How to Test a Hydrostatic Transaxle

Here is a simple way to quickly test to see if a hydro static trans axle works. Simply power it by an electric drill then actuate the engagement lever through the motion to see if it moves.
This comes in handy when you are pulling used parts from a salvage yard and are unsure of the trans axle condition. This is a HydroGear that I swapped into a Craftsman Lt1000 lawn tractor that had a broken Peerless SilenTrac hydro drive system. This is not a sure fire test but gives you a basic indication of the transaxles condition.