TROY BILT TB30 CA unpublished specs

TROY-BILT omits some pertinent information regarding their TB30 rider mower. I inspect my new TB30 CA & find that info & publish it to help you in your rider mower shopping.

[@robertlesaca4776]

Thank you for the great review. Just what I have been looking for. One that shows if it can go uphill.You're the only one who did that.

[@markshuput5228]

I have a 2017 TB 30R. My brother in law bought it and used it 3 times. He sold it to me for $600.00. First thing, I put a drainzit oil drain hose on it. Got a Briggs 11 1/2 hp on it. Before I put it up for a midwest winter I do a full maintenance on it and pull the battery. This is the best mower I've owned. When I change oil it looks almost new. I highly recommend this unit.

[@robj205]

I have the same machine now in its third year of service. Mine is the hydrostatic version, known as a TB30H. As I understand it, at this writing, 5/25/21, the hydrostatic version is only marketed as a Cub Cadet CC30H. Mine has been flawless and has about 100/125 hours on it. Beyond oil/filter changes and air filter blow out it has required no other service........Whoops, I lied.....I replaced the battery this spring. It did not completely fail but it was cranking slow so I knew the end was near. Regarding the Chinese supplied engine: I did a great deal of research prior to buying the unit. I learned that this engine has a steel cylinder sleeve as opposed to the aluminum barrel of a comparable Briggs. It also employs a internal balance shaft (generally never found on lawn equipment.....frequently found on single cylinder motorcycles) for smooth operation at all RPM. Lastly, a full pressure oiling system for the crankshaft bearing areas and connecting rod. Also, pressure lubrication is supplied to the cam and balance shaft bearing areas as well as the rocker box in the cylinder head. This is rather automotive in design and will lead to long engine life if maintained. I am the first to admit that it pains me to send money to China for something that I know a US manufacturer could do as well or better, but at this time I have to go where the quality is, darn it. For the oil drain I replaced the plug with a threaded pipe extension and a Drainsit flexible oil drain hose for a similar result to the OP's set up. The earlier version of this machine (no oil filter) had a Briggs engine and the supplied oil drain extension was to be used on that engine. It will not work on the Chinese engine and folks at MTD would do well by not sending it with the machine. It only causes confusion and aggravates the buyer. This machine is tire pressure sensitive so the tires must be at the correct pressure or the mower deck will not be level causing a poor cut. Although not mentioned in much detail I would recommend removing, cleaning, and lubricating the steering pinion and rack under the floorboard. They are known to wear and strip if not serviced. Overall, I also highly recommend this machine if a lawn tractor exceeds your needs.

[@bobstanden6579]

I have the rover mini rider 30r hydro With same engine (shangon ) Be great for 2 years But be aware ther is a very fine screen invthe carb behind the fuel in Let elbow Thst blocks up with crap that get through the stupid little red filter (Its Only in the Sharon engine The powermore doesent seam to have it When it blocks it will run for about 40min the stop then 5 min later it start again Same symptoms as a bad coil There is a vido on you tube Called secret screen In A carby WATCH it MTD SUPORT TOLD ME ABOUT IT

[@sunnydays4966]

It can do hills but take grade wrong you do wheelie and end up on with lawnmower in top of you.

[@glennfields8121]

Sir, you are not too fat and lazy. You are very kind and capable and I thank you for taking the time to make this video. I would expect your wife to bring you a tall glass of cool water or lemonade for working in the sun and the heat.

[@darrylblaney8201]

Hello from Australia. great video mate. I've got a Rover mower and the engine on it looks identical to this. I was at the local Dealers here and He called it a Chinese engine when I asked about the solenoid on it. When I saw yours (the video about 8.07) the horizontal solenoid I thought that's it. I looked on the bottom of the engine behind the battery and found a model number 7T84JUA. It's a great mower for my needs. Thanks for sharing.

[@ezeNdog]

Nice... Currently in wa state home Depot has them with a Briggs and Stratton engine, transmission type gear driven, 344 cc engine displacement..... But I see some with a hydro static transmission and 420 cc displacement on older models... So yeah they throw all kids of set ups at the mower

[@mikejennings6352]

I bought mine .TB30R.4 yrs ago. I only had replace cheap sorry battery. To higher CCA 230.been ride ever sence I cut yellow/ Black wire go in reverse blade engagement. Keep oil change 30 w straight. Oilfilter mix up inf on here bs 751-12690. Replacement. 951-12690 amazon. There is Replacement same sump. Drain hose amazon too much neatter drain oil.when. New 10/w30. After yrs up grade 15/w40 Diesel. Best motor oil use been mechanic 43 yrs .

[@BangDingOw777]

The Zongshen XP380 engine has a full pressure lube oil system. 11.5 hp with 24.5 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm.

[@robertduransongcovers4401]

Nice little lawn mower. Your a very nice man. Subscribed your channel my friend.

[@DS-bk3mc]

If the grass is damp, this mower will struggle to climb the hill you showed.

[@glennfields8121]

You are so right. You will know when the mower stops moving. The tire is spinning on the wet grass and you will have to put it in reverse and sometimes even give it a little boost help.

[@lindywilliams7041]

Aloha from Hawaii! I was researching this machine for my partially blind brother-in-law and came across yours and I just had to tell you how impressed I am with your ability to do what ya do at your age with the internet savvy you have! You did an outstanding job and had the best video of all of them! I am 68 so I appreciate what you did and how you did it! A+

[@suesue5708]

Great review!!!

[@jordanjohnson5784]

I found your video INCREDIBLY useful and helpful. Thank you for taking your time out to film this for us.👍🏼👍🏼🥰 I really enjoyed your thoroughness of everything, which is something that is rarely found these days on KZbin. Thank you again. 😀😁👍🏼

[@Mid-Ohio]

I have 2013 Murray like new …was changing the belts and a spring popped off and I can’t figure out we’re it goes.Mows fine any ideas where it might go?I can’t find any diagrams to help I know it goes somewhere. Model: 13A326JC058

[@glennfields8121]

A zong shen engine from China!!! What the hell are they thinking at MTD? Support American business and buy American engines for peat sake. Crying out loud are we going to have to rename America as China 2 or China son? The Chinese are capable of building equipment right but often times they don't. We need Trump back in the White House to stop giving away our country.

[@TimDawg-ot8jx]

3yrs owned this machine and still like it...hard use all 3 summers so far...Good mower....But need to fix my other 54" and Sears Honda powered 42"

[@glennfields8121]

Near the end you show the drain hose hookup for the engine oil change. great idea but how did you lift that deck. It was significantly higher than when resting on the surface. Keeping the tires inflated to 10 pounds rear and 14 pounds front will help the steering turn easier and the drive wheels (rear) keep moving and not slipping. You are 100% correct about the frame flexing on uneven ground and sometimes you even have to raise the cutting blade to compensate for certain areas. You also mentioned while measuring near the start of the video those "ears" on the deck sticking out. They can catch on close quarters cutting and if they hit something the mower will stop. Great video, I don't believe that you missed or overlooked anything. You appear to be about my age of 71 or 72. Am I close? Please let us know and thanks again.

[@c.douglaslyon9949]

Thank you, that was a helpful review. Im about to buy one of these however I was under the impression that it has a Briggs and Stratton engine made in the USA, is yours a current model? Could it be that only the California model has the Chinese engine?

[@glennfields8121]

Now at 27:00 I have to say 'now stop showing off and hot rodding' LOL. Actually your so nice that you can do what you want!!

[@mariemcgeary8490]

Excellent video. I purchased this lawnmower for a house I just bought that has a full size lot attach to the yard. I am a women 66 years old and have never used a riding lawnmower. I feel a little more confident now that I can do it after watching the video. Thank you so much for explaining everything so well. Marie

[@madcrabber1113]

Honda used to make the engine for that model. If they still did I would buy it.

[@kiadarkley5381]

why is every thing brown . with ur grass beening brown on the vid u dont need a lawn mower u need grass seed

[@m.109]

We're did you get the parts list for the motor at? Can you please leave a link so we can download it. Thanks. Great video.

[@modelyourkiss5644]

😎 cool your wife should of came out side to bring you some ice tea.. Or cold water.. Tell her she's a bad wife =😂 👉. Lol

[@abigego2]

I do the mowing and my wife does the blowing...good wife

[@pavman1000]

In September 2001 MTD Consumer Group, Inc. acquired Garden Way, Inc. including the Troy-Bilt and Bolens brand for $44.1 million.

[@veemaxx]

Great review, thanks for the effort. I just don't understand why anyone would give you a thumbs down.

[@TryRickPayton]

Man I hope that mini tractor work for you.

[@ericsrisavaththay2503]

Thank you, sir! Your video was very helpful and from a real-world perspective. Just ordered this online so I'm learning as much as I can about this rider. Thank you for covering the height of the blades. I always cut at the highest setting for a luscious carpet of grass.

[@paulmysliborski4832]

Very detailed video. Thank you!! I have had my TB30-R for 3 full seasons now, and I love it. I also added a Drainzit drain tube for the oil changes, and installed an hour meter. The 382cc engine is a Powermore engine (Chinese made) that is actually becoming the envy of the industry. (Yes, America.....we have sold out to the lowest bidders so much that our once beloved Briggs and Tecumseh engine companies are now out of business). But, we still need to mow our lawns. This mower does the job it is intended to do and then some.

[@earnhar768]

What side drainzit drain tube replaces that drain plug? I found multiple ones on Amazon - Briggs and Stratton 3/8in , Honda 10mm etc. mine has that weird 1/4 inch internal square drain plug. Looking to get the drainzit tube.

[@paulmysliborski4832]

@@earnhar768 If you have the TB30 with the 382cc engine, the 3/8" is the one you need. :)

[@JohnForTheWin]

How do I disable the seat switch? I need to be able to jump off the mower to pick up trash without having to put it in park and stopping the blade.

[@lenward474]

Pedal on left hard down,pull speed adjust to rear. Parking brake.

[@JohnForTheWin]

@@lenward474 That's too many steps. I ended up removing the large spring under the seat. Now I can quickly put the mower in neutral, jump off to pick up trash, and jump back on. The hard press on the left pedal and hard press down on the speed selector is hard to do quickly and seems like it will wear out quickly.

[@lenward474]

Yes and cause damage,death. You've defeated dead man safety! If you fall off with it in forward

[@JohnForTheWin]

@@lenward474 I think you're being overly dramatic. Of course anything is possible, but damage and death are highly unlikely. The problem here is that the lawyers at MTD/Troy Bilt took control and required the engineers to design-in too many restrictions. If they required that the gear selector be in neutral, that would have been sufficient. However, they require that the machine is in neutral, and the speed selector is to the lowest position and the pedal is depressed really far to get the parking brake on. That's over-the-top. If they were going to be this over-the-top, they should have made it easy to quickly secure the machine so I can jump off and pick up trash.

[@glennfields8121]

You turn off the blade by pulling back the lever, put the speed selector in Park and you can step off with the mower engine still running,. Reverse when you are ready to go again.

[@terrylisotta6843]

Howdoichange the transmission belt…tb30r

[@glennfields8121]

I would like to know that too.

[@rabbi7933]

Thank you for the video. I finally bought one of these. They wouldn’t sell it to me crated, so as a result the mulcher got lost. 🤦‍♂️

[@FattyFPV]

I appreciate the review of the mower, but can we talk about that Casio wristwatch?

[@davidr3648]

I had a couple of those watches back in the day😊

[@pavman1000]

Very nice Garage!

[@Mid-Ohio]

I managed to get a 2013 Murry brand 24 inch. 190cc Briggs n Stratton solid motor off a guy.His mom got it used 3-4x then parked it for years.Got a battery and new carb and fired up.Definitely different than this newer model.No oil filter or Fuel filter and a tiny battery.Runs great tho..thanks for your video

[@marshallstaton7427]

HOW ABOUT TURNING OFF YOUR RADIO... the next time you make a video 😮

[@davidaguiar1387]

I just bought a new (2023 build) Cub Cadet version from a Cub Cadet dealer. this has no oil filter, the smaller battery and no telescopic steering. It does have the hydrostatic transmission though which is worth it's weight in gold if you have obstacles in your lawn.

[@fredberger3155]

Really good video, answered a lot of my questions. I'm 6'3 retired, weigh 250, have some hills in the yard. I too feel leery about the TT K46 and wouldn't feel comfortable unless I got a K 60-66, but . . . a lotta money! In your opinion, does the gear drive surmount all those hydrostatic concerns? Is it that much harder to drive than the hydrostatic? Would you buy the gear drive again? Thanks!

[@programmingchicago]

Great video.

[@billiebirdtail5376]

This a joke I bought 2 years ago replacing all rubber lines not just gas blade belt won't stay on broken plastic pin motor want idle been use six times big 1100.00 mistake

[@MrHmongrice]

thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[@TryRickPayton]

Listen they have different models Troy Bilt has it's own engine on the TR 30 model . But the other models like the TB 30 is Briggs & Stratton engines. This is very very important to know when you purchase your mower. Because of the warranty of the two different company engine makers.

[@jacobduncan8875]

I had one of these. Exactly one of these. I now have a husqvarna hydrostatic mower. The hydrostatic crap can actually be pretty good. It's nice starting my hydrostatic crap because my craftsman in 2nd or 3rd doesnt jolt so bad like what youv got. Not saying it's a bad mower just jolts really bad when you start it in 2 or 3 gear.

[@artistnumber12]

👍

[@lindastoll3644]

It was a piece of crap for me. Bought 1 and had home depot deliver it. The 3rd time I used it there was a very loud horrible rattling coming from the deck and the mower sounded like a freight train. I shut it off and home depot had another 1 delivered. They didn't even include the battery and the blade was to long for the deck. When I tried to turn the blade it wouldn't even make it a 4th of the way around before hitting the deck. Needless to say I had them come get both of them and they are refunding my money

[@pavman1000]

really good video thanks!

[@jacobduncan8875]

Show casing what mowers can do despite what the manufacturer says they cannot do is not a showcase of what mowers can do despite what they can technically maybe do.

[@kennethhamilton8924]

good info

[@jacobduncan8875]

Barely moving at the top of the crest of the Hill at idle is not moving up the Hill at idle sorry.

[@TheRpaniagu30]

That was a helpful video. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@richardallen9310]

If you need a grass bagger , wal mart has best price on it

[@sunnydays4966]

How did you get you in box my was put Together by home depot employees.

[@pavman1000]

They run good and fast kinda like them wish it was a american made engine.

[@TryRickPayton]

nice video you need a pick up for all that equipment.

[@pavman1000]

All the TB30's have the same China engine as the CA has now.

[@hellohello8556]

Hello from Australia🇦🇺. Great video mate. Cheers! 👍

[@joebeach6944]

Where did you get info on that engine?

[@alexanderspear7332]

Thank you!

[@jmvrabel65]

Very dangerous machine only use on level ground

[@glennfields8121]

Or a minimal grade change.

[@M70ACARRY]

My 2018 has a 10.5 hp Briggs with no filter.

[@abigego2]

2 weeks ago, I bought a used 2018 for $450. Runs and looks like new. I'm not impressed with the stearing and its a little scary on the slope side of my yard. Otherwise great. And also, no oil filter

[@susanbrettell4337]

They now make a steering kit that changes the steering beautifully.

[@charlesbrown4214]

Where is air filter

[@m.109]

Behind the glove box. Idiot.

[@loadi2865]

Very good video now at least i know it can climb hills...... Thank you!!