John Deere 210 ( with pics)

Coyote Green · Feb 20, 2012

I just got this 1980 JD 210 tonight, i only paid $200 for it, it runs but it really smokes bad, it fills the garage full of smoke in less then 30 seconds.
I'm planing on putting in new rings, and fixing it up a little.
My main question is, are these very good garden tractors? i didn't know if they give much trouble or not? I will probably use this for mowing, plowing, disking and ext.
Has anyone had any experience with them?
Thanks for any advice
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Coyote Green · Feb 20, 2012

PICTURE
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Anonymous-0 · Feb 21, 2012

I have had a 1983 model 210 for 16 years with a deck and front blade. The 210 was a great garden tractor in its day and there are a lot of them still working. The first one was built in 1975 and the last one in 1987.

There are a lot of things to check out when you are looking at one, but for $200 you should ok. The variator can be tricky to get adjusted correctly, and the deck can get badly bent up or rusted out.

Change the motor oil to 30 weight and check the crankcase vent before you tear it down. Downlod the engine manual from Kohler (DOT)com. John Deere still sells most of the parts you will need to fix yours up, and there are good used parts on the WeekendFreedomMachines (DOT) com website or on eBay.

dhermesc · Feb 21, 2012

If you re-ring it make sure you hone the cylinder too.

To be honest if you are going to take it that far down I'd get one of these kits and properly overhaul it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Rebuild-kit-Kohler-K241-10hp-w-free-tune-up-/380409782622?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item589230a15e

Coyote Green · Feb 21, 2012

here is a dumb question, where is the oil pan screen?
The mower deck needs welded in the front, besides that it's in pretty good shape.
I priced rings and gaskets at the local hardware store and they where going to cost around $150
I will probably go with the kit on eBay.
I also have a Kohler 18hp V twin engine, i will see if i can get it to fit under the hood.
I also have a home built front end loader, i will see what it will take to get it put on.
I don't know why the pictures didn't work?
I will post pictures later when i get it finished.
Thanks for the help and info

Anonymous-0 · Feb 21, 2012

I can match your dumb question with a dumb answer - there is no oil pan screen.

The Kohler V twin is a really tight fit. It is longer front to back than the Kohler K241 and the engine pulleys have to line up correctly in three dimensions for the variator to work.

Coyote Green · Feb 22, 2012

How does the variator work? is it like a centrifugal clutch? do you have a command V twin in your JD 210?
thanks for everyone's help

Anonymous-0 · Feb 22, 2012

The variator works exactly like the variable speed drive they put in older combines before they had hydrostatic drives. It's a wide pulley with a sliding middle piece. Belt tension overcomes spring tension to move the sliding piece to one side or the other, creating an effectively larger or smaller diameter sheave on each side.

I don't have any V-twin engines. The old Kohler engines will run a couple thousand hours or more if taken care of, and they are good for several overhauls. You can overhaul a Kohler several times for the cost of a Briggs Vanguard.

greygoat · Feb 23, 2012

NAPA Auto Parts has an "Outdoor Power Equipment
Catalog" that has most anything you'd ever need
to fix a Kohler, both genuine Kohler, and NAPA
generic..Rings, gaskets, carb kits, ignition,etc.

dhermesc · Feb 23, 2012

I've used 4 of the kits off ebay on 4 different Cub Cadets. I did a 14hp K321 on my 1450 4 years ago - best investment I made in that mower. When you can have a like new K series Kohler for about $200 its the best way to go. The "newer" 2 cylinder Kohlers are extremely expensive to rebuild and will be hard to fit under the hood.

Coyote Green · Feb 24, 2012

The Kohler V twin i have only has a couple hundred hours on it, it still runs like new. If i can get the v twin under the hood then i am going to rebuild the original and put it to good use on another project.

Does anyone know how good the JD 210's pulled ? do the belts slip right a way or do they do pretty good ?
I had a Sears Custom 7 , it had one long belt instead of the two shorter belts, it pulled really well considering.

I have a set of industrial style tires i will put on this 210,
I have found a way to mount the loader with the mower deck, i am also going to build a 3-point hitch.

I got the pictures to work

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Anonymous-0 · Feb 24, 2012

That's a good straight-looking tractor.

If you put a new pair of the correct part number John Deere belts on and adjust the variator correctly, they pull really well. Traction is always the limiting factor on small garden tractors.

If I remember correctly, only one of the repower companies claims to have a kit to put a Briggs Vanguard in a 200-series. The Kohler V-twin is a little bigger than the Briggs. The clearance problem is the spot where the engine has to sit down into the frame to line up the crankshaft correctly.

That one has the wrong seat on it, and no seat safety switch. Your wiring harness may be hacked up or it may just have a jumper where the seat switch goes.

John Deere 210 ( with pics)

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