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Circling at JD170 mower/snowblower

I

IaLeo

Well-known Member
Decided to give up fussing with 50 year old JD 212,214. Looking for something new for a change.
Read all feedback from Lowe's and Home Depot's web sites and those comments make me nervous about the hydrostatic transmissions.And, of course, there are folks that could destroy and anvil, but there are just enough bad stories. My use is mostly mowing but I have ditch banks, sloping, uneven ground, many trees and I have successfully tricked out the 214 with weights, chains and tire fluid to handle off level balance, towing one and sometimes two 5 foot Swisher tow mowers. But I am nervous about the new transmissions...I hear OK and bad stuff...none of the commentors have had long experience with them. Sigh Leo
 
There's NOTH'IN to fear from the hydros from the time frame of the 212 or 214 (DEERE 300 series with Sundstrand hydros.)

The new thing you are looking at is a cheap homeowner-grade unit that will mow a small, flat lawn for a few years, but absolutely PALES in comparison to the REAL stuff of an area past in transmission durability.
 
May I throw in a thought. I have two older Husqvarna lawn 21hp and garden 22hp tractors. Now the bigger unit has a SIX speed thranny and is a beast with 23x10.5x12 rear wheels. Solid tires with that run flat stuff in them. VERY heavy and you could shoot a hundred nails in them and just keep going. This machine is NOT an MTD unit. I hope I get this right. It is an American turf products unit. MUCH better than a MTD. Go look a Huaqvarne over and see what a better built machine looks like. Do not go with a Kohler engine!!!!!!! Get a Briggs twin V. The Kohlers are junk anymore. You can find some very nice used ones if you look around. I Just LOVE how nice the twin V briggs and stratton runs and mowes. 46 and 54 inch machines cover a lot of lawn really quick!Jeffcat
 
Just to let you know: I worked on my Uncle's 160 back in the late 80s. Its not that much newer than your 212.
You need to come up quite a few years to get to something more modern.

If you are going to tow two 5 ft. swisher mowers, you really need a compact tractor. It has the transmission and frame for the job and you can probably load weight on it as much as you want to.
 
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