My dad just gave my wife and me the 445 he bought brand-new in 1994, along with two 54" decks (the original he got with the tractor and a spare he got used later on), a 48" deck with a Power-Flow head that came off a junked 425, and a snowblower he got a few years after buying the tractor, along with lots of spare parts. It's been meticulously maintained over the past 3 decades, the plastic valve covers were upgraded to the newer metal ones, the failure-prone gears replaced as preventative measures, and right before he gave it to us dad replaced all the engine seals, replaced one piston, honed the cylinders, and replaced the rings (it had started to go through a lot of oil recently). Runs like brand new!
They were the best lawn/garden tractors ever made!!..I had a 455 with over 3700 hrs on it and was still chugging along like the day it was built!..I gave it to my Godson and he restored it and it looks like new again!..I bought a mid/high range 60” zero turn to replace it and it was much more convenient to mow with but it just wasn’t the same!..I missed my 455 so much, I sold my new zero turn and bought an x495 which was the next generation of the 455 and when I got it and mowed with it the first time, it was like reuniting with an old friend!..love those JD lawn tractors!..
Yeah, they are cool. The real issues is lack of deck availability. IF you can find one (and everyone wants a 54) everyone wants almost a $1k for one that needs complete strip/paint/parts overhaul. I would not recommend a 4x5 series mower based on this. Buy an X series, something more current, preferably that Deere still makes parts for. Decks are obsoleted by Deere on 4x5
This is an excellent video. You are absolutely right about the 300 series and 420/430 series tractors. I also appreciate how Deere matched the row crop designs throughout different generations. Your shop is beautiful and it's clear that you work hard and take pride in your operation. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for all the nice comments, BobWilson. I do have a soft spot in my heart for these old 4X5 mowers! It's also funny that of all the videos I've done so far, this one by far generates the most comments and engagement from everyone. They sure have a large following of people like you and I who really appreciate them. Thanks again.
I have a ‘98 445 AWS that I bought new and it has just over 800 hours on it. All I have ever done to it is maintenance. Also have been restoring a ‘74 140 H3. Nice video, one of the best I have seen on the 4X5 series.
I have a 455 my dad just just pasted down to me a few weeks ago. It has about around 800 hours on it. Its in very good shape, but no where near the condition of your. beautiful machine you have. very clean. I plan on restoring mine this winter. mainly the deck and replace the plastics on the hood, and maybe a nicer seat with arm rests. great video!
Great and truthful video ! And even the downs or cons are either well known by anyone that’s done any research or simple maintenance things in my opinion. I’m a commercial landscaper in Maine and have several mowers I can use that are ridiculously expensive but my 445 is my dream and that’s what I’ve used on my property since the day I bought it ! Take care
Excellent video and new subscriber. Also a fan of the 400 series as I have a 445 bought new 25+ years ago and agree with all your points. I really like the tire, valve cover, rubber boot, etc. upgrades and will do the same. Rear tires are original and I have replaced both front from dry rot so it's probably a good time to do the rears and I like the more aggressive pattern of the Carlisle. I bought used 425 for our camp and also agree the FI is better but the carb works and use that machine less and fine for the smaller yard. Thanks for a very informative video which can be helpful for others if they want to pick up one as they are truly bullet proof high quality machines. I thought of upgrading (?) to the 700 series until I realized my 400's are fine and spending close to $20k for a new lawn mower is crazy. I have a subcompact tractor with FEL for other jobs, so I couldn't justify spending that kind of cash when the old machines are fine. Thanks
57Dalv - Really liked your comment. These old 400 Series tractors are great machines. With a few upgrades to fix some annoyances and LED's + HD Field Trax tires, you basically have an X700 for 1/4 to 1/3 of the price. I also sort of prefer the nostalgia, charm of the FD620D, and baby ten series styling.
MTD “Missed The Dumpster”, no lie, I’ve put tons of $$$ into my old Sears (MTD) LTV11, what a POS.. belts constantly breaking, deck warped,engine replaced…. Finally bought an old JD318 😂
I bought my 455 aws new in 1998, traded in a 430 which I wish I still had. After 400 hours I gave up on the small linkage aws and replaced with automotive steering parts. My 455 now has 780 hours on it with nothing but yearly maintenance. I still run the MTS system I bought with the 430, hydralic dump system. I've owned many tractors in my life but nothing compares to the 430 and 455. KC
Been mowing maintaining a 2000 445 on our small farm for over 15 years now. I'd say you pretty well hit the nail on the head. Something I learned recently is the mufflers like to get pinholes around the seams. I wonder if this is why do many grills get toasted. Also was waiting to see your remedy for the reverse safety switch on the PTO. We use a wood clothespin.
I have a 48" deck with the power flow head I don't need. I am in northern Michigan. I have used a couple of the anti-scalp wheels on my 54" deck so they are missing.
I just picked up a 445 with a 60 inch deck for 450dollars!!1088 hours put a battery on it and she fired right!I did have the issue with no start after I pressure washed it.also it’s a 2000 model so it should have the steel cam gear
Nice video and in depth. I do have to question what you said at about the 3:10 mark. You said the engine AND the transaxle are water cooled or "liquid cooled"? I have (2) 455's, a '95' with 54" deck and a '98' with the 60" deck, 40 loader, and 54" front blade, and we still have Dad's very early '94' 445. ( It was 4th off of the assembly line.) And if anyone can set me straight then please do, but I'm fairly certain that the rear K91 Tuff Torq used on these units are NOT water cooled. The engine certainly is! I have never seen any cooling lines running back to the transaxle. The only two lines attached to it are the (2) hydraulic lines, the the supply line and the return line that runs the rear lift cylinder, the power steering cylinder, and also the (4) output connections at the front of the left foot rest that are for connecting hydraulic powered implements. We just had to replace the plastic timing gear on Dad's 445 at 1700+ hours. Also found 1 bent pushrod. As extra precaution we replaced crank seals and valve guides. We were seeing light blue oil smoke only on startup and then it would clear up. We thought the new valve guides would cure that issue but it seems to have gotten worse. We're now thinking we should have done piston rings as well. My tractors have the 54" deck and the 60" deck. The 60" is a heavy brute to handle at 300 lbs whereas the 54" deck comes in at around 200lbs. Again, if someone can straighten me out on the rear transaxles being water cooled or not please leave a reply.
Hello sir, glad you watched the video and glad to hear from all of you 400 Series fans. I had a guy comment on one of my other videos that he'd rather listen to the Trump-Biden debate than me. I guess he just wanted to know how to change the part and not learn anything about it. I can tell you are curious and want to learn, which is great and why I started this channel. So, the Kanzaki K91 is an HST with internal charge pump. The charge circuit firstly keeps your low side loops happy and any excess is then available for steering and the implement system. The steering and implement valves are both open center. If you're not steering, the excess flow heads out the power beyond port to the implement. The return circuits from both the steering and implement valve tee together at the RH side of the lower radiator tank. Eventually all of this excess flow ends up there and averages the supply, although dynamically it will can change due to cylinder ratios. There is an oil section of the rad that cools this fluid. It leaves the LH side of the tank and dumps back into the K91. If you poke your head underneath, you'll see two -6 ORFS connections with on that lower rad section, those are the cooling lines. The 445/455 is a very robust, well designed unit and I've never seen them leak, so most people don't know they're there. The later X495/740 changed from this design to a little standalone cooler in front of the rad. Those look like one of those little Samsung units you see on heavy equipment, and uses crappy beaded hose connections. I've repaired several of those and it's a huge mess because the fan sucks the oil through the rad and blows it all over the engine. Since you're curious, I'd like to pose a quick thought experiment. Let's ignore the charge pump heat and just consider the HST pump/motor for simplicity. Let's say you're in a heavy drawbar application like tilling and propel is consuming 11Hp and the rear PTO the balance (11Hp). This isn't a heavy equipment trans that is 90%+, it's a light duty bullet nose style, so let's say it's 85% efficient on the pump and motor. (.85 * .85 * 11) = 8 Hp going to the ground and the rest, 3 Hp ends up as heat. 3Hp = ~7600 Btu/hr. To put that into perspective, this would be 1.5x of those 120V ceramic bathroom heaters, chugging away directly into the center of your trans. It must be cooled or you'd have Chernobyl on your hands in no time. The K91 and and your commercial zero turns do it this way (the right way). You've probably seen those cheesy plastic fans on the cheaper throwaway HST's on box store riders and zero turns, which in my opinion is a poor excuse for cooling because most people don't clean them and HST life greatly suffers. Point is, either way they need to be cooled in some way to live. Happy wrenching!
Aesome informative video! I did want to ask about the faulty gear. Where can i find more detailed information on the serial numbers that were affected? Was it just the cam gear or were their other gears that were affected, i.e. oil pump gear?
Hello, I looked back in my notes and had written down that the issue was fixed starting at the 1998 model year, serial numbers 60001 and later. I also had a note for the engine S/N itself which was 150198 and later. I haven't owned one that got extremely close to the S/N break so can't confirm personally, but haven't run into a situation where those numbers were wrong yet. On the gears, I pulled up some pictures of the last failed one I repaired. The actual issue is the cam gear which usually breaks during initial cranking, but when it happens the broken teeth get jammed up in the other plastic gears and sometimes break them too. I usually see the loose teeth break the oil and water pump gears as well, but not the governor.
A man gave me a very neglected 455 a few weeks ago...Seat was rotted off...Side panels gone...Covered with dust instrument panel destroyed...flat tires etc.. Put new battery in and nothing...Somebody put a new ignition switch in so a ran power to it turned the switch and the thing fired right up instantly..Then the engine would not turn off...Pulled the fuse on the rigged up wire I put in and it finally ran out of fuel...Took it across the yard and turned the switch and it did turn off as normal.....It's going to need some work but it's worth it...Trans runs good but looks like rear lock is stuck in down position or a spring is missing..60 inch deck that's going to need some pulleys, blades etc....I have a GT 245 that I rescued as well...Even it is 1 million times better than the box store stuff..I had a Husqvarna with a 24 hp Kawasaki and Hydro gear "Fast" transmission....Thought it was great until I got the 245...Also have X710...worth every penny...
This is definitely one of these "it depends" questions. The entire range of those diesels all have pros and cons. I'll list a few from my experience, diesel, 2WD: 455 - Best option if you're on a budget, shorter wheelbase and slightly more nimble than X series. However, stiffer frame and short wheelbase...I feel they ride rougher than the X's. Also, eventually you'll experience more HST leaks as they're now >20 years old and also service parts are starting to be phased out. I do not like any decks on the 455 except the 60", and even it's not as good as the later ones. X495 - This gets you a tilt hood and you'll have less plastic breakage issues than 4xx series, also a modulated PTO engagement which is really nice. The Yanmar in the X495 has the best throttle response and I really like it's tone, governor performance. Big downside on the X495 is it wasn't designed for the 7-Iron. You can install one, but need to turn the rear wheels inside out and you don't get much deck lift at full raise. Will cost more than 455, but better service parts availability. X740 - This is my personal favorite. Try to find one with the big 1.1L engine and a 7-Iron. Was designed for the 7-Iron and will give the full range of lift. This machine will run forever. Will cost more than an X495 but can be found reasonably if you search, say in the $5-8K range. X750 - Current model and will cost you the most, $6-12K depending on hours and condition (in my area). Basically the same machine as the X740 but does have some nice upgrades. More comfortable seat options, digital dash monitor, later models have aluminum wheels which look sharp. Will still accept a 7-Iron even though most came with the weaker yellow 9-Gauge HC decks. Will have the least issues with leaks and service parts. I do not like the functionality or design of the autoconnect decks, prefer the durability/simplicty of non-autoconnect. Personally I've had more trouble with cooling on the X750... each model from the 455 they seem to remove perf on the sideshields quickly plug depending on your conditions. Everyone will have an opinion on this and all have their strong points. All other things being equal, I tend to gravitate to the X740 w/7-Iron and 1.1L from a balance of age/serviceability/features and price.
Perhaps you mean push mowers. I'd like to reply to this one because I want our viewers to know the facts. The X-Series riders (sold at JD dealerships) and I think Gators and tractor mounted snowblowers are made by Deere at the Horicon, WI plant. I have personally been to this facility and have seen production, engineering, and their test facility. I'm most familiar with this location because it's in the Midwest and close to where I live. A great, hardworking bunch of assemblers and engineers work there producing these USA made products. There is a UA-cam video showing production and the test site. This was exactly what I saw when I visited: ua-cam.com/video/eB_022EJRnI/v-deo.html I believe the big box store stuff like the 100 Series are made by Deere in Greeneville, TN. I haven't been to this facility yet but heard they really crank out the products, very high production disposable mowers for the box stores to compete against the Crapsman, MTD, Scrub Cadet, etc.. Deere also makes zero turns, commercial, and turfcare related products for things like golf courses. I haven't been to this facility either but know that it's also a genuine Deere factory, located in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
Is it the same gear he is talking about in this video or another gear we need to be mindful of? Where can we get more articles or information on the serial numbers that were affected?
You think a John Deere 455 is a riding lawnmower and you are going to teach us something about it. Now doesn't that seem a little weird to you???? I am out of here at 44 seconds. Art from Ohio
My dad just gave my wife and me the 445 he bought brand-new in 1994, along with two 54" decks (the original he got with the tractor and a spare he got used later on), a 48" deck with a Power-Flow head that came off a junked 425, and a snowblower he got a few years after buying the tractor, along with lots of spare parts. It's been meticulously maintained over the past 3 decades, the plastic valve covers were upgraded to the newer metal ones, the failure-prone gears replaced as preventative measures, and right before he gave it to us dad replaced all the engine seals, replaced one piston, honed the cylinders, and replaced the rings (it had started to go through a lot of oil recently). Runs like brand new!
They were the best lawn/garden tractors ever made!!..I had a 455 with over 3700 hrs on it and was still chugging along like the day it was built!..I gave it to my Godson and he restored it and it looks like new again!..I bought a mid/high range 60” zero turn to replace it and it was much more convenient to mow with but it just wasn’t the same!..I missed my 455 so much, I sold my new zero turn and bought an x495 which was the next generation of the 455 and when I got it and mowed with it the first time, it was like reuniting with an old friend!..love those JD lawn tractors!..
Yeah, they are cool. The real issues is lack of deck availability. IF you can find one (and everyone wants a 54) everyone wants almost a $1k for one that needs complete strip/paint/parts overhaul. I would not recommend a 4x5 series mower based on this. Buy an X series, something more current, preferably that Deere still makes parts for. Decks are obsoleted by Deere on 4x5
This is an excellent video. You are absolutely right about the 300 series and 420/430 series tractors. I also appreciate how Deere matched the row crop designs throughout different generations. Your shop is beautiful and it's clear that you work hard and take pride in your operation. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for all the nice comments, BobWilson. I do have a soft spot in my heart for these old 4X5 mowers! It's also funny that of all the videos I've done so far, this one by far generates the most comments and engagement from everyone. They sure have a large following of people like you and I who really appreciate them. Thanks again.
This a clean tractor, you're taking great care of it. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for all the interest, everyone. I enjoy reading your comments on these great old machines.
Great machine im looking for one.
I bought my 445 new in 98 I still have it. Best mower I ever had. It's still like new.
I have a ‘98 445 AWS that I bought new and it has just over 800 hours on it. All I have ever done to it is maintenance. Also have been restoring a ‘74 140 H3. Nice video, one of the best I have seen on the 4X5 series.
I have a 455 my dad just just pasted down to me a few weeks ago. It has about around 800 hours on it. Its in very good shape, but no where near the condition of your. beautiful machine you have. very clean. I plan on restoring mine this winter. mainly the deck and replace the plastics on the hood, and maybe a nicer seat with arm rests. great video!
Great and truthful video ! And even the downs or cons are either well known by anyone that’s done any research or simple maintenance things in my opinion. I’m a commercial landscaper in Maine and have several mowers I can use that are ridiculously expensive but my 445 is my dream and that’s what I’ve used on my property since the day I bought it ! Take care
this is really great info. Thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed vid!
Got two 2001 445s. One is AWS for just mowing and the other is for snowblowing and loader in the summer. Great machines.
Very nice video! Narrated very well.
Thanks, Brad! I had fun making this video on some "small equipment". So much so, I made an X700 one, will post shortly. Take care.
Excellent video and new subscriber. Also a fan of the 400 series as I have a 445 bought new 25+ years ago and agree with all your points. I really like the tire, valve cover, rubber boot, etc. upgrades and will do the same. Rear tires are original and I have replaced both front from dry rot so it's probably a good time to do the rears and I like the more aggressive pattern of the Carlisle. I bought used 425 for our camp and also agree the FI is better but the carb works and use that machine less and fine for the smaller yard. Thanks for a very informative video which can be helpful for others if they want to pick up one as they are truly bullet proof high quality machines. I thought of upgrading (?) to the 700 series until I realized my 400's are fine and spending close to $20k for a new lawn mower is crazy. I have a subcompact tractor with FEL for other jobs, so I couldn't justify spending that kind of cash when the old machines are fine. Thanks
57Dalv - Really liked your comment. These old 400 Series tractors are great machines. With a few upgrades to fix some annoyances and LED's + HD Field Trax tires, you basically have an X700 for 1/4 to 1/3 of the price. I also sort of prefer the nostalgia, charm of the FD620D, and baby ten series styling.
MTD “Missed The Dumpster”, no lie, I’ve put tons of $$$ into my old Sears (MTD) LTV11, what a POS.. belts constantly breaking, deck warped,engine replaced…. Finally bought an old JD318 😂
I bought my 455 aws new in 1998, traded in a 430 which I wish I still had. After 400 hours I gave up on the small linkage aws and replaced with automotive steering parts. My 455 now has 780 hours on it with nothing but yearly maintenance. I still run the MTS system I bought with the 430, hydralic dump system. I've owned many tractors in my life but nothing compares to the 430 and 455.
KC
Great video. I had to read dozens of forum posts to learn everything you packed into one video.
Thanks for the upgrade tips, will use for my 425.
Been mowing maintaining a 2000 445 on our small farm for over 15 years now. I'd say you pretty well hit the nail on the head. Something I learned recently is the mufflers like to get pinholes around the seams. I wonder if this is why do many grills get toasted. Also was waiting to see your remedy for the reverse safety switch on the PTO. We use a wood clothespin.
Great vid, Thank you for sharing
Thank you. I'm currently looking at a 425 for 3,250$
I can't believe how much these old mowers are still going for $$$ when you can find in good condition 👍
Your 445 looks mint! I have a 2001 445 and love it. Would like to find a 48” deck for it.
I have a 48" deck with the power flow head I don't need. I am in northern Michigan. I have used a couple of the anti-scalp wheels on my 54" deck so they are missing.
Best thing I like about these is parts are still available from jd
I just picked up a 445 with a 60 inch deck for 450dollars!!1088 hours put a battery on it and she fired right!I did have the issue with no start after I pressure washed it.also it’s a 2000 model so it should have the steel cam gear
Holy cow, $450 is a screaming deal for a '00 445! It's sort of "Deere country" here in my area, and I never see them go that cheap.
Nice video and in depth. I do have to question what you said at about the 3:10 mark. You said the engine AND the transaxle are water cooled or "liquid cooled"? I have (2) 455's, a '95' with 54" deck and a '98' with the 60" deck, 40 loader, and 54" front blade, and we still have Dad's very early '94' 445. ( It was 4th off of the assembly line.)
And if anyone can set me straight then please do, but I'm fairly certain that the rear K91 Tuff Torq used on these units are NOT water cooled. The engine certainly is! I have never seen any cooling lines running back to the transaxle. The only two lines attached to it are the (2) hydraulic lines, the the supply line and the return line that runs the rear lift cylinder, the power steering cylinder, and also the (4) output connections at the front of the left foot rest that are for connecting hydraulic powered implements.
We just had to replace the plastic timing gear on Dad's 445 at 1700+ hours. Also found 1 bent pushrod. As extra precaution we replaced crank seals and valve guides. We were seeing light blue oil smoke only on startup and then it would clear up. We thought the new valve guides would cure that issue but it seems to have gotten worse. We're now thinking we should have done piston rings as well. My tractors have the 54" deck and the 60" deck. The 60" is a heavy brute to handle at 300 lbs whereas the 54" deck comes in at around 200lbs.
Again, if someone can straighten me out on the rear transaxles being water cooled or not please leave a reply.
Hello sir, glad you watched the video and glad to hear from all of you 400 Series fans. I had a guy comment on one of my other videos that he'd rather listen to the Trump-Biden debate than me. I guess he just wanted to know how to change the part and not learn anything about it. I can tell you are curious and want to learn, which is great and why I started this channel.
So, the Kanzaki K91 is an HST with internal charge pump. The charge circuit firstly keeps your low side loops happy and any excess is then available for steering and the implement system. The steering and implement valves are both open center. If you're not steering, the excess flow heads out the power beyond port to the implement. The return circuits from both the steering and implement valve tee together at the RH side of the lower radiator tank. Eventually all of this excess flow ends up there and averages the supply, although dynamically it will can change due to cylinder ratios. There is an oil section of the rad that cools this fluid. It leaves the LH side of the tank and dumps back into the K91.
If you poke your head underneath, you'll see two -6 ORFS connections with on that lower rad section, those are the cooling lines. The 445/455 is a very robust, well designed unit and I've never seen them leak, so most people don't know they're there. The later X495/740 changed from this design to a little standalone cooler in front of the rad. Those look like one of those little Samsung units you see on heavy equipment, and uses crappy beaded hose connections. I've repaired several of those and it's a huge mess because the fan sucks the oil through the rad and blows it all over the engine.
Since you're curious, I'd like to pose a quick thought experiment. Let's ignore the charge pump heat and just consider the HST pump/motor for simplicity. Let's say you're in a heavy drawbar application like tilling and propel is consuming 11Hp and the rear PTO the balance (11Hp). This isn't a heavy equipment trans that is 90%+, it's a light duty bullet nose style, so let's say it's 85% efficient on the pump and motor. (.85 * .85 * 11) = 8 Hp going to the ground and the rest, 3 Hp ends up as heat. 3Hp = ~7600 Btu/hr. To put that into perspective, this would be 1.5x of those 120V ceramic bathroom heaters, chugging away directly into the center of your trans. It must be cooled or you'd have Chernobyl on your hands in no time.
The K91 and and your commercial zero turns do it this way (the right way). You've probably seen those cheesy plastic fans on the cheaper throwaway HST's on box store riders and zero turns, which in my opinion is a poor excuse for cooling because most people don't clean them and HST life greatly suffers. Point is, either way they need to be cooled in some way to live. Happy wrenching!
I have a 455 diesel with a 60" deck. Its AWESOME.
PAID 3000.00 FOR IT. Shes got 1064 hours and runs like a top!
Aesome informative video! I did want to ask about the faulty gear. Where can i find more detailed information on the serial numbers that were affected? Was it just the cam gear or were their other gears that were affected, i.e. oil pump gear?
Hello, I looked back in my notes and had written down that the issue was fixed starting at the 1998 model year, serial numbers 60001 and later. I also had a note for the engine S/N itself which was 150198 and later. I haven't owned one that got extremely close to the S/N break so can't confirm personally, but haven't run into a situation where those numbers were wrong yet. On the gears, I pulled up some pictures of the last failed one I repaired. The actual issue is the cam gear which usually breaks during initial cranking, but when it happens the broken teeth get jammed up in the other plastic gears and sometimes break them too. I usually see the loose teeth break the oil and water pump gears as well, but not the governor.
Thoughts on the lt166
A man gave me a very neglected 455 a few weeks ago...Seat was rotted off...Side panels gone...Covered with dust instrument panel destroyed...flat tires etc.. Put new battery in and nothing...Somebody put a new ignition switch in so a ran power to it turned the switch and the thing fired right up instantly..Then the engine would not turn off...Pulled the fuse on the rigged up wire I put in and it finally ran out of fuel...Took it across the yard and turned the switch and it did turn off as normal.....It's going to need some work but it's worth it...Trans runs good but looks like rear lock is stuck in down position or a spring is missing..60 inch deck that's going to need some pulleys, blades etc....I have a GT 245 that I rescued as well...Even it is 1 million times better than the box store stuff..I had a Husqvarna with a 24 hp Kawasaki and Hydro gear "Fast" transmission....Thought it was great until I got the 245...Also have X710...worth every penny...
If you wanted a JD diesel would you look for a 455 or X750?
This is definitely one of these "it depends" questions. The entire range of those diesels all have pros and cons. I'll list a few from my experience, diesel, 2WD:
455 - Best option if you're on a budget, shorter wheelbase and slightly more nimble than X series. However, stiffer frame and short wheelbase...I feel they ride rougher than the X's. Also, eventually you'll experience more HST leaks as they're now >20 years old and also service parts are starting to be phased out. I do not like any decks on the 455 except the 60", and even it's not as good as the later ones.
X495 - This gets you a tilt hood and you'll have less plastic breakage issues than 4xx series, also a modulated PTO engagement which is really nice. The Yanmar in the X495 has the best throttle response and I really like it's tone, governor performance. Big downside on the X495 is it wasn't designed for the 7-Iron. You can install one, but need to turn the rear wheels inside out and you don't get much deck lift at full raise. Will cost more than 455, but better service parts availability.
X740 - This is my personal favorite. Try to find one with the big 1.1L engine and a 7-Iron. Was designed for the 7-Iron and will give the full range of lift. This machine will run forever. Will cost more than an X495 but can be found reasonably if you search, say in the $5-8K range.
X750 - Current model and will cost you the most, $6-12K depending on hours and condition (in my area). Basically the same machine as the X740 but does have some nice upgrades. More comfortable seat options, digital dash monitor, later models have aluminum wheels which look sharp. Will still accept a 7-Iron even though most came with the weaker yellow 9-Gauge HC decks. Will have the least issues with leaks and service parts. I do not like the functionality or design of the autoconnect decks, prefer the durability/simplicty of non-autoconnect. Personally I've had more trouble with cooling on the X750... each model from the 455 they seem to remove perf on the sideshields quickly plug depending on your conditions.
Everyone will have an opinion on this and all have their strong points. All other things being equal, I tend to gravitate to the X740 w/7-Iron and 1.1L from a balance of age/serviceability/features and price.
Wonderful video !! Very informative I also have a UA-cam video of my 425
Don't spose you would be interested in parting with it?
How do you remove the rear tire?
34:23 the x485(gas) and x495(diesel) were the 2WD versions and the x585(gas) and x595(diesel) were the 4WD versions…
What a shame John Deere doesn’t assemble their own mowers anymore
Perhaps you mean push mowers. I'd like to reply to this one because I want our viewers to know the facts.
The X-Series riders (sold at JD dealerships) and I think Gators and tractor mounted snowblowers are made by Deere at the Horicon, WI plant. I have personally been to this facility and have seen production, engineering, and their test facility. I'm most familiar with this location because it's in the Midwest and close to where I live. A great, hardworking bunch of assemblers and engineers work there producing these USA made products. There is a UA-cam video showing production and the test site. This was exactly what I saw when I visited: ua-cam.com/video/eB_022EJRnI/v-deo.html
I believe the big box store stuff like the 100 Series are made by Deere in Greeneville, TN. I haven't been to this facility yet but heard they really crank out the products, very high production disposable mowers for the box stores to compete against the Crapsman, MTD, Scrub Cadet, etc..
Deere also makes zero turns, commercial, and turfcare related products for things like golf courses. I haven't been to this facility either but know that it's also a genuine Deere factory, located in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
All John deere mowers are made by John Deere, no matter how cheap and poorly made the ones you see at Lowe's and home Depot are.
sexy garage
Plastic Oil Pump gear will fail in the 1400-1800 hour range.
Is it the same gear he is talking about in this video or another gear we need to be mindful of? Where can we get more articles or information on the serial numbers that were affected?
At time 5:15, you can see the Oil Pump and Governor Gears in the front cover, the Cam Gear is in the engine.
on a 455
You think a John Deere 455 is a riding lawnmower and you are going to teach us something about it. Now doesn't that seem a little weird to you???? I am out of here at 44 seconds.
Art from Ohio