Yes, they are interchangeable. If I had the auto ones, I'd keep them over the manual valves. You are correct on not being able to push the tractor, unless you have the lever on the right side of the tunnel cover. When you use the lever, it has a tab that pushes the pins down on the manual valves. Then you can push your tractor. When I had my 1250, I replaced the manual valves with the automatic ones. Hope this helps.
