John Deere 425 garden tractor

John Deere 425

If you are contemplating which garden tractor to buy, there are quite a few options to consider. You not only need to plan on what you want the tractor to do now but have some insight into what you might want to do with later. Will you ever want to use a front end loader or a 2 stage snowblower? Then you might want to consider a heavier duty machine. You will also want to know if the attachments you want now or in the future will be available. That is when it is helpful to have a better known brand of garden tractor, later when you want to buy accessories and parts. With so much information on the internet it’s pretty easy to find information on all the new machines and what they have to offer, it’s a little harder to find information on the “good” older machines. Some want a new shiny machine but you might want to consider something you may already have, getting attachments for it, or repowering and getting it running again. We hear from quite a few of you that have had someone give them their old tractor, or they have inherited one. My knowledge is best in the John Deere line of used garden tractors but we have been repowering all the brands since 1988 and have repaired and repowered some great older Cub Cadets, Simplicitys, Cases, Grasshoppers,Craftsmans, Alles Chalmers, Kubotas, Snappers, Great Danes, Toro Groundsmaster, Ransomes, and Ariens. A few e-mails asking – Which model?:

Q: I’m looking for a used John Deere riding mower but I am unsure of the model size that would work best for me. For physical size/storage I’m looking to stay between 100-300 series with turf tires and 38″ mower deck.

I have a little less than 1 1/2 acre of lawn to mow, but I am also looking to use it during the winter to plow snow from sidewalks/driveways.

The features I’m looking for are automatic transmission, power steering, hydraulics up front for a snow plow/snow thrower (preferably 2 stage), rear hydraulics for tiller, a snow cab, and a model that came with good front lights for night visibility. Can you tell me what year and model you would suggest so I can begin my search?

A: Your 100-30 series will not cover your demands. It sounds to me like you should check into the X700 models if you are wanting something new. Otherwise, a John Deere 318 will do everything you asked for and so would a lot of the other older John Deere garden tractors.

Q: I’d like your opinion. Which is better, the John Deere 318 or a newer John Deere 425? It seems they are both comparable in features and price. The JD 425 may be a couple hundred more for a machine with like hours. I know they have some different features, but it seems to me they are similar with both being 20 H.P. and having the hydraulic quick connects. The biggest difference I see is the differential lock and elimination of the two separate brake pedals on the JD 425, and the engine. Which would YOU rather have for the same money?

I would like to do some landscape type grading for leveling up people’s yards and renewing lawns ( stripping off the root mat, grading, spreading blended topsoil, and reseeding, as well as providing mowing service). Do these tractors do a good job loosening up sod with a small disk harrow, or would it be better to get one of the John Deere rear mount roto tillers? I know I need a three point hitch and rear PTO for the tiller, but I also feel pretty sure you will have all the parts I need to make that work. If the answer is the roto tiller, then a front blade would be in order. If the disc harrow would work, a back blade wouldn’t be too hard to switch with the harrow, and I have experience with back blades and box scrapers. I have a gut feeling that the John Deere 425 would be a better machine for this type of work mostly because of the newer water cooled Kawasaki V-twin engine and the longevity and reliability it would provide. But, I also know the JD 318 is one of your favorite models. What’s your opinion on this?

A: You are correct, I would much rather have a John Deere 425 with a water cooled engine. A tractor rototiller works much better than a walk behind rototiller.

Q: I have a chance to buy a John Deere 425 garden tractor with a little over 700 hours on it. I tested it and all looks and sounds good. A friend knows the back ground of the tractor and all sounds good. It is a one owner and cut about three acres. Is this as good a tractor as the 318? Are there any short comings about the  JD 425 that you know of or things I should look for?

A: This tractor is rated with the John Deere 318 and John Deere 332 tractors. The only problem we have the 425, 445 is that the plastic camshaft teeth would break off from heat and then a new camshaft needs to be put in. It is not that big of a deal.

The John Deere 318 garden tractors were built from 1983 to 1992. The John Deere 425 was built from 1993 to 2001. I am not necessarily saying newer is better. The 318 has a flat head, air cooled engine in it. The 425 has a V-Twin overhead valve, water cooled engine, 20 horsepower. All of this is much better than an air cooled engine and of course has 2 more horsepower than the 318. The 425 is smoother and quieter than the 318. The 425 has a posi lock rear end and no individual brakes. The 318 has individual brakes but no posi lock rear end. The 318 travels at 7.2 MPH and the 425 travels at 8.4 MPH.

http://www.jimsrepairjimstractors.com 1-800-618-8738

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