help me as I am clueless

What would be the biggest width of a mower deck that allis produced, and which models would they be found on?

I'd like to search for one and need to know what I'm looking for.

Are there any specific things to watch out for other than the obvious?

Oh, and it has to be a hydro transmission.


Edited by Les Royer - 14 Oct 2016 at 9:07am

 5 foot would be perfect. That's what I'm running now. I'd like to wean off these green machines as I've had it up to here with the repair costs to keep them running.

The ideal tractor would be something comparable to this 445 deere. 5 foot deck, foot pedal hydrostat, and this 1992-1997 model, which is a V twin, 22 hp, throttle body injection, and water cooled, can be bought for around 3 grand with 750 hours.


The wife hate the other tractor which has a hydro lever you have to run with your hand rather than your foot.


Does that narrow it down?


Edited by Les Royer - 14 Oct 2016 at 11:13am

I agree with Brian...ACs were hand lever operated. The AGCO Allis 2025
is foot operated. It has 2 petals...larger one for forward, small one for reverse. It also has a cruse control lever for a constant speed and you do not have to keep a foot on a petal.

What do you use them for, mowing only, how much mowing? What are you mowing, just fields or also around the house. Wife going to use it, do you want power steering?
Some of you current green machines would have power steering I assume. They are garden tractors and could be had with 3pt. You still want that class of machine, or just a mower?  Depending on usage, maybe 15 gallons of diesel would last all season.

I think the only water cooled gas now selling is the 2cyl Kawasaki, used in the JD x700's and the Simplicity Legacy XL. Previously, Kubota had a gas 3 cylinder and also JD with the 322. (318=Onan, 322=3cyl gas, 332=3cyl diesel). I could be a little wrong and don't know if the 3 cyl gas made it to the 400 line.
The water cooled 2cyl Kawasaki is quiet vs diesels.

One other time they had that same 445 V twin in the shop because it was making oil. They had it for 3 weeks. Finally I called them. "Hey! The grass didn't quit growing cause the dang mower left! Whemn am I going to get my tractor back?"

Well, we don't know what wrong with it they said.

"Well I'm coming down there to get me a mower so I can mow my grass. Gimme something out of the used lot."

Well yer gonna have to talk to someone in sales about that.

"Fine, gimme sales."

Well we don't have any used mowers to loan you Les.

"Well what do you use to mow the grounds there at the dealership with?"

Well we gotta shop mower for that.

"Well I'll be down to get that." I wasn't taking no for an answer.

I picked up the mower a week after that with a $1,000 bill against it. And it still did the same thing. Everytime we mowed our 4 acres with it, I had to drain 12 oz. of oil out of it.

2 weeks later I put an $8 head gasket on it and fixed the problem. My mowers haven't been back since.

The plastic gears should have been be replaced. Once it was clear they were a problem, and the steel replacement was available, it should have gotten replaced. But like you say they don't believe in preventative maintenance. So I guess you do not want to head down to that dealer and plunk down S12,000 on the latest X700.

Go to Kubota and get a BX model with 60" mower. It is orange. 6 year power train warranty. 4wd, power steering ,Cat one hitch, 540 pto.  Sell the green garden tractors.

I know everyone thinks these things are over priced, but how much does an outboard motor cost, how about a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  The A/C 620/720 garden tractor cost as much as a small car of its time.

  Nothing wrong with used. Tractors I got now wern't bought new.

I see the 616 is 16.5hp and the 620 is 19.5 hp. Same motor. What's the difference?


Edited by Les Royer - 14 Oct 2016 at 10:37pm

Simplicity Legacy tractors (AGCO 2020, 2023 & 2025...also a 2024 diesel version) are the coziest machines out there for foot controlled use and a 60" deck.  They are getting quite cheap, too.  3pt was an option.  Sunstar tractors are also great, but are hand controlled and 3pt is more scarce.  Search on Deutz 1920 and AGCO 1920 models.

Les maybe you could contact that guy who put the foot control on his case ingersoll he has something like 20 or more in one photo there maybe he would sell the rebuilt one with the foot control. Can't be worse then shipping that vet from NH. Lol

Steve Les tried a z turn the wife didn't like the joystick controls so he had to go back to an old school mower.

don't spend to much money on them green things Les....it's gittin to be about time to be workin on a boat for spring time.....uh....locating work! shucks....maybe we outta be starting to build a ice fishing hut real soon too!  

well Les....if yer dead set gonna keep them green lawn bumps, then check out one fer sale on big iron auction....it has a cab with lights and a wiper and all kinds of attachments with it. maybe you can use yours for parts machines

I figgered this one is a running unit, and he could use the others fer parts

I ain't never been on one of then 2 handle machines. she complained about shoulder pain from having outstretched arms, I guess.




Edited by Les Royer - 02 Dec 2016 at 6:59pm

the handles on my Dixon are close to your body....kind of like resting your hands on the handles.