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Proving John Deere's longevity

7K views 41 replies 28 participants last post by  bontai Joe 
#1 ·
How many of you own a John Deere riding mower (Not a garden tractor) that is 25 years or older AND you still use regularly? My 1994 LX178 is due for a birthday party!
 

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#2 ·
Until just recently I had a 1987 175 Hydro that I purchased new. It still started and ran like new with no smoke when I sold it. Not bad for over 31 years old. As the manual instructed, I **never** changed the fluid in the hydrostatic transmission despite regularly pulling a 920 lb. lawn roller around my property. I did change the engine oil and filter every 25 hours - which equated to twice per year. The seat was replaced about 6 years ago.
 

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#3 · (Edited)
Ah, yes, KAWASAKI. That is one key to longevity!! Maybe you should have kept it!
Interestingly, and I wonder if it's wrong, but Tractor Data says the hydro only holds 3/4 of a quart of oil! Can that possibly be correct??
 
#4 ·
Not quite 25 years old, oly at 15. I'm the third owner of this JD L130. She is only fifteen years old. She is still a teenager :).

She was purchased new by my father in law and then passed to my brother in law. Both of whom replaced her with an x7xx John Deere. Shows where she sat on their list.

I don't ever intend to replace her, but: I may suppllment her in the future with a sibling :).

I've recently added to her responsiblities a 42 inch snowblower for this winter (Psst-don't tell her). Just today she mowed the lawn that my wife says is the best looking on the block. She does such good work. :)
 
#5 ·
Keep her oil changed regularly.
 
#8 ·
Up until 2 weeks ago I was using my 1983 314 to mow with a 50" deck, I have no clue how many hrs are on it since I bought it second hand. My 1977 300 is still going with a snow plow and tiller on it but I did swap the engine out from a 316 single Kohler 12 years ago.

I have yet to try and get the 1970 140 running but when I do it will have duties also. :tango_face_wink:
 
#10 ·
15 or so years ago I bought a used 1984 116. I beat it bad for another 8-10 years, but with some new parts, (corrosion) it kept running.
Started to smoke at the end but it run. B&S 2 cyl, I sold it for $100 just to get rid of it.
 
#11 ·
I have the same mower Gene, same year too. It's my workhorse daily mower. No idea how many hours because it lacks an hour meter but my guess is around 1,200 hours. I maintain it's liquid-cooled engine by the book, but I've never done anything to the hydro except make sure that it's debris free and the fan is intact. I have lots of slopes and pull topsoil with a 15 cart that can get heavy. The manual is wishy-washy on maintaining the hydro. They say it's sealed, so basically leave it alone, but the next sentence says fluid changed won't hurt, lol. Yes, it's a well built mower, but at the time it was expensive. Price was $3,999 back in 1994. Don't know what that would equate to in today's dollars but considering that it's just a lawn tractor, it wouldn't be cheap.
 
#19 ·
Agreed, not cheap! I paid about $500 for mine perhaps ten years ago. I immediately put an hour meter/tach on it for oil change purposes.....I've got over 900 hours that I've put on. When I got her, I immediately changed the transmission fluid. It was BLACK (mine has a drain plug!) I've changed it again twice. The last time I changed it because the rubber hose to the plastic oil level viewer had worked loose and that transmission was down 2 1/2 quarts before it quit! I drained out the rest, filled her up, and today she's perfect!!!

A couple years ago, the hood broke up and I had to fabricate something to protect that radiator. After a year of the "double ugly", I found a craftsman GT hood and fitted it up.
 

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#20 ·
My 445 is a 1988. I expect many more years from it.
 
#13 ·
Have numerous machines that old or older. My 180, 345, LX172 all used regularly.
 
#15 ·
I was given a late 1980s JD 165 Hydro 3 years ago that still works very well. I had some issues with the deck belt tension spring (snapped on first ever mow) and deck-mounted hook (broke away from weld 2x). Bought an early 1990s Hydro 175 for $75 last year as a backup in case I have any issues with the 165. The 175 needed about $130-$150 in parts that were taken off it for some dudes other mower (flywheel, engine shrouds, stator, ignition module, spark plug, and most recently just last week a new trans cooling fan). Got her running and since it is much stronger than my 165 and the cut is better I use her most often. Happy with these mowers. As much as I'd like a new zero turn I think I'll keep these going and hold on to the $3000-$4000 I will eventually spend on one some day.

Heck, these things are only a few years younger than I am, I was born in '85. The engines run very well for being about 30years old. 175 is shown, still need a photo of the 165, she's probably feeling a bit neglected. Both girls are in the profile photo, though.
 

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#17 ·
I found an on-line calculator that adjusts for inflation. Your LX178 that costs $3,999 in 1994 would cost $6,892 today. And that was just for the tractor with a 38" deck and no other attachments. So what JD "lawn" tractor costs about $6,892 today. I believe that the x500 series is capable of ground ingagement so that would make it more than a "lawn" tractor.
 
#18 ·
Was using the 332 this weekend with the plow to manage a large burn pile. The deck shell needs to be replaced but the tractor is still going strong.
 
#23 ·
I have no lawn tractors, only GT's or equivalent. I routinely use my '86 212 to pull my tandem lawn trailer around, and I mow weekly with my '84 318. Both are dead-nuts reliable, all I do is pour in gas and change the oil.
 

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#28 ·
How many of you own a John Deere riding mower (Not a garden tractor) that is 25 years or older AND you still use regularly? My 1994 LX178 is due for a birthday party![/QUOTE


Says a lot for a K61 transmission.
Especially after losing WELL over 1/2 of the fluid!
 
#31 ·
For what?
 
#32 ·
My LX188 looks like it just rode out of north ****, hood is a puzzle with several pieces missing, don't even bother with it any more. '92 model and Mowergene just helped me with a belt issue last week that helped me finish mowing my 2.5 acres of paradise (not a flat spot nor a straight line over 30 feet on the property). It's been beat but keeps coming back. no snow duty but hauls firewood in the winter up hill both ways. Still makes the lawn look like a golf course
 
#33 ·
That LX deserves a steel hood! The first picture is my feeble attempt with a rebar frame with sheetmetal wrapped over it. The second picture is a Craftsman hood made to fit. Now when I'm mowing the frontage, I'm no longer embarrassed by it's condition!
 

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#34 ·
I have an old 111 roller ( future project) with some kind of composite hood that would do at least as a minimal amount of respect to an otherwise stalwart machine IMHO
 
#35 ·
JD 317 54" blade was my Dad's (D-Day vet)
JD 318 buford loader
JD 214 rotary broom
JD 111H fresh engine
JD L110 fresh engine
JD SX95 neat little mower
JD RX 75 ditch mower
JD model 66 (Grandkids love it)
JD 165 hydro
JD X310 the only thing i EVER bought new
They all do what they were made to do, my wife thinks i'm crazy but go green or go home!!
 
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