craftsman tractor, CAN YOU BELIEVE?

[valley]

Greetings, From what I can find out, to add fluid. The transmission must be removed from the tractor, the pulley removed from the transmission, to access and remove the fill/drain plug. Is that not the worst way to build a tractor? So you can't service it. What else do they do to you when you buy their products?

The transmission is made by Peerless.

Richard

 

[RandyT]

The trannys on most home owner lawn tractors are not designed to be serviced. Per the tractor manufacturers the average tractor is replaced every 4.5 years, and therefore they are designed to last 4.5 years. Peerless, and hydrogear trannys are not set up for customer service. Only service after failure, which some times is cheaper to just replace the mower, or the tranny.

 

[valley]

Greetings Randyt, By service I refer to adding oil. Building these tractors so that oil can't be added insures failure of the transmission. The transmission is a 6 speed. I hope you're not saying this is acceptable.

 

[k0ua]

Hate to tell you this, but the majority of the Tuff-Torque transmissions in "box store" mowers like my John Deere (although I bought it at a John Deere Dealer) are not serviceable at all without taking it apart. The manual will tell you that no service is needed.. Of course they all fail at around 300 hours due to contaminated oil. There is a huge thread here about how to rebuild them. Acceptable or not, that is the way it is. I figured buying a John Deere, tractor I was getting a quality machine. Many things about it are quality, like the cast iron front axle, with greaseable king pins and pivot, And overall it is well built compared to the typical Murray or MTD, but the tranny, while it works well, is made to fail. I found that out here.

 

[valley]

They deserve to be beaten and driven into the sea or taken half way to Australia. Yes, you would think John Deere would be built to last. My daughters use these tractors to drive around the ranch.
We fixed an aunt's Ford Explorer 4X4, the front wheel bearings can't be greased so bearings failed and the hub had to be replaced. That kind of THING, for want of a more descriptive word really browns me off. Maybe will talk again about something good and well made. I still have Fathers Model A and Momma's 66 Riviera... we use to be so proud of what we made, of things we built, but I guess we're not making much any longer and when I say "we" I have to look around to see who is listening. Good to talk with you kOua.

Richard

 

[Egon]

Think you will find some vehicle transmissions that have no means of checking or adding oil.

 

[RandyT]

Think you will find some vehicle transmissions that have no means of checking or adding oil.

The answer is yes. There are getting to be more and more vehicles that do not come with dipsticks, just a plug in place of the dipstick, which you have to take to the dealer for him to check the oil level, or when changing oil. I heard but don't know where, that there is one manufacturer using a tranny that is non customer serviceable, and the fluid is changed with a tranny fluid changer.

 

[valley]

Ford Automatic transmissions now fill from the bottom, no way to check fluid level. You put fluid, if you over fill it runs out, you put the plug in and that's it.

 

[TomSeller]

The trannys on most home owner lawn tractors are not designed to be serviced. Per the tractor manufacturers the average tractor is replaced every 4.5 years, and therefore they are designed to last 4.5 years. Peerless, and hydrogear trannys are not set up for customer service. Only service after failure, which some times is cheaper to just replace the mower, or the tranny.

I'll be sure and remember that next spring when go to start up my 30 year old Honda riding lawnmower. It has taken care of it's 3 acre lawn faithfully.

 

[bcp]

I'll be sure and remember that next spring when go to start up my 30 year old Honda riding lawnmower. It has taken care of it's 3 acre lawn faithfully.

What make and model is the transmission?

Bruce