The John Deere 212 is a versatile tractor that is useful and mobile in all four seasons. In the warmer seasons, you can transform the John Deere 212 into a lawn tractor and use it to mow grass. If you want to use it as a snowblower in the winter seasons, all you have to do is remove the mower attachment and replace it with the snowblower attachment.
Attach Upper Mounting Frame
Step 1
Park the John Deere 212 lawn tractor on a level surface and remove the keys from the ignition.
Step 2
Inspect the mower attachment for a metal lift handle. Raise the handle to the upright position. Set the mower attachment aside and place the snowblower attachment in front of the tractor.
Step 3
Push the back of the tractor forward with your hands until the front tire is lightly touching the lift bar of the snowblower attachment.. Roll the front tire over the lift bar with both of your hands.
Step 4
Stand in front of the snowblower attachment and use both hands to line up the mounting frame on the snowblower to the tractor's frame. Raise the snowblower's lift bar to the rearward position with one hand. Raise the back of the upper mounting frame and push the tractor forward slightly, while you are still standing in front of both the attachment and the tractor.
Step 5
Line up the slots in the upper mounting frame to the holes in the mounting angles on the tractor. Insert 1/2 by 2-inch bolts into the holes and thread them in.
Install Upper V-Belt
Step 1
Use your hand to lower the attachment handle to disengage the handle. This will keep the attachment in place.
Step 2
Inspect the belt routing. Route the upper v-belt inside the clutch idler pulley, the two belt guides and the belt guide. The clutch idler pulley is a small circular device that the belt runs off. The belt guides are the larger circular devices that guide the belt on the pulley.
Step 3
Roll the upper V-belt around the tractor engine drive pulley. The Tractor engine drive pulley is located under the tractor, near the two rear wheels. The pulley is a circular device that runs the belt system.
Attach Lower Mounting Frame
Step 1
Push the snowblower lift forward with your hand to place it in the lowered position. Slide the lift handle under the rear of the lower mounting frame. The lower mounting frame is the component of the attachment that connects under the front of the tractor.
Step 2
Lift the snowblower handle with your hand to raise the front mounting brackets into the clevises of mounting angles.
Step 3
Line up the hole in the front of the mounting brackets with the hole in the mounting angle clevis and connect them with the clevis pin and hair cotter pins. Thread the pins into the hole.
Install Clutch Link Rod
Step 1
Install the clutch link rod. Make sure the tractor attachment lever in the "Off" position.
Step 2
Position the idler arm to the left side of the snowblower attachment frame and hold it against the frame to stop it. Locate the clutch link rod, which is the rod near the idler arm. Push up on the clutch link rod to adjust the length. Fasten the clutch rod link with a hair cotter pin.
Step 3
Install the lift assist springs. To do this, pull the lift handle into the raised position with your hand. Use both hands to thread the chain and toggle assembly through the spring anchor bracket on the front of the tractor.
Step 4
Hook the end of the lift assist spring hook into the channel box bracket and the other end into the last link on the chain and toggle. The channel box bracket is just below the lift spring assist.
Step 5
Pull the toggle end to exert pressure on the lift assist spring. Insert the large cotter pin through the chain, above the spring anchor bracket. Hook the lift assist spring on the other end of the tractor to the channel box bracket and the other end into the last link on the chain and toggle. Pull the toggle and insert a large cotter pin through the chain.
Install Chute Support
Step 1
Position the assemble chute control rod from the chute support through the hole in the chute control support, which is located on the back of the decal plate.
Step 2
Hook the chute control rod's loop into the eyebolt of the chute level wind assembly. Loosen the bolt on the chute control support with a wrench and place the support over the post on the chute control support bracket. The wind assembly is located at the point where the control rod attaches to the snowblower attachment.
Step 3
Tighten the bolt and slide a plastic handle grip onto the chute control rod handle.