bp71k5
3/4 ton status
I need one. Any brands to recommend that have enough juice to go up a decent hill? The lawn has a decent size hill to cover. Comfortable buying a used one for under $1k.
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Riding lawnmowers
- Thread starter bp71k5
- Start date
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Cub cadet, simplicity, John Deere
That's all you need to know.
That's all you need to know.
No,you need to do some research...not all John Deere's or IHC Cadets have strong enough transaxles for doing anything more than mowing..
Simplicity tractors have a good reputation but they too have a few "duds",so it is best to read up on any your thinking of buying ..
I have a L110 John Deere,granted its at least 10 years old,but it has a wimpy K46 transaxle that is well known to be weak and easily destroyed,mine has 450+ hours on it and I dropped the transaxle out last year when I got it to change the fluid (which is supposedly "sealed for life",but has a filler plug,you can only get at with the transaxle removed and the pulley removed..)...the plastic cooling fan on it was missing all its blades too!--good thing I decided to change the fluid or I'd have probably fried it by now..
..
I put Mobil 1 15W-40 back in it..it was working fine,but it has only mowed a flat lawn of about an acre all its life..try pushing snow with it,or even a snowblower,it'll die in short order..
I have read on some lawn tractor forums some new ones have a CVT transaxle with a PLASTIC housing!...so far customer reports claim they are absolute JUNK and to avoid any tractor using them..
Hydrostatic transaxles are nice for mowing,much easier to control,but they do have limitations when you try pulling a heavy cart around often or do any bull work like plowing..overall,the manual transaxles seem to live longer overall,but only certain ones...most in box store low end lawn tractors are quite fragile if you start working them too hard..
I would go find a used tractor from the 1970's or earlier on craigslist and fix it up,they were built much more beefy back then,both the drive train and chassis..many newer tractors chassis crack in a year or two,they are made from thin gauge hardened steel stamped into the shape required,and they dont hold up well with plows or ground engaging equipment..
I would suggest going to the "My Tractor Forum" (MTF) and look over some threads there,there is a lot of good info there...
Simplicity tractors have a good reputation but they too have a few "duds",so it is best to read up on any your thinking of buying ..
I have a L110 John Deere,granted its at least 10 years old,but it has a wimpy K46 transaxle that is well known to be weak and easily destroyed,mine has 450+ hours on it and I dropped the transaxle out last year when I got it to change the fluid (which is supposedly "sealed for life",but has a filler plug,you can only get at with the transaxle removed and the pulley removed..)...the plastic cooling fan on it was missing all its blades too!--good thing I decided to change the fluid or I'd have probably fried it by now..
..I put Mobil 1 15W-40 back in it..it was working fine,but it has only mowed a flat lawn of about an acre all its life..try pushing snow with it,or even a snowblower,it'll die in short order..
I have read on some lawn tractor forums some new ones have a CVT transaxle with a PLASTIC housing!...so far customer reports claim they are absolute JUNK and to avoid any tractor using them..
Hydrostatic transaxles are nice for mowing,much easier to control,but they do have limitations when you try pulling a heavy cart around often or do any bull work like plowing..overall,the manual transaxles seem to live longer overall,but only certain ones...most in box store low end lawn tractors are quite fragile if you start working them too hard..
I would go find a used tractor from the 1970's or earlier on craigslist and fix it up,they were built much more beefy back then,both the drive train and chassis..many newer tractors chassis crack in a year or two,they are made from thin gauge hardened steel stamped into the shape required,and they dont hold up well with plows or ground engaging equipment..
I would suggest going to the "My Tractor Forum" (MTF) and look over some threads there,there is a lot of good info there...
beags86
Eastbound and Down
Cub cadets didn't get shitty transaxles until mtd bought them and made them cheaper. Any IHC cub cadet you would buy this wouldn't be a problem.
wheel horse. I own 4 complete ones and 2 parts ones. And parts are everywhere. easy to work on, easy to swap parts. and cheaper than Deere or Cubs...try to get a horizontal shaft engine, the vertical shafts are still decent, but aren't as strong as the horizontal....
The "original" Cub Cadets had a transaxle that was possibly the most rugged one ever used in a garden tractor..the ring & pinion is the same one they used in old Dodge Darts !...they are seen at tractor pulls often and rarely break..
The most rugged rear end ever put in a garden tractor was the Panzer,and Pennsylvania tractors--they used a 50's Plymouth rear diff ,that was narrowed ,factory..some even had posi..and they also had the same brakes as a car,so they actually worked,and could be operated independently..however these are now fairly rare collectors items and bring a high price--cheapest one I've seen at a swap meet was $250 ,and it needed work..most go for $600+ bucks in "restorable" shape..
The "new" Cadets made by MTD are not much different than the ones they make for Craftsman or a half dozen other "store brands" though..
There is a large difference between a "lawn tractor" and "garden tractor"...lawn tractors are mostly riding mowers ,only intended for mowing--garden tractors have more rugged transaxles (lugged rear rims) and can withstand heavier duty uses like plowing or snowblowing,towing carts ,etc..
I haven't read many glowing reports about newer Craftsman,Huskvarna,or John Deere's lower priced "lawn tractors"..
I read about chassis breaking after normal lawn mowing use,transaxles that wont propel them after not that many hours,and the newer Briggs & Stratton's are noted for lots of head gasket and valve train failures at low hours...
I have 5 Sears Suburban tractors ,all made before 1970--I had six,but one was a '77 GT19.9 with an Onan twin ,that I got in trade and never did anything with it,so I sold it back to the guy I got it from..
I'm not crazy about Onans,they are great as long as they run good,but parts are uber costly and scarce around here..
These tractors were among the most rugged made,the chassis are 1/4" thick steel plate,and they had horizontal shaft Tecumseh cast iron 12 HP engines with timken bearings on the crank,the transaxles are 3 speeds with reverse and a low & hi range,I have towed and pushed my truck with them like nothing,plowed snow 2 feet deep too,with the rear tires chained up and filled with liquid ballast and 280 lbs on the rear hitch..
I paid less than $150 each for these locally ,all needed some work to get running,but were complete and I had them running in an afternoon..
I have had many older garden tractors--a Simplicity "Landlord" ,a 1963 model,that was a beast,ditto for an old 60's Jacobsen "Chief" ,the transaxle in that looked much like a NP-205 and was just as beefy..had a few Wheel Horses and Bolens tube frame tractors,and a Bush Hog with a Wisconsin engine..they knew how to build stuff back then..
The only suck pill about old tractors is new parts can be scarce or impossible to find,so you must either find used parts or make something close enough work..things like deck parts,mower blades can be hard to source,but you can find them if you look hard enough..
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
I found a John Deere L130 for sale at a decent price. Says it has hydrostatic trans and cruise control. $800. Sound reasonable?
Also found a 108 for $475. Built in the 80’s? Says it runs well.
Also found a 108 for $475. Built in the 80’s? Says it runs well.
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79rustyk10
3/4 ton status
My John Deere 140 will leave my possession when my heart stops beating. I second the Cub Cadet, Simplicity, John Deere. But get the true, well built ones. I dont know much about newer stuff.
beags86
Eastbound and Down
140? Holy crap old man. That a patio edition? Lol
If I were you, I would look for a older JD 318 or 400-425. Cub cadet 782, 1872, or a simplicity sunstar.
79rustyk10
3/4 ton status
Not a patio. Just a plain ol worn out 140 H1.
I'm not old either, almost 34... **** I'm old...
I have a friend that started buying and selling John Deere 300 and 400 series stuff. His side business has taken off big time. He's now traveling all over IL, WI, IN buying them up. He is shipping stuff out across the country. People are going nuts for these things. There must be a good reason
We ran a mtd for the last 20 years on the farm. It was a 17 horse tecumseh/42” cut. Manual shift transaxle. For a “cheap” mower it lasted quite well, had to rebuild the front end once. I used that thing like a 4x4 truck and it took it all.
It got replaced this year with a cub cadet from Rona. Hydrostatic drive, 48” cut, 20 horse kohler if I recall right. It’s by far a way nicer machine than the mtd, it’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
It got replaced this year with a cub cadet from Rona. Hydrostatic drive, 48” cut, 20 horse kohler if I recall right. It’s by far a way nicer machine than the mtd, it’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
I have a John Deere x540 and it's been great! Mow grass around house regularly, mow the fields about once a month (5 Acres). Use it a lot with trailer around the property. It is hydrostatic drive but works well for me. Also has a diff lock pedal to lock the rear axle together.
It gets used a lot and not always babied.....still going strong!
It gets used a lot and not always babied.....still going strong!
beags86
Eastbound and Down
They are solid machines and the shit that is coming out of the box stores are junk and people are getting wise to it.
I have played with a few here and there. I currently have a JD317 I picked up for a few parts (rototiller) now I am selling off the tractor. Maybe he would be interested in taking it off my hands?
I mow 3+ acres with several slopes I found a 2014 John Deere Z445 (dealer model) on cl a couple years ago, 130hrs, 25hp kawasaki, 54" cut....paid $2000. Has to be one of the best deals I've run up on.
I have a 1995 Craftsman, 6 spd, 24hp Kohler, 48" cut. Again on cl, bought it from a small fire department, looked showroom shiney. Gave $500. Iput tractor tires on it and the thing is unstoppable. About 6 years in, I've done belts and blades, battery, spindle bearings.
Both are serviced religiously. I will never own a Briggs engine again.
I have a 1995 Craftsman, 6 spd, 24hp Kohler, 48" cut. Again on cl, bought it from a small fire department, looked showroom shiney. Gave $500. Iput tractor tires on it and the thing is unstoppable. About 6 years in, I've done belts and blades, battery, spindle bearings.
Both are serviced religiously. I will never own a Briggs engine again.
PM what you have and what you are looking to get. I will put you in touch with him
EDIT: I just mentioned it to him. He said the 317 are not that desirable because they are known for throwing rods. They only have about 5 psi oil pressure from the factory. Just an FYI for others looking to get a tractor
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beags86
Eastbound and Down
JD 317 had a Kohler 17 horsepower engine.
When they came out it was the first generation of the engine, it has a splash oiling system. Tons of people bought them and immediately blew them up on side hills, mowing ditches. John Deere had to warranty a bunch of them, so they forced Kohler to come out with the series 2, 17 horsepower engine for them.
The series 2 engine had an oil pump. And is far more desirable.
A John Deere 317 in good condition is a great tractor for a V-Twin repower.
Unfortunately my John Deere 317 is a series one hence why I'm getting rid of it.
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The new Predator V-twin 22 HP engines Harbor Freight is selling for about $650 is a popular swap for those JD 317 & 318's with the first design Kohler or Onans once they croak..
One engine to avoid besides later Briggs OHV ones is the Kohler "Courage" series..well known for having the crankcase bolts under the flywheel loosen up ,then the flywheel slams into one and destructs the stator and the flywheel & block..they toss rods often too..this engine has practically killed Kohler's "good reputation".
The Kohler "Command" and "Magnum" engines were among their best however..the single cylinder Commands have a oil filter,pressure lube,and hydraulic lifters,so 10W-30 is what they say to use in those to avoid lifter clatter issues..supposedly the lifters are the same as a SBC!.
Many OHV engines have head gasket failure issues,especially the Briggs,they didn't put enough bolts close together and one spot on the gasket where no bolts are is very thin,once it fails,it lets compression get in the crankcase and it starts smoking and will burn off enough oil to seize or toss a rod..
The "L" series John Deere are box store "lawn tractors" and I'd not pay more than 200-300 bucks for a minty one..
My next door neighbor gave me his "old" L110 ,he was going to push it to the curb and put a "free" sign on it!..all it needed was a new battery and the deck had one mounting bracket torn off at the weld,I just welded it back together and added a reinforcement..
It still needs a new battery,I just use my jump pack to start it..it still looks new,it was kept in a shed all its life..I could probably get $300 for it but I'd rather keep it to mow with rather than wear out my Sears tractors mowing,they are better suited for bull work..I like the hydro better for mowing ,its easier to control,and no clutching or shifting..
I also have a 1990's Yard-Man (MTD) that has a 20 HP Kohler Magnum and a Hydro-Gear transaxle that I mowed with for 15 years that still runs good,but I have let it sit in the shed at least 3 years ,its steering gears were wiped out and the front end "king pins" were junk,the wheels were like a road grader when I got it--fixed the steering gears and welded pipe into the front axle to replace the stupid PLASTIC king pin bushings in the sheet metal wimpy axle and it ran flawlessly all 15 years..
I also beat it up pretty good pulling trees down that got hung up after cutting them,dragging them out of the woods,hauling carts of firewood,one was made out of an old S-10 bed and heavy even when empty..it took all I dished out without complaint..
It now needs the axle and steering gears fixed again..but I bet I can just put gas in it and a battery and it'll fire right up..MTD's get a bad rap sometimes,they made some good tractors--the "990" series were like mini farm tractors,very rugged and all cast iron and they were better than many older John Deere's ..
One engine to avoid besides later Briggs OHV ones is the Kohler "Courage" series..well known for having the crankcase bolts under the flywheel loosen up ,then the flywheel slams into one and destructs the stator and the flywheel & block..they toss rods often too..this engine has practically killed Kohler's "good reputation".
The Kohler "Command" and "Magnum" engines were among their best however..the single cylinder Commands have a oil filter,pressure lube,and hydraulic lifters,so 10W-30 is what they say to use in those to avoid lifter clatter issues..supposedly the lifters are the same as a SBC!.
Many OHV engines have head gasket failure issues,especially the Briggs,they didn't put enough bolts close together and one spot on the gasket where no bolts are is very thin,once it fails,it lets compression get in the crankcase and it starts smoking and will burn off enough oil to seize or toss a rod..
The "L" series John Deere are box store "lawn tractors" and I'd not pay more than 200-300 bucks for a minty one..
My next door neighbor gave me his "old" L110 ,he was going to push it to the curb and put a "free" sign on it!..all it needed was a new battery and the deck had one mounting bracket torn off at the weld,I just welded it back together and added a reinforcement..
It still needs a new battery,I just use my jump pack to start it..it still looks new,it was kept in a shed all its life..I could probably get $300 for it but I'd rather keep it to mow with rather than wear out my Sears tractors mowing,they are better suited for bull work..I like the hydro better for mowing ,its easier to control,and no clutching or shifting..
I also have a 1990's Yard-Man (MTD) that has a 20 HP Kohler Magnum and a Hydro-Gear transaxle that I mowed with for 15 years that still runs good,but I have let it sit in the shed at least 3 years ,its steering gears were wiped out and the front end "king pins" were junk,the wheels were like a road grader when I got it--fixed the steering gears and welded pipe into the front axle to replace the stupid PLASTIC king pin bushings in the sheet metal wimpy axle and it ran flawlessly all 15 years..
I also beat it up pretty good pulling trees down that got hung up after cutting them,dragging them out of the woods,hauling carts of firewood,one was made out of an old S-10 bed and heavy even when empty..it took all I dished out without complaint..
It now needs the axle and steering gears fixed again..but I bet I can just put gas in it and a battery and it'll fire right up..MTD's get a bad rap sometimes,they made some good tractors--the "990" series were like mini farm tractors,very rugged and all cast iron and they were better than many older John Deere's ..
This is what I had to do. I couldn't find any decent JD mowers here locally and didn't want a light duty HD/Lowes edition. I reached out to a dealer in Iowa and had it shipped to us. They had several to pick from and worked out pretty good. Local JD dealer did not have anything used so I was good reaching out several states away. There just aren't a lot of them around here for some reason (Colorado).
beags86
Eastbound and Down
No real grass there. Thats why.
