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Our JD LA115 came with the house. It's been used without incident for over a year. We talked with a local independent tractor dealer looking for an older and more sturdy JD for heavier work on our 8 acres and he said that the cost of parts have gone up so much on JDs that he couldn't recommend them anymore unless we found one that was pretty clean and in good working order as repairs would make buying an older one needing repairs economically unviable. We haven't checked the veracity of his comments but his lot was full of older Deeres so he wasn't trying to make a sale that's for sure.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandpa Pipes
Switching to Syn oil this fall oil change...........
How often do you change your oil since you use syn oil ??
What brand syn oil and weight do you use??
(Whoops, sorry I missed your Question).
change 1/yr, AFTER the season, usually when I will only use mower once after oil change. I usually wash engine and airbox, (BEFORE oil change) so like to run it 1-2 hrs to chase out moisture and distribute clean oil.
Engine Bearings prefer to have clean oil when sitting over the winter.
As per comment regarding cost of JD parts. YES... spendy. I rarely buy JD parts if I can find another solution (quite probable). They do a LOT of proprietary part specifications, so you need to be creative. Cheaper to buy a Spare Mower of same model if you have the space (<$300), if not... eBay for used parts.
The cv460s Kohler engine on an LT160 is a piece of ****! The piston push rod is off on an angle when the piston is at the top of the stroke. The worst thing is the fuel pump. There is a membrane that separates the gas from the crank case oil. When the lamebrain brake gas flows into the crank case. This situation caused the engine to seize up and/or explode.
I have a friend who has had two JD riding mowers and I believe he has only a few problems with them. West Texas is to John Deere like Albuquerque is to Harley Davidson.
I have a Craftsman GT3000 with a 23hp Kohler engine, 6-speed transmission and a 48" mowing deck. I bought this garden tractor new in April 2001 for $2,399.99 and it's still going very strong with few problems even though it has been used in some really tough west Texas environments. We have lots of dust and rocks and I am terrible at changing the oil in my tractors. When I bought the tractor, Craftsman was at the top of their game and was rated one of the best among riding mowers and lawn and garden tractors.
We have 20 acres of short grassland here on the Texas South Plains but I use Ford 8n tractors to shred the pastures and the Craftsman to mow around the house and barns.
Had an LT155, for 20 years. Deck is finally wearing out. Otherwise, despite extreme treatment, still runs like new. Just purchased another LT160 2004 model used. Despite some horror stories, JD products are solid, and reasonably dependable. Given how most are usually cared for, a solid purchase. There is good reason why one sees so many JD owners. They work. Had Craftsman, Toro, MTD, and a few others who I can no longer remember; but none that Ran Like a Deere.
We bought the X300 from the local JD dealer. With routine maintenance, we've not had any issues with it in the 8 years we've run it around our acreage.
We came home from our last assignment with a JD push mower that's now 15 years old. It still works just fine, too -- well enough that a friend who just bought a home with a tiny lawn wants it.
If you want an actual JD, you need to go to the JD dealer, not a big box store. Yes, it's kinda spendy, but add in the likely lifespan, annual maintenance, and hours you expect to use it, then compare it with the other brands you're looking at. You just might find a real JD mower is the better value in the long run. If not, good luck with whatever you do choose.
I consider John Deere parts pricing as predatory. This all began when John Deere converted from an independent dealership arrangement to the current Dealer Co-op (for lack of a better term) arrangement. For all pactical purposes this removed any dealer incentive to bargain on sales units or parts. Parts have more than doubled (in my experience) in the last ten years after that transition took place.
I bought a Z335E Zero turn mower and I am not happy with their product. I did get the bagging attachment and have operated the mower with that attachment on; it is possible that I might like the mower better without the bagging attachment? With the bagging attachment it is the dirtiest mower I have ever sat on and I used to be a lawnmower dealer. I look like I worked in a coal mine when I get off. I have to wear goggles, face mask and have a hood up to cover my hair when I mow. Then I have to take a shower immediately afterwards. With the bagger it is extremely dusty and dirty. However the bagger does pick up everything and it leaves a pretty clean lawn - of course that is because all the dirt is on the operator!
I also have to make my zero turns extremely slow or I leave front tire skid marks on my lawn. with the bagging attachment I installed the extra weight for the front of the mower (which you would think would help this problem; but it does not). I do not even attempt to mow if it slightly damp outside; since that aggravates the problem. Eventually I might change the front tires to try to remedy the problem - but you would not think that JD would sell a product that destroys your lawn!
Eventually I will remove the bagging attachment and I might like the mower better then? But I got the mower to help clean up our very large lawn and that would defeat the original purpose. I do have an Ariens tractor with bagger and I try to use that most of the time; even though I have the newer JD zero turn. I have complaints against the Ariens; but it is much cleaner to operate than the JD. I also have a third tractor but that does not pick up as good as the other two.
If anybody has solutions to these problems I would love to hear the answer.
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