I changed out the input shaft on my K51A about 4 years ago. I replaced the original oil with Mobil 1 15W-50 Advanced Full Synthetic Motor Oil. I live in South Louisiana (hot!) and this has been working great. Maybe this would not be the best choice up north but has served me well.
I have been using 15-50 full synthetic oil in my JDX300 which has the k46 trans. no issues yet. Bought a drain plug kit, did a little work. easy to change oil now each season, just like the motor oil.
I saw a tuff torq document saying you can use 5W50 synthetic in the past. Not sure if they still recommend that. I'm referring to the TZT13GR in my Z960M (JD). I may call them (TT) and ask about that...or just forget it and buy their fluid but also add some Hot Shot Secret FR3 to the fluid when I refill the transmissions. Edit: I just went back and found my old screenshots I made of their web page while researching what fluid to use in my TZT13 and sure enough, it showed 5W50 synthetic and they even sold a Tuff Torq branded 5W50 (it actually said SAE 5W50 Full Synthetic on the bottle with Tuf Torq's name on it)
Have used 5W50 Castol synthetic in high hr T40 from LA110 Deere unit.Have run 4 years with performance improved.Doing another change this winter and installing new screen/oil/2 drain plugs/upgrade bracket with 2 extra magnets near filter.Maintenance is cheaper than replacing trans/tractor.Tuff Torq recommends first change at 50 hrs and every 200 after that.Canadian Power Technology in Ontario and outlet in Edmonton near me for Tuff Torq parts.(saves on shipping/exchange for us Canucks)
Comments to readers. I found the internal oil filter very clogged, K46 John Deere L110 had a wound medium instead of a screen, looked like it picked up condensation that a mesh screen might not. Heavy crud on magnet under fill cap is a good indicator to change the filter. Don't fret, be a doer. It really doesn't take that long to remove transmission, brush it, hose it off, drain oil, and remove cover. After removing the cover you can choose not to inspect the cylinder motors and center case and just change filter and oil, you may save time because new oil, filter, and solving leaky seals help bunches. Limited experience, last 5 years I've inspected 2 hydraulic transmissions and couldn't observe the hydraulic cylinder motor parts were bad, I saw and replaced obvious bad parts and was successful. Oil change to a thicker oil fixed the loss of transmission power.
@@diy7594 I changed oil per tuff torq from 10w-30 full synthetic to 10w-50 full synthetic. The spun element filter was a real problem as it was clogged with condensated water moisture contaminated oil, definitely was hampering oil flow, new tuff torq filter is a screen which allows larger particles to flow through.
AMSOIL also recommends their ATH, AMSOIL Tractor Hydraulic, oil. It's a very high VI index oil for Hydrostats and wet brakes. I've used it since the early 1980's.
I refuse to buy the Tuff Tech fluid just because I dislike the fact the Turff Torq is not giving us any specs about this fluid. It is synthetic? SAE values? Nothing. So we don't have any clue what we are putting in our transmissions and it is very expensive compared with a good 5w-50 synthetic oil such as Amsoil, Mobile 1 or Castrol Edge.
Colder weather guy on a JD la145 tuff torq40, the 5w50 swap at 420hrs made a heck of a difference backing up the tractor with the snowblower attachment and in summer pulling a 42' lawn sweeper....got 10w30 in from factory.
It really depends on the oil and it’s composition. Think of an oil listed as 20w-50 as meeting the protective requirements for 20w-50 and not necessarily behaving like a 20w-50. Redline for example has some high performance oils that have a much lower pour point than a conventional oil. I would be alright with the idea of a 20w-XX if it was a high performance synthetic that had a lower pour point. I wouldn’t want to use a conventional 20w-XX though. It’ll be ok when it’s hot, but it might cause problems before then. As a general rule, I wouldn’t go with an oil heavier than 10w-XX for anywhere cold enough to plow snow.
I ordered this stuff 2 weeks ago and I still haven't received it > Beware Tuff torq sends this stuff via USPS (Snail mail) they told me I would get it on the 15th then the 16th and now the 19th I still have my tractors drive motor out waiting for there oil to arrive. I must live in a geographical oddity I am 2 weeks from everywhere! I am so displeased at buying from them right now. I personally could have and should have drove there to get it I would have been home by now! So just beware order way in advance!
Different trans. I got a hydro gear 510 I used hydrologic fluid in. The same stuff I use in my wood splitter. The old burnt stuff smelled like hydraulic oil it's a distinctive smell so I figured WTH. Seems to be working fine.
Great videos! You mentioned anti-foaming agents in the oil- if older oil is foaming, does that foam heat up the oil faster and hotter which may be part of the transmission's poor performance? Thank you.
Hi John, The issues that I’m aware of when oil excessively foams is that it has a significantly reduced heat transmission capacity a.k.a. cooling ability, it loses its hydraulic ability because air is compressible a.k.a. poor performance, and it loses its ability to protect against metal to metal wear.
Ive been experimenting with some different fluids in a k46 on a JD D160. The mower was given to me with 258 hours on it. I decided to change the fluid just because of the hours on it though I did notice a ever so slight decrease in speed on a fairly steep grade after an hour or so of mowing. Magnet under cap was very clean much to my suprise. The first oil I used was M1 15w50 full synthetic, with this I noticed some slight ’clacking’ noises from the transmission when first used for about the first maybe 60 seconds or so, though it operated fine. Temp was around 50F maybe a little cooler. I was afraid this was cavitation so I did another drain and fill.. this time with Lucus 5w50 full synthetic. Still a little loud when you first start to move but it disappears within 20' or so. No idea what that noise is. Could have also always made that noise. I only mowed with it a couple times before I did the changes and it was probably 65F ambient temp then so its hard to tell. The other thing I noticed is, it will pull a hill fine at mowing speeds, up or down, no change in speed, but at full speed or near full speed it slows quite a bit on a hill which is odd behavior from any other hydrostatic ive had. Again didnt notice this before the fluid change but I cant say for sure if I ever tried it so. Ill have to do some more investigating.
@@CanadianDirt Thanks for the reply. I was out mulching up some leafs today and didn't notice the noise I had previously mentioned when cold. The mower has sat about a week so maybe there was some air still in the system, not sure. Seems to work fine with the 5w50. This was in around 40F ambient temps. A slight hydro whine when cold at lower engine RPM, which goes completely away once it warms up for a few min which is completely normal. I made a little video of the difference in viscosity between the M1 15w50 and the Lucas 5w50. Quite a big difference even with the totally none scientific test lol. ua-cam.com/video/dvi6OsI8nw0/v-deo.htmlsi=Ef_u_dwI_TFJ-0yk
Hy-gard is a John Deere product, there is a low and standard viscosity, they are not a multi viscosity oil. I would use the multi grade synthetic on the smaller transmission.
Hey Tom, do you have any information supporting this? I’ve not seen any JD literature that has stated that Hy-Gard is a straight weight. The reason I suspect that it is a multi viscosity is that I have two oils in the shop that meet the JDM J20D specifications and both are multi-viscosity in the 10-30 and 10-40 range. Although possible, it would seem strange to me that a modern manufacturer like Deere would have an oil spec in a tractor that has to see a wide range of environmental conditions and not make use of the advantages of multi-viscosity technology.
@@CanadianDirt white and price pumps have all given me documents supporting this statement is correct. White pumps now require 15w40 diesel oil in place of ALL hydraulic oil in all pump systems. A mineral base engine oil is a non foaming, full detergent hydraulic oil. 20w50 full synthetic is perfect oil for small trans axles with larger tolerances like the tuff torque down to -10 Celsius
My scotts s2048 has a k62 tuff torq. Says it was filled with 5w30 from factory. And to use 5w30 or 10w30 (motor oil) My reservoir is low.. and idk wtf to use to top it off. I called tuff torq and they said use john deer hyguard j20c Idk if i should combine the two oils or just add 5w30 to top it off. Anyone know? Please help
I have the same exact tractor with a K-62 and I wound up draining both sections and using Mobil 1 5W50. Tuff Torq even explains how to do it on their website as far as drain locations and fill instructions. Super easy to pop off orange body of tractor to gain excellent access. 2] 13 mm bolts under seat and 2} 13 mm nuts under front of foot rests. and you have to pull off grass height gauge.
@@chrisott4892 @CanadianDirt i wound up just adding synthetic 5w30 to top off the reservoir. Didnt have the time to tear into it and drain the fluids but i wanted to make sure it at least had a decent amount of oil in it. Its a (2000) motor runs great the Kohler command cv20s still runs solid. Had a slight knock. My lifters on one side were making it knock a little. Pulled them both out on one side and swapped them simultaneously on each bore for the heck of it and the knock went away. I ordered two new lifters but i’m not going to fix what isn’t broke as its not knocking anymore. So if it happens to knock again down the road then i’ll throw the new lifters in then. I started running mobile 1 synthetic 10w30 in the motor and it really seems to like that and run very smoothly. For a 22 yr old machine it sure has been reliable. They don’t make them like they used to anymore so i do my best to take care of it to last. Steering is a little sloppy in the front. Seems the pivot axl has some bumber pads that seem to be worn. Wish i could find a replacement for that if possible. I think thats the problem at least.
I used 20w50 synthetic hydrostatic zero turn transmission fluid in the orange 1 gallon bottle And it made my L110 reverse work alot better it worked before I changed the fluid but backed up slow it goes back with more speed now an up hill
Is the 20w50 synthetic oil a lot thicker? I was wondering because my dad has an old 265 that loses forward and reverse within a few minutes when the oil warms up. It’s not air, the hydro pump is worn I’m sure but wondered if thicker oil would improve it at all but didn’t wanna put the wrong stuff in.
i read the specs on the john deere sabre 1842, it says 10w30 or 5w30. So this is just normal engine oil? I would of figured it was something different. You are using the 5w50 (seems ok then on your end)
I have the scotts s2048 with a k62. Mine says it was filled with 5w30 from factory. Use 5w30 or 10w30 (motor oil) They make it difficult. And my reservoir is low so idk wtf to do
@@panteraa9195 Same here S2048 with K62 and I am confused as hell. Is it 5W30 engine oil or is some special transmission oil? What did you use? Thanks.
so my deere LA130 is apart & draining atm. i plan to go after fluid in morn..this is a hail mary,as it wants to move less the longer it runs..what wld u recommend?
ANYBODY have a CLOSEUP good k55 disassembly & assembly youtube??? I've seen the Taryl Fixes All one but don't feel competant opening mine up with only going with it for mine.
I just mow, no pulling or snow plowing, though half the lawn is a steep steep grade. Currently I just shut the tractor off for 45 min to an hour to let it cool down and then finish the lawn, becase half way through I cant go up the grade. It is a K46. Will putting a heavy wieght oil in help? Thanks. Good Info.
In this case, yes it will buy you some time, probably 50-100 hours. There is a point of diminishing returns however where a heavier oil in a hydrostatic system creates other problems. I have used a synthetic 10w60 with some success on badly worn hydrostatic systems.
No, the K46 must be removed to split the case. If you look in my earlier videos, I have a video on adding drain plugs to this transmission without pulling the unit.
Hy-gard is Deere's Hydraulic oil, which designed for Transmission & Hydraulic systems on many machines. it is NOT a motor oil. has no relation anything tuff-torqe makes.
Very good video. i really appreciate that you dont say you know what you dont know.
I changed out the input shaft on my K51A about 4 years ago. I replaced the original oil with Mobil 1 15W-50 Advanced Full Synthetic Motor Oil. I live in South Louisiana (hot!) and this has been working great. Maybe this would not be the best choice up north but has served me well.
I have been using 15-50 full synthetic oil in my JDX300 which has the k46 trans. no issues yet. Bought a drain plug kit, did a little work. easy to change oil now each season, just like the motor oil.
I saw a tuff torq document saying you can use 5W50 synthetic in the past. Not sure if they still recommend that. I'm referring to the TZT13GR in my Z960M (JD). I may call them (TT) and ask about that...or just forget it and buy their fluid but also add some Hot Shot Secret FR3 to the fluid when I refill the transmissions. Edit: I just went back and found my old screenshots I made of their web page while researching what fluid to use in my TZT13 and sure enough, it showed 5W50 synthetic and they even sold a Tuff Torq branded 5W50 (it actually said SAE 5W50 Full Synthetic on the bottle with Tuf Torq's name on it)
Great and clear explanation - like how you differentiate between facts and beliefs. Thanks for sharing
Have used 5W50 Castol synthetic in high hr T40 from LA110 Deere unit.Have run 4 years with performance improved.Doing another change this winter and installing new screen/oil/2 drain plugs/upgrade bracket with 2 extra magnets near filter.Maintenance is cheaper than replacing trans/tractor.Tuff Torq recommends first change at 50 hrs and every 200 after that.Canadian Power Technology in Ontario and outlet in Edmonton near me for Tuff Torq parts.(saves on shipping/exchange for us Canucks)
Comments to readers. I found the internal oil filter very clogged, K46 John Deere L110 had a wound medium instead of a screen, looked like it picked up condensation that a mesh screen might not. Heavy crud on magnet under fill cap is a good indicator to change the filter. Don't fret, be a doer. It really doesn't take that long to remove transmission, brush it, hose it off, drain oil, and remove cover. After removing the cover you can choose not to inspect the cylinder motors and center case and just change filter and oil, you may save time because new oil, filter, and solving leaky seals help bunches. Limited experience, last 5 years I've inspected 2 hydraulic transmissions and couldn't observe the hydraulic cylinder motor parts were bad, I saw and replaced obvious bad parts and was successful. Oil change to a thicker oil fixed the loss of transmission power.
How thick of oil
@@diy7594 I changed oil per tuff torq from 10w-30 full synthetic to 10w-50 full synthetic. The spun element filter was a real problem as it was clogged with condensated water moisture contaminated oil, definitely was hampering oil flow, new tuff torq filter is a screen which allows larger particles to flow through.
I use Valvoline 5w 40 full synthetic and 7.5 ounces of synthetic STP in my Craftsman 4500.
So far, so good.
AMSOIL also recommends their ATH, AMSOIL Tractor Hydraulic, oil. It's a very high VI index oil for Hydrostats and wet brakes. I've used it since the early 1980's.
The Husquvarna workshop manual says for the TT K46H is SF/CC 10W40 oil
Amsoil makes a 20W-50 Hydrostatic fluid meant specifically for hydrostatic transmission.
Amsoil is the best
Nothing beats Amsoil.
I refuse to buy the Tuff Tech fluid just because I dislike the fact the Turff Torq is not giving us any specs about this fluid. It is synthetic? SAE values? Nothing. So we don't have any clue what we are putting in our transmissions and it is very expensive compared with a good 5w-50 synthetic oil such as Amsoil, Mobile 1 or Castrol Edge.
10w30. Same oil that goes in the engine. The most important part is filling and bleeding properly.
In Texas I’m using amasol 20-50 for them 😊
You should send a sample of the stuff tech and the 5_50 synthetic motor oil for analysis see how it works out for viscosity and additives.
I use 20w50 motorcycle oil. Tennessee summers, working great
Awesome explaination👍thanks
Don't forget AmsOil makes Hydrostatic specific oil. Although, I'm fairly certain 10w30 Signature series will work just fine.
Thanks for the heads up about the Amsoil.
That is actually 5w40
Colder weather guy on a JD la145 tuff torq40, the 5w50 swap at 420hrs made a heck of a difference backing up the tractor with the snowblower attachment and in summer pulling a 42' lawn sweeper....got 10w30 in from factory.
Good stuff, thanks for the feedback. Had our first snow here this week. Feels like August was just last week.
Great video and very helpful information. Keep making good videos Question I've seen some use the 15w-50 and 20w-50 is there a real difference?
It really depends on the oil and it’s composition. Think of an oil listed as 20w-50 as meeting the protective requirements for 20w-50 and not necessarily behaving like a 20w-50. Redline for example has some high performance oils that have a much lower pour point than a conventional oil. I would be alright with the idea of a 20w-XX if it was a high performance synthetic that had a lower pour point. I wouldn’t want to use a conventional 20w-XX though. It’ll be ok when it’s hot, but it might cause problems before then. As a general rule, I wouldn’t go with an oil heavier than 10w-XX for anywhere cold enough to plow snow.
It depends on the temperature at your location. Ask a local dealer/mechanic what he uses.
I ordered this stuff 2 weeks ago and I still haven't received it >
Beware Tuff torq sends this stuff via USPS (Snail mail) they told me I would get it on the 15th then the 16th and now the 19th I still have my tractors drive motor out waiting for there oil to arrive. I must live in a geographical oddity I am 2 weeks from everywhere! I am so displeased at buying from them right now.
I personally could have and should have drove there to get it I would have been home by now!
So just beware order way in advance!
Power steering is totally different, regarding temperature and system pressure. It uses a very low viscosity fluid.
Different trans. I got a hydro gear 510 I used hydrologic fluid in. The same stuff I use in my wood splitter. The old burnt stuff smelled like hydraulic oil it's a distinctive smell so I figured WTH. Seems to be working fine.
Great videos! You mentioned anti-foaming agents in the oil- if older oil is foaming, does that foam heat up the oil faster and hotter which may be part of the transmission's poor performance? Thank you.
Hi John, The issues that I’m aware of when oil excessively foams is that it has a significantly reduced heat transmission capacity a.k.a. cooling ability, it loses its hydraulic ability because air is compressible a.k.a. poor performance, and it loses its ability to protect against metal to metal wear.
Ive been experimenting with some different fluids in a k46 on a JD D160. The mower was given to me with 258 hours on it. I decided to change the fluid just because of the hours on it though I did notice a ever so slight decrease in speed on a fairly steep grade after an hour or so of mowing. Magnet under cap was very clean much to my suprise. The first oil I used was M1 15w50 full synthetic, with this I noticed some slight ’clacking’ noises from the transmission when first used for about the first maybe 60 seconds or so, though it operated fine. Temp was around 50F maybe a little cooler. I was afraid this was cavitation so I did another drain and fill.. this time with Lucus 5w50 full synthetic. Still a little loud when you first start to move but it disappears within 20' or so. No idea what that noise is. Could have also always made that noise. I only mowed with it a couple times before I did the changes and it was probably 65F ambient temp then so its hard to tell. The other thing I noticed is, it will pull a hill fine at mowing speeds, up or down, no change in speed, but at full speed or near full speed it slows quite a bit on a hill which is odd behavior from any other hydrostatic ive had. Again didnt notice this before the fluid change but I cant say for sure if I ever tried it so. Ill have to do some more investigating.
Thanks for taking the time to share your findings. Cavitation was also my first thought when you mentioned the noise with the 15w50.
@@CanadianDirt Thanks for the reply. I was out mulching up some leafs today and didn't notice the noise I had previously mentioned when cold. The mower has sat about a week so maybe there was some air still in the system, not sure. Seems to work fine with the 5w50. This was in around 40F ambient temps. A slight hydro whine when cold at lower engine RPM, which goes completely away once it warms up for a few min which is completely normal. I made a little video of the difference in viscosity between the M1 15w50 and the Lucas 5w50. Quite a big difference even with the totally none scientific test lol. ua-cam.com/video/dvi6OsI8nw0/v-deo.htmlsi=Ef_u_dwI_TFJ-0yk
Hy-gard is a John Deere product, there is a low and standard viscosity, they are not a multi viscosity oil. I would use the multi grade synthetic on the smaller transmission.
Hey Tom, do you have any information supporting this? I’ve not seen any JD literature that has stated that Hy-Gard is a straight weight. The reason I suspect that it is a multi viscosity is that I have two oils in the shop that meet the JDM J20D specifications and both are multi-viscosity in the 10-30 and 10-40 range. Although possible, it would seem strange to me that a modern manufacturer like Deere would have an oil spec in a tractor that has to see a wide range of environmental conditions and not make use of the advantages of multi-viscosity technology.
@@CanadianDirt white and price pumps have all given me documents supporting this statement is correct. White pumps now require 15w40 diesel oil in place of ALL hydraulic oil in all pump systems. A mineral base engine oil is a non foaming, full detergent hydraulic oil. 20w50 full synthetic is perfect oil for small trans axles with larger tolerances like the tuff torque down to -10 Celsius
Thanks. Good info.
My scotts s2048 has a k62 tuff torq.
Says it was filled with 5w30 from factory. And to use 5w30 or 10w30 (motor oil)
My reservoir is low.. and idk wtf to use to top it off. I called tuff torq and they said use john deer hyguard j20c Idk if i should combine the two oils or just add 5w30 to top it off. Anyone know? Please help
I would suggest that you either top off with a synthetic 5w30 or completely drain and refill if you are changing oil types.
I have the same exact tractor with a K-62 and I wound up draining both sections and using Mobil 1 5W50.
Tuff Torq even explains how to do it on their website as far as drain locations and fill instructions. Super easy to pop off orange body of tractor to gain excellent access. 2] 13 mm bolts under seat and 2} 13 mm nuts under front of foot rests. and you have to pull off grass height gauge.
@@chrisott4892 @CanadianDirt i wound up just adding synthetic 5w30 to top off the reservoir. Didnt have the time to tear into it and drain the fluids but i wanted to make sure it at least had a decent amount of oil in it. Its a (2000) motor runs great the Kohler command cv20s still runs solid. Had a slight knock. My lifters on one side were making it knock a little. Pulled them both out on one side and swapped them simultaneously on each bore for the heck of it and the knock went away. I ordered two new lifters but i’m not going to fix what isn’t broke as its not knocking anymore. So if it happens to knock again down the road then i’ll throw the new lifters in then. I started running mobile 1 synthetic 10w30 in the motor and it really seems to like that and run very smoothly. For a 22 yr old machine it sure has been reliable. They don’t make them like they used to anymore so i do my best to take care of it to last. Steering is a little sloppy in the front. Seems the pivot axl has some bumber pads that seem to be worn. Wish i could find a replacement for that if possible. I think thats the problem at least.
I used 20w50 synthetic hydrostatic zero turn transmission fluid in the orange 1 gallon bottle
And it made my L110 reverse work alot better it worked before I changed the fluid but backed up slow it goes back with more speed now an up hill
Is the 20w50 synthetic oil a lot thicker? I was wondering because my dad has an old 265 that loses forward and reverse within a few minutes when the oil warms up. It’s not air, the hydro pump is worn I’m sure but wondered if thicker oil would improve it at all but didn’t wanna put the wrong stuff in.
John Deere recommends 10w30 for my k56
i read the specs on the john deere sabre 1842, it says 10w30 or 5w30. So this is just normal engine oil? I would of figured it was something different. You are using the 5w50 (seems ok then on your end)
I have the scotts s2048 with a k62. Mine says it was filled with 5w30 from factory. Use 5w30 or 10w30 (motor oil)
They make it difficult. And my reservoir is low so idk wtf to do
@@panteraa9195 Same here S2048 with K62 and I am confused as hell. Is it 5W30 engine oil or is some special transmission oil? What did you use? Thanks.
I'm just gonna stick with the zero turn 20w50
The K71 takes 4.4L from dry to full.
so my deere LA130 is apart & draining atm. i plan to go after fluid in morn..this is a hail mary,as it wants to move less the longer it runs..what wld u recommend?
At this point, the only thing that will be likely to make a substantial difference is a full rebuild.
ANYBODY have a CLOSEUP good k55 disassembly & assembly youtube??? I've seen the Taryl Fixes All one but don't feel competant opening mine up with only going with it for mine.
I just mow, no pulling or snow plowing, though half the lawn is a steep steep grade. Currently I just shut the tractor off for 45 min to an hour to let it cool down and then finish the lawn, becase half way through I cant go up the grade. It is a K46. Will putting a heavy wieght oil in help? Thanks. Good Info.
In this case, yes it will buy you some time, probably 50-100 hours. There is a point of diminishing returns however where a heavier oil in a hydrostatic system creates other problems. I have used a synthetic 10w60 with some success on badly worn hydrostatic systems.
can you take off bottom cover while in mower?? is anything going to fall out?? want to do drain plug kit and i can access fill plug to fill it.
No, the K46 must be removed to split the case. If you look in my earlier videos, I have a video on adding drain plugs to this transmission without pulling the unit.
Hy-gard is Deere's Hydraulic oil, which designed for Transmission & Hydraulic systems on many machines. it is NOT a motor oil. has no relation anything tuff-torqe makes.
HyGard actually is a recommended lube for multiple transmissions that TuffTorq makes.
@@CanadianDirt mainly because JD uses tuff torque transmissions in their machines.
Trump 2024😀
Tr45h 😂