is this a good buy ? see pics . . . my first walk behind ..

[woodbutcher80]

hey guys .
after 4 years at the new house with my riding mower , im getting rid of it for a walk behind ! :thumbsup:

im just tired of aligning the big lug every time i want to make a straight line .. forward...reverse... then line up again .

i used to landscape commercailly when i was a kid and used an old deere ... loved it . get done in no time and no need to bag .

anyways ....

up for sale by me is a john deere GX1320 walk behind , 48" cut and i think gear driven or hydro ? i can tell from the pics it doesnt have the belt drive belt pulleys along the sides of the handles, so it must be gear driven .

anyways , he replaced the old 14hp motor for a 13hp honda GXV390 which are really nice ... and not cheap mind you .

he says it runs fine and has about 850 hours on it . theres nothing wrong with it. i am going to check it out soon .

is 500$ a good price ? i would like to get a couple cans of green and yellow paint and refinish her. and then remove that battery and nest of wires and just use the pull start .

everything for sale around me is 700-1000$ and most brands are scag , exmark , bunton , etc .

i will be mowing about 120'x200' front yard , thats about it .

please check out the pics and let me know what you think .
thanks in advance.

 

[txzrider]

a pull start will get very old on a 13hp engine if it does not start on the 1st pull...

 

[Rivets]

Sorry to say I would not give more than $100 as a trade in. Too many possible problems. If I did get it in, I would hope that I could spend less than $200, for a possible sale at $425. Engine may be good, it's the rest I worry about.

 

[woodbutcher80]

Sorry to say I would not give more than $100 as a trade in. Too many possible problems.

ouch .
thats no good . i figured a motor thats 800$ new , this would be a good deal . .

since you seem more versed with these than me ...

what are the possible problems that i should look for ?
i would like to see it this weekend.
i know to look for obvious weld cracks, but the transmission will be hard to look at on site .

 

[Rivets]

Things that concern me: Deck, looks in rough shape, no belt covers. Belt condition, JD belts are very expensive and most aftermarket belts don't fit properly. Spindles, look original, 850 hrs expensive to replace. Blades, condition. Replaced engine, but electric start does not work???? Tires look original, 850 hours??? Transmission, original, again 850 hours. If all this is good and the engine was worth $800, why is he selling so cheap. I'll bet there is something missing to this puzzle and I'm not taking a chance. Please remember, I am only going by what you say and the pics. Been burnt too many times and now I'm very pessimistic of good deals. Disclaimer, this is just my opinion, and there are many on this forum who will tell you that I don't know much because I am not a professional, just a wrench monkey with an opinion.

 

[woodbutcher80]

sheesh . well ill do some research on how to check spindles ... im guessing just spin them with your hand , be sure theyre not binding up and roll smooth .

ill make sure there are no noises coming from the tranny when i engage it .

its funny you say this is worth no more than 200$ , when there is NOT one walk behind in my area - junk or not - under 500$ . and thats some needing brake work and pulleys adjusted .

maybe i should stick to a belt drive model only for ease of repair?