[W_B]

What was the one JD garden tractor that you look back on now and know you should have bought it, either you couldn't afford it at the time or just missed getting it?

Mine was a 425 that a good friend had. His first wife who wanted to be on the farm had died, he remarried and was selling the farm and moving back into the city. He offered the 425 to me first for something like $4,500, this being five years ago. I know it didn't have a lot of hours on it since he had a bigger zero turn mower that he used almost all the time, the JD was just a little small for the big grassy areas he had. We had just bought a new to us '05 Chevy 2500 HD crew cab from my MIL and just didn't have the money for the JD and the credit was pretty well tapped, at least as much as we wanted to get into debt. He of course sold it right away to someone else.

When a '97 GT275 came up at an on-line auction I followed the bidding, putting a bid in often enough to keep them honest. I told the wife if it goes reasonable I'm going to buy it. We needed a backup mower to the Husqvarna LGT2554 that is too wide for some areas on the property, so she just rolled her eyes. The last day I put a bid in that morning, and that evening no one had out bid me. I brought it home last Thursday. That's the one that didn't get away.

 

[jdurnya]

JD 950 4 WD wrestled with the idea that it was too large ( which it was ... as well as the rest of my tractors ) by the time i decided to grab it ... well, it was gone..

 

[mopar65pa]

2 years ago I should have bought the 332 I was offered for $2200.

20 years ago I could have bought a 318 for $1000.

23 years ago I could have bought a 1970 340 T/A challenger for $500 and I knew where the #s matching engine and trans were. Oh wait that's a car. But that's the one I REALLY regret.

 

[No Quarter]

Last year I missed out on a running 318, here in town, for $300 by 5 minutes. I had a buddy over for dinner that night and didn't see it on craigslist until after he left.

 

[mrbeef]

It has to be in the hundreds now.... :ROF but the one that sticks with me the most is a 1971-72 110... Pristine condition with radio and blower.... Got out bid on eBay... Sold for $620-650 IIRC.. High for a SF but it was mint! .... Shortly after I bought my first round fender and it has been downhill since.

 

[snowplowdog1288]

Several years ago while sitting in my deer stand, I was looking on CL and found a 318 with deck, blade, blower, tiller and cab for $1000. By the time I called it was already being loaded on a trailer. The next day the same tractor showed up in a different city, minus the tiller, for $1500. Still a decent price and again sold very fast, just not to me. The tiller showed up in a different ad for $1500 by itself and didn't last long either. Still kicking myself over that one.

 

[John151]

Ha, nothing ever got away from me (I am batting 1000)! Well, that is because I purchased the one and only JD that I ever really considered. I have drooled over a few RF models as well as various newer and larger models, but never with intent. Four years ago I got lucky and purchased the perfect GT for my needs and budget on the first try. To be honest, it wasn't luck, it was the knowledge/advice from this forum that allowed me to make an informed decision when I had no clue as to what I was getting into.

:thThumbsU

 

[FlintMich]

Last year I came across a local 318 that was in excellent condition. He started out at $1500 and eventually came down to $800 because it started to blow smoke after running for a while. I'd been searching for a 140 at the time and I didn't want to spend my "tractor stash" on the 318 and then miss out on a 140.
After looking into it and asking around, I was convinced that the 318 smoking issue may have been caused by a blocked breather (my local JD mechanics theory) so I called him back, intending to buy it that day, only to find out that it sold that morning - for even less. Even if the motor was junk, which it wasn't, it was still worth twice that and even more if I parted it out. I'm still kicking myself over that one.
Oh, and now I'm looking for a power steering unit from a 318 to convert my 140. How's that for irony?!

 

[Sergeant]

Back In 1988 I went to the dealer To Buy a 1987 JD 318 which had been sitting in stock for a year Dealer talked Me Into a JD 240 with a 38inch deck, Blade, Thrower, Integral Hitch & 30inch tiller for about the same price as that 318 with deck . Well go ahead 3 years Finally ready to buy a 318. Same dealer says wait till next year The 320 is coming out saying it would be a better version of the 318. well I wait like a idiot and what does Deere do to the 300 series in that time Drops the shaft drive, 3point Hitch & Loader My whole reason for wanting a 318 In the first Place was a 3point Hitch & a Loader. Oh Boy was I Mad at that point end up buying a Ingersoll 3016PS Which still couldn't Take a Loader which is another story. I finally got My first Loader tractor in 1999 which was a White GT2055 with a Kwik-way loader & the Following Year in 2000 I got a Used 1994 JD 425 with 40 loader, 450 Tiller & 60inch deck from the same salesmen who was selling it for a customer for only $3,500 BTW I was so Happy the Next day after the sale of the 425 That salesman got fired Dealer was mad he didn't try to sell it for more than the customer wanted. That was a steal for a 6 year old 425 at the time. Traded that 425 with attachments for more than I paid for it in 2003 on a X485. Still have the White & Ingersoll. The 240 belongs to a cousin where it's still running strong. That 240 was a Tractor I should have never sold:thThumbsU

 

[steddy]

Just buy all of them. You won't have any regrets. I think.

 

[rabbitking61]

I went to trade my 445/60' deck for a 455/60" deck/3ph pto tiller. I didn't take the deal because he would only allow me aout $2000 for my 445.

That was several years ago and I still think my 445 is worth more than $2000. It only has about 600-700 hrs and is a '99 model.

The good thing is my son bought the 455.

That dealership has always been high priced as far as I am concerned.

 

[rayjay]

My problem is that I have 3 that I wish they would have gotten away. A couple of L100s and an LX155.

 

[MowJoe]

A 355d.

 

[brackishtractor]

a few months ago there was a 400 with the brinley backhoe and loader for $2500 listed in the Houston craigslist and surrounding areas. Lister seemed to think he was being greedy. Attempted to downplay the age and modest size of the package. I'm sure he made someone (else) very happy!!

 

[tracktortag]

It has to be in the hundreds now.... :ROF but the one that sticks with me the most is a 1971-72 110... Pristine condition with radio and blower.... Got out bid on eBay... Sold for $620-650 IIRC.. High for a SF but it was mint! .... Shortly after I bought my first round fender and it has been downhill since.

Ahh, still trying to fill that void...:sidelaugh

 

[mikgran]

Ahh, still trying to fill that void...:sidelaugh

Well here's mine from 3 1/2 yrs. ago. Bad experience but oh well. I still think about them. Sorry for the long read but it tells the story.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/12-john-deere-forum/243586-x485-455-a.html

 

[Alberta 7.3]

Missed out on a 455 with loader/mower/tiller for $2000 that "had something wrong with the transmission." A dillhole tractor flipper picked it up and was asking 4 times the price.

 

[ggsteve]

This is not deals that I didn't call in time for, there are far to many of those, but I was the first to call on an almost new 345 for $1000 and just didn't feel like driving 45 minutes that day.

Far worse than that was the beautiful '66 Corvette roadster w/hardtop I passed up in 1984 for $6000 right after I bought my house. 20 years later the car was appraised for $185000. No, I didn't miscount the zeros.

 

[tracktortag]

Reminds me of the moss green 1967 Shelby GT 350 that I bought for $1,100 in 1973, and sold for $2,500 after we were married in 1975...:crybaby:

 

[Jimbochap]

This is not deals that I didn't call in time for, there are far to many of those, but I was the first to call on an almost new 345 for $1000 and just didn't feel like driving 45 minutes that day.

Far worse than that was the beautiful '66 Corvette roadster w/hardtop I passed up in 1984 for $6000 right after I bought my house. 20 years later the car was appraised for $185000. No, I didn't miscount the zeros.

:banghead3