1987 JD 160

[87Warrior]

I decided to add a new '87 to the fleet, John Deere that is!

 

This past weekend I gassed up and topped off the oil in the Craftsman riding mower the previous home owners left for us 3 years ago. In my eye it's still a young machine at 7 years old. After making one pass around the yard the mower shot out a puff of blue smoke and before I could flip the key, commenced to making a terrible wailing sound as it turned itself off. The terrible wailing sound comes back when you hit the starter and nothing else happens. It lost all compression so I think the piston fell apart.

 

I contacted my local John Deere dealer to see what they had in stock and at what price point. Needless to say, I did not visit the dealer, as you could buy a really nice MJ for what a new John Deere will cost you! I sift through several wild craigslist ads for farm and garden equipment and notice this gem. A John Deere 160 from 1987. I visit the next day and in comes the replacement tractor.

 

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I know these tractors are known to be reliable when well maintained. This particular model has the rare oil filter kit (most 160s didn't leave the dealer with an oil filter) and it has the even more rare factory head lights (even though they don't currently work).

 

Here is the new tractor trying to fit in.

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I've got a few items that need fixed before I can manicure my yard:

- Change oil and filter

- Change air filter and pre filter

- Drain fuel tank

- Replace fuel filter

- Install starter solenoid relay fix

- Replace noisy idler pulley on the drive belt route

- Find and install chute on deck

- Replace mulching blades with Gator blades

- Adjust brake

[neohic]

That's a handsome machine. :thumbsup: I remember my grandpa had one just like that years ago. He was always that guy in the neighborhood with the perfect yard and he always used JD tractors. Me?... I'd pave my entire yard and paint it green if I could. Still, a reliable mower is a must and it might as well have everything work properly. Did you get any other attachments with it?

[87Warrior]

I don't think any of my neighbors would accuse me of having a perfect yard. I just need to keep the weeds leveled out :) The tractor did come with a complete bagger set up, a mulching guard, and factory snow chains still sealed in the bag.

 

I intend to research snow plows and blowers for the tractor. My big toe tells me this will be a wet winter and I still don't have anything to clear my driveway with.

[neohic]

Snow blowers are easy to work with. I just sold my walk behind in favor of a blower on my Craftsman LTX1000. Needed to cut off and make a few brackets, but it all works great. Main thing is to find out what the attachment was originally designed to work with, horsepower of the unit, and RPM of the output pulley. It really comes down to cost though. Sure I could've picked up a brand new one for $1400 and then get the adapter brackets to put it on my tractor, but for the $60 I have invested, I've got no problem doing some research.