Garden Tractor Info

I came across a listing of the new model John Deere Lawn and Garden Tractors. This list was posted by Stan in the JohnDeereGardenTracto Yahoo group. Stan is the group owner, one of the moderators, and a John Deere mechanic. There is some good natured bantering going on about which garden tractor model is, or was, the best. My (Bonnie’s) personal favorite was the John Deere 322, I loved the sound of that engine. Not too many of them were made. I’m pretty sure Jim would say the John Deere 140 because of all the features it had for such an early model.

All “L” series are now “100″ series
LT & LX series are now “X300″ series
GT & GX series are now the “X500 Multiterrain tractor” series
X400 & X500 series are the “X700 Ultimate tractor” series

102 - 17hp, 5spd, 42 inch deck
115 - 19hp, hydro, 42 inch deck
125 - 20hp, hydro, 42 inch deck
135 - 22hp, hydro, 42 inch deck
145 - 22hp, hydro, 48 inch deck
155C - 25hp, hydro, 48 inch deck
190C - 25hp, hydro, 54 inch deck

X300 - 17hp, hydro, 38 or 42 inch deck
X304 - 17hp, hydro, 42 inch deck, 4ws
X320 - 22hp, hydro, 48 inch deck
X324 - 22hp, hydro, 48 inch deck, 4ws
X340 - 25hp, hydro, 54 inch deck

X500 - 25hp, hydro, 48 inch deck
X520 - 26hp, hydro, 54 inch deck
X534 - 25hp, hydro, no deck, 4ws, PS
X540 - 26hp, hydro, 54 inch deck, PS

X700 - 23hp carb gas, hydro, PS - Comparable to the 425 then X475
X700 series have 48,54,or 62 in.decks
X720 - 27hp EFI gas, hydro, PS - Comparable to the 445 then the 485
X724 - 27hp EFI gas, hydro, PS, 4ws - Comparable to the 445 AWS then the X485 AWS
X728 - 27hp EFI gas, hydro, PS, 4wd - Comparable to the X585
X740 - 24hp diesel, hydro, PS - Comparable to the 455 then the X495
X744 - 24hp diesel, hydro, PS, 4ws - Comparable to the 455 AWS then the X495 AWS
X748 - 24hp diesel, hydro, PS, 4wd - Comparable to the X595
(comparables added by Jim)

The engines in the new X series are all Kawasaki or Yanmar and are exclusive to the John Deeres.

When you have managed to get a nice collection of garden tractor attachments it’s not an uncommon practice to own more than one garden tractor to use them with. We’ve done this often with our neighbors, keeping less used attachments like the belly blades, roto-tillers, de-thatchers, and leaf collection systems on one tractor while having a mower deck or front end loader on another. We use our front end loaders every day so we need our “shop tractors” with loaders not to be tied up mowing the grass. We get plenty of questions about which attachments work with different models of garden tractors. Here is a recent one:

Q: I have a John Deere 330 diesel garden tractor. I have numerous attachments for it. It has a front loader, 3 point hitch, and more. I also have a power broom that I would like to mount on a different unit as the loader and broom are too inconvenient to continuously switch out. I am curious as to which models will interchange with mine. I understand the 316, 317, 318 models will accommodate my accessories. What other models will? I plan to look for a second unit to mount the broom on and perhaps my tiller as well. What are my options? Do you have any insights on the 330? Anything I can do to increase the hydraulic capacities? Any quirks I should be aware of?

A: The garden tractors you can mount the broom are John Deere 120, 140, 300, 312, 314, 316, 317, 318, 322, 330, and 332.

The loader and your 3 point hitch can only be mounted on John Deere 316, 318, 322,330, and 332.

The hydraulics on the John Deere 330 garden tractors work fine, if you are running the loader off of the tractor, I would switch the loader over to it’s own pump. The front end loader works much faster and better if you get a big enough pump.

Q: I am intrigued by the idea of using a separate pump for the loader. Would this be
powered from the front PTO? Where would one mount such an animal? What should I be looking for in a pump? How big is big enough and what kind of performance could I expect? Currently my unit struggles with about 300 lbs, but the bucket capacity is slightly larger, when I switch to the 2′ forks (my own design) I would like the ability to occasionally lift more than that. Increased speed would be a much welcome side effect if possible.

A: The loaders usually come with about a 4 gallon per minute pump. A 9 gallon per
minute pump will make things work pretty good. Myself, I put on a 22 gallon per minute pump on the John Deere 318, ”the Bird”, but you do not have to go that far. On most front end loaders there is a by pass valve on the 2 lever valve that allow you to adjust the lifting capacity of your loader. Of course in doing so you will have to add even more weight yet to the rear of the garden tractor.

The John Deere 140, In 1968, was the first hydrostatic garden tractor born to John Deere. It had a 12HP Kohler engine. In 1969 John Deere changed the engine to a 14 HP Kohler. The John Deere 140’s were manufactured with the Sundstrand high gear hydrostatic transmissions up through the serial number 30,000 or 1970. The garden tractors with the serial number 30,001 and above and built in 1971 and newer had the new style Sundstrand transmission. This transmission was used up through all of the John Deere 140’s, ending in 1974. That style hydrostatic transmission was used in all of the John Deere garden tractors including the 120, 140, 300, 312, 314, 316, and 317 ending in 1982.

The John Deere 140 came standard with one hydraulic lever and 2 hydraulic couplers up front. On the 140 H1 John Deere you could special order individual brakes, headlights, and oversize 23×10.50×12 rear tires. Another special order option was the John Deere 140 H3. The H3 came standard with the whole works; triple hydraulics, headlights, individual brakes, and a cigarette lighter. Individual brakes came as a standard option on the 318, 322, 332, 420, and 430 garden tractors and ended as an option in 1992.

I bought my new John Deere 140 H3 garden tractor in November of 1972, making it a 1973 model from J&W Boat and Motor. We bought a JDX8 snowmobile at the same time. We made good use of the “H3” triple hydraulics, as I had the front 54″ blade mounted on the front and bought the optional hydraulic angling kit for it. At the same time I had a John Deere model 33 roto-tiller mounted on the rear, making use of all 3 hydraulic levers simultaneously if I wanted to. One lever is used to raise and lower the blade and has hydraulic down pressure on that same lever, it is built similar to the John Deere farm tractor design. The second lever was used to hydraulically angle the front 54″ push blade from left to right and right to left. The 3rd lever is used to raise and lower the John Deere model 33 roto-tiller. This was a good combination to have together for tearing up and leveling ground. Two hydraulic couplers mounted on the rear of the tractor could be ordered as an option to run a 3 point hitch to use even more attachments.

I personally had a roto-tiller, 49 snowblower, the 48″ mower deck, and a Johnson Workhorse front end loader. Other attachments I’ve had are a sickle bar mower, thatcher with engine mounted vacuum system and trailer, 54” front push blade, 54C center blade, 3 point hitch, and integral hitch.

I wish they had come out with an hour meter, it would be interesting to know the great amount of hours on this machine. We use this tractor commercially to run our business. It has gone through three of the 1 cylinder, 14 HP Kohler engines and then in 1988 the Briggs Vanguards came into being. We installed a 14 HP, V Twin, overhead valve, Vanguard engine with an oil filter and oil pump. The repower ended all the engine headaches and this engine is running steady today with many many hours on it. I’m afraid this engine and tractor is going to outlive me! This tractor has been used in tractor pulling since 1973 and basically knew nothing but 1st place for years. I’m proud to let friends and customers try out my 140 to get a feel for the great sturdy tractors and the power of the Vanguard engines. Once in a while I even show off and do some wheelies with it. The price of my 1973 John Deere 140 H3 was $1745. $10,000 today wouldn’t buy you those kinds of options in a new John Deere garden tractor.

I once installed a 3 cylinder Geo engine in a John Deere 140 for garden tractor pulling, if you would like to read about it check out this page: http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com/geo_story.htm

We receive quite a few questions about repowering the older John Deere garden tractors. One of the most common models asked about is the John Deere 317. These 1979 to 1982 era garden tractors are well built and worth repowering. They were originally powered with the Kohler KT17 engine that had some serious design flaws. This engine gave a good tractor a bad reputation.

The KT17 Series I engine had a poorly designed main bearing on the crankshaft. It had an oil pump, but the oil pump did not pump the oil to the most important place, the connecting rods. It used a splash system on the connecting rods and you were instructed not to drive the tractor on hills. This engine breaks a connecting rod and the piston stops up against the head. It will sit there and run with no knocks with one piston standing still.

A question e-mailed to us this week:

Q: I have a John Deere 317 garden tractor with the original Kohler KT17 engine. This past mowing season I noticed oil draining from the blow by vent.

Is there much entailed to installing the Vanguard engine in the JD 317?

The tractor is in very good condition but I use it for tilling our small garden and mowing my 1 acre.

Does your repower kit require any sheet metal alterations to the side guards? Is the 18HP engine your recommendation or a larger HP engine? I run the power flow collection system when I mow and use the tiller. I was wondering if a larger engine would be less stress on the engine.

A: The 18 horsepower Vanguard engine would easily have more than enough power. The Vanguard 18 horsepower puts out a short 20 horsepower as this engine is a little under rated. You do not have to cut any sheet metal. When you get done it will be a nice neat job and you will almost think you have power steering.

We have installed many Vanguards engines in dozens of John Deere 317 garden tractors. That is the only way to go.