Buying Advice: John Deere 14SB (restored) or LawnBoy 10604

12 years ago

Here's my dilemma ...

I need a push mower. Not looking to spend a lot - $250 would really be max. I have a small yard - 1/4 acre or so - house is walk-out, so hill on each side of house. I currently pay a lawn service $25 to mow for me. Instead of paying them, I thought I would buy a mower and do it myself and have the mower for a couple years. I have an edger and string trimmer, so those aren't an issue.

I considered a new Honda, but they are alittle expensive. I also would like a mower with the blade clutch and side discharge ready to go (don't want to spend addt'l money on optional accessories).

I found the Lawn Boy 10604 by reading online reviews and people seem to be happy with it. It falls within my price range and, if I buy it new, I get a warranty.

However, always looking for a good deal...

There's a guy locally that apparently has restored a John Deere 14SB - 5speed with Kawasaki engine, has the mulch plug and side discharge chute and bag. Says it has never been used commercially. Wants $275 for it.

I know John Deere's are good machines; however, I'm a bit concerned about spending my whole budget on a mower that is at least 15 years old, even though it may have been restored.

Advice?

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Comments (7)

s10sleeper
12 years ago
I own a 14SE John Deere, same model as the SB but electric start. it is from around 1990 I believe, and has never had to have the engine torn into. Just carb work, although this year I am having major problems that I need to check deeper into.

If it runs good and has the Kawasaki engine you may be happy with it, although there may not be any warranty on it and parts from John Deere are pricey, especially as they consider these obsolete
evdpgh
12 years ago
1. You don't want a "blade clutch". The are nothing but an expensive item waiting to malfunction. 2. Unless you know a lot about machines and what "restored" actually means stay away from anything 15 years old, particularly for 275 bucks.
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canuck88
11 years ago
I would absolutely pay $275 for that 14SB if it's in great shape... I bought one for about $80 but after getting everything tip top I'll be about $300 in...
1saxman
11 years ago
OTOH, the LB is a smaller (20"), lighter mower with a guarantee and parts availability for many years. It seems to be a perfect fit for a small yard. I agree about the blade clutch. How hard is it to pull the starter cord once or twice during a cutting if you need to stop to empty a bag or pick up a stick. Just go by one cardinal rule - never mess around with any mower with a running engine. Do you know for certain that the clutch has worked and stopped the blade? Not without picking it up and looking, after which they'll call you 'Stumpy'.:)
Plus, you want self-propel rear wheel drive for those hills, and the 10604 has the 'Variable-Speed' RWD drive which is my personal favorite. Same as Personal Pace except you control it manually - squeeze the bail tight for max speed, feather it for slower. When you drop the bail, it's instantly a push-pull mower for those cut-ins.
Plus, the OHV Kohler engine is no slouch either.
And no blade clutch on the 10604 - that's the 10605.
evdpgh
11 years ago
"I bought one for about $80 but after getting everything tip top I'll be about $300 in..."...The difference is that you know exactly what was done to yours.
evdpgh
11 years ago
"parts availability for many years"...This is another important consideration. It doesn't matter how great a 15 year old machine is if you can't get a part that you need.
s10sleeper
11 years ago
I have discovered by searching around that alot of parts can be located alot cheaper than going to john deere. An example is the battery for mine is $140 at John Deere, I found one for 25 by cross matching at another place. Carb kits can be located if the person you talk to knows what they are doing and as long as you engage the blade carefully the clutch will have few problems.