Explain to me how a land rover engine is less like a lawnmower than a modern vehicle engine?
The gear boxes in all series trucks are weaker than most that went into other vehicles in the area. Need only look at the aluminum case to derive that. And, yea.. Its about the most expensive single piece of that truck to buy. At least here. I suppose if you were talking long blocks.. so .. second. If you're not getting a T-box with it, or counting shipping.
Working on them is not terribly difficult. But it scares most away.
Have you ever heard about someone swapping land rover gear INTO their project 4x4? It doesn't happen .. not by people with a choice. Guy I bought a transmission from and I had a good laugh about his prospects for selling that junk to someone for a project. Hilarious to think someone would want land rover gear in their toyota or isuzu or something. Not saying it doesn't happen. Just that it shouldn't and rarely does in any economy where other parts are available.
Maybe you mean vehicles made in the UK.
Thinking of gearboxes GM and Ford put in their blazers and broncos in the 70s..or jeeps almost any time they weren't using a renault transmission. hmm yea.. no comparison in durability. Those are never rebuild em transmissions if used in any stock application.
I will agree that the rover transmissions could last a very long time.. longer than most of the vehicle .. if used simply as a commuter or some other non truck application.