John Deere 170

[RichZ]

Does anyone know what horsepower and vintage a John Deere 170 riding lawn mower is? Also does anyone know anything about their dependability?

Thanks!!

 

[s1120]

I have never heard of a 170 Rich, and I can't find any info on one. Are you sure on the number? I know there were a model 70, and a 120. Anymore info on the tractor, that may be helpfull to us?

 

[s1120]

Opps, sorry Rich. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I spoke to soon.

I assume you are talking about a LX170. I was only thinking of the older stuff, guess that shows where my head is.

The LX170 has a 16hp motor in it. Hope this helps.

 

[RichZ]

Paul, this should be an older mower. Here's the story...

We have an old JD 111 riding mower. Nice little mower that my wife uses for mowing trim that I can't reach with my Fergie and my rear finish mower. The only problem is, periodically, my wife uses it as a brush hog. A couple of weeks ago, I was brush hogging our horse pasture. My wife said she'd mow close to the fences with the little JD 111. I told her OK, but to stay on level ground. Next thing I knew, as I was brush hogging, I saw her heading down to our creek on the mower. She thought she could get closer to the creek with the little mower than my tractor. And she did. The only problem is, there are several steep drops to the creek she ran over, and she kept bottoming out the mower deck. By the time she saw me off my Fergie, jumping up and down, telling her to come back slowly, there were sparks flying from under the mower deck. She had bottomed it out so many times, she broke the supports that hold the deck to the mower. And I had just had them welded from the last time she did that. I don't think it can be welded anymore. So I need a new riding mower.

I really liked that little JD 111. It ran great and held up to a lot of my wife's abuse!! Now she's promised not to do that again, but I still won't pay more than $500 for a riding mower, because I figure that eventually she'll forget and do it again someplace on our farm.

So... I saw an ad in the Want Ad Digest for a John Deere 170 riding lawn mower for $650, and I figure they might go down to $500 if I like it. But first I wanna know how old it is and the horsepower. I don't think it could possibly be an LX 170 for that kind of money!! It's gotta be an old mower. I'd like something bigger and more powerful than the little JD 111. But that little JD was rugged, so I wouldn't mind getting another old JD.

 

[s1120]

The 111's were a good mower. Along the same lines of the old 110's and 112's, just a little lighter. Now I don't know of a 170 from that time, but there were a lot of others outthere that would fill the bill. The old 210,212, and 214's were real nice, just like the old 110/112's. Also there were the 316, and 318's. They are tanks, but a bit over your budjet. Now anythought of going non JD? I have had REAL good luck with my Case/Ingersoll tractors, and I beat the tar out of them.

 

[RichZ]

Oh, I definitely am not committed to JD, I just saw a reasonably priced JD in the Want Ad Digest. I was looking for any well built lawn or garden tractor. Case/Ingersol is definitely one that I would look at, based on your experiences, but I haven't seen any ads for them. I'd consider any rugged mower, especially ones made by tractor companies, like Cub Cadets, JD, Case, Ford, etc.

On another forum, someone told me the 170 is from the late 80's and has a 14 hp Kawasaki engine, and is very dependable. I was hoping to find something with more hp, but I may check out this JD if it's still available. I'm still looking, if you know of anything.

 

[professor]

If I remember correctly the 170 came out in 1988. It had a 14 hp Kawasaki engine. This series of lawn tractors gave great service. I had a 165 and used it for 10 years to cut 3 acres. My two neighbors bought 170s and used them for years. If this tractor is in good condition it still has many years of service. I feel that the Kawasaki is one of the best engines built.

 

[s1120]

Don't worry about a 14hp motor. It would be more then enough motor for your use. The new mowers with there 20-25 hp are realy overkill for mowing. My Ingersoll's are only 14hp, and I use them hard, and they never give me a problem. I will keep an eye open for you. I come across some once in a wile.

 

[RichZ]

Thanks, Paul!! Please keep me posted on anything you see.

Another reason I wanted more HP, is that I thought most companies tended to make the tractors bigger the more hp it had. I thought a larger engine might mean a bigger tractor that will stand up to more abuse.

 

[rancar]

<font color="blue">I really liked that little JD 111. It ran great...I'd like something bigger and more powerful than the little JD 111. But that little JD was rugged, </font>

Hi Rich,

I wish I still had by JD 111. But I sold it last year. I bought my JD 425 in 1995 and hadn't been using the 111 except for a few hours each summer to cut high brush. That 111 cut the tall weeds and brush much better than my 425. I agree it was a tough little bugger. However, those welds that held the support brackets to the mower deck were problematic. I too broke one of mine and I couldn't think what I did wrong for it to happen. It just happened and I had to take the deck over to Allen Farm Equip. to get the bracket re-welded. Didn't have any other problems after that but I was always a bit hesitant when running the deck in the lowered position (at 2.5 inches or lower) over rough ground. Snagging one of those mower deck wheels on a rock or small stump could put excess strain on the support bracket welds thus braking them. Maybe, this is what happened in my case.

...Bob