hydro-gear problems

[fred93]

I have a 17 year old Craftsman riding lawn mower-54 inch deck-Kohler 26hp. I have replaced the Automatic Transmission (Hydro Gear) three times.

Why do these units keep wearing out so fast?

My grass cutting areas are about 2 acres & they are not flat.

Has anyone rebuilt these Hydro-Gear units?

There has to be a cheaper way of fixing this problem unit rather than buying a new one for $800!!

I have changed the fluid a few times and that has given me a little bit longer life.

 

[bertsmobile1]

What kills hydros is too much load combined with too little speed
They work on a fine balance of high pressure oil pushing pistons up and the oil leaking out between the valve plate & cylinder block , there is no oil seal .
I have a pile of elderly customers who insist on controlling ground speed with engine speed and they eat up hydros
One by one I am convincing them to go to a Greenfields that uses a cork clutch but it is a slow process .
In a similar vein, a drive belt that is loose will allow the hydro pulley to slip and in particular worn pulleys where the belt bottoms out will do the same .

 

[StarTech]

First do you have exceptionally cleaned area to work on these? They require a dust free environment as any can damage the new parts. Exteriors must be spotless ie all dirt and other debris removed.

Now on a recent job it would have been $145 less than a complete unit and that don't even count my labor to rebuild a Hydro Gear transaxle. I only get a 30 day warranty on the parts but get six months on complete units. And that is because I am a Hydro Gear authorized repair shop. MY distributor would not even warranty the parts or whole units; unless, I was a HG dealer.

When come to rebuilding these unit it is like rebuilding small engine it is just not cost effective anymore for repair to do this work. Now where Bert is it can be cost effective but in the US it is just not.

And as Bert mentions a lot of the time on riders; not ZTRs, The belt has a plastic idler that has to change whenever changing the drive belt. Wear on it is the same as if you install belt that is too long and allows the belt to slip.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I should have also mentioned that the way to test a hydro is to park on a hill , turn the engine off release the brake and give the mower a push
If it stops strait away, the hydro is good & your problem is elsewhere
If it rolls slowly, the hydro is on the way out
If it races down the hill like Mulga Bills Bicycle then the hydro is gone .

 

[fred93]

First do you have exceptionally cleaned area to work on these? They require a dust free environment as any can damage the new parts. Exteriors must be spotless ie all dirt and other debris removed.

Now on a recent job it would have been $145 less than a complete unit and that don't even count my labor to rebuild a Hydro Gear transaxle. I only get a 30 day warranty on the parts but get six months on complete units. And that is because I am a Hydro Gear authorized repair shop. MY distributor would not even warranty the parts or whole units; unless, I was a HG dealer.

When come to rebuilding these unit it is like rebuilding small engine it is just not cost effective anymore for repair to do this work. Now where Bert is it can be cost effective but in the US it is just not.

And as Bert mentions a lot of the time on riders; not ZTRs, The belt has a plastic idler that has to change whenever changing the drive belt. Wear on it is the same as if you install belt that is too long and allows the belt to slip.

Where can I get a good price for a new unit?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Mulligans seem to be not only a good price but honest and offer good information on the commercial viability of repairs and even upgrades .

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

Mulligans seem to be not only a good price but honest and offer good information on the commercial viability of repairs and even upgrades .

Are you pulling anything in a somewhat regular basis? Are you running mower at wide open throttle whether or not when blades are on when moving mower? Exactly how not flat is your property? Is hydro transaxle free of dirt and debris?
You said you have been through three units in 17 years. That is a new unit every six years, which seems very unusual to me. I have seen mowers with working hydros 20, 30 years old and older. If you can buy a Hydro Gear unit for around $800, that seems about right.

 

[StarTech]

The OP does give enough info to even look the mower's IPL. But $800 is about the list price for some of the HG transaxles. Now of I can get at lower price through distributor but I am dealer.

 

[fred93]

Are you pulling anything in a somewhat regular basis? Are you running mower at wide open throttle whether or not when blades are on when moving mower? Exactly how not flat is your property? Is hydro transaxle free of dirt and debris?
You said you have been through three units in 17 years. That is a new unit every six years, which seems very unusual to me. I have seen mowers with working hydros 20, 30 years old and older. If you can buy a Hydro Gear unit for around $800, that seems about right.

I always run the mower wide open when cutting but when I stop I turn off the blades and I put the engine at idle. I do not pull anything with the mower. I have a golf cart to pull a small trailer. See pix for the property. I do not have a lot of dust while cutting the grass--just a lot of grass clippings, which I vacuum off after cutting the grass.

 

[fred93]

Mulligans seem to be not only a good price but honest and offer good information on the commercial viability of repairs and even upgrades .

I sent an email to get a price for the Hydro-Gear 400506 356-0510 Trans axle. The reply was--NO LONGER AVAILABLE! I assume that they still have some parts???