Fill me in guys on John Deere's 345 model please

[General Lee]

I'm looking at a used 1996 John Deere 345. Kawasaki 18 hp, liquid cooled engine. 54'' inch deck and power steering. 975 hours

It looks to be in good condition, seller is asking 2500. My question(s) is, this mower is pushing 20 years old. How's the price for this age mower and the hours? Are the 345's any good? Any thing else you can add I'd appreciate it.

 

[sklunk]

Check for the dreaded "plastic cam gear" issue. If it has already been fixed you are good to go. If it has not been fixed it WILL fail eventually and you are looking at anywhere from $600 (DIY) to $1100 (dealer service). It is not a small fix -- you need to tear most of the engine down to get to it. Search this forum for more info.

Other than that they seem to be a great tractor. I bought mine used (also a 1996) and it now has about the same hours as yours. My cam gear went out 2 years ago but since that repair it has been a great machine!

 

[bruceatlam]

I just bought one a couple of weeks ago. My seller was asking $1,500. I paid $500 --- he needed to get it moved because he had sold the property.

This one has 235 hours on a working hour meter --- been sitting at least 10 years. The old gas had turned to varnish --- stinky junk. Still working on cleaning it up and getting it started.

 

[Missouri Lad]

I own a 1999 JD 345 with 793 hours. All those hours from the rear of my lower backside. Few problems over the years. One was the carburetor loping as they call it. I fixed the dude by remodeling the carburetor and the linkage /governor assembly. I never trusted the "small poor made" fuel filter that came with the tractor, so, I invested in a Kobota fuel/water separator filter unit. That was the best$19.78 item I have installed. My 54" mower deck has been the "pits" for me. The first 6 years I own the tractor, I replaced 17 mower deck belts. After checking with another 345 owner, found that my 54" deck was made wrong. Had three brackets/bolts that was installed wrong. The dealer wouldn't make the corrections....replace the deck, etc. So, me and my welder went to work making new brackets and replaced bolts where they should have been installed. Now, some 7 years later, the deck and pulleys/belts, bearings, etc have lasted much longer than those before. So, my love for John Deere is fine, however, I will never own another one of the infamous Green/Yellow machines.

 

[gjw]

I had a 95 345 for several years. The only problelm I had with it was a leaky valve cover gasket on one side. (An easy fix) It had a 54" deck & a snowblower. It was used at our cabin where I mowed about 1 1/2acres. I blew a lot of snow thru the years. Power steering & hydraulic lift are very nice. I think they are a very well made tractor. I believe it had 90 hours on it when I bought it & around 675 hours when I sold it. I then bought a 355D which is the same model but has a diesel engine.

 

[Retired Iron Peddler]

I have a '99 JD 345 with the 54" deck with 650 hours. It has the steel cam gear and the newer style fuel pump that doesn't cause a possible engine fire. I've replaced a couple of the circuit boards, two idlers in the belt drive system, and one mower deck belt since I purchased it new. A well built reliable and easy to drive lawn tractor that gets regular maintenance per the owner's manual.

Bill

 

[Flying MXZ]

How many hours are these good for? There is a 2000 for sale near me with 1004 hours for a decent price. Did the 2000's have the updated (metal) cam gear?

 

[bruceatlam]

I would say that's a lot of hours for a 345. Any 345 with a serial number 07xxxx or higher has the steel cam gear. I think you're covered there -- but check the serial number. At 1,000 hours it's probably already been changed anyhow -------------. I think it's a nice little engine and a nice little tractor. It is liquid cooled so that can extend its life if it's been maintained well ---- so, if you can figure that it's been well maintained, it might be worth a try. Maybe $1,000 max -----