[das2010]

This is not a question of what these are worth just help deciding what to go with....
I bought the 1969 140 H3 Patio the other day and now I have the option of trading it for a 120?!?!?
The 140 will require quite a few parts to restore and will not be complete for some time.
The 120 starts and runs and is complete.
Not a bad dilema to be in but want a few opinions....AGAIN this is not a question of what it is worth nor are either of these for sale......need to make a decision soon. What to do????????

 

[stanb112]

David, in my opinion a lot depends on how you plan to use the tractor. Obviously if you need more than one hydraulic function the H3 is the answer. But if you only plan to mow or use sleeve hitch attachments either one will work.

If you are interested in "collectability" it's nearly a wash. Patio 140's are somewhat "rare" but so are 120's. And finally, with the 140 you have 2 more hp than the 120 if that matters to you.

My conclusion? Keep the 140 and buy the 120!
Stan

 

[jasbro2]

David,
I would hate to give up a 140 patio even if it needed a pretty good bit of work. I guess if you are going to use the 120 as a work tractor you may want to consider it. If you are a collector both would be nice!
Jim
Got any pictures?

 

[110johndeere]

david going by your profile you've already got a 110 hydraulic lift. so you've got a gear drive 120 for the most part. 120 has 12hp and most will say that the hydro takes 2-4 hp so if the 110 is a 10hp it might actually feel like the 110 has more get up and go than the 120.

now like stan said either one is about as rare as the other but.......with the 140 you've got the 14hp and h3 so at some point in time you'll have the 140 back to working condition and if you've got the h3 i'm sure you'll find uses for those ports.

so my vote goes for the 140.

also since you just got the 140 it might not be a good thing to get rid of it right away. could drive you nuts a few months from now that you gave up a patio. why not keep the 140 and if you still have the 120 itch down the road, get one.

my two cents

later
andy

 

[das2010]

All great points...I always wondered why people got rid of the old round fenders and chose to go to these...now I know....I am considering getting rid of all 3 of my round fenders and getting the 120 as well. I will make a few phone calls and let you all know where I end up on this one. I will have photos once I learn how to post pictures. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[ereed011]

DAVID DAVID DAVID.........You have to keep them all...dont ya know.

 

[msgwelter]

I'm with Roy. Keep them both. And as an owner of a 110 and 120, I must say the 120 will bog down before the 110 will.

 

[Rl_faus]

David... sorry man, gotta agree with Roy on this one! Sell something else, keep all the tractors!! Have strength my friend, don't let the little lady boss you around on this VERY important life decision!!! If you don't anti up and give all these poor little orphans a good home, who will? Do your part a donate a spot in your life to ANOTHER one of these priceless little treasures!!!! Don't you know, he who dies with the most toys.... WINS!!!!!!


Having said that, what color is the patio?

 

[ron_white]

Here are my thoughts.

Of coarse the first would be keep all and add the 120 !!

But if I had to choose I would look at it like this. Both the 120 and any patio model are desirable but, Does the patio have a good seat and hood ??? If not, then you would have to spend big bucks to get the patio correct. On the other hand the 120 would be very easy to get back to very near original and be a very nice addition

 

[das2010]

The Patio came with a good Orange hood and a spare not so good Orange hood. The seat pan is in good shape but no cushion. The second seat has a cushion that is age correct but not orange and not the correct pan....takes 2 to make 1. This being said, I have to figure out what to do next. I have someone showing up tomorrow to look at trading a 212 for my 2 partial 112's. This would allow me to keep my 110, patio 140, sell the 212 to my dad (still in my stable) and go get the 120. Then I keep the 110, 318, 70, 140 Patio, and the 120 and my dad has the 212. I also have a Ford model "A" doodlebug that might end up being the donor (sell to buy the 120). MY head is starting to hurt.

 

[das2010]

Hey Ron, quick post something............your on number 666

 

[ron_white]

Thanks David

 

[stanb112]

Be careful: Without a good original seat with the crinkle finish AND original color cushion you don't really have a Patio. OK, technically it may be a Patio, but to be correct it could cost you between $600 and $1,200 or more to put a good seat on it. Keep this in mind if your intention is to have a "real" Patio tractor.

 

[das2010]

That brings up a good point...Take for instance the 120..how do I know its cushion has not been replaced? does this make it a non "real" 120? I have seen this discussion somewhere before but not sure what others thought. I would continue to try and find an original seat through my connections but not sure where this would end up. My main intent is to collect garden tractors for future generations and people not familiar with this hobby to enjoy so for me I would think that this would be a real Patio but not original which would suit my intentions but others may feel differently. Take for instance my Mowett Mustang...In my opinion it is about the cheapest made mower I have ever seen with absolutely no true valuable function other than for my children to enjoy and to see peoples reactions at shows since in all my years I have never seen one. Let me know what you think Stan as well as others.........The gentleman with the 212 is showing up today so I might be moving forward with both....

 

[george_bock]

David, what's the serial # of the patio? I also have a '69 orange h3, # 15480. Just curious, not knowing how Deere did production-maybe a run of blue, then red,etc. Always looking for the next or before serial #. I agree it's tough to know if something is pure original. Things got swapped around a lot. Dealers even did it before selling. My vote is for keeping the 140, and getting the 120.

 

[das2010]

Sorry but mine is #16505... as far as runs of colors I do not think this happened for 2 reasons. The first is that if the entire tractor had to be painted a different color this would make sense since changeover cost/timing would be greatly affected. With the color schemes the way they are...they could just paint all of them and slap on hoods and seats at the very end. The second reason I do not believe they made runs of colors is a friend of mine who bought my 140 (only to discover it is a patio) decided to register it and found the consecutive serial number was owned by someone nearby. After contacting him and finding his was a Patio as well but of a different color, he asked him if he knew the history.....He happened to work for the dealership that sold both of them and he remembered them. Dont know for sure but this would suggest that they were not made in runs of one color at a time. Your point of dealers swapping items around before selling adds a third senario...what if you have a Patio with an original seat and hood but it was not the seat and hood it left the factory with...say a customer request to have a color that the dealership didnt have? My Wife in her innocent inquisitive manner just asked.."wouldnt a completely original tractor still have the same oil in it and wouldnt that be a problem?" If she starts judging shows I think we are all in trouble!!!

 

[msgwelter]

David, you're making me happy that I just got a plain old green and yellow 120. Not much to think about.

 

[Rl_faus]

I'm going to start a war with this post but... I say a patio is a patio weather or not it has the correct seat or hood. The fact it left the factory with a severe lack of green paint to me is what makes it a patio. There is no way I'd ever drop 1200 bucks between a seat and a hood! I thought 240 bucks for the headlight setup was bad!!! I saw a thread about dying seats. Now that looked the the ticket. After all... how can guys call any of the green tractors "restored" when they don't have an original seat and the hood is smooth as glass (the original finish on the hood was somewhat "rough")?

Ok I jumped in my foxhole and put on my helmet!! IMCOMING!!!!

 

[das2010]

Ryan..I think you make a good point. I guess it depends on why you want to call it a Patio. If you simple want to enjoy the fact that almost 40 years ago this left the plant as a tractor that broke from all John Deere traditions and allow people to enjoy a piece of history that they may have a memory of or inform a newbie of a piece of history, then it probably doesnt matter. IF you are doing this to hold onto and sell for a huge profit later in life where these things might make the difference in price then I guess it might matter. I spent years restoring a 1972 Olds Cutlass back to original thinking it to be best that way but given the choice, I would have dumped the 350 for a 455, put every available option on it and enjoyed it like I would have bought it. Make room Ryan in that foxhole and hand me that spare helmet!!

 

[110johndeere]

david and ryan, you guys both bring up good points.
the fact is that alot of people don't consider a patio to be complete unless it's got those two precious and pricey patio items. david if you are going to keep the 140 for years to come bets are that some day down the road you'll run into a seat for a good price so i see nothing wrong with restoring the rest of the tractor now and after it's done make it one of your goals to track down a seat.
i've already come across a few good deals over the past few years that have saved me a huge deal of money so i know that i'm not the only one that can find the "hidden" treasures.

i think what throws alot of guys for a loop here is that they see someone find a tractor, post some pics and within a few months time, BAM, tractor's done and lookin very good.
what people have to remember is that sometimes it can take years to get all the pieces together. david i believe you know what it's like to spread a project out over a long period of time so i think you are already off to a good start.

if you want a patio, a true patio, within six months then you'll have to just bite the bullet and shell out the money.

all in all like you said, it IS a patio so if it takes two years to track down a good seat, well so be it. for me, and i know alot of guys will agree with me on this, half the fun of this hobby is the hunt.

later
andy