I was super excited when I saw this. But completely bummed out after I saw the price. $2800 to upgrade my D105. If it were $1500 I might do it. But $2800 is not worth it at all.
That's cool. It's such an expensive upgrade. I have a new X350 being delivered this week. All the negative reviews of the K46 make me think I should tell them to give me my money back. I don't know if I'm willing to spend the extra to upgrade.
Really great show! Thanks for showcasing the K66 Upgrade. You have taken a bottom of the D-series mower and upgraded to something that likely will outperform a new X300! I think you will get many years of really outstanding service and performance for your effort. I feel very fortunate to have a customer like you! Best Regards, Roger
good job on the video. A friend is in need of a transaxle fix for his 17 year old john deere. so I'm looking at options. Problem with this is it now costs more than $2000. Maybe it would be less if we didn't want the wheels and tires? Problem is, there are like new LT166 mowers selling for $1400 on the net. the upgrade to K66 costs more than a whole mower.
Hi Jim, super idea to put those 1-7/8" service holes in the rear. Questions: (1) I noticed you cut the holes before you installed the K66. How did you decide where to place the holes? Is placement critical in any way? (2) Did you choose 1-7/8" diameter for any particular reason? (3) Did you consider grommets for the holes? (4) I have no one to help me. Can I do this whole job alone? What special tools will I need because I will not have a helper-outer? Thanks! Brian
Existing transaxle was starting to bog down. The terrain I'm cutting and working is in the mountains so I was looking to buy a new mower when I discovered the K66 kit. So I decided to swap it since the rest of the mower was in perfectly fine condition. And yes, I'm still using the cutting deck.
wow, can you plow a garden with your D105 now? hahahahahaha Does that thing have a differential lock? Are you going to make a video of that D105 mower in action?
my deere d105 barely moves forward or reverse. at times it will start off slow then get up to speed after a few seconds then is slow again. the transmission is quiet and doesnt make any strange sounds.. i thought i had a loose belt but that wasnt the issue. would you have any suggestions? ty
I would be doing upgrade on x300 Questions: Who did you get the tires from? Wheel wells got enough room for those big 12" lugged tires? I see you cut holes for oil access. Does k66 have a drain plug?
I bought Deestone D405 23/10.50-12 from simpletire.com. They had very reasonable shipping. Yes the wheel wells are big enough. My only issue is I can't raise the mowing deck all the way up now or it will rub against the right rear tire. You might want to investigate getting someone to mount the tires. It is truely a bear getting these things on the small rims. I did mine in the winter which makes it twice as hard and it nearly killed me. Check out rjrtractor.com. You can download the installation manual. It has a lot of information.
I had Carlisle Super Lugs put on the 8" rims at Wal-Mart. They did a good job. I think they carry the 12" Deestones too. My lot is so rough the belly mower keeps getting snagged so I'm considering a Swisher tow-behind.
What I've done with it is cut, tote with cart and pulled some railroad ties around. It is the only mechanical thing on my property at the time so it is the go to machine. What else I've done to it, not much. The throttle lever was cracked so I replaced that and I added the storage box and cup holder where the gear lever was removed. The tires are linked here simpletire.com/deestone-23-10.50-12-ds5246-tires
K66 is a light duty garden tractor trans. That makes it a heavy duty riding mower trans. Please nobody start talking about using garden tractors as riders,that will only confuse things. :)
