John Deere Lawn Tractor History: The 1970's

John Deere 210
10th June 2019

John Deere Lawn Tractor History: The 1970's

Continuing our trip back in time and this time looking at John Deere Lawn Tractors of the 70's and what types of upgrades were made to offer even more value to customers. Sit back, relax, and cruise back to the 70's with us. Enjoy!

Taking a Deere-sized leap forward: While a number of existing models originally introduced in the 60's experienced some minor upgrades in the early 70's, the real advancements came in 1975, when Deere launched new a number of new series mowers. Unfortunately for the older models like the 110, 112, and the 140, Deere’s newest products quickly made their predecessors appear a bit antiquated. The 200, 300, and 400 series riding mowers each offered new features, building on the successes of some of their predecessors.

The John Deere 200 series: The 200 series marked the beginning of a brand new age for John Deere Lawn Tractors. This series was comprised of some of the features from the John Deere 110 and 112, such as the V-belt Variator Drive and mechanical clutch PTO, but also provided some new additions. The new model design on the 200 series offered engine options between 8-16 horsepower, a rubber ISO-mounted, fully shrouded engine with a low noise exhaust system, and a new style hood and grill. The design of the 200 series mowers took on the styling of full-sized Deere agriculture tractors with a back-sloped brow.

The John Deere 200 series

The John Deere 300 series: Much like the 200 series built up existing features of the 110 and 112 models, Deere made a similar move with its 300 series models. The 300 series was a hydrostatic model that was upgraded to a 16 horsepower Kohler K-series engine. The majority of the changes were visible from the outside of the machine thanks to a more square-shaped hood with integral headlights, engine side panels and a black instrument panel. The engine of the 300 series was moved from under the hood (next to the battery) to under rear fender pan.

John Deere 300 series

The John Deere 400 series: As we have learned, Deere placed a large focus on the design of their equipment in the mid-70's, and the 400 series was one of their best examples of this. The wheelbase on the 400 was six inches longer than its 140 counterpart, with a track that was seven inches wider and a total weight measuring 250 extra pounds. If the sheer size and styling of the new 400 series wasn’t enough, this mower also boasted power steering, a cutting-edge technology for the time.

John Deere 400 series

We hope you enjoyed your trip through the 70's John Deere-style. Be sure to come back next time as we continue along on our trip down memory lane with John Deere riding mower history.

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