Deere question

[goatfarmer 817]

for the experts!

BIL just acquired a JD tractor with hydro problems. His neighbor says it's made by MTD. I thunk Deere still made all their own.

Any thoughts?

[B112_son 14]

What's the model number? The Home Depot models are not made by Deere but I'm not sure who makes them. A lot of the use the K46 transaxle and seem to be shot around 300-400 hours

[BLT 718]

I was told they had a plant in Tennessee for box store mowers.

[dentwizz 6]

I thought a few models smelt of Murray...

[BLT 718]

quote:Originally posted by dentwizz

I thought a few models smelt of Murray...

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id="quote">Murray was bought up by Briggs quite a few years ago.

[dentwizz 6]

Explains why some simp parts come up as murray.

[simplejim 2]

quote:Originally posted by BLT

I was told they had a plant in Tennessee for box store mowers.

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id="quote">I'm pretty sure that BLT is right,even though they pretty much use the same cheap parts to assemble them.A Deere tech has to go to Home Depot to check them out and approve them before they are sold also. I used to work at Home Depot.

[fishnwiz 3,290]

When I toured the plant...I was told Big box stuff was built in Mexico.

[goatfarmer 817]

I'll have to get the model number, it was L....something. Looks like the ones from Lowes.

[Talntedmrgreen 1,978]

The net is littered with a decade of complaints for hydro failures in the L and D series lawn tractors.

[TimJr 206]

The cheap L and D series are built in a FORMER Murray plant in Tennessee. They are John Deere, just cheap John Deere. They are NOT MTD or Murray - just built in an old Murray plant. It doesn't matter what brand, but you only get so much quality when you only spend $2000.00 or less on a machine like a tractor. It is likely true that many components are not made by Deere, but as far as I ever knew the parts didn't interchange with any MTD or Murray.

[Chris727 2,015]

quote:Originally posted by TimJr

The cheap L and D series are built in a FORMER Murray plant in Tennessee. They are John Deere, just cheap John Deere. They are NOT MTD or Murray - just built in an old Murray plant. It doesn't matter what brand, but you only get so much quality when you only spend $2000.00 or less on a machine like a tractor. It is likely true that many components are not made by Deere, but as far as I ever knew the parts didn't interchange with any MTD or Murray.

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id="quote">AMEN Tim! I have worked in a Deere dealer for six years and have sold enough L&D parts and seen enough of these through the shop to know the only thing the same as on a Murray or MTD would be the tires, engine, or transmission. The decks are unique, the spindles are unique, blades are unique, front axles, and steering. These are a Deere designed machine. NO MTD or Murray parts. Kenny, as for your hydro problems, the first thing we recommend is changing the hydro oil. The cost is very minimal and sometimes it resolves the issue. The drain location is on top of the transmission but the trans is fairly simple to remove. The oil will be very broken down on higher houred machines.Tuff Torq's website is a great resource and provides lubrication charts and service info:https://www.tufftorqservices.com/instance1EnvEELogin/html/login.html

[Chris727 2,015]

quote:Originally posted by Talntedmrgreen

The net is littered with a decade of complaints for hydro failures in the L and D series lawn tractors.

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id="quote">Simplicity has also used that trans in some models.

[Bill725 1,176]

Besides checking the hydro fluid level, check the spline between the hydro belt pulley and the input shaft. I was told the Pulley is softer than the shaft and the female spline wears out. You can sometimes replace the pulley once but most of the time on the second try the shaft spline are to bad.

[TimJr 206]

Yes, input pulley splines have been known to strip. If I remember, most of those transmissions run 10w30 engine oil. I have changed or had other people change the oil to a full synthetic and bought another season of use out of the hydro. If it is truly a wounded one, run straight 30w - what are you out - a couple hours and a couple quarts of oil?

I must also say that many of the shot little hydros I have seen also had evidence of a trailer ball being mounted on the original drawbar or were filthy tractors that had the trans overheated. The problem wasn't so much that it was cheap as it was misused or neglected. Cheap just means it is less forgiving of poor care. Tim

[goatfarmer 817]

I'll tell the BIL, thanks!