# Considering An Older JD 1032 Snowblower



## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

A guy listed this 1032 snowblower, but there's not a lot of info about it. Evidently, he got it from an older farmer for some work he did. So he cleaned the fuel tank and carb and put it up for sale. Asking is $400 or best offer. But I noticed it has a sticker for a 342cc 16.5 ft lb torque motor and the gas tank isn't the usual yellow color.

Surprisingly, there's not a lot of info for these out there. I'm trying to figure out a few things:

Is this a good snowblower and is this a potentially good deal? Is this a Frankenstein job with the details I mentioned? And based on the pictures below, is it possible to identify who manufactured this one?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Strange.
Another new member just posted that he purchased what looks to be the same machine.
That is a John Deere built JD, see responses from other thread.









Buying first JD 1032


Hey all, new to the page and soon to be the owner of a snowblower. I am looking at getting this 1032 for $350. The seller got it from a farmer that never used it and the year is unknown. Base on the sticker/decals it looks like it might be a newer model. Are there any clues or things to look out...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Ziggy65 said:


> Strange.
> Another new member just posted that he purchased what looks to be the same machine.
> That is a John Deere built JD, see responses from other thread.
> 
> ...


Well I'll be! You're right. What are the odds? 😅

While I'm here, what's the verdict on the JD 826 with the Tecumseh?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

If the machine has been gone through, serviced, works as it should and the OHV engine replacement was done right and runs well, it is a good deal IMHO, but I am a fan of these older machines. With the original and running 40 year old flat head Tecumseh engine, it would probably only fetch $100.00 to $300.00 depending on condition and time of year.
The 32" JD is a beast of a machine and built like a tank, but is a pretty big machine for a regular 4 -6 car driveway.
These older 70 and 80's machines don't command much $ these days even though they were so well built compared to new machines today.

I actually would like to find a nice condition JD 826 from the 80's, with the original flat head 8HP Tecumseh, I think they are great machines. It would go well with my 69 and 74 Ariens. 
You need to be able to work on these machines yourself. If you plan on taking them to a shop for repairs and service, you are better off buying a new good quality machine or a newer well maintained used machine with low hours.


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

I agree with Ziggy. If the engine install was done right, and you need the larger size, then it is worth it.


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Thanks for the replies, guys. I got some more info from the seller on that John Deere 8/26. It looks like they are the original owner. I'll have to see if I can decode the serial:


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

That machine looks to be in fantastic original condition, if the rims and green are original paint, that is quite remarkable.
How much are they asking?
What info are you trying to find out from the serial #?
If price is reasonable and machine is as good as it looks in the pics, I would grab it.

Manuals:









526-726-732-826-832-1032-TM1234-01740.pdf


Shared with Dropbox




www.dropbox.com













John Deere 826 Snowblower Manual.pdf


Shared with Dropbox




www.dropbox.com


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Ziggy65 said:


> That machine looks to be in fantastic original condition, if the rims and green are original paint, that is quite remarkable.
> How much are they asking?
> What info are you trying to find out from the serial #?
> If price is reasonable and machine is as good as it looks in the pics, I would grab it.
> ...


I thought it looked pretty nice as well. They're asking $500. My goal was to learn exactly what Tecumseh engine it has through the serial number. Maybe it would tell me if this is JD built or a different manufacturer (I think the serial indicates Moline built though). Unfortunately, I don't know as much about these vintage units. Like how reliable they are, if parts are available, if they require a lot of regular maintenance, or little things like safety features that fail, things like that.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

As I mentioned in the other thread, those are awesome machines ...I have 4 of them, 2 fully restored, working on the other 2 ... like any unit, being maintained is the key .. that one looks well maintained. Well worth the 500 in that condition, and if I sold my restored ones, I would sell them for that or more no problem. They have zero turn slip clutch differential and al the safety features ... very well-built units, not like the tin and plastic of today's units.

If running on pavement though, I would remove the lawn grass tires with the chains, and put on some nice XTrac snow tires, like all the new machines of today come with. Way better operation for the machine as well as you, as you won't be vibrated to death. Also, poly skids glide way smoother on pavement than the steel ones dragging and leaving rust marks.


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Oneacer said:


> As I mentioned in the other thread, those are awesome machines ...I have 4 of them, 2 fully restored, working on the other 2 ... like any unit, being maintained is the key .. that one looks well maintained. Well worth the 500 in that condition, and if I sold my restored ones, I would sell them for that or more no problem. They have zero turn slip clutch differential and al the safety features ... very well-built units, not like the tin and plastic of today's units.
> 
> If running on pavement though, I would remove the lawn grass tires with the chains, and put on some nice XTrac snow tires, like all the new machines of today come with. Way better operation for the machine as well as you, as you won't be vibrated to death. Also, poly skids glide way smoother on pavement than the steel ones dragging and leaving rust marks.


That's good to know. How is the parts availability for these things? I don't mind a little maintenance here and there, but it's nice to be able to get the parts too. Are there any well-known Achilles heels to look out for? Any other words of wisdom to impart before I possibly make an offer on this?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

That is a JD built machine.
The engine is a Tec H80, the original gas tank has been replaced.
$500.00 is high for an average condition JD 826, that shows rusty areas and 40 years of wear and tear. However, if the condition of this machine is as good as it looks in the photos, hasn't been repainted, has had regular servicing and runs good, I would offer $400.00 and see what they say. 

Others who have owned this vintage of JD will weigh in on parts availability and known issues, common wear items like belts, bearings and bushings should be readily available.
All snow blowers will require regular maintenance regardless of age, many of these older vintage machines actually are designed for better maintenance than many of the newer machines (multiple grease fittings, metal bushings vs plastic etc.)
Keep in mind that the machine is 40 years old and may require some wrenching at some point (impeller bearing, axle bushings etc). If you would be taking the machine to a shop for these type of repairs, maybe this machine is not for you.


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Ziggy65 said:


> That is a JD built machine.
> The engine is a Tec H80, the original gas tank has been replaced.
> $500.00 is high for an average condition JD 826, that shows rusty areas and 40 years of wear and tear. However, if the condition of this machine is as good as it looks in the photos, hasn't been repainted, has had regular servicing and runs good, I would offer $400.00 and see what they say.
> 
> ...


This is great info, I appreciate it. It sounds like it was serviced regularly by one of the reputable local shops here (the tag in the 2nd picture). I'm not too concerned about that and I've got solid wrenching skills. I'm curious what other folks think about parts availability. But I think you described that very accurately.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

All the wear items on these are readily available. ...If you have wrenching skills, then this would be a solid machine .... hard to tell unless one performs an in-person inspection.


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## mphilleo (4 mo ago)

Oneacer said:


> All the wear items on these are readily available. ...If you have wrenching skills, then this would be a solid machine .... hard to tell unless one performs an in-person inspection.


Thanks for the input, I might just go take a look at it today.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I bought my JD1032 for $25. I've seen them for $25-$100.


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