FIRST SIGHTING/ 1023 vs. 2210 ; Went in to Deere John today for a set of mower blades and lo and behold in the L&G lot sat a 1023. It looked so forlorn and lonely sitting there facing the parking lot, parked among various Lawn and compact tractors. So I decided to take a few minutes and go over to pet him.
It's a very basic, no-frills model, no extras at all. The very first thing I was curious about was the hydro transaxle and any improvements that may have been made (since my infamous center link plate has started to seep). It was immediately apparent that this hydro is an all-new design. The center link bracket appears to be - but I'm not certain since I had no magnet on me- cast iron, cast in a single long, beefy piece from the center link mount all the way over the hydro and seemed to be attached to the chassis further up front.This piece will bear the load instead of the tranny case like in the old models. The Hydotransaxle appears to be slimmer in design which may be due to it having an actual oil cooler. It is also fitted with an oil dipstick where there used to be a sight glass window.
Skip to the front; the tall hood looks okay. I found the hood release lever protruding through the grille screen like a stuck twig just below the headlights. When I lifted the plastic hood I was struck by how light it is feeling more like a trash can lid than a tractor hood. Inside there's a lot of space but I forgot to look for the engine dipstick. Anyone know where that is? I notice there's a hydraulic oil cooler in front of the radiator and lots of space around the battery.
The sit down test is crucial. I first lifted the seat to find steel springs where my 2210 has rubber springs. Not much improvement there. Sitting down I see a lot of the controls have been relocated. Most of them are handier and logically placed. The SCV valve feels tight and precise where the lever on my 2210 flops around like a donkey's ... never mind. The brake pedal has been moved to a more comfortable spot but there is still no place for the left foot to rest, the platform is shorter. Forward visibility is good. That new hood is about 4 inches higher than my 2210 but when I got home and did some work on my 2210 I notice the view over it is about the same. The new hood may be slightly narrower, but the rear fenders are definitely wider.
A peak under the belly shows another redesign; the tranny oil filter is now tucked safely up in the chassis.
Nothing exciting here, just knowing that Deere was aware of the flaws in the 2210 is nice. I wonder who builds the rear tranny? This 1023 didn't have anything extra on it; no tilt wheel, no seat suspension. It did have the folding ROPS.
