SHAFT GARDEN TRACTORS, short list

[JohnSinVA]

Welllll...

JD: 318 400 420 425 430 X475 X485 X495 X575 X585 X595 and the new X7xx
Simplicity: Legacy XL (not sure about prior Legacy model)

 

[neverenough]

BX capabilities are really tempting but the main problem for us is that we may move 2000 miles away in a few years. Preliminary studies of moving costs show astronomical numbers. The only half-reasonable option I found is one of these companies that drop a big trailer in your yard, give you a week to load it, bring the tractor back to hook it up, drive to the destination and give you another few days there to unload. To be honest I haven't called them yet but while I think a BX would fit inside the trailor width-wise, it would still take an awful amount of room, not to mention the WEIGHT, probably over 3,000 pounds for the tractor and a few attachments. In contrast a garden tractor wouldn't be an issue at all.

I know for a fact moving companies will haul tractors as part of the load. I know of a Ford 8N that went from here in MN down to New Mexico in a moving truck. This was WITH a loader. I couldn't tell you if it cost more or anything, but I saw the tractor in the truck, with stuff packed all around it.

 

[neverenough]

This list is starting to look pretty solid, I am surprised though that JD would have only two shaft models.

A lot of the Deere lawn and garden tractors are shaft drive, but only the 4XX, X4XX, X5XX, X7XX tractors also have shaft driven decks. That was part of the criteria listed in the original post. If belt driven attachments will work, you can look at most any Deere garden tractor.

 

[MT372HERE]

I know for a fact moving companies will haul tractors as part of the load. I know of a Ford 8N that went from here in MN down to New Mexico in a moving truck. This was WITH a loader. I couldn't tell you if it cost more or anything, but I saw the tractor in the truck, with stuff packed all around it.

When my neighbor moved down here he brought a snapper front engien rider, and a Troy Bilt Tiller...

The movers stopped halfway to adjust the load and decided to set the tilller on top of the snapper.

First big bump the tiller went through the hood and tweaked the engine and frame.

If you are going to haul a tractor, do it yourself.

 

[orgt]

A lot of the Deere lawn and garden tractors are shaft drive, but only the 4XX, X4XX, X5XX, X7XX tractors also have shaft driven decks. That was part of the criteria listed in the original post. If belt driven attachments will work, you can look at most any Deere garden tractor.

Nope, just shaft driven, you are absolutely right. Thanks, will update list shortly!

 

[orgt]

UPDATED LIST OF SHAFT GARDEN TRACTORS, revised 10/02/06:

Cub Cadet GT3200
Cub Cadet GT2554
Cub Cadet 3235
Cub Cadet 3204, 3206
Cub cadet 3185

Ingersoll 3000 and 4000 series

John Deere 4XX, X4XX, X5XX, X7XX

Kubota G2160
Kubota G2460
Kubota GR2100
Kubota G2000 G2000S
Kubota G1900 G1900S
Kubota G1800 G1800S
Kubota G5200H G6200H
Kubota G5200H G5200H

Toro 5xi series

 

[aesanders]

UPDATED LIST OF SHAFT GARDEN TRACTORS, revised 10/02/06:

Cub Cadet GT3200
Cub Cadet GT2554
Cub Cadet 3235
Cub Cadet 3204, 3206
Cub cadet 3185

Ingersoll 3000 and 4000 series

John Deere 4XX, X4XX, X5XX, X7XX

Kubota G2160
Kubota G2460
Kubota GR2100
Kubota G2000 G2000S
Kubota G1900 G1900S
Kubota G1800 G1800S
Kubota G5200H G6200H
Kubota G5200H G5200H

Simplcity Legacy XL series

Toro 5xi series


(Simplicity was mentioned but not put on the list prior)

 

[orgt]

(Simplicity was mentioned but not put on the list prior)

Ha! I must have missed that one, thanks aesanders.

 

[MT372HERE]

Just bought one of these with 54'' deck tiller A/G tires front blade and front suitcase weights about 3 hours ago.

How's that workin out for ya?

Good machine?

 

[LBrown59]

How's that workin out for ya?

Good machine?

Pretty good But I miss Hydraulic lift and Power steering.
My BX23 spoiled me with that.
Everybodys lawn tractors and garden tractors have to small of a steering wheel which makes them harder to steer.

 

[LBrown59]

How's that workin out for ya?

Good machine?

The thing I'm a little uneasy about is it appears I will have to do quit a bit of implement switching between the Deck, Tiller & Blade. Every time you need a different implement it means you have to move/manhandle 2 attachments .
How hard is it to change attachments?and how long does it take?
It seems that the attachment you need to use is the one that's never on the tractor at the time.
I had to fill it up twice while mowing my 2.33 acres. Still got maybe a quarter of an acre to go.
It sure seems to use a lot of gas compared to the old MTD PowerCraft 18 horse twin Cyl, Briggs ; and it wasn't easy on gas.
----->>

 

[MT372HERE]

The thing I'm a little uneasy about is it appears I will have to do quit a bit of implement switching between the Deck, Tiller & Blade. Every time you need a different implement it means you have to move/manhandle 2 attachments .
How hard is it to change attachments?and how long does it take?
It seems that the attachment you need to use is the one that's never on the tractor at the time.
I had to fill it up twice while mowing my 2.33 acres. Still got maybe a quarter of an acre to go.
It sure seems to use a lot of gas compared to the old MTD PowerCraft 18 horse twin Cyl, Briggs ; and it wasn't easy on gas.
----->>

Jeez!!

When we had out 445 and 425, I could fill up the tank, and cut our Acre, my Aunts Acre, and MY grandparents Acre, and still have gas to move a load of Dirt with the loader, and have alot left over.

425 had a carbed 20hp Kawsaki
445 had the EFI 22hp Kawasaki

6.5 Gallon Gas Tank.

I could take the 54" Deck off the JD, and put the loader on in under 10 minutes, including installing the 3pt weight bracket.

Im sure it will get easier and faster as time goes on.

 

[LBrown59]

Jeez!!

When we had out 445 and 425, I could fill up the tank, and cut our Acre, my Aunts Acre, and MY grandparents Acre, and still have gas to move a load of Dirt with the loader, and have alot left over.

425 had a carbed 20hp Kawsaki
445 had the EFI 22hp Kawasaki

6.5 Gallon Gas Tank.

I could take the 54" Deck off the JD, and put the loader on in under 10 minutes, including installing the 3pt weight bracket.

Im sure it will get easier and faster as time goes on.

Mine holds 2 and 1/8 Th. Gallons.

 

[LBrown59]

I would like to have had a JD 445 or 455 but I couldn't find one.
Why did you get rid of yours?
What do you have now?

Jeez!!

When we had out 445 and 425, I could fill up the tank, and cut our Acre, my Aunts Acre, and MY grandparents Acre, and still have gas to move a load of Dirt with the loader, and have alot left over.

425 had a carbed 20hp Kawsaki
445 had the EFI 22hp Kawasaki

6.5 Gallon Gas Tank.

I could take the 54" Deck off the JD, and put the loader on in under 10 minutes, including installing the 3pt weight bracket.

Im sure it will get easier and faster as time goes on.

 

[MT372HERE]

I would like to have had a JD 445 or 455 but I couldn't find one.
Why did you get rid of yours?
What do you have now?

Well the 425 we bought new, with the 54" Deck, and 40 Loader. Had it a year or so, and ran into some sudden financial troubles. Paid cash for the tractor, so we owned it completely. Sold it, only to have the financial situation resolved a week later.

After the huge hit we took on the new 425, we found a pristine 445 used.

IT had like 800 hours on it, and had a couple scratches..but was a solid 9/10 tractor. Bought another 40 loader for it, got the 3 point, 54" deck, and a few other goodies..
Had it for about a year, then my mom got VERY sick. She was so sick she couldnt keep food in her. We were in the middle of switching insurance companies, and the old one stopped on say..June 10, and the new one picked up on July 1st. So a few weeks before she got sick she went for a physical, and it went fine, except her hearing aide conflicted with the Heart machine..1st test said heart disease, 2nd test w/o hearing aide came back 100% perfect. The put BOTH tests on her records..so the insurance company denied us AFTER they had approved us.
So the hospital bills came in, and out went the 445, with another nice HIT on it.

So I cut grass with the old WH 702 while we rebounded from all that mess..Then I found a neglected old 1988 JD 316. I restored it.
Then I found a 1989 WH 310-8. I rebuilt the entire engine, and I got it now.
Then I got a 1993 WH 416-H, Plow, Disc, 42" deck
Got a 1967 JD 110H to restore now.

And recently, I was given a Mitsubishi MT372 Deisel.

We kind of got the hint we werent meant to have a 400 series JD, as nice as they were.

 

[LBrown59]

Boy what a run of tough luck!
Sorry to hear about your Mom.
How is she doing now?

 

[MT372HERE]

Boy what a run of tough luck!
Sorry to hear about your Mom.
How is she doing now?

She's okay now..

The Doctors misdiagnosed her for a month, put her on all sorts of meds that did nothing.

She was about 2 days from death when they realized she had Acute Ulcerative Colitis. They put her on a HIGH dose of Predinisone, which is a steroid. They put her on too much and as soon as we brought her home, that night she slipped into congestive heart failure. We tailed the ambulance all the way to the hospital, we were doing 100 and they were running from us, they got there 4 minutes before we did. They kept her for almost 2 weeks, then sent her home with 2 weeks worth of Predinisone. It was supposed to be likr 3 days of Predinisone.

Well the Predinisone ate away her knees, hips, and shoulders.

We tried to sue em for all osrts of stuff, but every Attorney we talked to said "If she didnt die, or get confined to a wheelchair or Bed, there really isnt a case"

What a world we live in.

 

[LBrown59]

She's okay now..

Glad to hear that.

 

[LBrown59]

How's that workin out for ya?

Good machine?

Got 24 hours on it by now.
Don't like the drain plug for draining the motor oil when you have to change the oil.
Also it leaves scorch spots in the grass if you let it set and run very long.

 

[LBrown59]

What tractor did you finally get or did you ever get one???