John Deere transaxles- tufftorq vs. kanzaki

[chinkapin creek]

So I bought a John Deere x300 after reading alot of great reviews online before joining this site. It appears on this site, the k46 transaxle is dogged bad as the weak link and everyone mentions its a tufftorq k46.

However on the Deere website it says its a kanzaki k46 transaxle.

Is the Tufftorq and Kanzaki the same transaxle? Or are they different?

Thanks.

 

[chinkapin creek]

Ok, got it.

 

[ssrfenton]

So I bought a John Deere x300 after reading alot of great reviews online before joining this site. It appears on this site, the k46 transaxle is dogged bad as the weak link and everyone mentions its a tufftorq k46.

However on the Deere website it says its a kanzaki k46 transaxle.

Is the Tufftorq and Kanzaki the same transaxle? Or are they different?

Thanks.

My research has found the K46 is not rated for ground engaging equipment so most issues will most likely be due to wrong application.

 

[chinkapin creek]

I talked to the mower mechanic at my local dealer and he told me as long as that fan on top doesn't get broken and you keep the transaxle clean, you won't likely have a problem. He said they have replaced two since the x300 came out and one had been operated with the fan blades broken off.

That kinda put my mind at ease. I'm not sure why so many people here feel otherwise.

 

[Jcg1112]

My research has found the K46 is not rated for ground engaging equipment so most issues will most likely be due to wrong application.

Ditto. From reading people's comments, it seems allot of the problems are from doing something the tractor was not designed for. The 300 shares the same GT frame as the 500's but not the same ground engaging tranny. Use it as designed and maintain it and you should see many years of service. I looked at the 300, but opted to buy used instead. Congrats on the purchase.

 

[jenkinsph]

I talked to the mower mechanic at my local dealer and he told me as long as that fan on top doesn't get broken and you keep the transaxle clean, you won't likely have a problem. He said they have replaced two since the x300 came out and one had been operated with the fan blades broken off.

That kinda put my mind at ease. I'm not sure why so many people here feel otherwise.

The reason alot of us feel otherwise is because we have or have had lawn tractors with the k46 and have taken care of them yet still had premature failures. John Deere and the dealers have been playing this down for quite some time. I have a parked L130 with about 270 hours on it that has slowly failed to the point it now will travel at about 1 to 2 mph top speed. I have had and still have tractors to do any ground engagement work, heck I don't know how you would attach anything to a small lawn tractor anyway. Now if pulling a spin spreader with a sack of fertilizer or seed in it is what you consider ground engaging then I am guilty. Not that it will travel fast enough the last year or so to make a spin spreader work anyway.

It is really simple if you are lucky and don't have problems then it is deemed a good tranny, if you have problems and issues then suddenly it becomes alot more of a problematic tranny.

My lawn is smooth and level enough not to be an issue either as you can see from this picture.

 

[chinkapin creek]

I don't know why they would still be using the trans if it was problematic. I mean they do offer what I consider a long warranty on the x series mowers. I hope I don't end up needing to use it for a trans problem.

The fact that there is a fan on top tells me there may some overheating issues with the trans. I wonder if all brands who use this trans also use a fan?

 

[Scooby074]

I don't know why they would still be using the trans if it was problematic. I mean they do offer what I consider a long warranty on the x series mowers. I hope I don't end up needing to use it for a trans problem.

They use it because its cheap. The lower end x300's and the 100's are "cost cutters". They are built as lawn mowers primarily. Ive read the design life of the units (100 series) is about 200 hrs or 50/yr. Now I dont agree with that assessment, but there is a fair bit of issues with these models....

I stepped up to a x540, primarily for the locking diff and heavy trans. The LC kawi and hydraulics were nice side benefits too. It all comes down to cost and expected life.

 

[ssrfenton]

.........
My lawn is smooth and level enough not to be an issue either as you can see from this picture.

No, that lawn is perfect for golf. Where are the Tee Box's in that photo:laughing:

 

[jenkinsph]

No, that lawn is perfect for golf. Where are the Tee Box's in that photo:laughing:

Thanks for the compliment.

It was alot rougher when I started developing it, just shows what a landplane grader will do combined with tilling. Spent a good deal of time with my boxblade followed by the tiller and landplane, well worth it to me.