Jason B
Bronze Member
Hi Guys
Well yesturday morning I went to look at a 1997 John Deere F1145 Front Mount Mower. It comes with a 60" mower deck and a 60" 22" Diameter Rotary Broom for the front of it. It has FWD which is a big plus. It has around 2,297hrs on the 28hp Yanmar Diesel. Started her and drove her around yesturday at the dealers lot, no smoking or anything. It seems like it was well taken care of. Engine sounded and ran perfect. Only a few minor things, like spot weilding a few cracks on the mower deck, probably replace the bearings in the mower deck and repaint the mower deck.. Other then that it is in good shape. No major repairs were done on the unit and it is really well built.
I primarly want the F1145 as it comes with a Rotary Broom which would be ideal for sweeping small- mid sized parking lots and lawns in the Spring. Also I want it for the 4X4 so I can put a 2 Stage Snow Blower on it and blow snow in the winter. The tractor, I blow snow with now, a 20hp Agco Allis 1920H( Simplicity SunStar) is not cutting it any more, it has no differential lock and often was getting stuck. I had to turn down a few potential good jobs for snow removal as the Agco was not up to the task. The 1920H is a great tractor but without diff lock or 4X4 it's useless for blowing snow comerically.
I also own a 1995 John Deere 455 AWS with 60" deck, that has differential lock, and have considered putting a Blower on the front of it, but would rather have the 4X4, and I don't feel like putting out the $$$ for a 2210 or 2305, plus the 455 is a **** of a mower in my opnion.
My thoughts was to buy the F1145 Deere Front mount with the 60" deck, Rotary Broom, and mount a Snow Blower on the front for the winter months. The F1145 would be used to cut some of the properties that I maintain that are bigger, and are less picky about clippings. The 455AWS, meanwhile, would have it's 60" deck swamped out for a 48" or 54" deck and mounted permantely to the Hydrolic Dump MCS with power pack engine and be used to maintain the more fussier customers who want their grass clippings picked up as well, as well the ones that want the clippings picked up, have smaller lots and this is where the 455AWS with a 54" deck is the time to shine. Ether way, I won't be trading the 455 off on the F1145, the tractor that would go would be the Agco Allis 1920H.
Some may wonder, why I would not go with a ZTR instead, but personally I don't really care for Zero Turn mowers. I have ran a few Zero Turns for over 300+ hrs at another employer I work for, and don't really care much for them. Too rough riding and not as well built, in my opnion only. They are great for small property owners, but I personally would not own a ZTR, at least a mid deck mount one. The only two, I would consider is that Grasshopper ZTR with the deck out front or that New Walker Front Mount ZTR. But I want 4X4 for blowing snow and those don't offer 4X4. The place at I work, has a ZD28 Kbouta ZTR with 72" deck and it has been plqued with problems since it was new in 03... Won't get into it, but I am not a fan of ZTRs, ethier a Front mount or an AWS unit is what I perfer. And if you really push a Front Mount you can keep up with a ZTR. I have seen a Kbouta F3060 with 72" deck Front mount keep pace with a Exmark ZTR with the same deck size going neck to neck. Of course when they ran into a wet spot, the Front Mount FWD unit pulled through while the ZTR got stuck and the Front Mount had to pull it out.
Not knocking ZTRs, just my opnions though, they are great for those who maintain 80+ lawns and all they do is cut grass or a home owner but my prefernce would be the Front Mount with 4X4 for tough going. Some seasons in my area at least, you have to cut when she is wet or dry to keep ahead of the grass, which means runing in wet slippery grass, and having the 4X4 is a nice reassurance for traction where as if you get a ZTR stuck it's a whole different story.
Take Care Jason B
Well yesturday morning I went to look at a 1997 John Deere F1145 Front Mount Mower. It comes with a 60" mower deck and a 60" 22" Diameter Rotary Broom for the front of it. It has FWD which is a big plus. It has around 2,297hrs on the 28hp Yanmar Diesel. Started her and drove her around yesturday at the dealers lot, no smoking or anything. It seems like it was well taken care of. Engine sounded and ran perfect. Only a few minor things, like spot weilding a few cracks on the mower deck, probably replace the bearings in the mower deck and repaint the mower deck.. Other then that it is in good shape. No major repairs were done on the unit and it is really well built.
I primarly want the F1145 as it comes with a Rotary Broom which would be ideal for sweeping small- mid sized parking lots and lawns in the Spring. Also I want it for the 4X4 so I can put a 2 Stage Snow Blower on it and blow snow in the winter. The tractor, I blow snow with now, a 20hp Agco Allis 1920H( Simplicity SunStar) is not cutting it any more, it has no differential lock and often was getting stuck. I had to turn down a few potential good jobs for snow removal as the Agco was not up to the task. The 1920H is a great tractor but without diff lock or 4X4 it's useless for blowing snow comerically.
I also own a 1995 John Deere 455 AWS with 60" deck, that has differential lock, and have considered putting a Blower on the front of it, but would rather have the 4X4, and I don't feel like putting out the $$$ for a 2210 or 2305, plus the 455 is a **** of a mower in my opnion.
My thoughts was to buy the F1145 Deere Front mount with the 60" deck, Rotary Broom, and mount a Snow Blower on the front for the winter months. The F1145 would be used to cut some of the properties that I maintain that are bigger, and are less picky about clippings. The 455AWS, meanwhile, would have it's 60" deck swamped out for a 48" or 54" deck and mounted permantely to the Hydrolic Dump MCS with power pack engine and be used to maintain the more fussier customers who want their grass clippings picked up as well, as well the ones that want the clippings picked up, have smaller lots and this is where the 455AWS with a 54" deck is the time to shine. Ether way, I won't be trading the 455 off on the F1145, the tractor that would go would be the Agco Allis 1920H.
Some may wonder, why I would not go with a ZTR instead, but personally I don't really care for Zero Turn mowers. I have ran a few Zero Turns for over 300+ hrs at another employer I work for, and don't really care much for them. Too rough riding and not as well built, in my opnion only. They are great for small property owners, but I personally would not own a ZTR, at least a mid deck mount one. The only two, I would consider is that Grasshopper ZTR with the deck out front or that New Walker Front Mount ZTR. But I want 4X4 for blowing snow and those don't offer 4X4. The place at I work, has a ZD28 Kbouta ZTR with 72" deck and it has been plqued with problems since it was new in 03... Won't get into it, but I am not a fan of ZTRs, ethier a Front mount or an AWS unit is what I perfer. And if you really push a Front Mount you can keep up with a ZTR. I have seen a Kbouta F3060 with 72" deck Front mount keep pace with a Exmark ZTR with the same deck size going neck to neck. Of course when they ran into a wet spot, the Front Mount FWD unit pulled through while the ZTR got stuck and the Front Mount had to pull it out.
Not knocking ZTRs, just my opnions though, they are great for those who maintain 80+ lawns and all they do is cut grass or a home owner but my prefernce would be the Front Mount with 4X4 for tough going. Some seasons in my area at least, you have to cut when she is wet or dry to keep ahead of the grass, which means runing in wet slippery grass, and having the 4X4 is a nice reassurance for traction where as if you get a ZTR stuck it's a whole different story.
Take Care Jason B