[(username)]

Aloha,

I have a Scotts S1742 which is basically a rebadged JD with a sturdier deck. It has a 5-spd gear shifter transmission, and like many others, it is not supposed to be shifted between gears without pressing the clutch/brake and coming to a stop.

However, I find that extremely annoying in most circumstances, and I've started to completely forego the clutch in favor of just popping it between gears while moving. It's actually quite easy and the tractor doesn't really protest. I will even shift from high gear into reverse by giving the shifter a quick, forceful pull. The wheels will spin a little bit, and then the tractor takes off like nothing is wrong. The key is to do it quickly so that the gears won't engage until you've landed it where you want to put it. :Tractor2:

I think it's pretty safe to assume that I will wear the transaxle out much faster by driving it in this manner, but I'm not super concerned because the mower is already one foot in the grave, and I'm kind of waiting for justification to replace it. raying:

Have any of you done this before, or have you been able to do something similar? Also, do you know how rapidly this driving technique will cause the transaxle to fail? If so, how will it fail, which parts will give out?

Thanks

 

[B440]

Shift keys will break eventually. They're fairly cheap to buy, but breaking down a transaxle to replace them can be a pain if the trans has never been opened up before.

How long do you have? Unknown. On some tractors, you can slightly engage the clutch pedal to take the load off the trans. But your model (I have the same one) applies the brake before releasing belt tension.

 

[Adler]

I'm slightly curious about the downsides of doing this to a 210 transaxle. The manual says not to shift without coming to a complete stop, and I never have shifted on the fly but is it okay to do so seeing as (as far as I remember) the clutch does not brake.

 

[TUDOR]

I'm slightly curious about the downsides of doing this to a 210 transaxle. The manual says not to shift without coming to a complete stop, and I never have shifted on the fly but is it okay to do so seeing as (as far as I remember) the clutch does not brake.

There are no synchro rings in a GT transmissions and the gears are straight cut. You run the risk of wearing the gear teeth badly, or breaking them, if trying to shift on the fly. One thing that will not happen is to actually get it back into any gear without stopping first.

Unlike with a car, matching engine revs to travel speed is next to impossible with a GT.

 

[Adler]

Gotcha, I didn't think it was made for that but figured I may as well ask while the topic was open.

Thanks!

 

[steddy]

Sounds like you know you'll break it, but don't care. Well, it's yours to do with what you wish. Let us know how long it goes for; I'm curious myself.

That being said, why not sell it for parts or scrap it, and use the cash to buy the new one you want? Make sure you get a foot control hysrostat next time

 

[TexasG]

It's not a synchronized transaxle.

 

[(username)]

The mower is so beat that I doubt it will sell for more than $150-$200. At that price, I'd rather work it to death and think of it as an adventure. The orange plastic is all faded white, the bezel around the shifter broke off and it's just a big open hole, you can see the tire through it. Also, the ignition switch from the replacement engine doesn't fit in place of the old one, so it just dangles on the wire harness. It also has a bad ground so it won't shut off; instead I have to put it into reverse and nudge the PTO lever so the interlock will kill the ignition. I've also fixed the deck maybe 3 times, because it's so rusty the pulleys bend forward from the tension of the belt -- I straighten the pulleys with a mallet, then use strips of steel and bolt them from underneath to add stabilization. It's also LOUD. it seems to have a hole in the exhaust or something, because it is twice as loud as my Kohler Magnum, or my neighbor's lawn mower. The seat is also 90% duct tape, I think the PO left it outside a lot. Also, the parking brake is very difficult to engage and it sucks. In short, the mower runs and cuts, but it has so many little problems that it counts as a big problem, because it would take so much effort to fix all of them that it exceeds the value of the tractor. I've already put so much money and effort into it, and it has served me well for over 2 years. It's time to retire.

This mower also has a 15hp Briggs Diamond Plus which is actually in respectable condition. No leaks, no smoke, just very very very very very hard to start, even on a warm summer day. So, I tweaked the governor so that it will blare like death at full throttle. Hopefully it will throw a rod at some point and I can start surfing Craigslist for a replacement. In the meantime, it gives me a little more power and the bagger doesn't clog as easily.

 

[Mach-1]

Keep powershifting it!! I had a cheapo Poulan Lawn Tractor with a 5-speed trans and I shifted it on the fly all the time. I found it very annoying that I was supposed to stop to shift into a higher gear, so I just ignored that and powershifted it. Did it for 10 years and thing still worked fine. Sold it off to the next guy, I'm sure he's powershifting it too!:ROF

Powershifting worked best when I would partially press the "clutch"...not enough to stop just slow down a bit and then shift.

 

[(username)]

Powershifting worked best when I would partially press the "clutch"...not enough to stop just slow down a bit and then shift.

Yeah, I noticed that too. I dip the clutch pedal a little bit when shifting through the forward gears.

There has to be a way to shave the brake shoe so that it won't engage until the pedal is all the way down...

 

[steddy]

Eh, just remove the brake band. Jam it into reverse when you want to stop.

 

[(username)]

Eh, just remove the brake band. Jam it into reverse when you want to stop.

That's a great idea! Especially when I'm mowing near the street! :thThumbsU

 

[B440]

That's a great idea! Especially when I'm mowing near the street! :thThumbsU

lol :fing32:

 

[(username)]

I was using the mower to suck up some leaves just now, and it dawned on me that I don't really hate it. I am actually really find of this little mower, and it does cut really well. I think my main complaint is just that it needs more power and a higher top speed. Perhaps I will change the pulley on the transaxle to make it go faster, and perhaps I will install a larger engine to give it more oomph.

Also, do you know if the engine mounts for a twin cylinder engine are the same as a single? The Briggs has 4 bolts which hold it to the frame. I know that most similar engines will mount using the same holes, but if I put a Kohler Command or something in there, would they still line up?

Thanks

 

[B440]

The engine mounts are universal. Tractor manufacturers don't want to be stuck using only one brand of engine. The problem that you will have, is that the engine is sitting off center. You'll have to do something slightly custom with the exhaust. And I'm not sure if the head would interfere with the hood. Still worth a try though.

Speaking of the hood; Take a clean rag, dip in acetone, and then wipe the hood. This will melt the faded top layer and expose a new orange. It'll take a few wipes before you get the hang of it. Or you can spray paint with Kubota orange. It's a pretty close match.

I think the rear pulley is a 6" (usually they are 9-10"), which is already small, but you should definitely try smaller if you want some speed.

Here's my machine when I first got it:

And this is after repainting the hood with Kubota orange. I taped off the decal and grille. Still got some overspray on the grille

 

[steddy]

I was using the mower to suck up some leaves just now, and it dawned on me that I don't really hate it. I am actually really find of this little mower, and it does cut really well. I think my main complaint is just that it needs more power and a higher top speed. Perhaps I will change the pulley on the transaxle to make it go faster, and perhaps I will install a larger engine to give it more oomph.

Also, do you know if the engine mounts for a twin cylinder engine are the same as a single? The Briggs has 4 bolts which hold it to the frame. I know that most similar engines will mount using the same holes, but if I put a Kohler Command or something in there, would they still line up?

Thanks

WARNING-
With that kind of attitude, you'll never get a new mower :hide:

 

[(username)]

The paint really does make a difference. Those back tires are pretty beefy. Does yours pull well with the factory setup, or did you have to modify?

I was planning on putting a little 2"-3" pulley on the transaxle. That's actually part of the reason it would probably need a bigger engine, to compensate for the torque it may lose. The way I have it set up right now, it reaches a high throttle at about 1/2 way, and when I turn on the blades, I push it up the rest of the way. The load from the deck keeps the RPM's at an acceptable limit, and I make sure to turn it back down when not cutting. It's still slow as molasses, though. I would like to make it so that I can hurry back to the creek and unload the bagger when it's full.

 

[(username)]

WARNING-
With that kind of attitude, you'll never get a new mower :hide:

You've got a point. I'd better blow it up soon before I think twice.

 

[jgayman]

I have a Scotts S1742 which is basically a rebadged JD with a sturdier deck. It has a 5-spd gear shifter transmission, and like many others, it is not supposed to be shifted between gears without pressing the clutch/brake and coming to a stop.

My dad has trouble getting around so I bought him a little 17HP Ariens rider. I took the deck off and he uses it to go for the mail, transport garbage cans, etc.

It's an all-metal, well built tractor for $900 but it has a 6-speed manual transmission with the combo brake/clutch like you describe. It works well but you cannot start out gradually as the drive belt is too grabby.

We've now had it two years and the clutch is still ON/OFF. No matter how gently you try to release the clutch pedal it gets to a point where it just grabs and you take off like a dragster. Even in the higher gears it will grab and the front wheels will lift off the ground.

When changing gears I find that like the OP, once moving if you are not placing a load on the transmission you can gently bump the shift lever into the next higher gear. This is a much preferred way of getting into 6th gear because if you try to start out in 6th gear you are going to do a wheelie.

How do manufacturers expect people to MOW with these transmissions? I can just imagine trying to trim close to objects or backing up to get closer. I suspect folks would be popping the clutch and running into things all the time.

For our use as a UTV it is bearable but I would never want to try to actually mow the grass with this thing.

My brother has an older JD (L105 I think) and it has the same type of transmission and the same type of grabby ON/OFF clutch.

 

[(username)]

I'd like to know what is the difference between the typical gear shifter and one of the "shift on the go" transaxles that some mowers have. Maybe they're exactly the same, they just put the label on it so people would think "Oh, it's OK if I do that now," even though it never made a difference anyway.

Also, some mowers are built so that it's literally impossible to change gears without stopping. Take for instance my neighbor's Cub Cadet (it's a 1050 or something similar). I was driving it recently while trying to fix it for him, and discovered that the shifter will not budge unless the clutch is down all the way. No way, not for me. I'd get so fed up with it I'd push it into the creek.