orgt
Bronze Member
My Frigidaire-made tractor has seen better days and I need something else, mostly for mowing a couple acres (I bag and compost), dragging wagons around, and possibly adding a snow-thrower in the future. I swore to get something better made the next time but I can't afford new right now. I was at my small local "independent" dealership the other day and they have a 1997 Toro 267-H for sale (they mostly sell a variety of ZTR brands.)
Problem is, I've done extensive research on the web including this terrific site and frankly I haven't come up with much on this model. I'm not sure if it was a bad tractor or simply not widely sold. Some sites call it a "riding mower" others call it a garden tractor. I usually don't care much for "labels" in life but this is one of those cases where I believe it does matter. So, which is it? Flimsy mower or robust tractor?
I also looked at the otherwise excellent Toro web site but they do not say how their tractors have evolved, i.e. I can't figure out which of the 6 tractor lines at Toro - Lawn & Garden Tractors the 260 series was turned into. Anyone knows?
This was a trade-in I believe and the dealer unfortunately wasn't the one maintaining it, nor do they have maintenance records from the owner. They do give a "30 day warranty" against major problems. I'm not sure what the small print is though... I do know these folks have a reputation of being high-priced but doing good work and being honest around here. They say they give their used units a "go over" to make sure everything is in working order and do very basic things like put in new oil/filters and belts if needed. The tractor is clean and appears well-built (well, at least much better-built than my current machine.)
They are asking $1,500 and one guy told me that "new, this was a $5,000 tractor." Hmmm... true?
In any case, 1,500 bucks seems a bit high and is as high as I can go right now anyway. I am tired of all these power-robbing, high-maintenance belts and I was hoping to find a reliable, low-hours shaft tractor but I don't think I'm even in the ballpark am I LOL?
The tractor has about 500 hours on the meter. There is a 52-inch "recycler" triple-blade deck that appears to be in good shape. The engine is a Kohler CV18S which appears to be this Kohler Command 18HP:
Small Engine Warehouse: CV18S-61528 - Kohler Engine 18 HP Command Twin Vertical 1 x3 5 32 Shaft OHV Electric Start 15 Amp Alternator Fuel Pump.
Is it a reliable engine? How many hours can these normally take - assuming one always does good maintenance and checks which I do - before they conk
out? 1,000 hours? 2,000?
I've never bought a used tractor before and I would appreciate any help I can get from fellow gardeners/mowers/AG experts. Here are two more questions if I may (but I'm sure I forgot something important, please chime in!)
A specific question
If you own or have owned a 260 series Toro, what do you think of it? PLEASE share!
A general question
What are the pitfalls here? What should I be looking for or asking the dealer about to minimize the chances of bad surprises down the road?
Thanks for any help!
Problem is, I've done extensive research on the web including this terrific site and frankly I haven't come up with much on this model. I'm not sure if it was a bad tractor or simply not widely sold. Some sites call it a "riding mower" others call it a garden tractor. I usually don't care much for "labels" in life but this is one of those cases where I believe it does matter. So, which is it? Flimsy mower or robust tractor?
I also looked at the otherwise excellent Toro web site but they do not say how their tractors have evolved, i.e. I can't figure out which of the 6 tractor lines at Toro - Lawn & Garden Tractors the 260 series was turned into. Anyone knows?
This was a trade-in I believe and the dealer unfortunately wasn't the one maintaining it, nor do they have maintenance records from the owner. They do give a "30 day warranty" against major problems. I'm not sure what the small print is though... I do know these folks have a reputation of being high-priced but doing good work and being honest around here. They say they give their used units a "go over" to make sure everything is in working order and do very basic things like put in new oil/filters and belts if needed. The tractor is clean and appears well-built (well, at least much better-built than my current machine.)
They are asking $1,500 and one guy told me that "new, this was a $5,000 tractor." Hmmm... true?
In any case, 1,500 bucks seems a bit high and is as high as I can go right now anyway. I am tired of all these power-robbing, high-maintenance belts and I was hoping to find a reliable, low-hours shaft tractor but I don't think I'm even in the ballpark am I LOL?
The tractor has about 500 hours on the meter. There is a 52-inch "recycler" triple-blade deck that appears to be in good shape. The engine is a Kohler CV18S which appears to be this Kohler Command 18HP:
Small Engine Warehouse: CV18S-61528 - Kohler Engine 18 HP Command Twin Vertical 1 x3 5 32 Shaft OHV Electric Start 15 Amp Alternator Fuel Pump.
Is it a reliable engine? How many hours can these normally take - assuming one always does good maintenance and checks which I do - before they conk
out? 1,000 hours? 2,000?
I've never bought a used tractor before and I would appreciate any help I can get from fellow gardeners/mowers/AG experts. Here are two more questions if I may (but I'm sure I forgot something important, please chime in!)
A specific question
If you own or have owned a 260 series Toro, what do you think of it? PLEASE share!
A general question
What are the pitfalls here? What should I be looking for or asking the dealer about to minimize the chances of bad surprises down the road?
Thanks for any help!