Thanks Royal -T i was going to Lowes & purchase today however i did find this consumer report page, i dont know now i might better stick with craftsman. But then again i see some of the same responses on the craftsman page also, hmmm i might better just pay someone to mow it...:biggrin:
John Deere
Russ of Springfield IL (03/15/09)
I have a John Deere LT 160 with the rear bagger. The bagger clogs less than any rear bagger I have owned, and I really like the foot pedal arrangement on this mower. Other than that, it's been a horrible mower. I'm on my third Kohler engine (the first had a cam that was not hardened, the second the dealer claimed I got dust in the engine, but I didn't see them open it and don't believe it,
at 300 hours the transmission is losing power, at 250 hours I had to replace the spindle bearings (about half the life I expected), I had to re-weld the anti-scalping wheel brackets because they were designed with no side support and eventually break off, and the design and construction of the rear bagger is not durable (poorly protected and brittle plastic, with a marginal gasket design). I'd have been much better off spending half the money on a mower at Sears.
I was charged $500 to replace the second engine, spindle and bracket repairs to the deck cost about $400. Apparently word has spread, as my dealer went out of business over the winter.
Kenney of Anderson MO (03/14/09)
I purchased a John Deere 125 Series mower 2 years ago. Late last summer the paint started coming off the fender and runnung board assembly in large areas at a time. I contcated the local dealer whom I had purchased it from only to be tols that the metal to where the paint came off shows to have rust, so therefore they would not stand behind it. ( Any one with any sense at all knows that a bare metal will start to show rust almost instantly.)
I then contacted John Deere manufacturing and they asked where I lived. I told them that I lived in the very corner of southwest Missouri, and they responded back by sayiny the reason my paint was coming off and the bare metal showing rust was that I lived to close to the ocean and the salt water was causing my problem. After a response as such, I am going to git rid of the mower (after I have it painted) and I am telling everyong one see that if they want a good lawn equipment, then to buy anything but a John Deere. I will never own another product of theirs.
William of Tracy CA (03/07/09)
I purchased a John Deere L100 Lawn Mower with grass bag attachment. It will work fine to mulch the lawn, but it clogs up when grass goes into the bag. We have contacted the manufacturer and also salesman at equipment shows. They say it is a problem that can not be fixed, but I could purchase a newer one that has a new system. Our lawn waste needs to be picked up. No one on purchase of this tractor mentioned there was a problem. We have done the best we can to use it, but it is very frustrating!
Michael of Grand Rapids MN (02/07/09)
I have a John Deere 2210, compact tractor. Overall, the machine has been great and my dealer is exceptional. However, this winter, the small piston like device that operates the foot pedal for the hydrostatic transmission seized while I was plowing snow for my 78 year old neighbor lady.
As I pulled forward to the garage to backdrag the snow from in front of the garage door, the transmission stuck in the forward position and as a result, the tractor demolished the garage door. This was a potentially dangerous situation and John Deere Customer Service refused to tell me if other 2210 owners had experienced similiar problems with this imported part.
Clarence of Rising Sun IN (01/30/09)
i have a gt245 that is using the transmission drive pulley and cooling fan blades like crazy. it has 200 hrs on it. i have to pay someone to mow my 3 acres everytime it breaks down and john deere wont call back. whats a man to do? not happy with this product at all and 6000 dollars doesnt grow on trees.
Wiley of Covington GA (01/24/09)
I Purchased a John Deere L-120 Lawn Tractor at the Home Depot Store, and have had nothing but problems since day one. On the very first use, I discovered that I wouln need to make a second pass over my lawn in order to achieve a even cut. This problem was never resolved and I can only achieve even cuts with the blade set at the 2 inch height. After one season I had to replace all three spindles, the idler as well as all three blades. My mower is now back in for repairs. I am told that an electrical component has gone bad and that this part plus labor will cost an additional $350.00.
After owning this for only three seasons, I have spent well over $2600.00 in attempts to keep it operating. That amount does not cover the factory warrented parts and labor during the first year. Don't [they] care about the reputation that [they] spent decades to build? I WILL NEVER EVER PURCHASE ANOTHER JOHN DEERE PRODUCT.
Craig of Mcveytown PA (01/04/09)
I just read many complaints on John Deere lawn mowers and noticed most were bought at big box stores ie: Lowes and Home Depot , that tells me that what I have always said that the quality of the things that are made for these stores by big name manufactures is lower than that made for there regular stores- dealers. I was a self employed plumber and saw this all the time with faucets and other items and would not go to these places and purchase things for my customers to avoid call backs. As far as J.D goes I have owned a 425 lawn and garden tractor since 2000 and no complaints and have used it very hard. Only things done to it are normal oil changes and maintenance. I will only buy John Deere lawn equipment and only from there dealers.
James of Lyons OR (11/21/08)
We purchased a new John Deere Tractor in 2004 a GT 245 which we initially had trouble with the tube staying on, they did send someone out to repair that, but it kept happening, and we had to duct tape the tube to make it stay on. The bags do not stay on, and now we for the past two month have been unable to keep the tractor running. It starts, dies,
we called the local JD Dealer (our dealer went out of business), and they told us some parts to replace which we did, new belts, new spark plugs, had it service and the carb cleaned up. We also replaced the igniter. We have had it looked at twice now, and still it will not run! We are so frustrated as we paid 6000 for this machine that only has 181 hours on it.
Patrick of Waynesville NC (11/13/08)
Don't buy a John Deere Riding Mowers. I had a L110 for 3.5 years with 230 hours and the transmission went out this month. My local dealer told me that JD is having problems with the transmissions and will not do anything about it. I did a search on the internet and several others are having problems too. I have sent JD 2 emails in the last month with no reply and 1 returned phone call 2 weeks after I left a voice message and told me its out of warranty. A new transmission will cost up to $600 to repair so I traded my JD for a Husqvarna. WILL NEVER OWN A JOHN DEERE AGAIN!!!!!
Leon of Christine ND (11/10/08)
I bought a new John Deere LX178 tractor with 38 deck in 1996. Other than replacing the battery 3 times in 12 years I have not had the slightest hint of a problem. I bought a new snowblower attachment for it 4 years ago and it is a retro fit unit designed for many models, it works great but is an unbelievable pain to install every year. For this reason I plan to leave the snowblower on and buy a new X300 tractor with 38 deck.
The X300 has a Kawasaki engine also but with two more horsepower, the thing is, this tractor appears to be comparable to the LX but is priced nearly $1000. less than I paid in 1996. I know better than to buy certain products at big box stores. For me, it's nothing but a Deere.
T. of Galloway NJ (10/28/08)
while operating my 2003 j.deere L130 lawn tractor, it suddenly, without provocation, caught on fire. Visions of being blown sky high by the gas tank was first and foremost in my mind. I have not had any answer from j.deere as to what may be the cause. zero!
The dealer charged me $116 to inform me the engine was a total loss...but could not tell what started the fire!
Diana of Victor ID (10/27/08)
We purchased a 2005 John Deere Trail Buck 650 and asked for one that wasn't on the showroom floor but were denied this request. This machine has always had problems with sensors, shifting, gears popping out and not going in and keep getting stuck. We have spent thousands of dollars for repairs and it never goes off road. This machine was brought back from John Deere in January 2008 and dropped off in our driveway stuck in gear and with a dead battery. Contacted Mike in Service and he said they could no longer get parts for our machine and didn't know when they could come and pick it up.
We had to hire someone to plow our driveway during this time. I called and talked to Gary the manager and he said we could take it anywhere to get repaired. Since no one showed up from January to June to pick this up, we ended up getting it to Driggs, Idaho. It took them five months to get the manufacturing defects parts for this machine and now it is costing another $2,330.00 for repairs. The defective parts are Shift Drum Lever, Shift Index Lever, Park Lever Arm. Bombardier says not their problem and John Deere Customer Service in Moline, IL (Debbie) says not their problem. This machine has about 800 miles on it for 3 years old. We do not know if this is on the recall list or not.
We use this for plowing our driveway and have to pay a company to come in and plow us out. We have spent all this money for registrations, insurance and cannot use the machine to go to the post office.
David of Hernando FL (10/16/08)
I bought a john deere riding mower from Lowe's in 2006. In 2007 I had an engine fire that required service from one of their dealers. Since then I have had 2 more engine fires. the second fire in 07 I put out with a fire extinguisher. Now its oct. of 08 and now another fire but this time the wireing is all melted and the carb needs to be replaced. John Deere said the could not help me because its out of warranty by 8 months. I guess they consider engine fires as a normal occurrence with their product.
being in contact with one of their dealers was inconsequential they tell me their hands were tied, they have to do what deere decided. apparently its easy for a large company to just wash there hands of a dangerous situation as long as its out of warranty. I can not understand how three engine fires from the same unit is not looked into as a fault in the product. There final answer was call your home owners policy to see if its covered I wonder if I would have parked in the garage, like I would normally have done , and my house caught on fire what would there answer have been
Alan of Lester Prairie MN (10/07/08)
Bought a new JD L120 lawn tractor in 2004, two years after I had it the front spindles were shot. I work in a machine shop so I fit oillite bushings in the hub bushing and replaced the spindles, that took care of that problem. You can't have steel spindles in a steel hub without something wearing and in this case the spindles. I now have an electrical problem, the battery is not being charged up, thought it was an old battery but after replacing it with a new one the same problem persisted. I now keep a trickle charger on at all times until I can figure out the problem. The from deck gauge wheel brackets are way too flimsy, have replaced one set already and straightened out the old ones. Would think that you would get a better built machine even though not real expensive. Guess they want you too buy the garden tractors which are built much more heavy duty.
The tractor is still running, but must keep a charger on at all non-running time in order to run it.
Lee of Bellflower MO (10/04/08)
Have a second-hand LT133. Use it for a small yard and a several acre plot. This thing just had a deck belt snap. First repairs in the 2 years I've had it. Blades need sharpened- needs a tune-up- but the thing keeps going. Bought at an authorized dealer- serviced there before. Plan to upgrade to larger unit. Considering Deere due to reputation and experience with this unit, but will think twice on that after reading these posts. I would be interested in the ratio of engine failures on the posts based on manufacturer. I have a 13 hp Kohler and it seems fine after several hours of heavy work and cutting. Past make sme think Deere is still good- but maybe depends on models.
Jerry of Azle TX (09/26/08)
I have a John Deere self propelled walk behind lawn mower JC63C with a 6.5 H.P. Briggs and Stratton engine. This particular mower has had two fuel tank replacements of tank part number AM134926. The origional tank and the replacement tank have leaked at the mid seam and another location on the bottom of the tank.
The tank leaked gas; and had we been storing this mower near a gas water heater, a fire could have folloed. These tanks are fracturing at the mid seam and other locations. A third tank is now been installed. John deere reported that there has been no recall concerning this product; however where there are two fractured tanks from the same mower, then there must be others. The tank is manufactured by Briggs and Stratton.
Ryan of Hutchinson KS (09/24/08)
I bought An LT118 almost 2 years ago. They have replaced the front pulley 3 times. Bagger falls off all the time, if I hit a bump, the hood sometimes falls off on one side, it has a bad vibration when mowing and now the tie rods need replaced. I am now having problems getting anything done in atimely matter. 3 weeks now and still not fixed. Guess they are waiting for warranty to run out. I am considering small Claims.
Jimmy of Watauga TX (09/22/08)
In April, 2008, I made the mistake of purchasing a John Deere LA120 riding mower from the John Deere dealer in Stephenville Tx. The mower has a little over 14hrs on it and the mower deck is broke in several places making the mower useless. The dealer and John Deere refuse to honor the warranty claiming that I hit something. Granted, the area that I use the mower for is not a manicured lawn but I have been mowing this area for the last 8 years with a Murray riding mower and never replaced anything but blades and belts.
The John Deere deck is made from metal far too brittle for its intended use. Any stress or vibration will shatter the deck as it has no give whatsoever. I will be out $400 for a new deck plus the original price of $1800 and still will not be able to use the mower as it will most certainly fail again. No more overpriced green junk for me. John Deere may have been synonymous with quality in the past but obviously not any more.
Robert of Wake Forest NC (09/20/08)
Bought JD L120 lawn tractor from Home Depot on 7/2/04. In 2007 the belt broke and tore the wiring harness and destroyed the transmission cooling fan (I was told the cooling fan would get destroyed everytime the belt breaks!). Had it repaired for $148.30. It ran once and wouldn't start. I was so mad I left it there till 2008.
Paid another $427.67 to fix it. It ran twice and wouldn't start. I was able to boost it and mow my lawn two more times and now the mower doesn't engage. I've now paid about $2350 for the mower, $575 in repairs, and another $400 to have my lawn mowed. So now I'm out about $3000 with no lawn mower.
Hal of Farmington AR (09/17/08)
Purchased an LA100 from Lowes. Cut great for a few mowings, then started cutting uneven. Time for first servicing anyway, so contacted local JD dealer, Countryside, for mobile servicing. Cost was going to be 199.00 for servicing. They show up in a tractor-trailer getup that couldn't make the turn to get in the driveway to start, so took mower to the truck. Have to leave so spouse supervised. They were done in 30 minutes and bill was 98.00. What wasn't done? Since then the mower has been [terrible].
It was obvious the blades weren't resharpened, and it cuts grass unevenly worse than before, requiring me to go over it two or three times. Rattles and shakes like its going to fall apart. No matter how I tune the deck, still the same thing. John Deere WAS supposed to equal quality, why should I have needed to research a brand known for quality. Well Steve, you're right. I will NEVER buy another JD product, nor will I EVER recommend a JD product.
C.r. of Oswego, NY (09/13/08)
I purchased a John Deere JS40 2 years ago at my local Loew's. I used the unit once and found that the front wheels were not assembled properly,(the washer's were on the wrong side of the axles.. I took it to a local repair shop(Loews does not service the equipment themselves).
The next problem occurred the following spring. I had stored the unit for the winter, and folded the handle down. Because of the placement of the cables, they caught on the hinges and broke both cables. I consulted my repair shop, and they suggested that I take it to a JD dealer, since they would have to order the parts anyway.. I took the mower to Northern Aggregates in Fulton, NY, and after about a week I found out that they had to order the parts and that they had ordered incorrect part and were awaiting another one..
When I finally got the mower back, I tried to cut the grass and found that it was not adjusted and the clutch would not engage to start the drive.. Again went to my own repair shop, and they fixed the problem. I stored the unit for winter again, (and did not fold the handle).. I cut the grass a few times, and again the clutch would not engage and I took it back to my own repair shop,and found that the cable had broken at the point it went to the unit where the drive gear was located..
Again took it back to my dealer and he put a new cable on the mower.. I used it a few more times and only one wheel would drive, so took it to my repair shop again, and found that the D clip was off the left wheel. That was replaced (that was 2 weeks ago), and I was able to cut my lawn at least once without a problem.. To date I have had this mower to a repair shop 5 times in the 2 years I have had the mower.. I purchased this mower to replace an aging Agway mower which only needed a tuneup, because I had retired and didn't want to put anymore money in an old machine.. What a mistake, this John Deere has cost me almost as much in repairs as the original purchase price.
I have paid over $300.00 in repairs to this mower because of defective parts and faulty dealer repair (not including the cables which broke when I folded the handle).
Todd of La Vergne TN (09/07/08)
I purchased a John Deere LT120 3 years ago. I have since replaced the electrical harness, 3 spindles on the deck, front axle and the clutch 4 times. Now there is an oil leak. I have $2300.00 is the purchase price and a little over $1200.oo in repairs. And to think, I thought John Deere stood for quality.
Robert of Winfield IA (09/07/08)
This section said people could report good reactions also,so here is my story. I bought a J/DEERE 345, liquid cooled riding mower (used with two hundred hours on hour meter) in year 2000, 48 deck. This was a 1995 model, all i did was put a new battery in it. This is now 2008, and all i have ever done to it has been spark plug change every 2/years and change engion oil, changed hydrostat oil and its 2 filters once.
The same time (year 2000), i bought a 48 snow blade with attachments, so this mower still cuts my grass and plows my side walk every year. It sets outside day/night and covered with a quality canvess. Just remembered, i installed a fuel pump and thermastat. J/D does`nt do my labor, i do.
N/A, but i hope people realize, that sometimes used might work ok.
Debbie of Big Rock IL (09/03/08)
On 8/11/08 I filed a complaint and am now filing another one for the same John Deere lawn tractor 190C 2006! Previously, I filed a complaint because the front tire fell off. The dealer put in a new bushing (JD didn't use a bearing for the tire). I asked the dealer how long this bushing would last, and was told it was a design flaw of John Deere and that I would be lucky if it lasts a year! Was told that I could try to keep the tire greased, but it probably wouldn't do any good. Talk about cheap! In less than 30 days my JD 190C is NOT working again! The same problem occured that happened 8/11/08: fuse blew as a result of the wiring harness getting wrapped around the front pulley. The dealer originally said it was operator error when the mowing deck was put on. I don't think so as the problem happened again and we never even touched the mowing deck. The last person to handle the mowing deck was the dealer themselves, and the wiring harness dropped down again and wrapped around the front pulley and the wiring harness broke. If the wiring harness dropped down the 1st time, you would think the dealer would fix it so that it would not drop down a 2nd time. We will never buy a John Deere lawn tractor again! They are made cheaply and are very unreliable!
We haven't even paid the bill from 8/11/08 which was $358.22 and the tractor is broke again! I can't afford to pay for this piece of junk to get fixed again! Seems like somebody is screwing somebody! I have no lawn mower now and who knows how long I'll be without one again! I am getting so distressed over this that I don't sleep well because of this. I am unemployed, thanks to the economy, and this is just one unneeded expense that I just don't need!
Gary of Bradenton, FL (09/01/08)
John Deere LA135 Limited Edition 42 inch riding mower. After hearing all the problems with the spindle housing reported here, I decided to make sure they were properly greased on my mower after ~30 min of usage. When I tried to grease them all the grease came out around the grease gun nozzle. I removed the grease fitting from the spindle housing and snapped it into the grease gun, what I found is that only 1/10 of the grease went into the grease fitting the rest came out around the grease gun nozzle. The grease fitting was defective on both spindle housing in that the nipple was too short such that the grease gun nozzle could not lock around it.
Went to Lowes and got grease fittings that had a long nipple and then I was able to grease the spindle housing, which had very little grease in it because of the defective fittings (used a flashlight to look inside the spindle housing when the grease fitting was removed). When the spindle housing was filled with grease the excess came out around the spindle shaft under the deck.
Just thought people should be aware of this problem. Talked to a John Deere dealer about it, and they did give me advice on how to replace the grease fittings, but only after I asked the right questions. Of course it was under warranty, but pickup and delivery was $90. The 5 grease fittings on the front end of the mower had long nipples and I was able to grease them without any problem.
No damage as far as I know since I greased the spindle housing right away instead of waiting for 8 hrs of usage to go by, as indicated in the manual.
Jeff of Mansfield GA (08/28/08)
HOME DEPOT talked me into buying this John Deere 42 in. lawn mower that is noting but a problem from the start. The mower is a auto hydro trans. and has gone out and the John Deere Company said they have no parts but would like me to buy a replacement mower from them. The cost of another $3000.00. I said no thanks.
I guess it is time to send it to the scrap metal yard so I can repay myself back the money that I spent on this hunk of junk. I own a Kubota tractor now.
Gary of Middletown DE (08/25/08)
I have bought a John deere from both Home Depot and a John Deere Dealer. The first one I bought at Home Depot and it was a total piece of junk. Ran terribly, belt kept coming off, nuts and parts fell off. And wasn't worth crap at cutting grass. After fighting with several Home Depot stores I finally got my money back. Was told that the ones they sell at Dealerships were a much higher quality though they cost twice as much. Okay I was stupid twice.
The second one cost $9200.00 for a 60 inch cut. It's just as bad as the first one. The head lights quit the first year, pieces fall off a lot. I have to take off and run fast or it stalls when I turn on the mower blades. If the grass is more than 6 high I have to cut my lawn twice or else it looks horrible and friends joke about my grass. I have to sharpen the blades almost everytime I cut the grass and clean under the deck with a scraper (every time) or else I again have to cut the grass twice and then it still looks bad. Also the control to raise and lower the deck only works sometimes.
When I turn on the mower blades while moving or else it stalls it bucks like a wild bronco and snaps my neck. After cutting my grass I take aspirin, tylenol whatever I have. I am otherwise a healthy guy. It has rolled over on me and nearly broke my leg. It is very easy to roll over and nearly has a number of times. I am currently trying to gather data for a class action lawsuit. You will NEVER see a John Deere mower being used by professional lawn care people. Just look at the little trailers they pull with their pickups...the is NEVER a John Deere on the trailer.
$9200.00 for a piece of junk that always needs repair and does a poor job of cutting my lawn. I think the years of cutting my grass with a mower that has to be moving before I turn on the mower blades and then it bucks and snaps my neck has taken a toll on my and my wifes backs and necks (and yes we get real headache every time during and after). Usually after cutting our lawn we can expect to have a sore neck and bad back for a few days.
Dale of Whycocomagh Inv. Co. OTHER (08/14/08)
I bought a model 125 lawn tractor in june 2006from the dealer and it worked fine for the first season.June of 2008 a pulley went on it,dealer replaced part under warranty and was told to check tractor all over.Two weeks later a real problem happened,the engine blew up (Connecting rods came out through the case)with ONLY 45 HOURS on the tractor.
I contacted MacLeods (dealer)and dropped it of to be fixed the mechanic said it had to be a defect and it should be covered.Two weeks go by before the dealer calls me and then says John Deere will not cover the engine.The area rep said the govener had a wrench mark on it and accused me of turning it up causing the engine to over rev.and there is nothing they can do about it.I am a mechanic myself and would not do such a thing.If there was a wrench on governer it was done at the dealer or the factory.
I called John Deere customer office and was told by Amber there that they stand behind there dealers decision.I am now left with a 2200.00 dollar piece of JUNK..I Found out the hard way that John Deere doesnt stand behind there products and the dealer doesnt care either.
David of Salado TX (08/13/08)
Last year I bought a JD L130 series riding mower. I bought it with one year interest free no payments in October 2007. The tracter has a total of 32 hours operation on it. It was at the 32 hour mark when I was mowing that the mower started making some noise and then the belt came off. After some examination, I saw that the middle spindle had completly seperated from the deck and had fallen through. When I got the tractor back to the garage and took the deck off, I noticed that the middle spindle was missing two bolts. Either they were never installed or they were not properly installed. The JD dealer told me that those bolts are designed never to come out. I am guessing that he insinuates that I took them out becasue he said he would not cover that item under warranty and the cost to replace the deck now is at $1100 dollars, half of what I paid for the mower. I am going after JD on the basis of the Unform Commercial Code on implied warranties and sellers remedies.
Debbie of Big Rock IL (08/12/08)
We bought a John Deere 190C automatic lawn mower from Lowe's a couple of years ago. Right as the 2 yr. warranty was expiring, we started to have nothing but problems with our Deere. First one of the pulleys broke so we had that fixed. After the warranty expired (within one month) the belt kept popping off and the tension was tight. Finally we thought we fixed the problem with the belt coming off, and then it kept blowing fuses and the PTO wouldn't work.
The dealer came to pick up the tractor and wanted $58.00 for pickup and delivery and we only live maybe 7 miles away! Ripoff!!! It took the dealer 2 weeks to fix the tractor. They said the wiring harness got stuck on a pulley and shorted out the PTO. Hmmm, sounds like a design flaw to me!! Had to get a new wiring harness and new clutch, not to mention a new fuse.
The kicker... I mowed my lawn for about an hour after getting the tractor back home from the dealer and guess what? The front left tire fell off!! And I just got it back from the dealer!! Needless to say, I will NEVER buy a John Deere ever again as they are JUNK! They are NOT quality machines. I will stick with Kubota tractors from here in out!!
Mary of Cypress TX (08/12/08)
In October of 2004 we purchased a John Deere Gator HPX. It ran pretty good for about a year and a half but for a $10,000 vehicle we expected more. We have spent over $5,000 on repairs since then. We were always told there was nothing they could do for us. Finally we were able to get the name of the regional rep, these guys don't like to have their names out there..pretty spineless!! They are willing to buy our gator for what I could sell it to anyone else and then sell us another.
I will never own any product from John Deere againl. They then will sell this gator to some unsuspecting buyer. So to that employee who has worked for John Deere and is tired of all the complaining, I did buy my gator from an authorized John Deere retailer and am still getting a very bad deal from them. May be Steve, you should tell them to stand behind their products and quit being so spineless. John Deere is a terrible company. Their product is no longer a quality product. Eventually their reputation will catch up to them and they will go out of business. The sooner the better.
We are out over $5,000 in repairs and now have a gator that will not stay started.
Mar
