A Couple of Suggestions Based on My Experience with the L175
Model Year: 1975
My L175 came to me with a known problem. Cooling water ran into the crankcase, not a little, but all of it. The seller said a new head gasket was all it needed. I doubted that, but bought it anyway since the price was so good and I can change head gaskets. I pulled the head and found no problems there, just the appearance of what looked like a new or freshly overhauled engine. After assembly, the leaking problem remained. I finally decided to look at the front of the engine and so pulled off the axle and timing case. There I found a plug that was supposed to keep water around the cylinders had fallen out. I replaced it with an expanding plug and reassembled. That cured it. Several years later the hydraulic lift on the three point became weak. Cleaning the filter didn't help and the dealer told me that I would need a new hydraulic pump at some $600. Before I bit on that offer I opened the old pump (dealer said nothing could be repaired in there) and found the "O" rings that fit between the end casting of the pump and pump body which keep the fluid in the correct channels were broken and mostly missing. Going to my O ring assortment I selected some that looked right, stuck them in place with a dab of silicone gasket compound, and reassembled. That fixed it and I had another ten years use from it before selling it to a neighbor. As a wear preventative measure I installed a 190 degree thermostat in the return hose on the top of the engine. None is included in the design and I wanted the engine to warm up, especially as I used the tractor to haul firewood in cold weather. To do this, take the top hose off, find a thermostat that will fit in, or grind off the circumference until it will, drill a small hole to be turned to the high side for air to escape, and place it inside the hose with a hose clamp on either side to hold it in place. It always worked and did not cause any overheating, even while running a bush hog in August. All in all, it is a very good little tractor. I have since bought a BX25 which uses a little more fuel but does a whole lot of work. I love it!
Pros: Uses very little fuel. Simple, easy to keep going.
Cons: Never believe the dealer the first time around on repairs needed.