JD LT133 is [censored] and has been apart 2 times, first by the dealer then by me. First time was because a shifter detent ball (or whatever you call) fell out of place a got stuck in a gear causing it to lockup. Second time I took in part because it had a noisy input shaft, I thought the gears didn't have enough grease, but I was nothing more than a bad design. Dana filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, I wonder why?

Both tractor only had a 12 or 13 hp 398cc engine, bigger engines may have different results.

I drove a Hydro, but it didn't have cruise control so I didn't like it.

I'd say Hydro=more durable.

XS650 · Mar 13, 2008

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
You guys with the hydrostatics-how big a hill do you pull, and how often?

Hydrostatic drive, rated for 60% but will handle more with enough traction.

JTK · Mar 14, 2008

Originally Posted By: kd5byb
I'd love to know who made the hydrostat tranny in my 1994-era John Deere STX38. Uses 10W-30 oil, has a fill and drain plug..

It's probably a Tufftorq. They typically spec 10w-30. JD has been using TT since the early 1990s. I know the 5 or maybe 6? speed gear drive trans on our 1992 JD GT262 was a tufftorq. That was pretty decent garden tractor. Yes- all of your 'sealed' cheaper hydros will have a top fill point somewhere on the case. You can try to suck them out, set the tractor on it's back-plate to drain, or just remove the trans and flip it over. Draining/filling is only part of the issue with them. It's the lack of oil capacity that kills them. They just don't hold enough oil to keep them clean/cool/lubed.

Joel

Oldmoparguy1 · Mar 14, 2008

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
You guys with the hydrostatics-how big a hill do you pull, and how often?

Hydrostatic drive, rated for 60% but will handle more with enough traction.

Where is the mower deck???

XS650 · Mar 14, 2008

Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
You guys with the hydrostatics-how big a hill do you pull, and how often?

Hydrostatic drive, rated for 60% but will handle more with enough traction.

Where is the mower deck???

It does a good enough job of mowing things down without a mower deck

During the Gulf War, M2 and M3 Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams

HM12460 · Mar 20, 2008

i have an old (1972) cub cadet 149 with hydrostatic drive. hydro still works fine, i change the oil and filter every spring. have been using the case-ih brand oil and filter. this tractor is a tank. i bought it 7 years ago for $350. best investment i ever made. i also use it in winter to push snow with. i laugh at you guys spending $2,000 plus for a throw away mower. they just don't make 'em like this any more. i also use mobil delvac 1 in the old cast iron kohler.

lexus114 · Dec 22, 2009

Originally Posted By: HM12460
i have an old (1972) cub cadet 149 with hydrostatic drive. hydro still works fine, i change the oil and filter every spring. have been using the case-ih brand oil and filter. this tractor is a tank. i bought it 7 years ago for $350. best investment i ever made. i also use it in winter to push snow with. i laugh at you guys spending $2,000 plus for a throw away mower. they just don't make 'em like this any more. i also use mobil delvac 1 in the old cast iron kohler.

Yeah,they don`t make them like yours any more,that`s for sure.

HM12460 · Dec 22, 2009

Originally Posted By: HM12460
i have an old (1972) cub cadet 149 with hydrostatic drive. hydro still works fine, i change the oil and filter every spring. have been using the case-ih brand oil and filter. this tractor is a tank. i bought it 7 years ago for $350. best investment i ever made. i also use it in winter to push snow with. i laugh at you guys spending $2,000 plus for a throw away mower. they just don't make 'em like this any more. i also use mobil delvac 1 in the old cast iron kohler.
+1. i have a cub cadet 1650, a john deere 214, and a 216. i use them commercially and have found them to be an excellent value. much more so than a big box store waste of money throw away.

JTK · Dec 22, 2009

Originally Posted By: HM12460
Originally Posted By: HM12460
i have an old (1972) cub cadet 149 with hydrostatic drive. hydro still works fine, i change the oil and filter every spring. have been using the case-ih brand oil and filter. this tractor is a tank. i bought it 7 years ago for $350. best investment i ever made. i also use it in winter to push snow with. i laugh at you guys spending $2,000 plus for a throw away mower. they just don't make 'em like this any more. i also use mobil delvac 1 in the old cast iron kohler.
+1. i have a cub cadet 1650, a john deere 214, and a 216. i use them commercially and have found them to be an excellent value. much more so than a big box store waste of money throw away.

Must be an old thread. HM- just +1'd his own post!

Joel

DesertDually · Dec 23, 2009

Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Originally Posted By: HM12460
i have an old (1972) cub cadet 149 with hydrostatic drive. hydro still works fine, i change the oil and filter every spring. have been using the case-ih brand oil and filter. this tractor is a tank. i bought it 7 years ago for $350. best investment i ever made. i also use it in winter to push snow with. i laugh at you guys spending $2,000 plus for a throw away mower. they just don't make 'em like this any more. i also use mobil delvac 1 in the old cast iron kohler.
+1. i have a cub cadet 1650, a john deere 214, and a 216. i use them commercially and have found them to be an excellent value. much more so than a big box store waste of money throw away.

Must be an old thread. HM- just +1'd his own post!

Joel

*****! oh man, I didnt even catch that till you mentioned it!

Which Tranny in a $2000 riding mower/tractor?

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