Which garden tractor do I need??

[OB1]

My wife and I are buying a place here in Wisconsin that has a large yard (2-3 acres) and a very long, sloped gravel driveway that will soon be covered in snow. I have been looking around at dealers locally and on the net for a garden tractor that will suit my needs. Cost is a factor so I am thinking of a used machine. I have heard good things about the JD 345 and the Cub 3204. Anyone have any thoughts? I am not settled on anything yet.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I think both are fine machines, but I think your decision will likely come down to actually finding a good, well maintained, used unit.

I would probably take either one without any preference to brands, but I would strongly favor the unit that was dealer maintained, has fewer scratches and dents (visible abuse is a sign of lack of mechanical care)

 

[mainiak1]

You might want to look at Wheel Horse brand I have owned them for many years. They sell for less money than a JD and I feel every bit as good. They sell two different quality machines. They bought out Toro stay away from Work Horse model. Wheel Horse will will have a cast Iron front end. The nice part is attatchments will fit implements for 20+ years. There are allot of those floating around for reasonable prices. They have quite a following on the net do a search.

 

[DJLX]

Having owned a JD345 I can tell you that it was a great machine however it does not have the diff lock which might be a hindrance if you plan on mowing hills or pushing / blowing snow. You would have to step up to a GX345 to get diff lock.

 

[Dutch445]

OB1,
If you do a little more research, you will find differences in the snowblower attachments on these tractors. Single vs. 2-stage snowblowers. The JD 345 you mentioned only offers the single stage type, although they are a very good quality snowthrower. IF you could step up into the 425-445-455 tractors, they were available with the 47" 2-stage that will handle the deeper and heavier wet snows better. I'm not saying that the single stage won't work, but not as good in the heaviest conditions.
I think you will find most other brands offer a 2-stage snowblower, so it might come down to what you do find used that is in your price range.
Have you set a price range for your purchase yet?

darn, in 2 months we could be dealing with snow, eh?

(in reference to the last post about diff lock, the 400 series deere's do have the diff lock also)

 

[MarkLeininger]

I bought a used Ariens snow thrower for $1000 just before we moved to a house that came with a garden tractor that will mount a front snow thrower. So one option you have would be to buy a dedicated snow thrower now and wait until next year to get the tractor, then you wouldn't have to worry as much about the size of the tractor, differential lock, or you could get a zero turn, etc. I'm not sure of the performance/cost tradeoffs on the two options. It also leaves you with two engines to maintain instead of one. You will also find prices on lawn tractors to be a bit lower in the middle of January in Wisconsin, although the selection might be a little thin.

 

[OB1]

Thanks for the reply. I will have a gravel driveway and have asked about gravel and its effects on a 2-stage thrower. Was told I would just have to adjust the feet up a bit to avoid putting gravel through the impeller. Don't know what I think about that whole thing but I think a differential lock might be something I would appreciate as there is a fairly sharp incline at one point in the driveway and the area to be mowed is rolling. Thanks to all who have replied so far!

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Get wheel weights and suitcase weights to hang on the back.

 

[blackwell]

Might take a look at Power Trac. We have had good sucess with them. Now have six. www.power-trac.com

 

[riches139]

If you're considering Cub Cadet, the 3235 is the only one with differential lock in the 3000 series.