Well, after several weeks of research and scouring craigslist, I brought home my first John Deere (that I've personally owned)! Found a 1980 210, very good shape, same owner for the last 14 years, for $450. It's all manual, and came with a 42" blade in great shape, cast iron wheel weights in great shape, and chains. It did NOT come with a deck, unfortunately, as it was COMPLETELY stripped & rusted out...the PO said it was ugly when he got the tractor, but he used it for several years, then when it was too torn up to use, he stripped it, set it next to his garage, then bought his 318 and used the 210 for plowing. Still, I've already got a lead on a guy with a couple 39" decks that he says are all in good, servicable condition, so I'm gonna go check those out and hopefully get a deck for another $150.
The tractor appears to be well cared for; newer tires with good tread, new drive belts (both of them), new plug & wire, relatively new Duralast Gold battery, new seat, and new steering wheel. It is missing the grille emblem (what's that theory about the grille emblem on a used JD? Hahaha), and it has a somewhat interesting mix of faded paint and repainted areas. I asked him about the repainting while I was looking at it, he said he started just doing touch-up spots, with the goal of repainting the whole thing, but never got to that point. Oh well, the aesthetics don't bother me. The PO added auxillary headlights (wired into the lighting switch), and they are quite bright, so those should be nice for plowing in the dark or finishing up mowing if it gets late; along with the headlights, he also added a light strip along the rear, but I'm pretty indifferent about those.
It fired right up, ran great (I did notice 1 or 2 small puffs of smoke when I quickly accelerated the throttle, so I realize that means the engine has some wear, but no other smoking or signs of engine issues), I drove it around a good bit, tested every gear, utilized the variator (works great on the low-end, the high-end notches don't adjust the speed much, so it might need some adjustment), ran it at different throttle speeds, all checked out great. The blade raises, lowers, pivots, and angles as expected (no remote angle kit, but oh well, maybe I'll find one). We pulled the right side engine cover off and I verified that all PTO parts are there and operate as expected, and the PTO-to-deck belt pulleys are in place and spin freely. The PTO-to-deck belt tensioner handle is broken off of the front (like all used tractors with these tensioners it seems), but that's replacable. Overall, I think I got a very solid 210 with the accessories I wanted for a good price.
PO said he change the oil a few weeks ago, but I'll still change the oil and transaxle fluid, along with greasing the zerk fittings, giving it a good cleaning, check out the variator and see if I need to adjust it...anything else I should address?
Sorry for the book, I'm a detailed guy...Couple pics attached, right after I picked it up and just about to take it home (not taken at the seller's place, it plowed a much smaller driveway and a sidewalk).
The tractor appears to be well cared for; newer tires with good tread, new drive belts (both of them), new plug & wire, relatively new Duralast Gold battery, new seat, and new steering wheel. It is missing the grille emblem (what's that theory about the grille emblem on a used JD? Hahaha), and it has a somewhat interesting mix of faded paint and repainted areas. I asked him about the repainting while I was looking at it, he said he started just doing touch-up spots, with the goal of repainting the whole thing, but never got to that point. Oh well, the aesthetics don't bother me. The PO added auxillary headlights (wired into the lighting switch), and they are quite bright, so those should be nice for plowing in the dark or finishing up mowing if it gets late; along with the headlights, he also added a light strip along the rear, but I'm pretty indifferent about those.
It fired right up, ran great (I did notice 1 or 2 small puffs of smoke when I quickly accelerated the throttle, so I realize that means the engine has some wear, but no other smoking or signs of engine issues), I drove it around a good bit, tested every gear, utilized the variator (works great on the low-end, the high-end notches don't adjust the speed much, so it might need some adjustment), ran it at different throttle speeds, all checked out great. The blade raises, lowers, pivots, and angles as expected (no remote angle kit, but oh well, maybe I'll find one). We pulled the right side engine cover off and I verified that all PTO parts are there and operate as expected, and the PTO-to-deck belt pulleys are in place and spin freely. The PTO-to-deck belt tensioner handle is broken off of the front (like all used tractors with these tensioners it seems), but that's replacable. Overall, I think I got a very solid 210 with the accessories I wanted for a good price.
PO said he change the oil a few weeks ago, but I'll still change the oil and transaxle fluid, along with greasing the zerk fittings, giving it a good cleaning, check out the variator and see if I need to adjust it...anything else I should address?
Sorry for the book, I'm a detailed guy...Couple pics attached, right after I picked it up and just about to take it home (not taken at the seller's place, it plowed a much smaller driveway and a sidewalk).
