New Lawn Tractor with Decent Transmission

[TJohnD]

I have a Husqvarna YTH24V48 that I bought new. It has been a good mower, but now with a little over 150 hours, the transmission is slipping. I had new belts (deck and drive) put on it, but that didn't help. Next the shop told me I needed new pulleys, and I had them install three new pulleys. New pulleys didn't help. My original dealer, which had decent mechanics, is now out of business. I'm not going back to the shop that did the aforementioned repairs because they give me the impression that they're not very competent.

I am mowing between 1.5 and 2 acres with some low (sometimes muddy) areas, lots of tree roots, and some short, steep slopes. Also during late summer early fall, I pull a 50-inch Husqvarna sweeper to pick up a lot of pine straw. These are fairly heavy loads. I'm guessing that the Tufftorq K46 transmission is not up to the task. The engine, deck, and electric clutch on the Husqvarna are in good shape, but I don't think a new K46 will last any longer than the original.

I've been looking for new lawn tractors with at least a K62 transmission. The Cub Cadet XT2 GX54D allegedly has a K62, but it is at the very top of my price range. Based on what I've seen so far, it looks like the transmission on this mower is fairly easy to access for fluid changes.

I would appreciate any advice/experience relative to the Cub Cadet and any others, new or used, that have a transmission more robust than the K46.

Thanks.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Good to see you have hills
park at the top of one get off the mower, let the brake off and give it a forward push down hill .
If the tranny is good it should be hard to push and stop moving when you stop pushing
If it rolls easy then it is on the way out
If it races down the hill like Mulga Bill's bicycle then it is toast
Let us know what happens because it could be a lot of things other than the actual pump& motor .

150 hours is very early for a tranny to die, even a K46 unless you have the habit of using engine speed to control ground speed while hauling heavy loads.
That can kill the tranny in no time flat .

Next you need to change your mind set
If what you need to do requires a specific cost machine to do it, using one that can't cope long term is a fools errand .
Top end machine sellers will be very happy to arrange finance if the ticket price is too steep for your current pocket
You can afford a machine capable of doing the job which in the long run because it will be a lot cheaper than replacing a machine that is not up to the job every couple of years .
A Rolls Royce is very expensive to buy but cheaper than the 20 Fords it will out last .
On top of that using a machine that is twice as powerful as needed will do the job quicker , easier & for longer than a machine working at the limits of it's capacity .
If the Husqvarna is in good mechanical condition ( check the frame very carefully for cracks ) then call Mulligans and ask them what is the most powerful transmission you can run in that machine and buy it .
That will be your least cost alternative .
You can fit almost any hydro tranny in any tractor , it is just a matter of getting the controls to hook up .

 

[TJohnD]

bertsmobile1,​

Thank you for the reply. I did the test you prescribed using my driveway. The slope was about 4 degrees. With the brake released and the transmission engaged, it rolled down the driveway on its own after I nudged it into motion. It didn't roll down like Lance Armstrong coming down out of the Alps, but it did roll on its own. ​

I cranked the engine, and the mower made it back up the driveway at less than full throttle but not with any degree of authority as it would have in the past. The last time I mowed with it, it worked for a while, perhaps 20 minutes (+/-), but then it would not move with the pedal fully depressed.

The steepest slope in the back yard is about 12 degrees for about 20 feet (+/-).

At this point, I'm still leaning toward the Cub Cadet with the K62. Allegedly, it has a locking differential, which would help in some spots in the yard when it's damp.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well if nothing else you have confirmed your current tranny is duff /
You can drain it and refil with heavier oil in the meantime

 

[Canuck64]

Currently over 1200 hrs on a k46 that was original on my JD x300. Still working great, mowing 2 acres, spraying weeds on 3-4 acres, hauling and blowing snow on the Canadian praries. After about 300 hrs I deviated from JDs maintenance (lifetime with no changes) and follow TuffCutt factory recomendation:

Tuff Torq suggest the use of a fully synthetic, SAE 5w50 oil that tends to further increase the life of the K46 in heavy duty operations.

Mobile 1 every couple hundred hours now. At around 800 hrs when I pulled trans (JD did not install any drain plugs) I pulled the lower pan and checked, no visible wear, Drilled for drain plugs. Now easy to do oil change.

The interesting thing is, the original selling dealer is now quite interested in following the performance of his machine.

Was out yesterday blowing snow, about 10' for a hour, temp at about 25 below with windchill. Starts and runs with minimal warm up in a unheated garage.

Try changing to 5w50 syn and see if it makes a difference.