Can you use Automatic Transmission Fluid in your transaxle?

I heard somehwere on here that they have used ATF fluid for their Transaxle but icant find it at all
Anyone heard of this at all?

seems like youd have to seal it up good to use atf would be kinda a bad chemical to let into the environment if it started leaking around the axles or something granted oil is going to leak too but I think thats why the peerless axles were grease packed to begin with (if I remember correctly) I think youd be better off with grease anyway just for its tendency to stay on parts and coat them so you have a constant film rather than oil coating then settling off when you park it.

both of my project trannys are made for oil its good the new one i fixed up doesnt leak but my work murray leaks alittle cuz of the sealant i used is some non-hardening junk i found here lol

lol well your work murray is in a tractor graveyard so I kinda doubt a little leak is gonna matter when theres a lot bigger leaks :p

I know dude the county and stuff is always on our case because of oil leaks ahaha

just run around plugging them with your fingers as they walk around lol

I know right lol we always have to lay out theses oil diapers all over the place lol

pig mat! or buckets Id just throw a 5 gallon bucket under it and hope for the best!

Automatic transmission fluid is more of a hydraulic fluid, I'd stick with a gear lube.

ATF is better for high temp applications, it's basically mineral oil. It has a high boiling point and vapor point, which is why it's used in hydraulic applications (oil heats up when it gets squeezed through the tiny control valve openings). It doesn't contain carbon, like dino oils do, therefore it doesn't do as GOOD a job lubricating.


It will work, and I think the person you were referring to was using it because of the heat developed in these low geared tranny's when you overdrive them. The PROBLEM is that the lubricating properties of ATF break down quickly, so replacing the oil regularly becomes paramount.

I ran synthetic atf I had laying around in my mst206 2-1 over drive I sealed the trans up good got new seals and ran it for a year like that added here and there mainly leakin from axel seals changed it after a year of romping and the fluid was grey nastyness then put 30w oil in it. the trans lasted 2 years before it blew due to bushings wearing out.

So can I use grease I buy from John Deere to grease bearings on farm equipment in my peerless transmission

A lot of guys, my group included, use 90W gear oil. Most of the lawn tractor transaxles come with grease in them though, so as long as you aren't really overspeeding them, you'll probably be fine.

I'm rebuilding mine so I have all the grease out of it and I'm gonna do a pulley swap on it hoping to gain some more speed so I don't know what to use

So far, ATF seems to be working well in MULE. Running smoothly, no odd noises, shifts like a dream.

I normally just use gear lube But one time me and my friends used ATF fluid in his and it is still going strong and that was 4 months ago

when i change the oil in the rear end on the bolens, im gonna use 80-90 Lucas diff/chaincase lube. i hear thats what alot of guys run in these older bolens tractors