318 or new lawn tractor?

[ErikVann]

Hello
There is a jd 318 mower for sale on craigslist locally. seller wants $2k. it has 46" deck I will only use it to mow lawn and occasionally pull a seeder. For $2k I could get a decent new tractor. is the 318 that much superior than a modern lawn tractor? 318 has unknown hours on it. no pto or other attachments.

 

[bg71361]

The 318 is a Legacy tractor for JD, not many new models can compare, could very well be worth the 2K but not knowing the hours and history it's hard to tell. Good luck!

 

[Yellowfever440]

Spend 2500 on a decent 425. 318 are great machine but lack a lot of creature comforts. Main thing is the foot hydrostat. Just a thought, locally for me, there is a 425 with 950 hours all wheel steer and a good looking well maintained machine for 2500. It has a 54 inch deck which I would recommend for all wheel steer but you could get a 2 wheel steer with a 48 inch deck if you wanted a smaller one. 425 are better on fuel and they are liquid cooled. Another plus is differential lock but the 318 would have individual brakes but a new mower wouldn't either. For about 1000 bucks you could pick up a snow plow for a 425 and do your own snow if you live in a cold winter climate region. Just a thought 500 bucks is 500 bucks.

 

[collector121]

I have a JD 318 from 1985 which is still running and mowing strong. I paid well over $4000 for it back ten years ago and havent been disappointed. I have a 50" deck on mine as well as a 54" hydraulic lift and power angle steel snow blade. I agree with Yellowfever440 and say that the 318 does lack some of the modern comforts, but if you are on a budget the 318 will be well worth the investment. My neighbor has a JD 425 that I have used a few times. It is a nice tractor and I like the All Wheel Steering and the hydrostat foot pedals which make it easier to drive (vs the lever on the dash of the 318) Horsepower-wise, its about the same and the 425 has a wider wheelbase than the 318. If I could afford it, I would buy a 425, however, I would probably still keep my 318 anyway.

 

[Gittyup]

I've seen that 318. Looks pretty good for its age. But there are couple others I'd consider on that same craigslist, like the 345 and the 425. Worth the extra money. Anyway, if you are handy with a wrench, even a little bit, all of these are better than the big box store tractors.