2010 Open Forum ARCHIVE

New Year, same Deere! Once again the old 214 was called upon, this time to move almost a cord of wood. Ahhh the joy of it! Hope all of you have a great 2010. Adam

I know we all feel this way, but I just have to say "I Love My Deeres". I've owned a couple 112Hs for about 4 years now, have posted here a few times over the years, including mentioning a couple months ago about the new 112(E?) I picked up out of a barn. This is my newest tractor with a serial number of 250093. It's got the K301 instead of the little ol' 10hp models in my other two.

The tractor had been sitting for a few years, about 25 best guess, so it took a while to get it running. Some fresh gas, oil, plugs and points to get it to fire up. It was running rough and I had gas pouring out of the carb. Monday I drove 45 minutes to the dealership and picked up a carb kit and some new drive belts (which were all in stock), came home, spent a whopping hour or so to pull the carb, put the kit in and get it purring like a kitten.

After that I thew on the cab I got with the deal, which isn't easy by yourself, but not impossible. Its an older style Hinson cab, different than the one I have for one of my other 112s, but I like the rigid doors instead of the ones that work like a shower curtain. After 40 years the vinyl gets a little stiff, especially the windows.

Along with the purchase I got a snowblower which looks like it was used to blow rocks more than snow. The edges of the auger are all bent, even the sides of the blower have dents. I had another snowblower thats in slightly better shape, but since we've gotten about a foot of snow over the last week, it was snowed in out back. So I threw the ugly beat up one on and just went out to clean up my drive as they're calling for anywhere from 12"-18" of snow tonight, on top of the few inches we've gotten over the past few days.

At this point, I must say that a lot of folks here have done absolutely beautiful work restoring your old tractors, and I still hope to do that too someday when I have a suitable place to work on them. My tractors look like they're 40 years old with faded paint, and cracked seats. My weight box is filled with rusty old pieces of steel rods that have been cut up. But, I just went out and snowblowed my driveway, snowblowed a path to my back deck, snowblowed a path across my front lawn to my power meter all the while getting a little too hot in the cab from the engine heat, even though its 24 degrees here right now. The drive I had snowblowed once this year with my neighbors blower when mine wasn't running, but otherwise all the other work I did was in about a foot of snow that's been on the ground a couple of weeks.

The old girl just kept churning up the snow and kept moving. I can't speak for these new box store Deere's but I know for a fact that when it comes to an late 60 or early 70s model Deere, its fact that "nothing runs like a Deere".

Well I will throw in my 2 cents regarding the old Deere's and blowing snow. My 1968 112H with a 10 horse tecumseh was purchased by me about a year ago with the intention of replacing my box store rider for the sole purpose of mowing the lawn. I hated the riding box store mower since the day I got it. I worked on a farm in the 80's and know what equipment should feel like, that thing is sheet metal and nothing else.

I found a deal on attachments for the little 112 and got the blower, tiller and front blade for $200. Never planned to use the blower, just figured I would add it to the collection. I used the tiller, blade and mower all summer and was impressed with their abilities.

We got 10 inches of snow today and I decided to test the blower, well I am impressed. It did everything but the end of the driveway without a stop. The end of the driveway is always wet, so I would have been surprised if it did that, but it blew all the rest of it and did most of it in 3rd gear.

I will be selling the Lawn Mower from the box store this spring on Craigs List.

On a side note, if you pair a front loader on an early 70's garden tractor with this snow blower, you will not need to touch a shovel.

I will stick with pre 1980 garden tractors from now on. Although I have 3 at this time my wife has said I am limited to what will fit in the shed. My thought is if I move all the other stuff out of the shed, I can fit at least 8 in there.

I agree George but I would move the years a bit to about 91 and back.
This would include a lot of WELL built machines that will stand up to a lot of abuse by prior owners.

If your wanting something to earn it's keep might I suggest you move up to say a 430

I could probably move up to the stuff from the 80's, but that 68 112 is the same age as me, and it works better than I do. With all the attachments I only have about 500.00 into it, so I certainly can't complain. The 74 sears with the loader was a steal at 400.00, and it was well worth the 1/2 hour it took to get running. Really only got it for the loader, but when I found out the only thing wrong with the tractor was that the gas tank was full of water, I figured I would keep it until it died. I did put another $100.00 worth of fluids and belts into the Sears, but I never count that stuff. Now I just have to fix the fact that it is ugly, four bad paint jobs still showing. Should I paint it Green and Yellow? A disguise might be in order for it.

I'm coming to my fellow Deere experts for a little insight. I'd like to find a 332 to "pair" with my great 318. What would you say the price range should be for one that is in running condition? I don't currently have one in my sights but am hoping that one shows up sometime this year.

All input appreciated!!!

It's been too cold here to do much around here but try to keep warm!

Moved some firewood around with the 140. Got the 3 point and rear hydraulics installed, and made an A frame adapter for it. Put in a K341, made a new muffler that I got at Tractor Supply and modified it to fit, and now have to do some body work on the fender pan before it gets paint. It's going to be a worker, so I don't plan to go crazy making it too pretty.

Planning to go to Pa. plow day in April, so got some work to do.

Bill

Bill, Awesome 140 #80 cart combo! I would love to someday pick one up but they are so expensive. Adam


(Message edited by robb318 on January 04, 2010)

Since everyone seems to be sharing how great their Deere is, I will chime in.

6" of fresh white stuff today. It's the real light, dry, fluffy stuff (10* temp) so I wasnt going to bother getting out my 210 with 37A, but I hear my neighbor get out his JD 165 lawn tractor with blower and I just had to show off
Did my drive and the real steep driveway next to mine, along with the heavy stuff from the street plows.

Adam, nice 214
Bill, nice 140. Do want

Christmas came a little late *NEW* Ruegg 3-point


Thank You Bill Ruegg everything worked great!
now I just have to get more attachements.

Jame,

The 332 is a highly desirable tractor in this size and configuration as it shares the same basic features of the chassis of the 318, so it has dual hydraulic spools, power steering, individual rear brakes, etc. The chassis is as easy to work on as any 318.

It does not need a reserve fuel valve as it has a fuel level indicator (and a water in fuel sensor...) for its Diesel fuel supply. The 332 has a water cooled 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel engine, so it is much more complex to rebuild, but the engine life is also very much longer in most cases. Like all small engines, what maintenance it received up til now is key to what condition and remaining life it will have. Overheating can be an issue, so look for signs of proper care of the belly screen and pre-screen just in front of the airflow through the radiator, and of course check the level and condition of the coolant in the radiator. Air flows from the pedestal area through the radiator and then across the engine and out the front grill and side cover screens. My experience is that the water cooled engine cools best with the side covers in place, but opinions vary on this subject among members here...

332 tractors command a premium over similar condition and age 318 tractors. The 322 version (gas engine) is somewhere in between the two. I have two of the 322 tractors but have never owned a 332 diesel...

Hope this is of some help.

Chuck