Another big green one

[RED-Z06 2,118]

Definitely wasnt looking for yet another tractor..but it popped up on marketplace for $200 and i was on my way in 10 minutes.  1996 Deere 445 EFI. 22HP Liquid cooled kawasaki with fuel injection.  Guy had picked it up as scrap and figured it was worth more as a tractor.  Got it home and the engine was free, put a battery in, replaced a couple fuses, cleaned some terminals and it spun, had compression.  Put fuel down the throttle body and it kicked off.  No fuel..popped off the injection feed line..key on, nothing. Had 12v to the in-tank pump but it didn't work.  Pulled the tank..full of 8-10 year old gas, water, and rust off the sender.  Tank was an easy clean but the sender was tough...but it cleaned up...rheostat even worked for the gauge.  Fuel pump was destroyed, so i replaced that, new tank sock and new inline filter...it fired right up, no smoke.  Leaked water like a seive out the water pump so i replaced the water pump and a bad thermostat...now it works perfectly.  The 60" deck is next up, all 3 spindles are quiet, but the 2 idlers are shot..thankfully they are the rebuildable type.  New belt and blades ready to go on and change the gearbox oil.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

I had a 445 with a 60 inch deck and a 54 front blade.  The 4X5 series from Deere were arguably the best garden tractors made in that era, 1993 to 2001.  The only downside to the pre-1998s was the plastic cam gear issue in the Kawasaki engines.  Solid drive shaft to the transmission and to the deck.  Power steering, liquid cooled engines, fuel injection on the 445 and 455 (diesel), differential lock on the 445 and 455, hydraulics.  They really up the ante in the garden tractor category.  Not as heavily built as the 420 and 430 tractors they replaced, but somewhat more ergonomic in design and comfort.  And AWS (all wheel steer) models were available.

 

 

[OutdoorEnvy 1,420]

Killer find!  Nice job getting it back to life too!  That’ll be a handy rig to have around.  

[RED-Z06 2,118]

1 hour ago, T-Mo said:

I had a 445 with a 60 inch deck and a 54 front blade.  The 4X5 series from Deere were arguably the best garden tractors made in that era, 1993 to 2001.  The only downside to the pre-1998s was the plastic cam gear issue in the Kawasaki engines.  Solid drive shaft to the transmission and to the deck.  Power steering, liquid cooled engines, fuel injection on the 445 and 455 (diesel), differential lock on the 445 and 455, hydraulics.  The really up the ante in the garden tractor category.  No as heavily built as the 420 and 430 tractors they replaced, but somewhat more ergonomic in design and comfort.  And AWS (all wheel steer) models were available.

 

 

This one somehow still has the plastic cam at 960hrs...i didnt have the parts on hand to swap it to the steel cam while I had the water pump off.  

[pacer 3,159]

Geez, thats a heck of a find!! 

 

I also recently (and reluctantly) bought a Green one. My primary (and only!) mower is a '68 D200 and it is all too frequently breaking down and with the scarcity of  parts for the D's and here in La especially so..... Well, I was sorta forced into finding an alternate mower. Doing a LOT of research, I sorta settled on either a Cub Cadet or a Deere, with the stipulation that they would NOT be one of the 'big box' types. Finally ended up with a 2011 "X360" series Deere with 240hrs 48" deck - running/driving/cutting. Right away I was so disgusted with the ridiculous  'safety' features that I spent about a week running down how to by pass them. Pulled deck and found a bad spindle belt and one noisy idler pulley, 

 

After my 'modifications' (those insane safety features) and fluid changes, spark plugs, etc, its a pretty nice machine  --- truly makes me sad I had to go this route, but I could see it looming 3-4 yrs ago when I had not seen a desirable Horse in 2-4 yrs.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

28 minutes ago, pacer said:

Geez, thats a heck of a find!! 

 

I also recently (and reluctantly) bought a Green one. My primary (and only!) mower is a '68 D200 and it is all too frequently breaking down and with the scarcity of  parts for the D's and here in La especially so..... Well, I was sorta forced into finding an alternate mower. Doing a LOT of research, I sorta settled on either a Cub Cadet or a Deere, with the stipulation that they would NOT be one of the 'big box' types. Finally ended up with a 2011 "X360" series Deere with 240hrs 48" deck - running/driving/cutting. Right away I was so disgusted with the ridiculous  'safety' features that I spent about a week running down how to by pass them. Pulled deck and found a bad spindle belt and one noisy idler pulley, 

 

After my 'modifications' (those insane safety features) and fluid changes, spark plugs, etc, its a pretty nice machine  --- truly makes me sad I had to go this route, but I could see it looming 3-4 yrs ago when I had not seen a desirable Horse in 2-4 yrs.

Unfortunately, with the sue happy society we have today, safety features are a reality in today's machines.  The RIO switches, though, aren't hard to used and a person can get adjusted to using it.  I have a 2006 John Deere X320 and it's no big deal to use the RIO switch, it almost comes second nature.  Having said that, it's also an useless feature, but thanks to lawyers it's required on all new machinery.  Luckily that feature isn't on zero turns, both my John Deere 717 and my Exmark Radius doesn't not have any reverse PTO switch.

[pacer 3,159]

34 minutes ago, T-Mo said:

sue happy society we have today, safety features are a reality in today's machines.

 

So true!! 

36 minutes ago, T-Mo said:

The RIO switches, though, aren't hard to used and a person can get adjusted to using it

 

I could have probably lived with that one ....but, after prowling you tube and seeing how very easy to by pass it....

 

The 2 that really T'd me off the most were the seat and the Park brake having to be pressed before it would start, The seat just had to be unplugged, but the Brake fix, I had to dig for, but once found was a simple bypass.

 

At 83yrs and widowed, with only the occasional Grand/Great grandchildren visiting, I'm quite happy to use it without them.

 

Heh!, having used horses for these last..... umpteen yrs and them seldom if ever had them... well, could have possibly influenced me.

[RED-Z06 2,118]

RIO came about initially not as a mandate but as an industry response to a huge lawsuit byca man that backed over a baby and mowed it...he argued it was too easy to reverse mow and on the basis of...it was, he won a massive judgement.  Fearing future litigation, the industry immediately responded by completely prohibiting reverse mowing..snapper for instance had a reverse defeat that when the deck was on, reverse was unavailable.  Quickly though they decided on RIO...which basically became a sort of legal contract you "signed" by performing a task that was not accidentally done..taking the responsibility to mow in reverse.  Toro had a key under the seat you turned and it unlocked if if you sat down and got off.  Deere had the knob you held up, AYP had the 4th key position you had to turn back to.  Mtd had the 4th position and a button.  People being irresponsible...caused it

[RED-Z06 2,118]

I dont dislike safety stuff, my older mowers have very little or none and you have to be mindful or you can start it in gear, clutch out, standing next to it with the blades on.