Hello
I see you bought a Compact Korean Tractor. I am Not Opposed to Korean Products as my wife's car is a 2012 Kia Soul. She took me along when we looked at the Kia Souls. I do my own Mechanical work and have for the past 40 Years so my focus was on the engine. It has a 1.6 direct Port fuel Injection engine in it. It is the base model with added extras. The Plus Model had 17" wheel which to me meant more $$$ for tires when it's time as the base model has 15" wheels. The Plus Model had a 2.0 Direct fuel Injected engine in it. We drove both before we settled on the base model with added options on it. I was not Impressed with The Plus Model's slightly Larger engine. It got 6 Miles per Gallon less on it's fuel Mileage and I could not notice any big Horsepower Gain. The Plus Model had Larger Aluminum wheels, some wood Grain accent's, and these Stupid flashing Light's on it's sound system speaker's that flashed according to The base. Fine for a high school Kid, but I am 53 and have kind of Outgrown that kind of entertainment. We took the car on a 1700 Mile road trip shortly after buying it. It got a steady 42.0 Miler Per Gallon and even 43.1 on the way home with the air conditioner on and cruise set at 75 MPH What I don't understand is where The 1.6 Engine is Getting all of it's Power from ? It Hauls AZZ and will even squeal the tire's when stomping on The gas leaving a signal Light. I have had a few encounter's with Punk's that Laugh at me at signal Lights as they see an Old Man driving a Younger Person's car. The Laughing soon stop's when The Green flag drop's as I leave them in the dust. I have Smoked Three different Ford Mustangs Two being G. T. Models as well as a Newer Corvette Smog Hog off The Light. About Three Months after Buying the Soul we got a Letter from Kia explaining that their window sticker claiming that the Car got a Highway average of 37 Miles Per Gallon was Not accurate. I could not understand that as our's always' get's a Highway Mileage of 40 or Better. Kia elected to Offer it's soul owner a fuel rewards Credit Card to make up the difference in Mileage of what the window sticker's claimed. I have gotten over $200.00 from them in the last year for Free gas. I have never seen any Other car Manufacturer do this ? Enough about The Kia Soul, I just wanted to show you that I am Not Bias as far as Korean products go. I do Hope that down the road you are able to Locate Part's for your Korean made Tractor ?
I have always Owned John Deere Lawn Tractors sine I got married in 1984 I have had several of them Including a 1984 Model 116 with a 48" Mowing deck. I did not like the engine in that Tractor as it was a Twin cylinder Briggs & Stratton 16 Horse Power engine. The reason I did not care for it as you Had to run it wide open to get it to cut grass well. I felt it's engine Noise at wide Open Throttle was very annoying and I Doubted that it ever was a True 16.0 Horse Power as it seemed to struggle cutting Grass. I swiftly swapped that one off for a John Deere model 216. Now, That was a Real Tractor. It had a 16.0 Horsepower single cylinder Kohler engine in it with a 48" Mowing Deck that would Mow Field Grass at a Height of 4' Barely off and Idle. This Tractor was a Gear Tractor with a Variator that allowed you to slow down in any Gear by simply Moving the variator lever. Although The Kohlr engine had More Power than anyone ever needed it did Shake quit a bit due to it's single cylinder and the engine was mounted in rubber motor Mount's to help reduce This shake, But it is a Kohler Thing with The engine shake that One get's used to. I later sold off my 216 for my First John Deere Hydrostatic drive Tractor. It was a 1969 Model 120 that had a single cylinder Kohler 12.0 engine in it that whe I bought it was blown up. I Placed a new short block in it and used that Tractor for Nine Years. I could get any Part's that I needed for this Then 20 Year Old Tractor directly from John Deere. The John Deere Model 120 & Model 140's were Their first Hydrostatic drive Tractors and they were Built Like a Tank, They seldom Broke down nor needed parts as they were made to last and there are Many of them still Out there running today. I sold the Model 120 and Bought a John Deere 314. This was a 1978 Model with a single cylindr 14.0 Horse Power Kohler engine in it. We used that Tractor for Four Years of commercial mowing 48 Yards with Nop Break downs and the Only Part's I had to replace were Belt's that ran the 48" mowing deck, Engine Oil and a Twice a year change of it's Hydrostatc Transmission filter. Once we quit Commercial Mowing I sold the 314. It was Not Long I regreted the sale of that Bullet Proof 314 so I Bought a 1969 Model 140 Off out Local Craig's List. I Paid the seller's asking price of $600.00. It came with a 48" Mowing deck. After I had it Two Years and was mowing Two full acre's of Grass a week with it I replaced the Mowing Deck Bearings. I then located a Model 31 Rear tiller for it. I used that Tiller on our Vegetable Garden. It worked flawles and dug fiercly. I now was into my Fifth year of owning ths Model 140 and Other than Mowing deck belt's, Engine Oil, Hydro-filters and spark Plug's it did not require any other part's, But again if it had John Deere still stocked most every Part of that tractor that was now 32 Years Old. This is something you will Not find with Craftsman, Husqvarna, MTD, Nor Murray Lawn Mower's as they only stock Parts for most of these at best five Year's back as I suspect that is about all the Manufacturer's of them expect them to last to begin with.
About Four Year ago I was driving through a Tri-Green John Deere dealership's back row to see if they had any Older Lawn Tractors. I am Not sold in New Is Better, nor do I feel I need to spend $10,000.00 on a Lawn Tractor. In the far left corner I spotted a Nice Looking John Deere 318. These Tractors have the Twin cylinder Onan engines in them that were Heavy duty and used also in R. V. Generators as well as Power Plant's for Portable Miller Welder's. It had a flat right front tire, but it also had an almost brand new Replacement 48" Mowing deck that they get $1250.00 new. I Lifted the hood and could se it's hour meter showed it to have 650 Hours on it. I had my wife's Van that day so I drove up to The shop and asked the Mechanic what he could tell me about that 318 ? He said that they had Just got it in on Trade the day before, and that he Thought it did not run, but they did not have tome to look at it yet in their shop. I asked if I could Borrow their Jumper cables as I noticed that it's battery was dead. He Loaned them to me and I drove back to it. I Placed the Jumper's on it and it fired right up. It did not smoke or make any fully engine noises. I Tested the Hydraulic Lift and it Lifted the deck fine and the Transmission seemed fine in it. I shut it off and returned the Jumper cables. I walked up front and asked the sales guy if it was for sale ? He said that they thought that it did not run as a Younger Guy had traded it in on a new smaller Tin style John Deere rider's like you see at Lowes or Home Depot. I then asked him what he would Take for it right now they way that it sat ? he smiled and said "3". It was Nice enough Looking that I said "Grand" ? he said, No Hundred. I said Sold write up a sales receipt told him that I would have to come back on Monday with my truck & Trailer to get it. Early Monday Morning my wife and I made the 150 Mile trip to get our new to us 1983 John Deere 318. When The sales guy saw me pull in and came to my Truck Teling me that he would have some guy's come out of the shop to help me load it. I told him that he didn't have to do that, we could Handle it. I Blew up the right flat tire with my 12-Volt air compressor then Jumped it with my Battery cables and drove it onto my Landscape Trailer. I was Placing the Ratchet straps on it when The sales guy and three other's walked up to me. They asked how I got it Loaded and I told them that I Jumped it and drove it on my Trailer. The sales guy then said we figured it did not run and that I was selling you a Part's Tractor. I handed him my Business card and told him to Please call me if they ever got any more of these parts Tractors. I never Heard back from him. I asked why his Price wa so reasonable and he told me that they did not have time to fool with These Old Tractors and if they sold it Retail they would have to warranty it. I did Not Tell him, but I felt that this Tractor would be still Going Long after that one the younger Guy traded this one in for.
When we got home I started a List of Parts to get from my John Deere dealer. I Picked up and engine Oil filer, Transmission filter, One quart of Low Viscosity Transmission fluid, a Pair of spark Plugs, and anew Mowing belt. I came home and gave it a complete service. The Third week we were mowing with it The Onan engine began to stumble. I Pulled it into my shop and discovered that it's Point contact's were burned up. I went back to my John Deere dealer and Bought a Point's and condenser for my 27 Year old Tractor which they had in stock. Once I Placed them and set the Point Gap we had no Other issues with it for the next Three Years of Mowing Two full acres of grass with it during our Nine Month Mowing season here in East Tennessee. Late Last fall I noticed that the engine seemed to be getting a Little weak. I took a compression Test and it showed to have only half of the compression that Onan say's these have at 70 Pound's per Cylinder. I had Planned on restoring the complete Tractor in the winter Months so we finished up our mowing season with it. In the mean time I found a Guy that does a complete restoration to These Onan engines. They have not Produced Onan's for a Few Year's now due to EPA Reg's, that said that the Onan's do Not run as clean as the Over Had Valve style engines that we see used today. Onan decided to Not redesign their engines to be of over head design so they ceased making them. The Good Part was that They continue to make every Internal and external part for these Onan's so that they can be re-built they only ceased Making the blocks, and you can either buy The Onan Part's at your John Deere dealership or directly from their new Owner's which is Cummins' Diesel. The cost of Having mine remanufactured was going to be $1475.00 and that Included shipping to my door, so I Pulled The trigger on having a Bran new engine built. The engine Builder is Based out of Ohio and his Business name is Kustom Small gas engines/Clark Racing. The owner's Name is Carey Clark and we spent at a Minimum of an Hour on the Phone as he told me what he does to one of these Onan's when he re-builds them. They Get a bead blast cleaning then they are Hot Tanked Three times. They Then get a fresh Bore, New Piston's & Rings, Their Crankshaft's turned, New Main Bearings as well as new camshaft Bearings, a Valve Job, New spring's and Keeper's as well as Guides if they are out of Spec. He deck's the top of the Block, Mills the Base of it where the Oil Pan fit's, and Mills the Heads. He re-build's The Governor's as well as set's them up to run 3600 RPM where they should be at wide Open Throttle. In my mind when he is done with your engine you have a Brand New engine and the Thought of using any other Brand for a re-power Never entered my mind as these Onan's Make Wicked Power and they are very durable. While my engine was out I did a complete restoration on my John Deere 318. The Only worn Part I found was the drive shaft spline where it hooks to The Hydro Pump had a Little slop to it, so I replaced it with the new Heavy duty Version drive shaft Yoke that my John Deere dealer had in stock. I was over at my John Deere dealer The Other day Picking up some Hood Decal's for my wife's John Deere 130 Lawn Tractor that is a 1986, and John Deere still had them to offer, when I Passed one of the New slightly Larger John Deere Ultimate X-724's that had a 54": deck on it. I asked the sales guy what that ran and almost Fainted when he said Just shy of $13,000.00 with The Tax. Currently I have about $2600.00 in my restored John Deere 318 and that Includes a 42" Hydraulic Tiller as well as a 54" Hydraulic Four way dirt dozer blade, so New is Not always' better to me as this 1983 John Deere 318 will last the rest of my mowing day's and would be a Perfect Mid mount lawn & garden Tractor to replace your Craftsman with. It may Not have all The Bell's and whistle's that the newer X-Series Tractor's do but it's has Hydraulic Lift, Power Steering, Twin rear drum Brakes, and a Hydrstatic Bulet Proof Transmission. These Older 318's are till out there to be had and a nice one will average around 2-Grand, a Lot Less Than New, and as shown now restored mine will do anything that I need it to.... Regards, Hammerdown
