John Deere Tractors

[JCM 9,167]

Every so often I read comments about this brand and wondering if the comments are in jest or are they your true feelings about JD tractors, and are the comments solely about the small tractors that are lined up at, you no where for sale or are we talking 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 series etc            Thanks for your input.     PS   Please don't get mad at me for this post.

[JAinVA 4,619]

I own as many John Deere tractors as Wheel Horses machines.With that said I don't have any John Deere garden tractors.The old JDs are simple machines to use and work on.Same for the WHs.The JD GTs may be good machines but I can't afford the price or complexity.Just to point out that I can go to my local JD dealer and get new parts for a machine that hasn't been new for 60 years. 

[Pullstart 62,883]

I have a newly acquired 1010 backhoe, and it’s in dire need of major work.  Any slight of the brand on my part is purely for grins and giggles.  It’s like Ford, Chevy, Ram.  I believe Chevy is the best, because I’m a fan.  If the other two were junk indeed, they’d have been out of the game long ago... but they’re not.  They’re just not for me.

[ebinmaine 67,502]

I have personal experience with five brands of older garden tractors.

 

Wheel horse of course.

 

I had a late 80s Murray. Inexpensive Box Store type machine that had a transplanted Briggs 11 horse commercial engine. Ran great. Just didn't weigh enough.

 

Maybe 10 years ago or more I had an older Bolens st160 that was given to me buy a then customer. Ran great once I gave it a tune-up but I never drove it. Belt was twisted around 9 million things below the tractor that we're not supposed to be there due to previous owner. Seemed like a decent rig but I ended up giving it to someone else for the amount of money I had into it which was not much.

 

I have owned a 1967 John Deere 110 model. It did run, though barely. that was before I had any knowledge at all about how to repair small engines or machinery. Also in a very different time period of my life when I had zero spare money to put into that type of thing.

That was an interesting looking machine. I'm quite fond of the appearance of the square hood and round rear fenders on them. Working on them? I think not. From what I remember it was not set up with anything to do with the simplicity of the Wheelhorse.

 

Cub Cadet, influenced by my grandfather.

As far as I know most of those are great machines and before I had horses I would not have hesitated to own one.

 

Now that we have seen the ease of repair and maintenance on the Wheelhorse brand, I don't see us getting any other brand.

 

 

As to farm tractors, I have no direct experience having never owned one. My father has two. One is a 1949 Ferguson. The other is a late 50s? International 330 I think.

I'm honestly not sure if he has a preference one way or the other.

 

I don't really have any specific thing Against a John Deere except that everybody and their brother, and their uncle, and his brother, and their damn grandfather, and everybody else in the entire Maine universe, already owns one.... And around here, they are quite overpriced in comparison to other tractor which are quite likely just as capable.

Do I dislike them? Well. No. I don't know anything about them to be honest. But I also don't want to. I just really would never buy one.

 

I've always been kind of an Allis-Chalmers fan. You want to know why? Cuz I like ORANGE. That's it. No other reason. ORANGE.

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

17 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Any slight of the brand on my part is purely for grins and giggles.  It’s like Ford, Chevy, Ram.  I believe Chevy is the best, because I’m a fan.  If the other two were junk indeed, they’d have been out of the game long ago... but they’re not.  They’re just not for me.

I agree 100%...now as far as JD GT the late 70s thru early 90s 15+/- years there was probably their best built most durable units JMO but really at that point in time so was any of the big name manufacturers (Cub Cadet Simplicity ect) even earlier but with the proliferation of the compact and sub compact 4wd utility tractors there really was no need to build $10k GT anymore...

Edited April 9, 2019 by WVHillbilly520H

[JAinVA 4,619]

I agree with Jeff, CUTs and SCUTs killed the GTs.Z turns did damage as well.Enjoy your Wheel Horses as no more are in the pipeline.

Edited April 10, 2019 by JAinVA

[oliver2-44 9,752]

I agree  with the above. Also, I have worked on a  family members 110 and a 314 and they are so much more difficult to work on compared to a Wheelhorse!

[bottjernat1 2,190]

I own 9 deeres 3 round fenders 3 patio editions, 1- 1975 restored 400,317, and a x540. I love my deeres as much as my horses! My babies are my wheelhorses i love them deerly! LOL

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,496]

I have had several John Deere lawn and garden tractors over the years, ranging from rear engine riders up to the 430.  All have been great.  From my own personal experience, having own JD, WH, Cub Cadets, etc., every brand has it's pros and cons.  None of the brands are generally better than the other, and all have specific models that are outright awesome machines, to some, not so much.

[EricF 589]

I grew up with a JD 112 from 1970 -- the square fender style. Well-made machine, Kohler powered, great to run. JD did a fine job with putting a nice fit-and-finish on everything; it had a quality feel and appearance everywhere you looked and touched it. They also did a good job keeping the belts nicely safe and shrouded before that sort of thing was required. But it also made changing the mower deck belt -- or even worse, the main drive belt -- not so fun. Belts and mule drive/tensioner assembly all ran inboard of the frame members, and it was a bit cramped in there. (Also, mounting/dismounting attachments was generally more fiddly -- because there's nothing quite like Wheel Horse Attach-A-Matic hitches...) Later John Deere GTs added more complexity on top of the same basic design. Always well-designed machines, just a bit more complex in order to add desirable features -- but that inevitably brings in more cost and more chances for problems to develop later compared to simpler machines. The modern ones are really a whole different beast, but they have to be given modern safety and design requirements. JD still puts a lot of attention to detail into their products. They may not be the sort of old-style "heavy iron" I prefer in equipment, but they're good machines.

[Dakota8338 115]

I grew up with a Sears David Bradley 2 - Wheel Walking garden tractor, next came an International Harvester (IH) model 140 when I was in high school.  After graduating school, married and on my own, I purchased a Wheel Horse C141.  I did the grounds maintenance for our church many years and included in doing the yards work was maintaining the church's equipment.  There was an old MTD, Murray, John Deere.  I had never cared for the MTD brand, but to be honest the old MTD did rather impress me.  You don't even want to know what I think of Murray!  The JD was a dream machine, but it did not have the simplicity of my own Wheel Horse.  

 

One of the wife's co-workers was having a garage sale one weekend, but she was offered the opportunity to look things over on Friday afternoon, so following work we went by and both picked up a few things.  I picked up a 36 inch Rigid pipe wrench, but her co-worker had an old Wizard (Western Auto brand) lawn mower which caught my attention.  Taking & discussing the mower, I was told it skimmed the ground on right side so in desperation, a new mower had been purchased, since nothing seemed to stop the problem.  I was offered the mower, just to haul it off.  With nothing to loose, I took the offer.  The old Wizard was big & beefy, which I likes, and I am sure it was an MTD product, but I never pursued who manufactured it.  It took some time, but one of the lift rods had broken which lifted and lowered the deck.  Once welded and ground smooth the old Wizard was an excellent mower, and it was relatively easy to work on.  My son helping mow the church grounds, got their MTD down in one of the ditches and damaged the MTD's transmission trying to get it out before getting my assistance.  I opened up the transmission case from the MTD but decided it simpler to replace the transmission than attempt repairs.  The Wizards transmission was the same, so I pulled it and replaced it under the church's MTD mower, and it continued service with the old MTD, there by ending the life of the free Wizard. 

 

With time I added a Kubota 6000E, 312/8 WH, 314/8 WH, then later a Scag 61 inch Turf Tiger, Scag 52 inch Wildcat, and I have a couple of larger tractors (Kubota 245HL, JD 4005 4-WD, & Yanmar 240D 4-WD) also now.  I am not a mechanic by any means, but with time and work, I have became a pretty good maintenance engineer of lawn & garden equipment, & vehicles also, as much of necessity as anything else, because of the cost of repairs to equipment.  

 

Unfortunately today equipment has to be manufactured both lawyer & idiot proof, which reduces some of the simplicity.  That old DB Walking tractor and some of its equipment, which I still have today, would if still manufactured today be nothing, but dreams come true for the legal community.  For people who know what they are doing, simplicity is the best regardless of whomever the manufacturer is.  It is the easiest to be both properly maintain & repaired.  There is a net savings to the owner operator in time when doing basic maintenance & repair because of not spending a couple of hours removing and replacing covers that are little more than look good, feel good, time consuming "JUNK!"       

 

Nothing included in this list of equipment which I have worked on anytime from the past to present comes anywhere close to the old Sears David Bradley 2-wheel walking tractor, but since I prefer to ride, the Wheel Horse is a really close second in the simplicity department.

[Tractorhead 9,064]

JD, hum yes i seen severals here on our Side, Wheelhorses are in compare to JD‘s here extremly rare.

JD Tractors will be found from older Modells to newer but in last consequence if heard about just one Thing:

Spareparts are extremely long available, but they get horrible prices for them.

I think each part must be weighted of Gold.

Each JD you found here was damaged, or if it works in a horrible pricerange (staring from 6K and up....)

i did search a half year, but as longer i‘m searching, the lower was my interest in that Brand because of costs.

 

When i got my first Horse (only a 212) it was in really bad condition, because it was in a burnt Barn.

i reworked it firstly just as a Lawn mower, because i got it for nearly nothing.

The simplicity impresses me more and more, while no parts with unknown function.

After several months, i found it really usable for more than just mowing the Lawn, so i started improve it to a real „Workhorse“.

 

I only found, that the weight of a 212 Horse wasn‘t enough.

Searching for another „Horse“ arround me, but the only one i found was a complete damaged one.

A John Deere becomes more and more never a Issue for me, because i know few Guy‘s the just have Troubles with their.

So i decided better to invest my Money in my Horse, even it will be for most peoples here just a „Toy“.

 

I know a 212 has its limits, because of it‘s weight and maybe yes, it is only a Toy for them, 

but after That Winter it shows me, it really wasn‘t only a Toy.

Added with my homemade FEL it works brutforce hard, to make me the Life easier.

At one of our neighbours is standing a small JD in Barn, wich i can have for cheap,

but i decided to improove my Heard by a older ISEKI.

[6wheeler 603]

Myself? I have had several (and still do) kinds of GT's.  My 6 Wheelhorses along with 3 John Deeres are my current bunch. I really wouldn't rip on any of them. As far as the AG tractors from JD I think you are referring to? The 10 series tractors are basically utility tractors from the early 60's. Then came the 20 series. Basically a improved version, also from the early to mid 60's. Then came the 30 series. They were around 55hp. to 65hp. and replacements for the lettered and early and late numbered series tractors. Ie; A,B,G and R. Then 50,60,70 And 80. Then 520,620,720 and 820. Finally 530,630,730 and 830. All of the lettered tractors did not have live hydraulics. The first numbered tractors had limited live hyd. and power steering. All of this came as improvements as the series changed. However, they were all 2 cylinder hand clutch models. The 10,20 30 and 40 series tractors were all manufactured in the same time frame from the early 60's until 1972. When the 44 series was born. The 40 series tractors were considered the premium Ag line at the time the 4000 and 4010 were 70 and 80 hp. large tractors at the time but then came the 4020,97hp. 4320,115hp. 4520,127hp. and 4620,137hp. along with the 50 series. 5010,127hp. and 5020, 140hp. Then came the big Daddy. The 6030,200hp. All with improvements over the previous models. Then they made 2 4wd models. The 7020,175hp. and the 7520,200hp. I have used most of these tractors, with the exception of the 4wd's. We currently use a 3010 diesel, 2 4020 diesels. My 49 A along with my nephews 47 B. But the rest are 44 series tractors. If you are looking for something in an Ag tractor and don't want something too big? A 3020 is an all around handy tractor. It can handle a loader along with several ground engaging pieces of equipment. Plus. It will cost a lot less than these so called (cut) tractors being pawned off today.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

All brands have their pros and cons, I’ve owned and worked several tractors (both GTs and AG tractors) and have seen several things about each brand that I liked, and several that I didn’t. This is big time Deere country around here, used JD garden tractors can be found everywhere. A couple years ago I bought a nice 212 from a buddy of mine, tinkered with it for a while and soon got rid of it, hated the thing, not that it was a bad machine it was actually very well built. I just prefer the simplicity that comes with working on my Horses. Wrenching on the Horses is enjoyable, but wrenching on the Deere was always a dreaded task. 

 

As far as larger farm tractors, I’ve always been partial more towards the N series Fords and Farmalls. Don’t know why that is I just always have been. Odd seeing as how the first tractor I ever drove was my grandpas Allis Chalmers D15, and the best tractor I ever operated was a good old 4020 Deere, which would probably be the only JD farm tractor I would buy if I could find one reasonably priced