John Deere LX 178 - good deal?

[dcpoppy]

Hello,

I'm in the market for my first lawn tractor. I've looked at Craftsman, but have been advised to spend the additional cash and get a Deere with a Kawasaki engine.

I'll be mowing about an acre, and I would like to use it to clear snow. The machine I am looking at includes a twin bag grass catch system, 38" deck (which I think will be good since I have a gate I need to get through), a 42" plow blade (would a blower be better?), tire chains and wheel weights.

My questions are, how is the LX 178 regarded? Is it a good machine? And, is $1750 a decent price considering that it is stated to be in excellent condition (seller has no idea about the year or hours).

Thanks, and congrats on what appears to be a very useful and friendly community!

 

[Shimon]

I have one and think it's a great machine. Well built, good engine, solid deck. It's a water cooled engine which is why I bought it. The one downside to the water cooled engine is that the way the pump is mounted, if the water seal leaks...the coolant ends up in the oil. When I bought mine, I took it all apart to clean and inspect everything and put in a new water pump, adjusted the valves, tune up and replaced the axle seals on the the hydro. Also installed an hour meter since they don't come with one. I have the 44" mulching deck which is built like a tank.

That price sounds high to me. The 178s are in demand considering some the current JD offerings below the X series. If it's in great shape I would grab it but for around $1500 or less. You can get the year off the serial number...see attachment. As for hours...who knows...I have no idea why an hour meter wasn't standard. Good luck.

 

[LBrown59]

How old is yours?

I have one and think it's a great machine. Well built, good engine, solid deck. It's a water cooled engine which is why I bought it. The one downside to the water cooled engine is that the way the pump is mounted, if the water seal leaks...the coolant ends up in the oil. When I bought mine, I took it all apart to clean and inspect everything and put in a new water pump, adjusted the valves, tune up and replaced the axle seals on the the hydro. Also installed an hour meter since they don't come with one. I have the 44" mulching deck which is built like a tank.

That price sounds high to me. The 178s are in demand considering some the current JD offerings below the X series. If it's in great shape I would grab it but for around $1500 or less. You can get the year off the serial number...see attachment. As for hours...who knows...I have no idea why an hour meter wasn't standard. Good luck.

 

[dcpoppy]

Thanks Shimon!

 

[Shimon]

My LX178 is a 94 model. Here are some photos of what it looks like underneath. In one picture you can see the new water pump I was talking about. The frame is pretty stout too. I replaced the original seat with a newer style seat. It's more comfortable and breaths better but some people have said they don't last as long because they are more cheaply made...I believe them now that I compare the new seat to the old more closely...the vinyl material of the new seat is very thin compared to the old. Oh well.

The only problem I had when I was disassembling the whole project was removing the pulley from the engine shaft which drives the transmission belt. The pulley was seized on the shaft and my puller bent the heck out of the pulley getting it off. New pulley was about $20 and I made sure to anti-seize that piece real well. Other than that, it comes apart easy, is easy to work on, easy to get parts, easy to use. I'm a satisfied customer...and that doesn't happen very often to me. Most products I buy these day...even after researching them thoroughly...usually disappoint me in some manner.

 

[dcpoppy]

Thanks again Shimon, I was able to get it for 1400.

 

[Shimon]

Thanks again Shimon, I was able to get it for 1400.

Congrats. I think you got a good machine for a good price. If you like to tinker with your equipment, the JD service manuals are invaluable. If not, you know where to come for free advice.

You may find this link handy. It's a PDF file of a maintenance reminder sheet for the LX178.

 

[tocuin]

Hey Shimon!

Thanks for the pics.

I will now shamelessly brag and admit I got my used '92 LX178 X 38" deck for $500 this July. It started on the first try, but I decided to let the pros at it first. (It's my first Deere, so I let the dealer do the "full up" maintenance on it.) It now hums along.

I'm thinking about buying the full set of maintenance manuals for it. (I have some small mechanical ability.) Ohmygoolies, they ain't cheap! Do you own / use them? Worth the Manual+Parts+Tech on CD-ROM for $125?

Also, can I make the 38" deck into a mulcher for grass and / or leaves? (Leafs? Lief's?) }

Thanks, again.

At Your Service,

Thomas Quinn, CISSP
President, The Hollis Group, Inc.
tquinn<atsign>hollisgroup.com
610.889.7350 (wire)
610.636.1445 (cell)

"I get paid for tenacity.
The stubborn is free."

(c) 2008, The Hollis Group, Inc.

 

[Shimon]

Sounds like you got a great deal on yours. The CD with the manuals came with my used LX178 and I think they are worth $125 if that's what they cost...I thought the CD is only about $60 and the printed manuals are $125...but I may be wrong.

The 38" deck isn't a mulching deck...but you can buy the plug for the side discharge and a "mulching" blade to help mulch the leaves. This deck has two blades...you can get the low/med/hi lift blades (I think med is standard). It's a side discharge deck.

The 44" is a mulching deck. It has three spindles with a total of 6 blades and designed specifically for mulching. It's a rear discharge deck. It costs more than the regular decks but most people just get the regular decks with the mulching kit since it's more "versatile".

 

[OntarioCanada]

Thomas,
Here is a link for a 38" mulching kit available for an LX178.
JOHN DEERE 38" MULCHING KIT FITS MANY 38" DECKS NEW - eBay (item 400003720022 end time Nov-21-08 12:37:46 PST)

I've got one on my LX178 and am happy with it.