Maybe if you'd thought to add a follow up to your other post...........

What difference doe's it make??? I just asked the question!
skibo

Sorry I did forget to add the model # 218-3010L on my Craftsman 917.258912.
skibo

The main thing to do with hydros is to make sure you keep the heat low.
To do this, run the engine at max governed RPM all the time, that way the cooling fan is running as fast as it can. And keep the surfaces of the trans case clean...do not allow leaves, grass, dirt, etc. to build up. A dirty case acts as insulation regarding heat transfer.
Do not adjust RPM down to reduce ground speed, use the hydro speed controls for that.
Give the hydro a rest between "hard pulls" by letting the engine continue to run fast with the trans controls set to neutral.
Change the oil every 2 to 3 years or every 300 to 400 hours of operation.
Change it once a year if all your work is heavy duty.
Synthetic oil is more heat tolerant than the same grade/weight in dino. Use 20 W 50 oil.
And keep your fingers crossed.
I have a 210-3010L in a 1993 White garden tractor and I am satisfied with the performance (so far).
I use it for nothing but towing duty with a small Snapper yard cart (hauling six 5-gal buckets of dirt, gravel, sand, rock and call it a load). About 300 pounds or so.

This post was edited by mownie on Tue, Dec 3, 13 at 11:53

One more trick you can do...

This is thinking a little out of the box, but if you need new tires, go to a smaller diameter tire. These trannys are usually rated on how much ft.-lbs. of torque they are rated to handle, so decreasing the radius of the tire will significantly increase your available torque load. Only thing to watch out for is your ground clearance.

Thanks for both of your responce, I will start to look for smaller rims to fit this tractors bolt pattern so I can mount smaller dia. tires. I had an idea this summer about putting an electric motor powered fan in addition to the factory one on the tranny, for just that reason, it could be switched on and off at my discretion from the dash.
Yes I am going to replace the filter and oil,I didn't buy synthetic, but it is what I believe I was advised in an earlier post this summer by Mownie 20-50 . This will be the second time I changed fluid, the first time it was so black and dirty I know that not all was drained out so I will change it again soon + new filter.
skibo

I'm not so jiggy with the smaller rim idea. That is a beefy transmission and those large wheels will help get you where you need to go. Plus, is there not a mowing deck on this tractor?

Not any longer, It's only a pulling tractor now.
skibo

I'm also not sold on the "real practicality" of dropping to a smaller diameter wheel/tire to affect a lower "final drive gear ratio".
On paper, the smaller diameter wheel/tire will give a bit more reduction to the ratio of engine speed versus ground speed (better pulling ratio). But that is on paper, and you don't drive on paper. You drive on grass and dirt and gravel where you need a fairly large footprint (tire contact patch) to provide enough traction to keep from spinning a tire. The smaller diameter wheel/tires will have a correspondingly smaller footprint, and less available traction.