So the 212 and 175, are these lower quality John Deere? What's the diff between a water/air cooled (in terms of reliability/quality)? For example, I found a LX188 (2-cyl Kawasaki water cooled). Much cheaper (also in good condition)....
Not always necessarily lower "quality" (though the "John Deere" mowers you can buy at big box stores are not manufactured by Deere and are instead subcontracted out to the lowest bidder and are nowhere near the quality of the Deere models you get from farm supply stores), but designed for lower-duty use.
Mowers like the old 300 series were not aimed at suburban, or even exurban, homeowners who just needed to mow their lawns. The 300 series were the sort of garden tractors that you'd see used by professional lawn care services or by rural landowners who would often also have tiller attachments or snow plow attachments and use the tractor in situations other than just mowing the lawn. The sort of thing that a farm might keep on hand for situations when the "real" tractor (usually a much larger Deere) would just be overkill.
Basically there are three "tiers" of what most people think of as riding mowers.
First, there are "ride-on mowers." These are, as the name implies, meant strictly for mowing, though they may have bagging attachment. These are very basic models and generally have the engine under the rider's seat with the steering wheel just coming up on a post. Think of the old "Snapper" mowers.
Second, there are "lawn tractors." This group includes tractors like the 175 and the LX188. These are built a bit more sturdily than the ride-on mowers and have the engine in front and are designed to handle basic tasks for yardwork, like pulling small trailers, leaf vacuuming, and, in the case of higher end models, sometimes there are even snowplow attachments. The highest end models may have a single PTO to drive accessories, but these are light-duty units.
Third, there are "garden tractors" like the 212 and 332. The 212 would be a low-end garden tractor and the 332 would be a high-end model. Garden tractors look similar to lawn tractors but weigh more and tend to be built with heavier-duty components. These typically have much sturdier transmissions and at least the option of a rear PTO to drive things like rototiller attachments. As the name suggests, they are designed with the idea that they will be used to maintain larger gardens and not just lawns. In my experience it is not at all uncommon to see 40- or 50-year-old garden tractors still in use on family farms as these machines tend to be very durable with basic maintenance.
The 175 is a late 1980s lawn tractor, one I'd characterize as midrange.
The LX188 is a midrange lawn tractor from the mid-1990s.
The 212 is an entry-level garden tractor manufactured anywhere from the mid-1970s to the mid-late 1980s.
The 332 is a high-end garden tractor made in the late 1980s through the early 1990s. It even has power steering. The 300 series overall enjoys a very strong reputation as a largely unkillable and versatile machine (with the exception of a problematic Kohler engine in the early 317 models) and the resale values reflect this even today. Attachments included rototillers, snowblowers (not just plows), and even a front-mounted loader. You can even independently apply the brakes on the left and right side to aid in maneuvering.
ZV