Both of these are light duty mowers and you did not provide much information. USED mowers should be examined carefully otherwise you may need to spend repair $$ and time repairing.

Here are a couple of areas to examine.
Look the belts over for cracks
Spin the pulleys and spindles. Dry bearings will be noisy.
Look at the sidewalls of the tires for cracking
Look over the top of the decks for corrosion.
Look at the blade tips for wear / metal erosion.
Look at the seat for cracks
Evaluate the steering for excessive play.
Check for hard / cracked fuel lines.
Look for dirt in the fuel tank.

Examine cooling fins for clues the engine was not maintained. Look for oily dirt build up.
Check the engine oil level for clues to neglect.
Examine the air filter for clues. Heavy dirt build up would indicate lack of routine maintenance.

If this is an automatic, the transaxles are light duty in the cheaper models and sometimes fail after 5 - 7 years. These are not designed to tow trailers and mown on steep hills. Usually it is not cost effective to repair slipping transmissions.

Used machines = $$ for parts, Parts for JD are available but pricey, don't know about yard man? Also, what kind of engines are you comparing?

just my two cents,

Ev

that's the problem with craigslist people don't really put enough information on there. i think the yardman has like a 14.something hp engine. not sure who makes it. the john deere i have no idea about. i'm going to look at both tomorrow. i don't plan on towing any trailers nor do i have any hills in my yard so light duty will work for me. plus this is basically a temporary unit until we know if we are going to buy the place we are renting currently. then i'll get something new.

Don't worry much about the amount of claimed horsepower; for your use 8 would be enough. Chances are good that they both have Briggs & Stratton engines, but the Deere might be a Kohler. Both are light-duty machines. Are they both gear-drive, or hydrostatics? Deere will support (parts availability) for as long as the L110 will last. When both were NEW, the Deere was the better machine (one old guy's opinion, but based upon personal experience.) I have two Deeres ages 15 and 17; they were roughly the equivalent of the L110, and both are good machines ... (although I'm parting one of 'em out) but they are gear drive, not hydros.

NUTSHELL: In used machines with unknown pedigrees, and other things being more or less equal, I would buy whichever one (if either) has gear drive. I prefer hydros, but on low-end machines the hydros frequently turn into a weak link in a few years. And a new hydro unit would cost more than the purchase price of either one of these lawn tractors.

***. i don't plan on towing any trailers ***

As side comment.

Without a small trailer for your tractor you are missing half of the use of a small tractor. You said you have an acre and a half. Are you planning on having a golf course with no plantings or other landscape features?

I have a JD LT155 and a small 7 cuft trailer. It gets used for moving landscape items like dirt and stones for pavers, etc. It has been used in the planting process to move plants from the car to the location in the yard where they well be planted. It is great for picking up sticks and limbs after a storm especially when combined with an axe or bow saw. It makes a great gardening cart, put all of the tools you will need in the cart and take them out to the place in your yard where you are putting in the flower bed, building the shed, etc.

It is great for moving things from the garage to the shed, picking up, and placing lawn furniture in the spring and fall, etc.

The every time you turn around you will find a new use for the trailer.

Don't plan on using a tractor of the size you are looking at for moving your boat or camper.

Since lawn tractors have been invented, they have been used for lots Of things! And, they have been sold to "newbies" like you, accompamied by all kinds of claims of how great they work--no problems in 8 years of use--and a lot of other claims, some true--some not!
To avoid hearing some seller holler out:"Here comes another sucker," might i suggest taking somebody along, who knows something about used lawn tractors, etc., to look for possible pit-falls, and bad things that will take much moola to repair after you get yer prize home!
Better bone up on P.T.Barnum, and his most famous saying!
Might be much better to buy a new machine, and, at least, get some usage out of it, instead of using scissors to cut yer grass while your machine is lounging in a repair shop, for who knows how long!

well the decision was made for for me this morning. the guy with the john deere called and said it was sold so i got the yard man. it's 14.5 hp i think, gear drive and has a few small issues typical of a 200 dollar 5 year old mower. As i am currently renting this house i could not justify buying a 2000+ $ new unit knowing i may not be here passed when my lease runs out in six months. If however we end up buying this place like we hope i'll invest in a nice one then. I figure if i don't like this one i can always sell it and get my 200 back out of it haha... thank everyone for there help and opinions.

if you look under the tilting seat, you should see a decal with the machine's full model number and serial number.
Believe that yardman was/is made by MTD, so try going to website below and d/l'ing an owners manual.
That will help you in what/how is to be maintained/adjusted..
might just turn out to be a good little machine for more than a cuppla years.

Here is a link that might be useful: MTD manuals