# What do you guys think(JD 2653A)?



## tnbison (Jun 2, 2017)

Was able to start pretty low this year(1") and kept it that way for a while but I'm getting the itch to move from rotary to reel.

My brother sent me a link for a triplex reel and I wanted to get anyone's opinion if you care to share. It seems like a fantastic deal but wanted some input. It's a 98 John Deere 2653a with the Yanmar Diesel. 1800 hours. $2500. Everything I can find online shows something with this many hours is around $4-5k. I'd have to drive about 875 miles for it but I have family in the area I could visit too.

I'd rather find a toro in that price range and hours but don't think they come around in that combination.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

I don't know much about those units or what a good price should be. However it looks to be in good condition to my untrained eye.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Looks like a great deal to me...looks to be in great shape and the reels look brand new. I had a Toro 2000D look very similar to the JD - the only complaint was no power steering.

875 miles would be a long freakin haul there and back...may look into having it shipped one way or another. Ive had three triplex mowers shipped to Lubbock, TX from NY, Florida and Ohio....all three were quoted between $600-$800 for shipping


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## nwga_lawn (Jul 9, 2018)

I've got that exact mower. They are solid built machines. The Yanmar Engine is bulletproof as long as it's not leaking or smoking. I bought mine off an auction and ended up having to change the water pump on it. The 2653A does have power steering and all three wheels have a hydraulic motor so its 3wd.

Check the rollers for play (worn bearings) other than that it looks in great shaped. Tires looks new and not dry rotted. That's another $$ item. The reels look sharpened and kept up. I gave a little less than that at the Weeks Auction and had to drive 6 hours one way to go get it.

EDIT: I keep having to edit lol...Ask what that wire is that runs down the side. Looks like they've ran a temp wire from the battery to the starter. Not a big deal but something that maybe an issue.


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## BCliff (Aug 11, 2020)

That machine looks great, reels and tires look barely used!

Seems like a steal


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## tnbison (Jun 2, 2017)

Thanks for all the input. If I can get my brother to pick it up I'm going to pull the trigger. :nod:


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## dbarlow (Jul 8, 2018)

I have a toro 3100d in Madison Mississippi that isn't as far from you. I would take $3 for it


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## tnbison (Jun 2, 2017)

Well I did pull the trigger on this on last fall and have been slowly working on getting everything tuned up for spring. I have a couple items left to take care of. New parking brake pads(probably going to have to cut bolts out) and adjusting throttle linkage and spring. Reels ended up being bent a bit so I replaced them. I was going to repair the rollers but once I got to where the shafts were pitted badly I figured they wouldn't seat very well with new seals so they were replaced too. Top steel plate of the reel frames was cut out and replaced. Bed knife bar needed lots of clean up using evaporust and slowly chipping away at the rust scale. Hood should clean up nicely with some buffing compound. Some pictures of the progress...

First things first, added a cup holder


Reel support housings had plastic coffee lids in them to help hold the grease in maybe?




Had to chisel out the bedknife nuts.


attempted to reuse grass deflectors but they ended up being too far gone.


Same with the rollers








I don't know how much these weigh fully put together but they are a bear to get off of the bench by myself.


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## nwga_lawn (Jul 9, 2018)

Nice work!!


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## tnbison (Jun 2, 2017)

Finally got the hood looking decent on this thing. Before and after 50 dollars and some elbow grease.


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## typed by ben (Jul 12, 2021)

I love when people show love to these old machines and are proud of them! Always thought the 2653 had some unusual features but they were popular. Always a couple on FB Marketplace around me.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@tnbison Nice work! You must have picked this one up in NC?? I think I remember seeing it for sale if so....anyway I have the same machine with exact same roller setup - you asked about how mine stripes so well and for a long time I was not impressed with it's capability either. Some varieities just don't stripe well but Tahoma does alright. But the key is to keep the turf low and THIN. Thinner the better. Later in the year it will not stripe if too thick with dense undergrowth. Try scalping your turf down to about 5/16 or as low as you can set the reels and then cut 1/4 above that and you should get some stripes. Dethatching/verticutting will help but not as much as a hard scalp. Cleanup is the hardest part obviously.


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## tnbison (Jun 2, 2017)

Got this one in Minnesota. I scalped as low as I could while keeping the bed knife angle correct. I'll have to give a dethatch/verticut a try. How do you"@" someone? I haven't seen that.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Hell yeah I got a 2653A this year with the 26in reels and couldn't be happier. Thing cuts amazing.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

tnbison said:


> Got this one in Minnesota. I scalped as low as I could while keeping the bed knife angle correct. I'll have to give a dethatch/verticut a try. How do you"@" someone? I haven't seen that.


just type the @ symbol and their username and a drop-down box will allow you to select that person.

Don't worry about bedknife angle just drop the reels to the dirt and go to work.


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## DocTodd (9 mo ago)

tnbison said:


> Finally got the hood looking decent on this thing. Before and after 50 dollars and some elbow grease.


great job! i am finding myself in the market for a toro or jd triplex the more i hang around here. i'm already pushing an acre of bermuda lawn, and have the supreme itch to banish the ZTR to the pasture and get a riding reel for the lawn.


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