"I was very pleased with the '78 John Deere 212 tractor we bought used back 1999. After over 30 years of work, though, the engine was starting to use oil and the mower deck was almost beyond repair. I considered buying a new J.D. but anything comparable to the rugged construction of the '78 212 was priced out of my budget. The local J.D. dealer had several used tractors they had taken in trade and the asking price on the '98 LX178, which seemed to be in good shape, was reasonable. This tractor must have been used mostly for snow-blowing (even though it did not come with the blower attachment) since the small mower deck was in "like new" condition. It did a beautiful job of mowing our "rough" 2 acre country yard until cold weather set in in the fall, then it would not start! I found the choke linkage was totally mis-adjusted and a few tweaks put that back in order. It ran well, then for the rest of that season and part of the next, then the fuel pump went on it! The J.D. parts price on a replacement for the mechanical fuel pump on the Kawasaki Twin engine was ridiculous, so I shopped around and found a electric fuel pump that works great for about 1/3 the price. Early this season the electric PTO clutch for the mower drive crapped-out, another expensive piece from J.D. without many alternate sources. I also replaced the main drive belt, mower-to-deck belt, and internal deck belt at that time. The design of the older models is much sturdier than the new "standard" ones and I would highly recommend anyone needing a reliable tractor to shop-around for an older used J.D. like this one as opposed to buying an inferior brand. I have lots of money in the bank to buy parts for this tractor that I could have spent on a new one! So here are the weak-points of this model to date as I see it: - Fuel Pump - Mower Clutch - Governor surges at low engine speed (even tells you that in the Manual!) - "Mower Deck "bounces" on rough surfaces, latching deck in "travel" position. I have a cheap "fix" for this: go to the H/W store and buy a PVC pipe cap that is just the right size to fit over the lift lever handle for the mower. (I think the one I have is 1 1/4-inch). When you lower the deck to cutting position jam the pipe cap onto the handle to hold the release button on the lift lever down. The mower will then "float" with the terrain and not "latch" itself in "travel position" every time you hit a bump! - I also want to replace the battery with a small automotive battery mounted in a box hanging from the front axle. This should give me added weight on front wheels to improve steering on slick grass, while providing a more reliable battery than the teeny tractor battery that fits in the factory battery box."