I searched Google for John Deere Transmission and this site popped up first. Dozer. By the way.. the filler cap is under the plastic fan and the other is a breather I believe. Hi Poor customer service from the dealership and refusal to recognize a problem at Corporate. The ground speed, in both FORWARD and REVERSE will be slightly faster. Mowing and bagging, in the summer…….mulching and baging leaves, in the fall. John Deere was left dark in the garage for almost 5 years. Does anyone else have this problem? no hill climbing- very slow reverse. Push the tubing on the end of oil can snout, so it fits sung and doesn’t leak or slide off. I would love to purchase the K66 upgrade, but considering I paid $2,500 for the thing 4 years ago and have over 500 hours on the unit it doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend another $1,200 on it. Option #3, Buy a better model John Deere – Not Fair! Hill is not that steep…..in fact my old 1989 vintage Murray 18HP will pull the John Deere up the hill faster that the JD will travel on its own power! The K66 Upgrade Kits are now available again for immediate delivery. Will an upgrade work on this mower, or is that old of a transmission worthy of rebuilding or replacement? We should make this message thread a comparative shopping guide for alternative mower brands to John Deere. I have accidentally mowed bricks, concrete, baling wire, baling twine, towells, and possibly a few unlucky rodents. It lasted for two years and then started losing power. This is a poor design sold my JD and it need a recall but if we don’t file suit they will only keep selling this product. So, I’ve put together a class action lawsuit form and collecting names – if you’re in the same boat as me, take a minute and sign the form. I’ll tell you why, so they can compete with other mowers in the average home owner market but in making such a poor product, they just give themselves a bad name. At least now I learned how the tranny brake works and that the tranny has a magnet collecting all the magnetic (carbon?) Looks like I be doing the upgrade soon, but not right now. O.K. The trans is burned up and has been at JD 4 times now. Mowed great for 2 yrs. Definitly with everyone on a lawsuite. Today, we have 12 kits left. In my case, it wasn’t even a hill, it was a flat lawn and the mower lost its power after only a few years of service. Count me in. I have a John Deere L120 and had very little warning when my transmission went out. but still pulls strong up the hills. What TuffTorque Transaxle model or manufacturer would you put on to acheive the “Super 500” upgrade? And if so, how much it will cost? i told him no way, that their must be a better answer. Only have 39 hours on it. Transmission began to be a problem and the engine would not start when warm after I got it back. I don’t think so Bubba…. It was wedged in so tight we had to use a crow bar to remove it. New 46BE should be here Monday. fluid. Come on John Deere, your name use to mean quality and craftsmanship. In those short three years the tractor is on its third front axle, the steering gear at the end of the steering shaft (including the crescent shaped toothed plate which connects to the steering arms) has been replaced twice because it has stripped the teeth off the gears, the blade belt tensioner pulley bracket has broken twice, one blade spindle has been replaced (despite routine greasing) At least it has grease fittings! short life, poor build quality and expensive to fix. This is the first and last deer for us and nothing runs like a deer is a joke! As a followup to the Freewheeling Rod Installation and the Brakes not working (rolling stop), here are tips from Roger. did not realize what a scam that john deere was putting out on the market with this k46 transmission. Oil that is entrained has inferior hydraulic properties in comparison to fresh oil, resulting in less than optimal sys… Well, my x300 is less than a year old, only 16 hours on it, and it would not move in reverse. I thought it would be something simple. AND Thanks a lot for the quick responce. take off on level ground it was fine. I just changed the steering gear GX20052 on my Scotts mower two weeks ago. I’m as strong a “buy made in the USA” guy as there is anywhere and I’ll look for another USA machine if possible but if JD management thinks their customers aren’t worth keeping then we should send our message loud and clear. I’m selling Hydrostatic Transmission parts for the 90 series Sundstrand Hydrostatic, a bit expensive, but I think my parts are shipped with more care than others. I have a 1974 12hp massey hydrostatic tranny Im the 2nd owner never touched the tranny but the tucumceh turned it into a guy tractor got the wife L130 410hrs new drive belt still noise lacks power not impressed Im a hd mechanic in the forrest ind. (If you send me an email, I will return a picture of the drain plug locations.). My drive way is at a 30% slope. I don’t want to sound “gloom and doom” and I wish you all the luck, but I changed the oil on my K46 (2 qts of JD oil bought at the dealer). They have to many lawyers to beat them in court and a class action will last years but the A.G., if you have enough people (at least well over 1,ooo) sending in their notarized complaints about John Deere then he can order a recall or reimbursement or file charges against them. I then allowed the filter to set overnight to evaporate any residue of the gasoline. NO MORE “JOHN DEERE” FOR THIS OLD BOY. The only problem with overfilling is it will overflow when hot and make a mess. I like many of you think John Deere should have some kind of lawsuit brought against them. Think the upgrade kit will work on this model? Roger, if you can let me know the status i would appreciate. Less than 40 kits (K66’s) left! I want quality design, plenty of power, good cutting performance, long lasting, competitive pricing, a bagger that doesn’t clog so much, and if it can be made in America all the better. I am also having this problem with my LA 140. J/D snuck one by me. …..Randy Wagner, I have owned 3 john deer mowers all used, most reliable machines ever. During August of 2009, it started having difficulty on the hills, and finally just stopped moving altogether. Replaced both Rubber caps, with NEW caps, I used same oil to lube both O-rings. Have a L120 with 325 hours. Keep us up to date on how the transmission upgrade goes for you. I’ll let you know how I made out after I put everything together again. If funds are not a problem, I’d recommend the K66 Upgrade … or even better the K72 based “Super 500” Upgrade! as Craftsman and other such lawn tractors. After it gets warm/hot, it will just barely move on level ground. Our K66/L111 Upgrade Kits work great in your tractor. Wrong!!!! I’m not sure what they meant by the tranny was no good, but it sounds like Roger’s “upgrade” will take care of the problem. I’ll give it a try this weekend to remove the clutch assembly and see what I find, if the weather is not too nice, otherwise I’ll have to do other slavery “honey-do” jobs around the house. Unbelievable… Thank you Roger for making this kit available! (Plus tax) However, I am told that for about I won’t bother changing out the oil in my old transmission and I guess, just junk it. According to Tuff Torq’s company website this transmission is rated and designed for mowers with a maximum tire size of 20 inches. (See photos for view of the Index and a sample page.). Goes great downhill! Thanks again Roger. but hey its only a riding mower right? The instructions were fantastic. It’s 4 year old and just completely comes to a stop when trying to mow up a small hill after it has run for 20 minutes or so. but they are also very expensive. The ones I looked at were not as expensive as you mentioned (21K46) and were in the $1700 range. Starting this summer when me or my son(both of us about 250lbs) are driving the mower it will not pull us uphill. It is jacked up. You know, one comment I kept seeing repeated was that after the upgrade many felt like they had a new lawn tractor again. Terry, Kissimmee fla. I’ve got the D105 model. will not pull a 20 degree slope…JUNK sign me up too. GOOD NEWS: Help is on the way. My only regret is that I didn’t do this upgrade earlier. We have a 5 horses on flat land. Re: Craig. I am glad I found this. Same problem here. When I first had the problem I thought it was a worn drive belt and maybe low on transmission fluid. Regards, I want to thank all of you that posted saved me a big headache. I think these sold new for around $5000 . The next day I drove it down te street to my mother in laws house and started cutting her grass. Anything I can do to investigate further on the cause? Just out of curosity. I’ll post here for the benefit of everyone including you since you can answer the question one time for everybody. They want to enter it in the county fair lawn mower race this year. It is junk, I have a d130 no reverse and slow forward 98 hours piece of junk. On the other hand, if it never was good enough, then spend the money and buy an X500, or similar. The JD sits under a tarp because I am sick and tired of trying to keep it working. It really complains if the bags are loaded and I have to let off the forward peddle and repress it to get it going again. I too just started having problems with my L120, only 7 years old. This transmission gives it all kinds of tourq. I parked mower and check the underneath, sure enough, hydro fluid leaking. I don’t know if anyone answered Bill’s question on September 13th, 2009 regarding whether these kits would fit the JD L111. /roger. .. Now I sleep better at night knowing I have two John Deere products over 30+ years that will get the lawn mowed and the snow plowed when I need it. THE FREEWHEELING ROD LOOKS LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE BENT AROUND THE OIL RESERVOIR: Some tractors had a slightly different hole location in the back frame. will handle it? I replaced the oil with JD’s hydraulic oil and used the heavier grade. If the mower blades are unbalanced, this can cause the machine not to operate correctly. /roger, Joe: Not good news – We only have complete JD kits, using the Tuff Torq K66r. I purchased my L111 with 5 hours on it. Wed. I have been noticing a small loss in power and was getting ready to get a new drive belt. I see a lot of people here blaming Tuff Torq, dont, this all falls on JD. Bought from Lowes in 2010. I first broke an axle on left side and JD service said you need to replace the transmission as there are no replacement parts . I have been thinking of ordering the upgrade K66 kit but it’s hard to spend $1,500.00 on the kit when I paid $2,100.00 for the mower new. (Probably there’s a better mechanical word for “crevices”?) Do I need to change the tranny fluid. BTW, I think it is more a hassle to replace the drive belt than removing the old transmission……I already have practice, but won’t replace the drive belt again when the kit arrives since it’s new. On another forum one of the posters mentioned that if you use the throttle to control the speed then the transmission will overheat. Sue as JD = “junk of the devil” We there isn’t enough power in the people to move on this and MAKE JD be held responsible instead of holding us captive with they crappy design. That;s 44 years now with no problems with anything not tractor , or accessories !! I could see from forum posts and eBay status that it was safe not to mention that eBay guaranteed the purchase; the fact that I had a phone number to call made me feel that much better. The performance did NOT improve, although I did not take the transmission apart and look at the filter. As for winter, no problem – I’m confident that the bigger tires (big knobbies) and super powered Tuff Torq K66 Transaxle will not only handle the worst of snow, but provide hours of entertainment as well :). Being I don’t I am using my daughter’s access to let you know something very important concerning the failure of the John Deere lawnmowers. SHAME ON JOHN DEERE for utilizing such a weak trans on an otherwise reasonable machine. You can buy real John Deer product, for they offer $ 200.00. Key word, after explaining why I had to stop cutting every half hour for an hour or two……….. WAS! Did not plan on only being able to use the unit for three years and have it go to WASTE! I asked a mechanic at the dealership about this and he said, “NO WAY!” “Four years, maybe six, but definitely not 10. I don’t believe that. I don’t understand why anyone would put something like this in knowing it can’t be serviced. 1) I have not had a problem with the brake, so I can’t help there…. A neighbor had purchased it from Lowe’s and a couple weeks later he was notified his reserve unit was being deployed. It’s just a question of how often do you want to replace or rebuild it. After reading this awesome blog, it is obvious I need to replace transmission. I really didn’t have any other avenue available to me except to upgrade the hydrostatic transmission myself. I need a new car, not another JD junk mower. The tires pictured in the eBay ad are 23×10.50-12 NANCO N440 and are listed in Bizrate. The is a small incline in the front yard that leads to the road. The result was loss of power and transmission overheating. The reliability of the J.D. The plastic fins that cool the tranny a literally nonexistent – I have no idea when they may have snapped off or disappeared – I didn’t even know they were there until I started to reserach this power problem. Called a couple of places that rebuild trannys and both said the same thing if the fluid change didn’t help rebuild it! Like everyone else I did not realize what I was buying. My L130 has had three axles snap and now the transmission is shot. (Most hardware stores have this.) “TemptedToUpdate”: Me too … I’m excited about it! We are going to use the Sundstrand Series 15 Type U as an example. The interesting thing about the T40 is that it seems to be a special part made for JD. – or pop for the funds for us owners to have it done ourselves. My first one, purchased from a John Deere dealer, not the Home Depot or Lowe’s downgrades, lasted me 9 years on a 1 acre yard that was as flat as a skillet. I went across the street and purchased a Z-Force Cub Cadet zero turn mower, WOW what a machine! 5) The proper oil level for both chambers is about 1-1/2″ below the top of the filler hole. Can someone help? So the No 1 thing to do is to pull the tranny, drain the oil and replace it with 20w 50 fully synthetic. Now it Approximately 400 hours and the transmission no longer goes up the incline in the front yard. One cause of this issue is the transmission oil being low. Since only 1/4 acre, mower doesn’t have a lot of hours on it and looks new with nothing else wrong with it. Thanks for nothing. I hear you Jens! Don’t think much about it, 10 minutes later, I’m done. As far as I can tell, at this point, there are no more K66’s available in the NEW/SURPLUS market. Doe’s anyone know, what is the proper AMOUNT of fluid is ? I held it up against the light, but could no longer see through it compared to before I washed it? David, g100 won’t go up a slight grade after it’s been mowing for 1/2 hour. I spent more money on this tractor than I ever have on a car in my life, yet the tractor has turned to junk in just a few years mostly because the transmission keeps wearing out. As far as I am concerned, they may as well get out of the business. We have shipped several kits to Australia, many to Canada, one to Prague, Czech Republic and one to Croatia! I first noticed that the tractor will not climb that hill. It still does OK when not bagging. Blades have been replaced at least three times, yet it seems to only lay over tough grass. I bought an LT 190 in 2005 and had some components replaced in the transmission (broken gear). My L118 STOP pulling up hill in 2013 , so I change the drive belt , spindles and the deck belt to no avail. Boy was I wrong. Because they did not inform me of this, and their reputation to please the customer, they eventually settled with me for part of the cost. Compounding this is the fact that I have spent quite a bit replacing parts (2 sets of spindles, front axle, PTO clutch, pulleys, idlers, etc.). Drop me an e-mail at nawcloggie@hotmail.com. I would like to be added to his list. They should all be defendants! The prototype is up and running now. started going slower and slower up hills as time went on. Past warranty, so stuck with a lemon, basically. I have a 5 year old D120 that has 80 hours on it. Keep shifting the transmission from side to side to get out all oil stuck between the inner crevices. you did not buy a johndeere you baught a green mtd. My mower has 22 inch tires. Also, the instructions said that if it doesn’t freewheel, it is because it is not pulled out far enough. the transmission in my x320 just went out...no power on slopes...800 hours cutting slightly hilly 1 acre...does this seem to be premature failure or normal. 49 Hours on tractor. 682.55 for a new one. Should I change this oil for new stuff, and do I have to worry about this transmission failing again? Have to let it cool down. a rest for at least an hour so you can mow for another half hour. I really feels like I’m in more control with the new transmission installed. In the spring I used it to cut my lawn. Almost 5000.00 for this mower and it’s junk. I mowed a little more this morning just to be doing it. ONE K66 Upgrade Kit available for “Buy It Now,” on eBay. 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