A first guess would be that you're overheating. I'd first start by cleaning off the debris on the transaxle and/or make sure that little fan on top of the transaxle is there and not damaged.

I'll bet that helps a bunch.

My recommendation is to find a gently-used, low hour GT. You can save a lot doing that. I just bought a John Deere GT235 in really nice shape for about $2500 less than it cost when new. I may still have overpaid for it a little bit, but it was exactly what I wanted and I pulled the trigger. These things don't last long unless they're overpriced or worn out, so you have to do your research and be ready to act when you find one.

The home center tractors all have light duty transmissions, so stay away from Home Depot and Lowes unless you want to be back in the same spot in a few years.

The Cub Cadet 2500 series (which is one I was considering before I found my GT235) has a sturdy transmission and is rated for ground engaging work. Depending on the deck size you want, the price will be in the $3500 - $4,000 range.

The Craftsman DGS (DSG?) 6500 is also a garden tractor rated for ground engaging work. Some of the 6500's use the TuffTorq K66 transmission (which everyone seems to prefer), and some use the HydroGear 3000 series. You can look at the sticker under the seat to tell which one it uses.

The JD x300 series tractors use the K58 tranny, which is supposedly much stouter than the K46 in the LA series, but it is not rated for ground engaging work. You have to go to the x500 series for that, which is also a big step up in price. (I think the lowest price in the x500 line is about $5,500, but don't quote me on that.)

If you're mechanically inclined, a well maintained high hour tractor can be an even better bargain. I paid $668 for this 1995 Wheel Horse with 974 hours a year ago. I bought it on eBay.

{{gwi:118564}}

I spent a few hundred dollars replacing all of the steering components including the front wheels and tires. The only steering component I didn't replace is the steering wheel itself.

The cast iron Kohler engine doesn't burn any oil and starts easily. It probably has another 500 to 1000 hours of service left. A rebuild to like new condition costs about $625 locally or I can do it myself for much less.

The manual tranny with case hardened machined gears is near bullet proof and also rebuildable at a reasonable cost.

-Deerslayer

That is a cool tractor, deerslayer, and a good example of how a guy with some determination and hard work can make a small investment into a nice, functional machine that looks good too.

But it still has a manual tranny and doesn't answer the question of what's the best hydro to buy in the $3K range . . . . ;-)

Don

But it does meet the requirements of the last sentence.

"I really like a hydro transmission, but I just want a mower with a transmission that will last more than 4 & 1/2 years."

"But it still has a manual tranny and doesn't answer the question of what's the best hydro to buy in the $3K range . . . . ;-)"

You need to work on your ability to generalize from the specific. 8^)

My point was that if the OP bought used, he could buy a lot more tractor for the dollar...maybe even find a well maintained medium hour Kubota G2160. Didn't you buy your G2160 used?

-Deerslayer

I can tell you what I probaby wouldn't buy for your situation. A Husqvarna 2548 or Craftsman 5000 type garden tractor. I mow a one acre mountain with a 2004 Husky 2548. Ag tires and such. I faithfully keep it lubed, waxed, sharpened and such. Still looks new. I've had pieces rattle loose on the deck, pulley arbor failure, pulley brackets break. It wouldn't be so bad, but they always immediately go under the deck so they can't be reused :( When I bought the tractor, they were real close to $3000 It had the heaviest looking deck in a sub 3K tractor at the time.

I like the tractor well enough. It hasn't cost me much money to repair, but it's inconvenient to wait a few days for parts. Mobility is impressive, but it shouldn't be breaking numerous times with a couple dozen hours on it. It would likely last for decades on a typical suburban lot. But us mountain people need a little more tractor. I'm hoping for ten years, and I'm guessing the last three won't be much fun. I'll step up a level next time. I miss my 1972 JD212.

Many thanks for the recommendations. I like the idea of a used GT235, I'll just have to do some looking around and see what's out there. Now that it's the middle of summer there may not be much out there.

Here are some possibilities.

GT235s For Sale

Keep scrolling - many are under 3K. Don't forget to click on the second page at the bottom.

-Deerslayer

I just noticed that you are located in Mississippi. Here's an interesting 318 in Louisiana.

JD 318

-Deerslayer

There are mountains in Iowa?

When I drove through there it looked pretty flat.

Machiem said: "There are mountains in Iowa?"

What? You haven't heard of Pikes Peak?? Well, OK. It's not the same as the fourteener here in CO, and rises only about 500 ft. above the Missippi River. But, it was named after Zebulon Pike.

"And now, you know the rest of the story." (Paul Harvey)

500 feet of rise!!!

You almost need supplemental oxygen for that ascent.

Be careful out there.

I totally agree with finding a good used garden tractor, check e-bay & etc. Nice tractor Deerslayer, I bought my 1650MF for $152.50, $175.00 for a mower, about $500.00 fixing it up. I AM partial to red tractors. It's a 1972 model, hydro still works great. Check out Slammers rules for buying a tractor and you'll buy what you need to last awhile. The older garden tractors were designed for ground engaging implements and had some tough hydros in them. Think I'd have to favor Wheel Horse and John Deere if you're going to buy used, lots of great old garden tractors out there but parts availability sometimes s--ks. As I've saddly discovered about my old Massey Fergusons.

"There are mountains in Iowa?"

There is one, and I built a house at the top of it. Seriously though, if you get near Dubuque, it's far from flat. :)

Back to the subject, a well cared used for tractor is the way to go if you can find a deal. $3000 will get you too much low quality stamped steel. My 1972 JD 12HP 38" weighed a full 200 pounds more than my current 25HP 48" Husky does. Not that I'm suggesting you go anywhere near that old.

Passthegravy and Butch, thanks for the complements regarding my WH. Butch, your posts about your MF and how it has served you well convinced me of the durability and value of older tractors!

-Deerslayer

Deerslayer, just my opinion here but the older garden tractors were designed as small tractors with a big selection of implements for them. As I look at some of these newer GT's they look like a glorified riding mower not a small tractor. I have the advantage of being able to do my own repairs(auto mechanic by trade) so I can't say the older ones are for everyone, but it's the only way to go for me. My 1450 MF hydro is used daily at my shop as a push tractor to move disabled vehicles around and it's not strained at all doing so. Can't see these new ones doing that at 35 years young!

An older Cub Cadet or Wheelhorse can be refurbished and will last your lifetime with care.

The Cub Cadet 2500 series (which is one I was considering before I found my GT235) has a sturdy transmission and is rated for ground engaging work. Depending on the deck size you want, the price will be in the $3500 - $4,000 range.----------------My new CC GT2554 Garden Tractor was $3500 last Oct. At that kind of price I'd have to think long and hard before shelling out $2500 to $3000 to some Big Box Store for one of their chintzy Lawn tractors.

The Craftsman DGS (DSG?) 6500 is also a garden tractor rated for ground engaging work----------But you can't get a tractor powered tiller for it.

OK, here's the Bercomac rotary tiller (Canadian company mfr) for your Craftsman or Husqvarna tractor. takes the power off your vertical shaft motor PTO. There's even a video showing a Husqvarna in action:

http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com/tiller-rotary-tiller.htm

Butch, I agree regarding the mission of the older tractors. The older tractors were designed to use many different implements. People used them for working their vegetable gardens, grading their gravel driveways, and pulling heavy loads. The mower deck was just another implement. Over the years, the mower deck became the primary implement and the residential tractor became a riding mower (LT) that looked like the older tractors.

I also agree that the older equipment is best suited for people that can perform their own repairs. Parts availability is a key factor when choosing an older tractor.

Have a GREAT 4th!

-Deerslayer

lb59, you myopic idiot, did the guy say he wanted to use a tiller? No, he didn't. So why is the availability of a tiller a factor in recommending a mower?? Here's what the OP said:

"I really like a hydro transmission, but I just want a mower with a transmission that will last more than 4 & 1/2 years."

He just wants to mow, and he wants something dependable. YOU are obsessing over tillers, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is!!

And please do us a favor and quit telling us you paid $3500 for your CC2554. We've heard it a million times. While you may have actually bought one for that price (I'm not convinced), that is not what most people would have to pay if they walked into their CC dealer and bought one. Maybe you got lucky. Maybe you're a liar. I don't know. But to compare every other tractor known to mankind in every thread on every forum on the world wide web to your $3500 CC2554 is not realistic, meaningful or helpful.

ok...ok...just add another 400 to ya 3k..go to JD and get yaself an X304 or if ya good enuf ya can talk em into a X320...both have K58 tranny, will do ya hills and slopes and last ya 20 yrs...case closed...or as that judge on TV say's...stick a fork in me I'm done...lol

As this Indepenence Day 2007 eases to a close, I just wanna say, "passthegravey for president".

lb59, you myopic idiot, did the guy say he wanted to use a tiller? No, he didn't.
*So why is the availability of a tiller a factor in recommending a mower??
Posted by passthegravy
*******************************
*Because the OP isn't the only one in the audience.

I'll second (or third...) the recommendation for a JD 318 for anyone willing and able to spin a wrench.

I bought mine for $2K and put in a few hours and dollars for new front axle bushings and a hydraulic valve rebuild. It has a very strong hydrostatic transmission and handles my hill with ease. The independent brakes are handy for steering on that slope also.

Good luck with your search!
FullMetal

to fix it up to sell, change the fluid in the tranny. it really is not that hard. i changed mine saturday in my L130 and noticed immediate improvement. i had the same issues as you, just mine showed up after 2+ hours of use and only slowed partially. the old oil looked like black sludge when it drained out.

heck, you may even decide you want to keep it after that.

"to fix it up to sell, change the fluid in the tranny. it really is not that hard."

Therein lies the problem. How do I change the fluid on a transmission that is a sealed unit?

pull the tranny, remove the fill cap, turn it over and dump the oil. refill with the same amount of 10w30 as you removed, and reinstall. for more info, see below.

i just changed the oil in my L130 following this exact set of steps. seems to be working better now, but honestly i only rode it around for 10-15 minutes. i hope to put it thru the paces this evening, as i need to cut my 4 acres or face having to hire in a bush hog!

Here is a link that might be useful: see this thread here

Many, many thanks for the advice and the link davidandkasie. I am going to get to work this afternoon taking the tranny apart. I only hope it works, and I would really love it if it got me through the rest of the mowing season. That would beat the heck out of forking over the $631 I was quoted today for a new transmission. I would hate to know how much it would cost to have the dealer install it.

I am responding to the same issues as the JD L130. I have a scotts 2046. tuff torque k46 tranny (made by Deere) It is somewhat new and necently had a tranny problem. I push the throttle and it slows and goes little reverse, some grinding and howling. Checked belts pulleys. Nothing. The dealer says its unserviceable and new one is 650 dollars!! I finally got the tranny off wow what a job!! The oil was dirty with shavings. Can anything else be wrong with it inside the tranny or just a good oil change? If anyone could help that would be awesome. I would hate to put it all back and its a 5 cent gear inside. Thanks

Hmmm .. I also have a scotts 2046 (10 yr old - J.D. made) ...
I think the tranny needs some love...

its ok in forward - but only has a vague resemblance of reverse (and a howling/grinding reverse at that)...

I dont know what tranny it is - but id love to find out - is there an easy way to tell ?

but perhaps I should consider changing the oil in it and see if there is any improvement...

Dave.