There are a bunch listed here, to give you an idea.

Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: tractorhouse.com

The GT235's are nice lawn tractors. One way to identify if its an '04 or '05 is the deck lift is operated by a foot pedal.
With 51 hours it should be in fantastic condition, the tires would still have the "stickers" on them.
2k would be a fair price, but with a broken hood I would offer a few hundred less. Hoods are a little expensive.

Let us know how it works out.

depending on where the hood is cracked, you may be able to replace just part of it much cheaper. I have an LT160 whose hood looks to be pretty much the same design approach. The top section, down to the air openings on side, is actually a separate piece held to the lower section with four screws. I shattered a section of the top, and was able to order just that section for a little over $100 versus something near $400 for whole hood unit. Check JD's parts diagrams for the GT235 to see what you need to budget.

I'd offer him between $1,800 - $2K (depending on the condition) and see what happens. That's alot of tractor and with only 51 hours, it's barely broken in. Real low hour machines like that don't come along all that often and it could be the last GT you ever need to buy.

Any idea on what that went for when brand new? I would guess that it was probably in the $6K - $7K price range depending on the options. A $2K offer would put that at about 1/3 of the original purchase price which would seem about right to me. Keep us posted.

Good Luck!

I think it'd be a steal at $2k.

In 2003 I bought a 2001 GT235 with a 48c deck for $2200. No idea how many hours were on it then, but it was in nice shape.

I think pricing is regional and it would depend on where you are located. I'm in the northeast and I just purchased a used GT225. I looked at a number of GT235s and almost bought one. Private sale asking prices have been in the $2500 to $3000 range. They seem to be selling in the $2400-$2700 range in the northeast for those I know of recently. So at least up here, I would agree with mongoct (I assume CT is Connecticut) that $2000 would be a steal for 2004/5 GT235 with such low hours. In the southeast and midwest, the $2K pricing seems more in line. I think there was a nice GT235 in Michigan that sold on eBay a few weeks ago for $2100 or so. I was tempted to bid and make the road trip to pick it up since you can't find that kind of unit at this price up here.
If that unit was available up here at an asking price of $2800, I don't think I'd go quite that high, but I would have most likely paid up to $2400-$2500 if it was 04/05 51 hrs and mint. I think those units were in the mid $5K range new.

Thanks to all for the input and guidance. Going to look at the unit this afternoon and will let you know how it turns out. I'm in the Southeast, BTW. Noticed on Ebay completed items that most of the units priced in the mid-2k's didn't sell, or even have any bids, including one with less than 80 hours. Besides being frugal, I'm trying to pay as little as possible to combat the spousal eye rolling factor -- "WHY exactly do you need a new tractor?" I've tried to make the case it's a lot cheaper than a Porsche or a young blonde, but, alas, without success!

Saw the GT235 this afternoon and all was not as advertised. Perhaps it truly only has 52 hours on it, that's what the hour meter says, but it hardly looks pristine, to say the least, and I even wonder if there are some phantom hours on the unit. Seller said it was "only a couple of years old" but it was 2003 or older, since it had the hand lift for the deck. The motor died the first two times I engaged the PTO -- that was all I needed to see to terminate my due diligence.

I was impressed with the handling and maneuverability of this model, I just need to find one that's been better cared for. The guidance received here will be helpful as the search continues.

You may want to stick looking for a good used GT235/245 at the JD dealers. Like your experience with this GT235, you really dont know what your getting, why the seller is selling and who really dont know how the care and maintenance was on the used mower. Buying from the dealer you will pay a little more but you are also paying for what the dealer has done to the used mower to make it a good product for you to take home and potentially use for the rest of your days. The mower will be completely serviced. All fluids replaced, new mower blades and any needed repairs completed.

Now thats not to say there are no well cared for used GT's being sold privately, but you really got to take your time looking.

FYI- The GT235 beginning for the year 2003, came with the Kawasaki 18 hp engine. Beginning 2002 came with the hour meter. As far as hours, 50 hours per year is considered to be average. You can expect to pay more for less than average hours and less for more than average hours.

At the dealer, expect to pay on the average (avg. hours) around $2500 for an '03, 2800 for an '04 and 3200 for an '05. Since you are looking for the 30inch mechanical tiller too, you will get more favorable pricing from the dealer when putting a "package" together- purchasing mower and tiller. Even better if you get another attachment like the 48inch blade. No need to buy these attachments new either. Decent used attachments work just as new and are much cheaper. Even at the dealership.

Good luck to you!

My GT-235 will stall when the pto i sengaged if the unit is not totally wamed up. I always have to give just alittle choke when I pull the knob and only for a second or two. Keep that in mind the next time you use the pto it is not something to be a deal breaker because it is normal.

Oh and mind is the 18 briggs vanguard and I have heard this from others as well.

cjsm5nys, "you really dont know what your getting, why the seller is selling and who really dont know how the care and maintenance was on the used mower." Isn't this really no different if you buy from a dealer - you still don't know what you're getting, you don't know why the original owner decided to get rid of it, and you don't know the care and maintenance by the original owner unless the dealer did all of service and has the documentation. In fact from my car buying/selling experience, those that trade in and take a lower price (sometime very much lower) than they could sell private, do so because they don't want the hassle of the sale or there is some problem that they know could be an issue with a private sale.

Also, I question how much of a complete service, etc. you might get. I spoke to a few dealers about used and those that I spoke with said they don't keep them long if they don't sell, they send them to auction, because they are tying up cash in them. I question whether the dealer will pump additional dollars into servicing a unit they might very well go to auction with.

At least what I looked at this spring, for condition vs. pricing, the most of the dealer units in the age range I was looking at (2000-2005) were a joke and after looking at a half dozen or so of those, I said the heck with that. Also, think about it, someone has say a 5-7 year old GT235 with low hours and mint condition, they are going to trade it in and get peanuts vs. selling it private? Sure, some will trade just for convenience, but I would think most would sell private if they had a unit in very good condition.

The later model trade units (2007-2008) seem to be worth a real look from the dealers. This seems to popular in the mid-west, but I didn't see any locally where I am in the northeast. Their sitting next to relatively identical new units and they know they can't sell them close to the price of new, so the pricing seems more reasonable and the 2008s have 3 yrs worth of warranty left.

It is a risk buying used no matter who you buy it from. The only way to eliminate or minimize that is buy new with a warranty, etc. After looking at a number of units this spring before I bought one, you start to gain some experience in sizing up the unit and private seller. Sure, you can get taken for ride, but I don't think you are completely flying blind. My issue wasn't so much dealer vs. private seller, etc., it was used vs. new. I started out looking for a GT225, but none were showing up. I started looking at 235s and 245s, but the best I could do on 235 was $2400 for a 2000 model which was in good condition, but clearly had 8-9 yrs of probably continuous use and I decided to pass. Later model 235s asking price was around $3K and could have got it for maybe $2700-2800 and the best I could do on a later model 245 was $3K. I looked at some GXs for diff lock, but forget it, $3500 on up here and you're getting real close to a new X500 and I don't need the power steering, etc.

As I expected, I'm seeing some dealers marking their new X500s down to $4800-4900 and given the economy, maybe they will go lower. I kind of had made up my mind that $2500 was my limit on a used GT series. If I was going to spend $3K, I was just going to go with a new X500 and get the diff lock as well.

I think I got lucky and a 2001 GT225 came up in an estate type sale. All indications showed it had not been significantly used since it was purchased and I paid $1700.

I guess I wouldn't rule out any option for used, private , dealer, etc. but at least from my experience this spring, getting an older model in very good condition at a good price from the dealer seems to be more the exception than the rule.

I don't think buying a used mower from an individual is really so risky unless you are dumb as a board. Thunderbear does not fit that description. It's been my experience that you can almost tell just by looking, before you ever get on, or up start up a machine, if it's been run to death, or treated badly, for it will look like it.

Case in point; my GT225 is a 1999 model and it still looks as good as new.

But I also think it's very hard to find a good used machine that's just like the one you want. So if you are lucky enough find one in great condition, and you need it, pay the man what he wants. I doubt you will be sorry.