# What is a 1997 John Deere 345 Worth?



## Live Oak

I have a friend who owns a 1997 345 with a 54'' deck, front blade, mulching attachment for deck, wheel weights, needs camshaft. What do you guys think it might be worth? He wants to trade it in on a new tractor but the dealer is giving him next to nothing for it. I figured he might come out better if he just sold it as is. Might be a good fixer upper deal for someone.


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## JDFANATIC

Chief,

I would put that tractor in the vacinity of $2000, depending on the hours/condition. On machineryfinder, you can find these machines from $2K to $4K. Most machines will have a 48" deck though.


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## Live Oak

I haven't looked at the machine yet but I am wondering what happened to cause it to need a camshaft? How big of a deal is it to replace a camshaft?


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## JDFANATIC

Chief,

I'm waaay over my head here, but I'm thinking that is an OV Kawasaki that probably had plastic cam gears. Those are relatively easy to replace (other than the labor to get to them), but the camshaft itself is something I've never needed to get to.


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

ive seen them as low as 2,500 -6500$$$$ but thats on http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/forsale/list.asp?man=JOHN+DEERE&mdl=345


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by Chief _
> *I haven't looked at the machine yet but I am wondering what happened to cause it to need a camshaft? How big of a deal is it to replace a camshaft? *


These had plastic cams back then.
About 1200 bucks for a dealer repair.

I looked at a 1998 last fall the guy wanted 
3900 for it 
It had a front blade and tire chains an AG tires.
3900 for the deal plus 1200 to replace the cam was 5100 and no warranty.

I feel i did a lot better with the new CC I bought instead.
CC GT2554 3500
54'' Deck included
Front blade 750
rear tiller 700
AG rear tires.100
2 suite case weights. included. 
Total $5050.oo.
Got a new warranty with the deal.


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## chrpmaster

> _Originally posted by Chief _
> *I haven't looked at the machine yet but I am wondering what happened to cause it to need a camshaft? How big of a deal is it to replace a camshaft? *


Thats what I was wondering too. If he abused it enough to need a camshaft either he has lots of hours on it or he beat it pretty bad. I'm not even sure how you could wear out the camshaft without needing a new engine toounless it was defective. After ten years its unlikely to be a defect. No oil changes or no oil at all would ruin more than the cam. May need to replace motor = lots of bucks. Plus if he abused the engine he probably didn't maintain the deck belts and bearings or clean it off occasionally. 

If I was looking at it I would probably count of fixing more than just the camshaft and offer him a price equal to the value of the used attachements if they were in good shape. Maybe $1000 - 1500 range. Could be a great tractor if you had the time, money and knowledge to fix it up. The dealer probably wasn't too far off on his offer.

Andy


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

briggs still uses plastic cam gears. seen them in quantums but those were small.


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by chrpmaster _
> *Thats what I was wondering too.
> 1*If he abused it enough to need a camshaft either he has lots of hours on it or he beat it pretty bad. I'm not even sure how you could wear out the camshaft without needing a new engine toounless it was defective. After ten years its unlikely to be a defect. No oil changes or no oil at all would ruin more than the cam. May need to replace motor = lots of bucks. Plus if he abused the engine he probably didn't maintain the deck belts and bearings or clean it off occasionally.
> 
> If I was looking at it I would probably count of fixing more than just the camshaft and offer him a price equal to the value of the used attachements if they were in good shape. Maybe $1000 - 1500 range. Could be a great tractor if you had the time, money and knowledge to fix it up. The dealer probably wasn't too far off on his offer.
> 
> Andy *


The Plastic cam was a design defect on that tractor back then.
You don't have to be abusive to experience a failure of a production defect.

The fix was JD came out with a steel Came to replace the plastic defective Cams.


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by HYDROGUARDIAN16 _
> *briggs still uses plastic cam gears. seen them in quantums but those were small. *


They may be working in the B&S ;but they darn shure didn't pan out in the JD 345s back in the 1990s.


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by chrpmaster _
> *
> 
> 
> 1*If he abused it enough to need a camshaft
> 2*he has lots of hours on it .
> 3*I'm not even sure how you could wear out the camshaft without needing a new engine too unless it was defective.
> 4* After ten years its unlikely to be a defect
> ********************
> 
> Andy *


 ************
1*I don't think he abused it!
2*You didn't put a lot of hours on the X345 because the cheap flimsy plastic cam would blow before you could get that far. The very fact that the cam's shot on this one is a good indicator that the hours probably aren't that high.
3 * If it still has the plastic cam in it it's definitely defective 
4*Age or years have nothing to do with it.
Hours on the meter are what reviled the defect not days or years on the calendar.


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by Chief _
> *I have a friend who owns a 1997 345 with a 54'' deck, front blade, mulching attachment for deck, wheel weights, needs camshaft. What do you guys think it might be worth? He wants to trade it in on a new tractor but the dealer is giving him next to nothing for it. I figured he might come out better if he just sold it as is. Might be a good fixer upper deal for someone. *


 With the bad Cam in it it's not worth much as a fixer upper.
That dang cam at 1200 bucks to replace makes buying it and fixing it cost way more than it's worth.

That Dealer just may have offered him the only opportunity he'll get to walk away from a white elephant.


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## JDFANATIC

I'm not totally convinced the cam issues weren't influenced by maintenance. I had a 425 for 10 years and 700 hrs (Kawasaki liquid-cooled V-twin) with the same plastic cams and had no problems at all. I also know quite a few owners of these machines and no one I know has had any problems either. One thing in common, we do maintain our machines by the book or in some cases, better.


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## lb59

> _Originally posted by JDFANATIC _
> *I'm not totally convinced the cam issues weren't influenced by maintenance. I had a 425 for 10 years and 700 hrs (Kawasaki liquid-cooled V-twin) with the same plastic cams and had no problems at all. I also know quite a few owners of these machines and no one I know has had any problems either. One thing in common, we do maintain our machines by the book or in some cases, better. *


 maintenance will not advert a defective product failure.

If it was a result of poor maintenance why was it only the owners of the 345 that were neglecting proper maintenance but owners of other JDs weren't?


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## JDFANATIC

> _Originally posted by lb59 _
> *maintenance will not advert a defective product failure.
> 
> If it was a result of poor maintenance why was it only the owners of the 345 that were neglecting proper maintenance but owners of other JDs weren't? *


If the failure was caused by a manufacturing defect. While perhaps Kawasaki's decision to go with a certain material was borderline, there are so many of these machines (and as I pointed out, spread across many models) that have had sum zero problems.

Are my comments about my knowledge and experience base anecdotal? Perhaps. But there are a bunch of religiously maintained Kawasaki plastic cammed tractors out there that are running just fine.


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## lb59

http://www.tractorforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7993&highlight=John+Deere+345


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## chrpmaster

So chief - whatever happened with this tractor?

Andy


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## JDrode

I have a 345 with 1400+ hours on it with no maintenance records that runs fine. Is there a telltale sign that the cam was replaced?


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## Racsnor

Is there a procedure available for changing the Cam gear on a 345 jd


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