Okay, so I’ve been looking into getting a used lawn tractor, and the John Deere 102 keeps popping up. I wanted to figure out what a fair price for one of these things is, so I dove in and this is what I did.
Started with Some Basic Searching
First, I just googled around. I looked at some forum posts and some general used equipment sites. I saw a pretty wide range of prices, which got me a little frustrated. Some seemed way too high, others suspiciously low.
Checked Out Auction Sites
Next up, I spent some time looking at machinery auction websites. I saw quite a few 102s listed, and some even showed completed auction results. This gave me a better feel for what people were actually willing to pay, not just what sellers were hoping to get.
Looked at Dealer Listings
I also checked some online listings from John Deere dealers. These tended to be a bit higher than the auction prices, probably because they’ve been serviced and might come with some sort of limited warranty. It’s always a trade-off, right?
Compared Conditions
The biggest thing I noticed was how much the condition affected the price. I saw some that were pretty beat up, with rust and who-knows-what mechanical issues, going for relatively little. Others, that looked like they’d been kept indoors and well-maintained, were priced much higher.
Considered the Attachments
I also quickly realized that attachments make a big difference. A 102 with just a mowing deck is one thing, but one that comes with a snowblower, tiller, or other attachments is going to be worth more. I had to factor that in.
- mowing deck size
- if it has snowblower
- if it has tiller
My Conclusion (For Now!)
So, after all this digging, what did I find? There’s no magic number, obviously. But, it looks like a decent condition John Deere 102, just the tractor and a mowing deck, is probably going to run somewhere. The really rough ones are cheaper, and the pristine, low-hour ones with all the bells and whistles are, predictably, more expensive. I think i figured out a suitable range of price for it!
I’m still keeping my eyes open, but at least now I feel like I have a better handle on what’s a rip-off and what’s a potentially good deal.
