I came across the opportunity to buy another John Deere 425 AWS, and simply couldn't walk away.
I've had a 1995 JD 425 AWS since I bought it new in 1996. It has the 54" deck. Today, it is just a few hours shy of 3000 hours.
Last week, I came across a 1997 JD 425 AWS for sale, about a 20 minute drive away. This one has the 60" deck. The owner works for the local JD dealership, so it has been maintained well. For those who are familiar with this Kawasaki engine, the cam work has already been done on it.
It has 1000 hours on it, and runs like a champ. It has been used to mow a 2 acre yard. The owner decided to sell it, so he could buy a JD zero turn that came in on trade, where he works. I've done nearly all of the repairs on the older 425 unit, so that was a big factor in buying another one.
Since it is still winter, and I don't have much else better to do, I went through and did the following on the 1997, whether it needed it or not:
Changed the oil with Rotella T4 10w-30 and MicroGard (Wix) 51394 filter
Greased everything
Changed the fuel filter
Changed the NGK spark plugs
Changed the coolant with Peak LongLife coolant
Cleaned the air filters
Installed brighter headlight bulbs (1295)
A new high-back seat (one to match the one on the older unit) is on order, along with a set of Gator Blades.
I also pulled the deck out from underneath it, to power wash it, change the oil in the gearbox with synthetic, sharpen the blades, and touch up the paint in a few spots.
I have zero worries that the 1997 unit won't make it to 3000 hours (or more) as well.
I've had a 1995 JD 425 AWS since I bought it new in 1996. It has the 54" deck. Today, it is just a few hours shy of 3000 hours.
Last week, I came across a 1997 JD 425 AWS for sale, about a 20 minute drive away. This one has the 60" deck. The owner works for the local JD dealership, so it has been maintained well. For those who are familiar with this Kawasaki engine, the cam work has already been done on it.
It has 1000 hours on it, and runs like a champ. It has been used to mow a 2 acre yard. The owner decided to sell it, so he could buy a JD zero turn that came in on trade, where he works. I've done nearly all of the repairs on the older 425 unit, so that was a big factor in buying another one.
Since it is still winter, and I don't have much else better to do, I went through and did the following on the 1997, whether it needed it or not:
Changed the oil with Rotella T4 10w-30 and MicroGard (Wix) 51394 filter
Greased everything
Changed the fuel filter
Changed the NGK spark plugs
Changed the coolant with Peak LongLife coolant
Cleaned the air filters
Installed brighter headlight bulbs (1295)
A new high-back seat (one to match the one on the older unit) is on order, along with a set of Gator Blades.
I also pulled the deck out from underneath it, to power wash it, change the oil in the gearbox with synthetic, sharpen the blades, and touch up the paint in a few spots.
I have zero worries that the 1997 unit won't make it to 3000 hours (or more) as well.