This is not a very good photo. Scroll down to the tranny area. http://manuals.deere.com/cceomview/OMM145728_I1/Output/OMM145728_I111.html

Do you have a Integral hitch (Sleeve hitch )for your GX345. I have owned Both the Agri-fab Box scrape and the Brinly-Hardy Box scrape. The Agri-fab does not work as well on gravel as the Brinly-Hardy Box scrape. The reason being with the Brinly you can add weight Concret cynder block behined the blade which helps it dig in and spread the Gravel better. I use a brinly one on a older JD 140H3 with a integral hitch and it does a great job grading my partial gravel driveway I have on either side of my paved driveway that runs down the middle. I use it every spring to grade the gravel, The Agri-fab just doesn't dig in enough to spread the gravel as well as the Brinly. Here is a link that might be useful: Brinly-Hardy

***"I would also think that antifreeze would be required for winter storage."*** I hope you realize that "antifreeze" should be maintained in the cooling systems of ALL liquid cooled engines, regardless of the season. Forty or fifty years ago, people had a choice of either "alcohol" based, or "glycol" based, antifreeze (and before that time, only alcohol was offered). Alcohol based antifreeze had to be "checked & amended" at frequent intervals to maintain freeze protection because: Alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water and because the typical cooling system of the time only held 4 to 6 PSI positive pressure (or maybe none at all) and the alcohol would "boil off" and escape the radiator. This was also a time in history when engine construction was almost entirely of cast iron and steel, so "galvanic action" or electrolysis was not a big problem, for most people. Ethylene glycol (and much later, propylene glycol) hit the market and was touted as "permanent antifreeze" (in contrast to "transient" protection afforded by alcohol). As engine OEMs began replacing components that were formerly made of cast iron, with lighter weight aluminum alloy castings, the problems of electrolysis (contact or proximty of dissimilar metals) began to become apparent. In response to the need to combat deterioration of engine components in contact with coolant, a host of additive compounds were developed for "permanent antifreeze". Because modern day engines and cooling systems feature so many aluminum components, the antifreeze, once considered permanent, needs to be replaced at approx. 4-5 year intervals (or sooner, if preferred) because of the loss of the corrosion inhibitors as they get "neutralized" in their fight against acids and ions in the cooling system. Forty to fifty years ago, a lot of people simply lapsed on the alcohol antifreeze during warm/hot weather and instead "ran" plain water (boil over was actually considered a common thing in those days). Only when autumn rolled around would they restore the alcohol to the cooling system. If you tried that kind of "seasonal protection" today, I doubt you would get much more than one year life expectancy out of a radiator or heater core of a typical automobile. I remember just a few years ago, a fairly popular auto maker (I mention no name, but you could probably find out through a web search) received a bulk shipment of antifreeze from the "contracted supplier" that inadvertently lacked the neccessary corrosion inhibitor chemicals. A great number of automobiles rolled out of the factory with this "corrupt" coolant. After a number of heater core and radiator failures in less than one year (after build date), this OEM was replacing THE ENTIRE CAR under a voluntary recall program.

Yeah, they were well OVER $7,000 when new. I think over $8,000 would actually be more accurate. They are absolutely GREAT Lawn & Garden Tractors. Even the older John Deere 345 models were/are great machines. (No GX prefix.) With the older 345's (built during the 1990's), just be sure that you have proof that the camshaft has been replaced if the tractor has under 1,000 hours on the meter. Otherwise it's a gamble. Many of the older Kawasaki liquid-cooled V-twins had a tendency to shear the rivets that held the phenolic (plastic) gear onto the steel camshaft on many of those powerplants from 300 to 1000 hours. If the machine you are looking at has over 1,000 hours, then it's a pretty safe bet that you won't have any camshaft or motor problems. The replacement camshafts (all steel) permantly fixed that problem, and then the tractors were known to run and perform great for several thousand hours after that. Worst case scenario... $1,200 for a cam job. That includes a new water pump and professionally done. I bought all the parts and fixed my myself in one day for under $400. Anyhow... on the used market, a good 345 or GX345 is worth between $1,500 and $5,000 depending upon age, condition, wear, & options/attachments. Sometimes older machines are worth more. Overall condition really does make a huge difference in what any LGT is worth. I have an "older" 1997 JD 345 with a 54" deck and super low hours (under 400 hours) and I wouldn't dream of selling it for less than $3,500. Ironically, I have a 1991 JD 322 with a 50" deck also, and it is easily worth as much or more than my 345. Quality holds value. My grandparents used to have a 1995 JD 325 (17Hp). Also a great LGT. Only replaced it because somebody STOLE it! Yeah, no kidding. So, now they have a JD GX 335 (20Hp), which they love even more. Both of those are slightly lesser machines than the liquid-cooled 345 & GX 345, although they are built with the exact same chassis, bodies, and trannys. Good luck and god bless!