Lawn tractor transaxle repair??

[richla]

Gang, I’m not sure if this thread really belongs here, but in my frustration, I’m turning to the GarageJournal….

I have a twelve year old Husqvarna YTH150 lawn tractor. I baby it, clean it, and maintain it, as it’s not that easy for me to drop two grand on a new one these days.

However, it’s giving me trouble, runs fine on flat surface, struggles to get up an incline and a big part of my yard is an incline, so this is a problem.

As I understand it, after time goes by, the aged oil in it can break down, and for the first fifteen minutes or so, it’s fine, but then it gets progressively worse and it will not make it up the incline.

Internet search has not really turned up a lot of info. It’s a sealed unit. Big problem. I read about one guy that drilled and tapped a drain hole and a fill hole, and if you can get the old oil out and replace it with heavier weight oil, you can bring these things back to life. Also sounds like a good way for an amateur like me to turn this machine into a nice boat anchor.

I went to my local shop at lunch and found no help at all, instead I was handed a price list for the new models, telling me after ten years of age, it doesn’t make sense to repair them. That chapped my backside a bit, I just love the “throw it away and buy a new one”, especially when I have taken such good care of this machine.

Can anyone give me any advice or point me in a direction?

Thanks
Rich

 

[TheGrooveking]

Many of the lawn tractors have this same issue, especially John Deere's lower line. I suggest you google the brand of the transaxle because there are a few places that sell rebuild kits or rebuilding services.

TheGrooveking

 

[Givl Reggin]

Hydrostatic drive?

A heaver weight oil sounds like a very temporary fix to me...

But, drilling a tapping a couple of holes in cast aluminum shouldn't be too much of a problem... if it goes really wrong you can always go to a larger drill/tap/plug.

Just be mindful of what is hidden behind the case and using a parts diagram pick a spot down low with lots of clearance inside (because the plug is going to protrude inside probably 3/8" or so.

And you'll need a fill hole above the oil line... figuring out how much oil you're suppose to put in it may be the hardest part... you could measure what you take out, but whose to say some of it hasn't evaporated or leaked out over the years.

Also is there a filter on it? A good time to change it and maybe use that as your drain outlet by tipping the mower over?

 

[Steevo]

Have you joined mytractorforum.com?
There is a Husqavarna/Dixon sub-forum in the Lawn & Garden tractors section.

And the fact that the dealer thinks ten years is a reasonable life span for a lawn tractor tells you something about the quality they build nowadays.

I recently rebuilt a 1971 Bolens garden tractor, and that is some well built equipment.

 

[Givl Reggin]

And the fact that the dealer thinks ten years is a reasonable life span for a lawn tractor tells you something about the quality they build nowadays.

Just last year I traded in my '80s Cab Cadet for a new one... and I know a lot of people like to rag on new equipment but I have to tell you my new Cub is every bit as good as the old one, if not better; the 2-cylinder engine runs very smooth and is much quieter, electric power steering, so it's not robing from the hydraulic pump, the old one had electric clutch engagement on the mower deck, the new one is vacuum operated and engages so much more smoothly without the jerk the old one use to do. Overall I couldn't be happier with it.

I think what the dealer was trying to suggest was that a new replacement hydrostatic transaxle is going to run about $800 + installation... spending that kind of money on a 10-year old $2,000 lawn mower, even if it has been impeccably cared for, doesn't make sense... today you can get a very good shaft-driven garden tractor for not much over $3,000... and that will take the hills and pull attachments better than a lawn mower.

 

[Paul240480]

Hi. I have had a very similar issue with mine recently. Not a quality 'Husqui' like yours though. It is a Handy Power from one of big DIY stores. B&S engine and GGP 'gubbins'.

Got to the bottom of my garden to empty, went to set off after and was going nowhere.......

I thought the worst, clutch/diff dead. The drive belt had not snapped but it looked very 'tired'. I ordered a new belt and all is well. I think as well as my belt being chewed up, it had stretched too.

Get the belt off get the numbers off it and replace it. I got mine from http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/

One thing to note, it may,like mine be a Kevlar reinforced belt, of so only fit one of the same, as a standard belt will not last.

Hope this is of use

 

[richla]

Steevo, that’s why this is so frustrating. You don’t mow your lawn every day year round, it’s once a week during the growing season, and the rest of it’s time is spent in a warm garage. Now I’m suppose to throw it away because it’s crossed over the ten year mark?
I was just doing some rough calculations, (this will give you some idea of the joy my wife endures) and with a season of “April to Oct”, that is aprox 28 weeks, at 1.5 hours a week, multiplied by ten years, is 420 hours.
So after 420 hours, this thing is worn out and not worth servicing, according to the repair shop? I just don’t buy it. If it’s true, that’s pitiful.
As for that other forum, I posted there two years ago and found that section completely disappointing, and that’s why I am here!

When I get home tonight I am going to get the specifics of the manufacturer and find out what options I have. The idea of drilling into it and hoping I get it right, scares me.
Thanks, guys,
Rich
Paul, just saw your post: It's not the belt. I wish it was. I replaced it already! (thank you, though)

 

[spongerich]

I have an old lawn tractor with a hydro... after a half hour, it starts creeping slower and slower until it eventually stops until you let it cool down.

I was surprised to discover that there's no drain/fill. The oil lasts "for the lifetime of the transmission" which in this case is the life of the oil.

I made a vacuum extractor from an old plastic gas can and a shop vac and sucked the oil out through the vent tube. New oil definitely helped a lot.. it still misbehaves, but it goes for an hour now. If it gets bad again, I'll probably drill and tap a drain into mine.

 

[richla]

Silly question, what kind of oil did you use? (ingenious, by the way)

 

[tribbles]

I made a vacuum extractor from an old plastic gas can and a shop vac and sucked the oil out through the vent tube.

Dammit, now you have me wondering if I can rig up something similar for the wife's car.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I think what the dealer was trying to suggest was that a new replacement hydrostatic transaxle is going to run about $800 + installation... spending that kind of money on a 10-year old $2,000 lawn mower, even if it has been impeccably cared for, doesn't make sense...

I think this is right on the mark for the OP's situation -- I googled that Husqvarna -- looks like a basic consumer grade machine, which in the case of engine or transaxle failure usually makes it scrap metal unless you just happen to find a cheap working donor....putting the cost of parts towards a new machine will net you much nicer brand new one without struggling to work on it....if it runs at all, go trade it for something good before the headaches get really bad.....

 

[Steevo]

You might check to see if any of the transaxles these guys sell are a replacement for what you have:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?catname=powerTrans&keyword=PTT1

 

[Harwinton]

If it turns out not being worth it repairing this garden tractor, I would replace it with something older that's better built. Garden tractors today generally aren't too much besides just riding mowers. Best bet is to look for something like an old Wheel Horse or a Sears Suburban that's actually a tractor. Those machines, when taken reasonable care of, will run for a lifetime.

I've used my 41-year-old Sears Suburban 12 to mow, plow, push snow, move rocks, and a host of other things. And it still runs great to this day and is cheap, easy, and simple to work on compared to the stuff they made later on.

 

[jshillin]

I have a JD LA150 that has a throw away transaxle as well. I picked it up rather cheap used so it was worth the chance. I ran it the 1st summer no problem then noticed it slightly weaker. I pulled the trans the next spring, flipped it over and drained the oil through the vent hole in the top. I filled it with Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5W30 and have used it for a couple years since. I have steep hills in the back of my yard that I don't try to go straight up to save the stress and just hit them all at an angle. I'm sure your transaxle has a vent hole at the top so you should be able to do the same. At some point this year I want to pull it again, split the case, remove the screen/filter off of the pump and replace it to try to prolong it even further.

 

[pop pop]

Any one know the source of the failure? Low oil only? Worn parts?

 

[IDASHO]

Many hydro-stat lawn tractors use standard gear oil for the hydro pump and drive, and ordinary GREASE for the gearbox itself.

I successfully repaired a bad bearing the the gearbox on my hydro cub cadet years ago. Tore it apart, found the bad bearing, and had Napa find a replacement.

Sure enough, GREASE. Yes, I was surprised.

 

[spongerich]

Silly question, what kind of oil did you use? (ingenious, by the way)

Don't recall exactly, but I believe that the shop manual I'd found for mine called for 10w40. If I end up doing it again, I might switch to 10w50 instead.

 

[trboxman]

10w40 for the hydro unit in my Kubota lawn tractor. It has a fill plug but not a drain plug...go figure...

 

[Ancient Iron]

I have a 1969 Cub Cadet 125 Hydro. It came from the factory with a drain and a spin on filter that's still available. The transaxle runs mint. I use it to cut grass all the time,Hell I've even pulled cars with it

 

[Displaced Hokie]

There are still quality tractors made, just not many want to pay for one anymore. My company makes a high quality lawn and L&G tractors with serviceable transmissions - the lawn tractors with that start at $4,000 and the L&G at $6,000. Otherwise, you have to be creative to change the oil in the other lower cost units. But, you really shouldn't have to if you use the machine for it's intended purpose.

I know a lot about these transaxles. It either a TuffTorq or HydroGear brand. TT is the better of the two, but HG is OK. What happens is the oil eventually overheats and breaks down (it's usually 10w-30 engine oil in there). That then causes scuffing and scoring of the hydro pistons and/or the valve plate the motor runs on. Since you are dealing with high pressures, even tiny scores cause a huge decrease in performance. And obviously, these internal leaks make heat that makes the problem worse exponentially.

You can change the oil and go for 5w-50 synthetic and see what happens. It will probably help for a while, but not long if the damage is done. They are not hard to rebuild, and parts are available via the tractor company or the trans mfg. But I have seen many where an oil change hooked them for many more years of service. The syn oil won't thin out so it usually solves the problem.

12 years is actually probably the life of that unit. As I've heard...you have fully consumed the utility of the product. Doesn't mean you can't put some money into it and keep it going. Just that it's about that time.

 

[GoodoleBoy]

Ebay has transmissions pretty cheap for new stuff.