The John Deere 425 is very similar to the JD 420. You could even say that the 420 was the prequel to the 425. Why? Well, they both have similarly sized engines. Both produce 20 hp, but were built by different manufacturers. The 425 had its engine built by Kawasaki and the 420 had its engine built by Onan. The 420 was produced and built by John Deere from 1983 to 1991 (8 years) and the 425 was produced and built from 1992 to 2001 (9 years). So you can see how the JD 420 took over from the 420 after the 420 was discontinued.
Fortunately, the 425 is just as reliable as the 420 (what else can you expect from the great team at John Deere?). Although most people buy it for (large-scale) mowing, this mower also doubles as a small lawn tractor with plenty of attachments like snow blowers, brushcutters, and rollers that make tasks like clearing snow in the winter easier.
What most people really enjoy about the John Deere 425 is the fact that it has no gearbox, which often leads to many maintenance issues. Fortunately, the good engineers at John Deere have had the good sense to dispense with the manual gearbox and replace it with 2 pedals. It couldn’t be easier: step on it to go faster. Release pressure to slow down. To go backwards, simply step on the other pedal. The third pedal is the brake. No more complications and hassles with the gearbox.
Like almost all JD mowers, this model also comes with a funnel and collection kit mounted to the rear of the tractor for added convenience.
The standard model comes with a 54-inch mowing deck that can be reduced to a 48-inch deck or upgraded to a 60-inch deck. The John Deere 425 comes with power steering which makes mowing in rough terrain that much easier. On top of this it also has cruise control so if you’re using it for a boring job like mowing a football field, you can just turn on cruise control and relax your foot.
Ultimately, if you have to choose between buying a 420 or a 425 model, we would highly recommend going with the 425 as it is more modern, plain and simple.
