A True John Deere
Written: Feb 12 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quality, power, manueverability, economy, comfort, noise.
Cons: Lack of a gas gauge (though it has the see thru tank)
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this product for mowing over 1/2 acre lots and small pastures.
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| kablewey's Full Review: John Deere Gt235 Tractor |
We bought our GT235 2 years ago. It was about $1000 more than the equivalently sized Craftsman and about the same price as all the other good brands such as Cub, Allis, and so on.
So far this John Deere has been an awesome machine. It always starts easily in all weather, it is easy to maintain in that the mower deck comes on and off somewhat easily enough that I actually do it once in a while. Changing the oil and air filters is as easy as any brand that has them. It is nice having the see thru gas and hydraulic tanks for checking those levels but I wish it had a gas gauge.
It can tow anything I throw at it including 1000lbs of manure in a trailer. I also use it to grade my long driveway. I have used it drag, disc, plow garden, lawn and driveway including an extension regrading of the lawn from the house. The cruise control worked well for this work but I caution you from using it while mowing the lawn. The cruise control does not disengage when the brake is applied so if you are cruising at mowing speeds you can find yourself in trouble quicker than you might think.
I am slowly buying more accessories because this machine is so easy to drive and finesse into tight spots that I can do so much more with it. The steering is easy, the traction unsurpassed and the speed control thanks to hydrastatic drive is precise and easy. I have actually cut my lawn cutting time from 2.5hours to 1.5 hours and I can even access areas as never before thanks to the great traction.
I had two Craftsmans before this and they both had issues though the 1986 was running when I sold it and the 1996 has the transmission literally laying on the ground in pieces, a catastrophic failure. They were OK and I thought I had it good until I got that John Deere home. Then I realized what I was missing. So did my wife so now she prefers to mow the lawn because it is a joy. That was never the case with the Craftsmans.
There are a lot less gas fumes with the John Deere (single cylinder motor) than the Craftsmans as which means you can come in after mowing and go directly to eating dinner without objections. The gas economy is excellent and I would say about twice as good as the Craftsmans.
My neighbor at the same time bought a similar size Craftsman. She can't mow her pasture with the brambles and such in it. The John Deere cuts through that stuff like it was nothing though I like to remove the mulching kit plug for the pasture so I can run full speed and git-r-done! So, my pastures look as good as the lawn and the horses love that!
The other cool thing to be in is the John Deere sub-culture that surrounds the brand. Though I'm not really into it I have to admit it is fun to wear the hat and talk trash about the other, lesser, brands!
At this point in life I will never ever ever get anything but a John Deere Garden Tractor and I will some probably upgrade to a small JD utility/estate tractor when I can justify it to my lovely wife!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kablewey
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Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 0 members
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