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Old 05-24-2023, 08:15 AM
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Default Wanted ... heavy duty garden tractor

Anyone in the Albany/Saratoga NY area have a superbly maintained, heavy duty garden tractor, like the larger John Deeres, Cub Cadet etc. (usually around 700 lbs) that they want to part with for an unusually low price of like $1000 ?

Anything from the mid 70's to mid 90's, hydrostatic, with mower deck.

I'll give it a good home.

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Old 05-26-2023, 10:08 AM
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I've got a 2010 Husqvarna YTH24V48LS (24hp, 48" deck) that I would sell for less than that.... but I don't know if it's worth the drive to western Maine. I'm guessing around 8 hours each way. Unless you happened to be coming this way for something else anyway. Zip code 04281
The deck was completely refurbished about 5 years ago and it's been our back-up tractor for the last 2 years. Just got a new battery for it this spring.
It's showing 502 hours, which I'm not sure is high, low or average, for 13 years.

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Old 05-26-2023, 10:35 AM
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Just realized you said 'garden' tractor, as opposed to lawn tractor.
Our Husky is a lawn tractor, not really designed for tilling soil or pulling stumps. Disregard, if this was what you had in mind.

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Old 05-26-2023, 04:43 PM
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Try Craig's list. I have older Cub Cadets,10hp,12hp 14hp 16hp. There is a forum for CCs. I like mine,Kohler engines. I have stick and hydrostatic. The hydrostatics if not abused are very dependable. Used are in the $500.00 range.

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Old 05-27-2023, 04:16 AM
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I thought seriously (and still am) about a vintage CC. I've owned a 169 and a 123 and both worked hard for me with little work to get them going. And I'm already somewhat knowledgeable about them.

I'm going to try go look at a late 80's Kubota diesel this weekend for $1400, with 1200 hours.

The work will be mowing only, but some rough terrain and knee high grass/weeds. So I need some traction, and a deck that will go 4" high at the least.

I'm bouncing back and forth between buying a "Big Box Store" lawn tractor and abuse the heck out of it, or a proper vintage garden tractor more suitable for the job. I've got about five weeks to find one and do the necessary restoration/service work on it. When it comes to vintage I'm just not sure I can track down the necessary parts (if it needs them) in time for the project. Vintage might involve a lot of internet time chasing down information and parts. Late model lawn tractor might not be up to the task when it starts, and at that point too late to do anything about it.

When I look at the late models you can get a pretty nice used machine for $1000-1500. But it's an 80% chance it will be the same MTD made machine with a different color, intended for level lawns, small wheels and delicate parts.

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Old 05-27-2023, 07:00 AM
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I'm very leary of big box store tractors. They are not all the same I guess.Neighbor bought a new one. It was about a year old. It broke down down over the steepest part of his property. The local dealer came. I had to use my 10 hp CC mid 60s to rescue it. My local CC dealer is a regular at Pontiac events he told me box store tractors are not the same as what he sales. Some parts do not interchange. He and his wife have told me true stories. Kubota sounds like a good deal.

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Old 05-28-2023, 01:40 AM
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Can "pre-vintage" Wheelhorses be found at reasonable prices? I'm still using my 1958 & 1963, for about 50 years now.

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Old 05-28-2023, 04:04 AM
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The Wheel Horses are still out there and affordable, and of course have a good following. If I had a few more months to get things ready a vintage HD brand would be a no brainer.

Going tomorrow to look at a mid 90's Cub 1641, kind of the best of both worlds, new enough that parts can be found, but it still uses a horizontal shaft engine, shaft drive hydro and pretty much the same deck/drive arrangement that the old ones do. I think it was made after MTD bought Cub Cadet, but before they threw out all the old designs. Has a proper HD differential, aluminum instead of cast iron like the old ones, but still very robust. Should be more than enough for mowing anyway.

I've got a Kubota BX2200 that I've been using here in NY for ten years ... but weighs 2000 lbs, my Aluma utility trailer only carries 1600 lbs .... and I don't really want to tow the Kubota back and forth every time I travel the 1100 miles down to TN. So looking for something serviceable I can leave down there unattended. Looking forward to the day I can take the Kubota and NH backhoe down there for good.

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Last edited by dataway; 05-28-2023 at 04:23 AM.
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Old 05-28-2023, 06:35 AM
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Some of the later CC s had aluminum axle housings. 2 things to investigate. The aluminum sweats and moisture ends up mixing with hydraulic oil from what forum says. I guess also there needs to be drain return holes drilled. Forum talks about this. 2nd the fastening of rear housing to frame is weak which leds to Cracked housing. There is a reenforcement made or you can custom make one. I've never had these later CCs to experience these problems yet. Just to make you aware.As you said they are still good tractors. I'm dealing on a 2082 ,with rear lift and pto now with a bad cam ,this tractor is in the 1000lb range. It's an addiction.

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Old 05-29-2023, 06:27 AM
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Well the 1641 was junk, and the deck was literally the worst deck I have ever seen.

Going today to look at a GT2554 Heavy Duty. Supposedly 250 hours, kind of hard to believe.

Jeez there are a bunch of goof balls on FB Marketplace. If they would just post an honest ad for their item they'd probably have much better results. I love how they post pics from years ago and the actual item is buried in the woods, or deep in a shed. No effort whatsoever to have it ready to show to someone.

Looks like there are a lot of "flippers" in the riding mower market. Dead giveaway when they post pics of it still on a trailer

My Kubota has an aluminum rear unit .... and yep, you really have to stay on top of fluid changes to keep the moisture out. I find the easiest method is to change the hydro filter frequently as the paper elements seem to soak up the moisture. Or you can pull drain plug for a second or two and let out any moisture accumulated in the bottom.

If I can find a heavy duty unit it will only see what would be considered easy use for a machine like that, no towing, plowing or tilling ... just mowing.

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Old 05-30-2023, 12:09 AM
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Bought the GT2554 for $1000

And of course there is a story. The FB ad pretty accurately described the condition with the exception of the hours ... ad said 250, got the machine home and plugged in the hidden and taped up hour meter plug and it said 551, so who knows how long ago it was unplugged, didn't appear very long.

The kicker is, this thing is in excellent condition for an 18 year old machine (2005), oil appears to have been changed regularly as it's still clean after running, hydro fluid at the right level and clean. Underside of the machine looks close to new. Many of the gold anodized parts are still shiny so it was stored in a dry environment. Engine starts, and runs wonderfully, very smooth, and very quiet. Air cleaner shows no evidence of cylinder blowby.

It has the cast iron trans axle, cast iron front axle, factory oil cooler. After I plugged in the dash harness it shows good oil pressure, good voltage.

Deck is outstanding, like maybe 100 hours type outstanding. Now the guy said he owned this machine for 12 years ... when I flipped the deck over at home, the cutting edge of the blades appeared to be factory new (and they are OEM blades) ... but it was obviously they had been installed for a few years at least .... something was strange about them ... then I realized they were all mounted upside down. Someone has been mowing with the back side of the high vacuum blades for years ... making it a very dull, high pressure deck. Bizarre.

Still has the OEM tires on it, not worn out. So other than some rust under the rubber foot pads it's in great shape far as I can tell. No telling what the real story is on the mower, or how long the guy has owned it, or how many hours it has (could be the guy had a habit of leaving the ignition on and running the hour meter by accident so he unplugged it, or he could be dishonest ... who knows).

He originally wanted $1600 for it with the snow thrower, I asked him for a price with no snow thrower and he dropped it to $1000 so I snapped it up. I have a feeling it was gifted to him, or traded to him ... he thought it mowed horribly because the blades were on upside down so decided to try to get rid of it.

So, I've got the Yellow Fever again

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Old 05-31-2023, 04:24 PM
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Sounds like a nice tractor. My 10 hp stick starts easily no smoke, plows snow (wish had heated cab) 24 yrs I've owned it. One clutch. Yes I to have the addiction, plus the Pontiacs,plus the trains and die cast construction equipment.

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Old 05-31-2023, 05:20 PM
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It seems the car hobby and lawn/farm equipment addiction goes hand in hand. My secondary addiction after Pontiacs is little vintage Lawnboy 2-cycle mowers. Pretty big following and dedicated owners. I refurbished a 14HP CC for a good friend for a house warming gift. He loves it. On it's 3rd year cutting for him.

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Old 05-31-2023, 06:48 PM
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These stories are nice cross section of our country. I just unstuck an exhaust valve on my 14 CC. Believe it or not I used a 'ball joint fork' to slowly get valve out. Luckily no problems still within stem clearance

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Old 06-01-2023, 01:45 AM
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I wish I had kept either my 123 or 1450. I actually gave them both away, both were good running machines and did work weekly. Could have saved me $1000 if I kept one.

I noticed the guy I bought this from edited his ad after I bought it to remove the stated "250" hours, and changed it to "low hours" .. what a d-bag. Well I guess it's a win/win .. he thinks he got good money for a machine that didn't mow well, I think I got a good mower for easy money because he had the blades on upside down

Have new CC brand belts coming, filters, fluids, plugs etc. Should be ready to work in a week.

And ... I find myself still checking the vintage mower ads ... not a good sign for my future

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