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Old Garden Tractor Vs New Garden Tractor

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john deere
10K views 37 replies 28 participants last post by  larrybl 
#1 ·
It seems there are less and less new garden tractors being sold these days but plenty of old ones out there. Are the Deere models form the 80's and 90's a living up to their expectation or are new garden tractors just too much money? If you do buy new is it worth trading the old one in or keeping it?

What do y'all think?
 
#2 ·
How often do you need a new gt?! Most of us private users only need one or two all your lifetime - many of us have more than one while we are collecting this machines or for fun or...

When you've bought a gt in the former years, it was as expensive as a new one today.

And what's the worth of a machine? It's the money, that someone will pay for it.
 
#4 ·
I play with the older GTs because they were built to last and cost alot less. I am fortunate that I can repair them myself. I am not impressed with the quality of the new stuff. I'd rather have $500 and 100 hours invested in one of my old GTs than a new one.

You need to look at what you want, what you need to do, and what you can do yourself. Its a great hobby with alot of nice people here. Look around here for awhile before you form your opinion. Good Luck, Rick
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a hard time paying for a new GT because well they are still a garden tractor.That and I like old equipment.Many are close to $6K and several can run you north of $10K..Thats big money. Just to be honest, if I pay $10K for a tractor it will have 50 HP at the PTO and pull a mighty big hog and several 16's..Thats used of course but you can get a really nice FIL equipped farm tractor for what you would pay for a JD X700 series..

I love GT's. They are handy as all get out but Ill save the big money for big equipment.
 
#6 ·
There are still some nice true garden tractors out there but as you say they cost a bunch.
if you can do your own mechanical work the older model will serve you well for much less.
For the guy who does not do his own work, the new machines are a wiser buy.
Nothing wrong with either approch.

From my point of view if I were buying a new machine to use on my 9 acres, it would be a Cut or Scut thy in my opinion are todays Super Gt.s and there is little difference in price for equally equipped Super GTs and a SCUT.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you compare prices with inflation from what things cost in the 60's / 70's to todays models, the prices are just about the same.

With the state of the economy a lot of Lawn and Garden dealers I talk with all say people are starting to buy used instead of new. The quality of the Garden tractors made back then are much better than what we have today and a lot of people don't have $10,000 to shell out all at once. I think at this time more people are going for spending a few hundred here and there just fixing up that old machine.

All I can say is I'm glad the last generation shelled out the big bucks for these machines because we wouldn't have any to use today!
 
#11 ·
Im likely the odd man out but anymore I prefer new, Im tired of the hunt for machines/attachments that aren't totally spent. The X300R is the best machine I have ever owned for lawn mowing hands down. Most of my other equip is 30yrs old now and its getting time to upgrade, an X5/X7/ or series 1 is in the near future and all of the old with the possible exception of a Gravely walkbehind is going to get relocated.
 
#12 ·
I enjoy GT's that are new and old. Each has its purpose and can be enjoyed for many years. I mow the yard with a 40 year old John Deere as well as my fairly new X540. I just like seat time!
 
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#13 ·
I agree the machines seem inexpensive but most people look at them using todays dollars. I remember my Father in Law telling me when he bought his Sears SS 16 (I still have that machine and want to fix it up) that he made payments on that machine. It was a very expensive unit back in the day.

Now if you are asking if todays Sears tractors will be around 40 years from now.....I don't think so. Sure one here and there, but for the most part things are built as disposable. Replace and not repair is our motto today as a culture.

Poster JS5020 has hit the nail on the head for me anyway.

I have old tractors laying around that just don't run. JD318, Sears SS16, Ford YT-16. Why have they sat? I have been working on classic cars, but now as I get older and with medical issues, I can't wrench on the cars like I once did. I got the little Ford tractor and it brought back the memories as to why I liked the older cars in the first place. Now I just want my cars to be easy to drive and get me there in comfort. I bet that the lawn tractors will be the same, I will just want them to work and not want to tinker with them. But I have a new Kubota BX25D with a 60" mower deck and I am sure that is going to see me to the end of my days....and hopefully will live on to my kids days....just like the SS16 has lived on from my FIL to my day.
 
#14 ·
The older ones made honest horse power, my 9hp cast iron block B&S in my 1964 Landlord will run circles around some of the 23+hp lawn tractors that 2-5 grand will get you, and I can do way more, like turn my garden with a 10" moldboard plow, run a 36" wide rototiller or same width snow thrower. This new stuff, you pull the engine just a few rpm off 3600 and the torque goes way down. Carbs are sealed, non adjustable and set very lean to meet goverment emission standards. If your able or can find one already refreshed/restored. One is much better off with an older garden tractor, of any brand that you may like, be it JD, IH Cub Cadet, Simplicity/Allis Chalmers ect. With ebay and the net, even obsolete parts are usualy not more than a click or wanted post away. The trick is to buy the most complete tractor you can, options like rear lift hitch/3 point, factory lights ect can add up very fast or be priced higher than the whole tractor cost when they do show up for sale. Like a 3 point hitch for the Simplicity Sunstar tractor. Some brands are cheaper to outfit than others, Simplicity/Allis Chalmers and Wheelhorse have been cheaper IMHO to find attachments and parts for. And you really cannot beat the cut qualitly out of a good running Simplicity with the ground following mower deck. Cheers Mike
 
#15 ·
Hi There MuttonPower. You may have seen the thread that I started about building me a tractor from scratch and if you have, you might be interested to know that you might have changed my mind.

I just saw the ad you have attached to this post and was wondering where you live at. For what you are asking for some of the ones you have listed, all I could get around here would pretty much be junk. I forget now even what make it was but the last one that you listed says it has a six speed gear transmission. Does it have a transmission and a separate read end or is it actually a transaxle?

I am wondering how well it would fare if I removed the mower deck and then swapped the drive pulleys so that it would be geared about half of what it is now and put larger tractor lugged tires on it. I mean as far as the transmission and rear end holding up to the stress.

By gearing it different, I mean let's just say it now has a 4" drive pulley on the engine that drives a 8" pulley. I would go with something more like a 3" drive pulley and a 12" driven pulley. That would in effect change the ratio to the wheels exactly 2:1, but then the larger tires would take some of that back away from it, which would leave it with about a 1.5:1 ratio, which in essence would allow the 15 H. P. machine to do the work of a 22.5 H. P. machine, albeit at about 2/3 the speed.

I have no idea if you are following me here because I don't think I even understand what the hell I just said myself.

What it boils down to is that I want a small tractor that will last and that is why I wanted to build one with an automobile rear end and transmission to start with, but you have me wondering now.

Does the rear end in this machine have a top or front pinion gear, or shaft, or whatever the case may be?

Thanks for the time.

Godspeed

Ranger
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Personally - I love the old ones as I can afford them and enjoy fixing them up. I do enjoy the looks I get when people figure out the new looking tractor I am using is actually older than me AND that I did the work myself. :smilewink:

My dad has a very late 318 that has about 2,000 hours on it that he purchased when it was 3 years old. He spent $5,000 on it which seemed crazy to me at the time. That $5000 over the last 20 years has been money well spent.

If I had the expendable cash (like my retired father in law) I would pick up one of the newer x5 series or an x7 series like he owns.
 
#18 ·
... The box stores want you to buy a new one every few years
While that sounds good, in reality it's not true.

What has happened is that the market has changed. People live on smaller properties, do less in the way of gardening, and have no need for heavy duty garden tractors.

The majority of buyers now want something that will mow the grass, and cost @ $2,000.00 or less. When you start 'building to a price point' compromises have to be made. That means plastic body parts instead of steel. Steel parts made in smaller sizes. smaller tires, etc.

THAT is what gives you the 'throw away mower' that you have to replace when it wears out in just a couple of years.

MTD was the first to capitalize on the changing market, and when other folks like Bolens, Wheel Horse, etc. failed to do so, they swallowed them up.

Don't think for a minute that MTD can't build a true GT. Back in the 'old days' they did a very good job of that with the 990, 1400, 1600, etc. They don't build tractors like that any longer because there is a better ROI building the 'throw away' tractors.

Shucks, even John Deere 'saw the light' and started making throw away mowers, and I'll bet that they make more profit in a year on the cheap D series than they do on the X series.
 
#19 ·
I guess another thing to add is most parts are now sealed and not serviceable because most people today who just want to cut the lawn dont want to spend time working on their mower & barely know how to change the oil, let alone do any maintenance like greasing on a mower.... Imagine if the average consumer had to "Check for loose bolts" or "Adjust the rear axle end play every 50 hours" on a Bolens!

Today most simply want a "Turn Key and go"
 
#20 ·
While that sounds good, in reality it's not true.

What has happened is that the market has changed. People live on smaller properties, do less in the way of gardening, and have no need for heavy duty garden tractors.

The majority of buyers now want something that will mow the grass, and cost @ $2,000.00 or less. When you start 'building to a price point' compromises have to be made. That means plastic body parts instead of steel. Steel parts made in smaller sizes. smaller tires, etc.

THAT is what gives you the 'throw away mower' that you have to replace when it wears out in just a couple of years.

MTD was the first to capitalize on the changing market, and when other folks like Bolens, Wheel Horse, etc. failed to do so, they swallowed them up.

Don't think for a minute that MTD can't build a true GT. Back in the 'old days' they did a very good job of that with the 990, 1400, 1600, etc. They don't build tractors like that any longer because there is a better ROI building the 'throw away' tractors.

Shucks, even John Deere 'saw the light' and started making throw away mowers, and I'll bet that they make more profit in a year on the cheap D series than they do on the X series.
but people don't need a 54" rider mower for a postage stamp yard but that's what they buy... many these days can't even associate with "tractor" which is usually a tougher built machine, to those of us on a forum like this
 
#21 ·
I guess another thing to add is most parts are now sealed and not serviceable because most people today who just want to cut the lawn dont want to spend time working on their mower & barely know how to change the oil, let alone do any maintenance like greasing on a mower.... Imagine if the average consumer had to "Check for loose bolts" or "Adjust the rear axle end play every 50 hours" on a Bolens!

Today most simply want a "Turn Key and go"
but if the average person today had any concept of the meaning of the word "MAINTENANCE" they would realize that things could last SOOOO much longer, I would so much rather have a car, truck, tractor that CAN be maintained (repackable bearings among other things) than a machine full of sealed-for "life" (what ever that means anymore) components,
 
#22 ·
I like the old ones and the new ones!

I am a collector of Economy and Power Kings(7 in various states of useablity), just bought a 1995 Snapper M2200gt with a fel and the primary user tractor is a 2002 John Deere X585.

As I get older(60+) I enjoy collecting the old ones(finding/rebuilding/restoring/showing) but find that as user tractors creature comforts such as ps/hydrostat/hydraulics are becoming more important.

I an thankful that we have options in whatever we want to do with our time and money.

Chuck
 
#24 ·
Most of the people buying the throw away mowers dont want to get dirty working on them but dont mind spending $120+ on a spring "tune up". That keeps a lot of guys here supplied with "tractor money" to go get the good old stuff
 
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