Lawn tractors....which one is the keeper?

[Ausfahrt]

I have managed to acquire two lawn tractors and plan on hauling one of them from Florida to Vermont to be the long term keeper. The tractor that stays in Florida will either be sold or left for the new homeowners when we sell our southern home.

Every time that I think that I have my mind made up, something happens to change things. Both tractors are good running machines and I am having a tough time deciding so I thought it would be fun to post it up here and get some input from you guys!

First up, wearing the red trunks, is a 2007 Craftsman YS4500 with a Kohler Courage 20hp single cylinder engine and a conventional manual transmission with only 82 hours.

Next, wearing the green trunks, is a 2003 JD L110 with a 17.5 Kohler Command single cylinder engine with a recently serviced hydrostatic transmission and 290 hours.

I have been using both of them lately and they both run and mow like champs so which one would you choose as the long term keeper?

 

[BrocLuno]

I've got two small JD's. One is 24 years old and one is closer to 40. I vote Deere

 

[Bgallagher]

I vote the deere purely based on the transmission. Makes for a nicer mowing experience versus a manual transmission. Both are solid lawn tractors that'll offer many years of service to you and whoever you leave/sell it to.

 

[Tdbo]

I'd say that both the machines are fairly equal.
I'd give the nudge to the Deere based on dealer support.

 

[jeepman3071]

The John Deere hands down.

The Kohler Courage engine in the Craftsman is a very bad design. They have problems with plastic cam gears, blocks cracking, head gaskets, valve covers leaking, balance mechanisms breaking, oil leaks, etc. I've seen more of those blown up than any other lawn tractor engine.

The Deere has better parts availability and the Kohler Command engine, which is far superior.

 

[bubbatime]

The Deere is certainly a much better mower. If it were me, I wouldn't haul either of them across the country. Sell them both and buy a mower when you get to Vermont.

 

[Bandito440]

Just get a trail mower for your tractor!

 

[Ethan1]

JD based on the hydrostatic trans, the recently serviced hydrostatic trans, the kohler command vs cheapo courage, and long-term parts availability.

 

[Brybo86]

I vote Deere based on transmission as well.

And I would like to say thank you for having nice pics in this thread. It makes the thread 200% more useful.

 

[CT8]

Sell both and buy a zero turn[ what ever they are called] the hydro trans is nicer.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
The John Deere hands down.

The Kohler Courage engine in the Craftsman is a very bad design. They have problems with plastic cam gears, blocks cracking, head gaskets, valve covers leaking, balance mechanisms breaking, oil leaks, etc. I've seen more of those blown up than any other lawn tractor engine.

The Deere has better parts availability and the Kohler Command engine, which is far superior.


You mentioned "block cracking". I have weld repaired two Kohler blocks for cracks. Here is a pic.

 

[440Magnum]

Well, they both have Kohler instead of Kawasaki or Honda, so that's a win for both. Be aware, though, that the "Command" is a substantially better series than the "Courage," which is basically a far down-scale model with big horsepower numbers to help sell off-branded mowers. For this and other reasons, I strongly vote the JD. Growing up, Dad had a '66 JD 110 (the original L&G tractor, no relationship at all to the much later L110 here) that was in full use all the way to the mid 1990s, and he replaced it with a JD LX173. I inherited the 173 and fixed it back up and its still going strong, the 15-HP Kohler hasn't missed a beat. The grease-lubed sequential-shift Peerless manual trans is not nearly as good as the oil-lubed fork shifted type in the old 110, so I actually wish it was a hydro. But it all works, and I've been collecting the parts to restore the 110 as well (Dad never scrapped it, thank goodness!) JD makes good stuff, it would be my hands-down pick.

That said, if you're moving X-country maybe you should sell both and create an opportunity to buy a nice Ferris zero-turn.

 

[Donald]

Is the Sears a 247. model number or 917.?

I would keep the JD.

 

[Astro_Guy]

I'm going to second the "sell both" recommendations because these are both single cylinder units and you are likely to have hills to deal with in Vermont.

 

[mrsilv04]

I'm not sure how much longer that Sears might be selling lawn and garden equipment.

I'm thinking that John Deere will be around longer than Sears.

 

[HM12460]

I have a 1982 John Deere 210 and a 1994 LX-176. Both very good machines. Sorry, of the 2 you have, I wouldn't own either one. Sell them both and get a real Deere after you move. Neither is worth hauling the distance.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04

I'm thinking that John Deere will be around longer than Sears.

Yeah but Sears is either MTD, Husqvarna, or AYP (Electrolux) which will ensure parts for a long time to come. Nothing special or out to the ordinary for the Craftsman.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
I'm not sure how much longer that Sears might be selling lawn and garden equipment. ANYTHING


Fixed it for you. Right now Sears is the equivalent of a WW2 bomber shot down, that is smoking, flaming, at 8000 feet and plunging towards earth. The plane and crew are alive for now, but not much longer.

 

[JTK]

This Deere has nothing to do with "Dad's JD" from 40yrs ago. Not saying it's a bad thing though. It's still a notch above that Husqvarna Group built sears machine in terms of how things fit together and comfort of use.

I have seen Kohler Courage single cylinder engines have issues where the crankcase cover bolts under the flywheel loosen, causing the crank to wobble and subsequent BOOM. That was pretty much rectified years ago. The Courage Twin is a little more foolproof of an engine IMO.

 

[IndyIan]

If you've got a simple lawn, I'd probably keep the gear one. Complicated lawn, I'd sell them both and get one with a better HST.
I should really bite the bullet and replace my cheapo HST riding mower, the HST works but its got so much ratio slop and its got a hand lever control. I can maneuver the 20' long tractor with a quality HST much more precisely...