Last good year for Cub Cadet /John Deere Lawn Tractor?

[asphaltgambler]

So shopping for quality lawn tractor for my new place. I want @20 HP, hydro drive, 48" deck - with the ability to add plow in front, possibly other attachments. I'm shocked at what prices are for the big box CD/JD fake stuff in this range ( $2600 to $3100) with mostly bad reviews. JD dealer will sell their "X" series which is supposed to be the quality units. Pricing for these units with what I'm looking for START @$4500.00!

What's even more astonishing is prices for used ' real' JD lawn tractors in this same category run as much as $3000.00 + for a 10 year old machine......ridiculous.........

Hard for me to justify either of those options. I've never bought a new quality machine as I've always had junk to mow the lawn. I'm tired of junk, I'd like to get something that will really last with good maintenance.

I started my career @15 working at local agricultural dealers on this stuff. I remember drive- shafts, cast iron gear boxes, real crafted metal mower decks, etc. In other words, craftsmanship.

I'm now considering an older, restored unit - possibly something CD/JD of a slightly earlier era where I can fix then use for 20 years..............anyone here have experience with this?

[CJFusco]

Just this summer I bought an early-2000s John Deere L150 with the Briggs 20hp V-Twin engine and a 48" deck, which was a $2400+ tractor when new... for $200. It wasn't running when I bought it, but I brought it to my local small-engine guy, and it turned out that the transmission needed a new fan and one of the pushrods was bent due to overheating (apparently it's common with these -- crud like wet grass or mouse nests build up on the cooling fins and the increased heat messes up the valve guides in the head). Another $350 in parts and labor and I have a perfectly-running Deere. I highly recommend this route.

[asphaltgambler]

............yes - was at least considering something exactly like that.................buy haven't really looked comprehensively online......

[stevej37]

There definately is a difference in the quality for JD between the big box stores and the JD dealership. Not fully sure on this, but I think the bb stores sell other makes with the JD name on them.
I bought the same tractor as you describe, a JD GX335 about 10 years ago. 20HP Hydro, power steering, fully upgradeable. Zero probs with it...always starts right up and does a great job with the grass. Price was $7200
It's the second JD that I've owned. The first one..JD317, I had for 20 years and traded it in on the one I now own. They allowed me the same price that I paid for it, for trade in!
I'll bet that won't happen with many other brands. It's a case of you get what you pay for.

[VincentVega]

I'm in the same boat, looking for something decent that isnt $$$$.

I picked up a used walk behind for cutting, its faster than a tractor anyway. I only have 1 acre with lots of obstacles.

You need to read up on the older stuff, several issues to watch out for. Plastic engine bits in Kawasaki's, uneven oiling in Kohlers, rusted decks, bad wiring...

Do you want to maintain or rebuild/restore something? I've found several CD or JD's from the 80s to early 90s that look like tanks but I worry about lifespan.

[jwasbury]

I bought a mid 80's JD 420. Cost a bit more than 3k with 60" deck, cat 0 3 point hitch, and a 48" single stage snowblower attachment. It's a burly machine and you'd need to spend over 10k for something new that is comparable. These machines hold their value for a reason.

[asphaltgambler]

Pretty sure Cub Cadet is now owned by MTD (Machine-Tool and Die) and they also manufacture JD for the box stores under license.

[VincentVega]

IH sold Cub Cadet to MTD in the early 80's, maybe 81. Most of the older stuff has less hp than today, I looked at 1 old CC with 16 I think and it was a beast.

[Mark Henry]

Yep not cheap.

I have a JD X320 with a 54" deck, 750cc Kawasaki engine, which is close to the JD dealer base model. It's been working flawless in 4 years, 2+ acres of lawn.
The Kawasaki engines in the X series are almost impossible to kill as long as you check the oil level.

The JD's from HD are cheap crap made by AYP at the lowest price.
AYP makes most of the cheap big box store lawn tractors.

[93nav]

As Jwasbury said. The JD 420 is very solid. There is also the JD 400 which needs an adapter for using standard attachments, and the 430 which is a diesel. Smaller sized: JD 318 (power steering), 317 (series I has a well known engine issue), 300, and of course the lovely JD 140.

Check out weekendfreedommachine forum. Or some name close to that.

[LakeCleElum]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

...........anyone here have experience with this?

My experience:

1) Been mowing with a JD LT155 for over 10 years. I bought it used with a sezied engine and had it running in a week for under $100 in parts. Luv it...Maybe a little small (15.5 hp) for your needs

2) Mowed and plowed snow with a JD 316 a few years....Had a 4 way hydro blade. Had snowblower and rototiller ......Old cast iron Kohler single shook like a paint mixer...

3) Upgraded to a JD 318 over the 316 (same attachments)....318 had a twin cylinder (smoother) and power steering (worth it).

The 318 almost has a cult following. Good info on this forum: John Deere Forum - MyTractorForum.com - The Friendliest Tractor Forum and Best Place for Tractor Information

Basically, any JD 100 series number is a "Lawn Tractor".....A 300 or 400 are a "Garden Tractor".....A few like 420 and 425 have a diesel and driveshaft....Prices really vary around the country. Box store stuff doesn't hold up. Usually models like an L125 or D120, might have to research that. Best to shop over a wide radius........G'luck.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

My experience:

....and power steering (worth it).

^This.
If I was buying another I would make sure it had PS.

But it doesn't matter to me right now, I have two teenagers and they fight over who is doing this chore.

[ckelly78z]

I currently have a 1987 John Deere 955 with a 52" front end loader and a 72" mid mower. I also have a 1978 John Deere 214 with a 47" mower, a 48" snowplow, and a 39" rear rototiller.

To me, they are priceless, because no one makes anything as good as these two tractors (which I use nearly every day around the farm). The 214 has a cast iron 14 HP Kohler, with a thick steel frame, bolt on wheels, and HD axles....try to find that in a new tractor these days.

The 955 has a 3 cylinder 33 HP diesel with 4WD, foot control hydrostatic, power steering, and 4 channel hydraulics (absolutely love it).

Cub Cadet, and John Deere still make good tractors if you go out to the dealership, and get an expensive unit, I wouldn't touch the Lowes/Home Depot tractors with a 10' pole.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

IH sold Cub Cadet to MTD in the early 80's, maybe 81. Most of the older stuff has less hp than today, I looked at 1 old CC with 16 I think and it was a beast.

The reason tractors now have more HP than the cast iron beasts of yesteryear, is because for safety reason, the manufacturers had to slow down mower blade speed to prevent launching rocks/sticks.

One of my first tractors was a 1959 Wheel Horse that had a 30" mower and a 5 HP Tecumseh, and that thing was unstoppable in heavy grass.

I still have my old CC pulling tractor, a 1965 Cub Cadte 100 with the steel round fenders, and a 8 HP kohler. It was 2005 before it needed a piston/ring/valve job on the original motor.

[asphaltgambler]

Thanks all - keep it coming!

[yetibone]

I bought a 10 year old JD 425 10 years ago for $2k because my Mother next door needed the power steering (she's 78, and likes to mow a couple of hours at a time). It had 1200 hours on it then, and has nearly 1700 on it now.

So far, as things were needed, I've put tires, a belt and idler pulleys on the deck, plus changed the gear oil on the deck's bevel gear drive. I replaced the carb due to worn out throttle shaft bushings, the fuel pump, valve cover seals, spark plugs, ignition wires, and have put a couple of sets of blades on it, plus serviced the transmission once. I change the oil and filter every year, and keep it sheltered. Prolly spent about a grand on those parts and stuff over the last decade.

I'm still happy with it, and think it's a good machine worth the price I paid. I could have spent more on another 425/445/455 with less hours, and thus, spent less on repair parts, but it likely would have cost the same overall. I expect another 10 years out of it at least.

It was hard to pony up to the price for a high hour machine after years of mowing with beat down stuff, including a late '40s Farmall Cub with a 60" belly mower that the tractor didn't hardly have the power to tote in second gear. After running the Deere for a while though, I felt much more comfortable with what I spent. It's a hoss of a lawn tractor, even though it's the least HP in it's series from JD.

[grendiers]

We had a GX345, 20hp Kawasaki, 54" deck, mowed three acres of old farm land (bumpy) for ten years with it. I'd buy another one.

[sixbanger]

I've got a Twenty year old X. I broke one shaft replaced the drive belt gas and oil. IT'S BEEN FUN. One thing I don't like is how the plastic cover over the front over time breaks. Other than that it still runs great.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by sixbanger

I've got a Twenty year old X. I broke one shaft replaced the drive belt gas and oil. IT'S BEEN FUN. One thing I don't like is how the plastic cover over the front over time breaks. Other than that it still runs great.

Mine did the same...plastic cover break. Bought a cheap brush guard from ebay..see pic in above post. Been good since.

[sixbanger]

I'm going to cut down a old truck hood and send them a picture. A few years ago they were $200.00 something. May be higher by now.