Buying Advice John Deere '92 GT262 vs '98 GT275 - buying used tractor

[Mrreck]

Hi everyone,

Let me start with some background. Where I live in northern/central California, reasonably priced, quality used lawn/garden tractors are not often found. I have stumbled onto a couple.

1. A 1992 JD262 w/48 inch deck. It is very local - less than 10 miles away. Private sale (hoping to take a look at it later today, in fact). Pictures look good (it appears clean and cared for, we will see...).

2. A 1998 JD275 w/50 inch deck (new, installed by the dealer). Its not quite as local - about a 5 hour drive away. It being sold through a dealer (new mower deck). Pictures look immaculate... but it would be a week, maybe 2 before I could look in person. And that is my concern...

So, my question is - I really don't like the idea of buying sight-unseen. BUT, I really appreciate the GT275 is 7 years younger. I know the machines are very similar (except for the transmission and hydralics, steering). My other thought is the GT262 is more of a "manual" machine (again - transmission & hydralics), so on an older tractor does that translate into into less to break over time?

Just curious for any advice you all can offer... Maybe when I look at the local GT262 later today, my mind will be made up....

Thanks in advance!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I don't have either one of those, but I do have a GT235E, which is the successor to the GT275. They are robust little garden tractors. The GT275 has the TuffTorq K71 hydrostatic transmission, which is a strong and durable HST tranny that is unlike the K46 that JD uses in the cheap box store models.

If the GT275 has reasonable hours on it and appears to have been well maintained, it should have plenty of life left in it. I believe it has a Kawasaki motor, which is a very good motor. The new deck installed by the dealer is a positive, but I would wonder why it was necessary to install a new deck. The old one might have been abused or left out in the weather to rust, so I would wonder what that says about the tractor. Inspect it carefully and make sure the pristine paint isn't a new paint job covering up a 15 years of abuse and neglect.

I don't know much about the GT262, but it has a gear tranny doesn't it? The HST tranny is really handy for mowing unless you just have a big square yard that doesn't require many direction changes.