My first John Deere 200 series tractor is a 1979 “214”. As a small engine mechanic on the side, I was asked by a fellow to take a look at the axle of his 214. I had never worked on a 200 series tractor up until that time. I agreed to take a look.
I don’t remember all the details but I do remember replacing the axles and axle housings on both sides. At some point, I had the transaxle removed and open on my workbench. I also remember him spending a lot of money at the local dealership and bringing bags of parts.
I was able to get everything back together and he paid me accordingly.
About a year later, he contacted me and told me he was selling his 214 and would I be interested. Well, yeah! I ended up paying only $50 more than he paid me to fix it. I have now officially become a John Deere owner.
There are some other issues that I have yet to fix. First of all, the machine has an electric lift that no longer works. Second, I believe that at least one of the motor mounts is broken (the engine rattles and wiggles a lot when running). Third, the safety switch for the clutch lever no longer works. I hope to address these issues soon.
This 214 also came with a 37A snowblower attachment.
