# John Deere D130 and 44" blower



## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

My son is looking at a John Deere D130 tractor (22 hp twin) for mowing his yard and attaching a John Deere 44" snowblower for the winter. Anyone with experience using this setup?


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

I had an L110 which was 2 models before this one. They put the lowest grade transmission on these models. It's a Tuff Torq T40 which is a JD sepc'd K46, no external reservoir, no external filter, no service intervals. If it goes bad, JD doesn't fix them, they replace them. If his yard is flat, not over 2 acres and he doesn't plan to pull a cart in the summer they do what they're designed to do, cut grass. The blower would be Ok because the engine runs that really, not the trans. The blower does most of the work if used properly. I wouldn't advise using a blade with that transmission. Keep grass clippings off the trans and it's cooling fan after each use and it should be an OK setup. You'll want weights and chains on the back. For the price, you have a lot of options for a heavier duty used one unless he's planning on financing it.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Thanks; so the tractor mower and snow blower are fine, but pulling a cart is the problem for the hydrostatic transmission. What a surprise that is. He does plan on pulling a cart in the summer on his relatively flat property to move wood for winter use. John Deere advise not towing a trailer with a GVW that exceeds the weight of tractor and driver so 650 lbs in his case (450 lbs plus 200 lbs). He is thinking of the P10 or P17 (rated for the D130) with load ratings of 650 lbs and 1,000 lbs respectively. This is not good news.

What tractor do you think would have a transmission strong enough to pull a small cart?

Thanks for your expertise and help.


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## cityboy172 (Aug 31, 2015)

Town said:


> Thanks; so the tractor mower and snow blower are fine, but pulling a cart is the problem for the hydrostatic transmission. What a surprise that is. He does plan on pulling a cart in the summer on his relatively flat property to move wood for winter use. John Deere advise not towing a trailer with a GVW that exceeds the weight of tractor and driver so 650 lbs in his case (450 lbs plus 200 lbs). He is thinking of the P10 or P17 (rated for the D130) with load ratings of 650 lbs and 1,000 lbs respectively. This is not good news.
> 
> What tractor do you think would have a transmission strong enough to pull a small cart?
> 
> Thanks for your expertise and help.


Budget?


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

cityboy172 said:


> Budget?


$5,000 CDN total with taxes. Local JD dealer will do that for D130 and blower installed with weights and chains. Cart extra for next spring purchase.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

For JD specifically, their new model line uses the K46 all through the D series and into the more expensive X300. They have a HD version now that is in the D170 I think. There is the S240 that gets you an HD version and away from the Briggs motor to a Kawasaki. If he's towing grass and leaves not a big deal on flat land. If it's stone and firewood, a 48" core aerator and the boat trailer, it's not gonna make it. You can google K46 complaints. The D130 has 3/4" rear axles, generally you want something with 1" or bigger if you plan on using it to tow and work inclines. I don't know if the HD version has drain plugs now or not. The previous K46's had no drain plug and had to be removed from the tractor and inverted to drain through the sealed filler cap, and split open to service the internal filter screen. They are called sealed/non serviceable by JD.
You can look up tractors here TractorData.com - information on all makes and models of tractors
Transmissions here Tuff Torq | Transaxles


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

jtclays said:


> For JD specifically, their new model line uses the K46 all through the D series and into the more expensive X300. They have a HD version now that is in the D170 I think. There is the S240 that gets you an HD version and away from the Briggs motor to a Kawasaki. If he's towing grass and leaves not a big deal on flat land. If it's stone and firewood, a 48" core aerator and the boat trailer, it's not gonna make it. You can google K46 complaints. The D130 has 3/4" rear axles, generally you want something with 1" or bigger if you plan on using it to tow and work inclines. I don't know if the HD version has drain plugs now or not. The previous K46's had no drain plug and had to be removed from the tractor and inverted to drain through the sealed filler cap, and split open to service the internal filter screen. They are called sealed/non serviceable by JD.
> You can look up tractors here TractorData.com - information on all makes and models of tractors
> Transmissions here Tuff Torq | Transaxles


Thanks for the info. He is going to be towing wood on relatively flat land with weight up to about 650 lbs. The Tractor data for the D130 does not indicate the transmission model that I could see, but the Tuff Torq site shows the lowest model as the K46 and this has an external reservoir but internal filter. The major difference between the transmissions is the rated axle torque but I don't know what that means. I cannot see a 22 hp tractor developing 131 lbs ft of torque and I cannot see a 650 lb load generating the need for 131 ft lbs of torque to be passed through the transmission. But this is all new to me so I need the education if you have the time.

The D170 is about a $1,000 more expensive so that is not an option. He would need a K58 transmission to get a 1" axle shaft and that is rated at 213 ft lbs of torque. Not likely that my son can afford a tractor with that transmission since the D130 is the $ limit for new.

Thanks for all the help.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Just because the manufacturer doesn't list a recommended change interval doesn't stop you from doing it.
On my JD 185 and the Craftsman changing the hydro fluid was one of the first things I did to them. On the JD I was able to drain it but on the Sears I used a vacuum pump to suck as much out as I could.

I think Oreilly and Autozone still have it as a loaner tool. It's usually used for brake bleeding but worked great for sucking the Craftsman dry. Both of them looked like really nasty engine oil coming out.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

I have not seen the new models, they may have spec'd a reservoir on them now and hopefully a drain plug. Tuff Torq gets queezy if you ask them about the K46 as it relates to JD. They supply the trans, but to JD specs, TT advises using synthetic 5W-50W over the HY Guard JD puts in them. Here's the bulletin from TT https://www.tufftorqservices.com/En...INTERNAL RESERVOIR CHECKING & ADDING OIL.pdf
The T40 is a K46, but specific to JD. While you can get parts for it, many times JD has agreements with suppliers that require if it's known to go on a JD, it has to be purchased from a JD dealer. Many people who have a Kawasaki engine and Mikuni carb can attest to that. I'm just suggesting knowing the issues, and look up K46 problems. My old L110 was bought new and ran 10 years with no problems other than deck spindles, blades and belts and was sold with 500+ hours. It cut grass on flat land, never towed anything. With your budget I'd personally look for a used GX345 and a blower attachment. Has the K71, hydraulic lift, power steering and a liquid cooled Kawasaki engine. I don't know what the used market looks like up there, so may not be an option.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Just because the manufacturer doesn't list a recommended change interval doesn't stop you from doing it.
> On my JD 185 and the Craftsman changing the hydro fluid was one of the first things I did to them. On the JD I was able to drain it but on the Sears I used a vacuum pump to suck as much out as I could.
> 
> I think Oreilly and Autozone still have it as a loaner tool. It's usually used for brake bleeding but worked great for sucking the Craftsman dry. Both of them looked like really nasty engine oil coming out.


Thanks, but did you have to remove the transaxle? What I have read so far is that checking the oil level is difficult due to poor access. I have a manual suction pump for draining oil in hard to access equipment.

My dealer called this morning and is substituting a D140 at the same price due to availability and his promise to me.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Sounds like it's already purchased, so we're hoping for the best. Maybe ask the dealer a few questions about the transmission service options and see what they say.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

That GX345 is a nice unit. In my area I found one with a blower going for 3,600. They didn't list the hours on it.

On the craftsman I had to pull the body and on the JD I had the body off already but would have needed to pull it to refill.
couldn't get the drain to budge so pulled the release valve on the JD. Worked great.

Didn't pull the transaxle on either to do the fluid swaps.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

jtclays said:


> Sounds like it's already purchased, so we're hoping for the best. Maybe ask the dealer a few questions about the transmission service options and see what they say.


I could still pull out of the deal, but I will talk to the dealer about the transmission and what is involved to change the oil. Great advice on what I should be looking for.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> That GX345 is a nice unit. In my area I found one with a blower going for 3,600. They didn't list the hours on it.
> 
> On the craftsman I had to pull the body and on the JD I had the body off already but would have needed to pull it to refill.
> couldn't get the drain to budge so pulled the release valve on the JD. Worked great.
> ...


I don't think a garden tractor GX345 is going to be in my future but I can talk to my dealer, he had many heavy duty looking tractors around. Husqvarna have one but it is very expensive new. I don't see much used in heavy duty line regardless of price. I am worried about buying an abused tractor since the repairs would be so expensive for my son. Looking at the utube videos of people driving their tractor snowblowers into snowbanks and then complaining about poor performance is disheartening. And I didn't even think about an overloaded cart causing trans problems; I can see people loading carts to capacity and well over the limit without thinking this would be a problem.

The transaxle is not going to be pulled out by me to change the oil for the 2 year warranty, but that looks easy after warranty. Just drain the unit through the oil level access plug by turning the unit upside down. The trans seems to have an external reservoir but internal filter but no drain plug that I can see in the specs.

Great help, thanks very much.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Ended up buying the 2015 D140 and the snowblower. The dealer recommended keeping below the 650 lb towing limit (cart plus load) since the transmission is light duty. My son read the owner manual and it says the trans is the T40 while the D160 and D170 have the K46.

The dealer recommended the 10P (10 cu ft) cart saying the P17 (17 cu ft) cart is too big for this D140 tractor. My son is fine with the cart and weight imitations.

Thanks for identifying the weak transmission so we can keep the cart loading to lighter loads than we were expecting.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

From TT:
Thank you for your interest in our products.

The T40 transmission is a specification of the K46 transmission that is a
John Deere exclusive. The specifications we list for K46 will be basically
the same as for the T40.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Best regards.

Pamela Ward, Sales & Marketing
Tuff Torq Corporation
5943 Commerce Blvd
Morristown, Tennessee 37814
423-585-1980 office phone
423-754-2839 cell phone
[email protected]



The T40 is a K46, it's specifically named for JD use, and by calling TT for parts using the T40 model, they will know it is for a JD. It's the same as Ariens calling the LCT engines "Ariens AX", or having John Deere stickers on Briggs motors.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

jtclays said:


> From TT:
> Thank you for your interest in our products.
> 
> The T40 transmission is a specification of the K46 transmission that is a
> ...


Thank you for your extra effort to clarify the transmission in the D140 as the K46 and the same in all the 100 series. So I can use the TuffTorq procedure for the K46 to replace the trans oil after the 2 year JD warranty using the recommended 5W-50 synthetic non detergent oil. 

Great help again, thanks.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Town, I hope it works out and you never have a problem with it. Like I said, I ran mine for 10 years without issues mowing. Have had neighbors and out of state friends that bought similar and followed along the videos and commercial pictures of these base models pulling everything and believing they bought a tractor, instead of a sit down mower. I've had the JD experience of trying to get parts on my old 826 blower and carb parts from a Kawasaki dealer for my current LX188. He asked me probably 7 times if they were for a JD. He told me flat out he's not supposed to sell parts if it's for a JD. I ended up buying a whole new carb online where nobody asks any questions:wavetowel2:


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

*Deere recalls some D series*

Town, Might be worth checking your serial numbers.
Deere recalled some D series in U.S. and Canada.
https://www.deere.com/en_US/services_and_support/recall-information/recall-information.page
John Deere Recalls Riding Lawn Tractors Due to Crash Hazard | CPSC.gov


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

jtclays said:


> Town, Might be worth checking your serial numbers.
> Deere recalled some D series in U.S. and Canada.
> https://www.deere.com/en_US/services_and_support/recall-information/recall-information.page
> John Deere Recalls Riding Lawn Tractors Due to Crash Hazard | CPSC.gov


You are remarkably well informed, thanks for the heads up. The tractor was delivered from the "factory" on 11 Sept 2015 so it should not be part of the recall. I checked with the service department of my dealer and the tractor is not part of the recall, it had already been checked out.

My son and I drove the tractor on Saturday and he cut his grass on Sunday. The D140 is a dream to drive and operate. A fantastic tractor mower.


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## jjb (Jan 18, 2021)

Town said:


> You are remarkably well informed, thanks for the heads up. The tractor was delivered from the "factory" on 11 Sept 2015 so it should not be part of the recall. I checked with the service department of my dealer and the tractor is not part of the recall, it had already been checked out.
> 
> My son and I drove the tractor on Saturday and he cut his grass on Sunday. The D140 is a dream to drive and operate. A fantastic tractor mower.



Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm curious how the D140 has handled the snow blower? 

I'm looking at a used D140(2012?) for generally just snow blowing, perhaps mowing but its like a .25 acre lot.

Thanks for any feed back.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Welcome to SBF jjb










.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

jjb said:


> Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm curious how the D140 has handled the snow blower?
> 
> I'm looking at a used D140(2012?) for generally just snow blowing, perhaps mowing but its like a .25 acre lot.
> 
> Thanks for any feed back.


The D140 with snowblower works great in summer and winter. It was fitted new with the wrong chains (too small) and were almost impossible to install. John Deere sells the correct chains for the D140 and those new ones solved the fitment problem. There are extra 2 x 40lbs weights hanging off the back and does not have any issues with slight grades. The plastic impeller for the 2 stage is quite hardy and has not had any problems at all. The impeller is protected by 2 shear bolts that have been replaced once courtesy of his 2 sons leaving big sticks around. The auger shear pins have been replaced a few times due to errant sticks discarded by the same adorable boys. No other problems.

The wide bucket makes for a very smooth clearing job on the driveway and the trails around his place. The bucket floats a little so does not dig in to the surface causing problems. Noticeably smoother and much faster than the Toro 12/33 snowblower he had before. Seems to handle dry and wet snow well with no clogging. Tractor has the hydro transmission and is plenty strong enough for winter and summer work.


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## jjb (Jan 18, 2021)

Town said:


> The D140 with snowblower works great in summer and winter. It was fitted new with the wrong chains (too small) and were almost impossible to install. John Deere sells the correct chains for the D140 and those new ones solved the fitment problem. There are extra 2 x 40lbs weights hanging off the back and does not have any issues with slight grades. The plastic impeller for the 2 stage is quite hardy and has not had any problems at all. The impeller is protected by 2 shear bolts that have been replaced once courtesy of his 2 sons leaving big sticks around. The auger shear pins have been replaced a few times due to errant sticks discarded by the same adorable boys. No other problems.
> 
> The wide bucket makes for a very smooth clearing job on the driveway and the trails around his place. The bucket floats a little so does not dig in to the surface causing problems. Noticeably smoother and much faster than the Toro 12/33 snowblower he had before. Seems to handle dry and wet snow well with no clogging. Tractor has the hydro transmission and is plenty strong enough for winter and summer work.



Great news, thanks much. I have the Bercomac blower just needed a tractor to put it on. I'm looking at this D140.


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