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John Deere lawn tractors

asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
edited May 2017 in General Discussion
OK, I've become thoroughly disgusted with continually repairing this POS poulan pro.

I'm not buying any more of the big box junk. Are the Deere X300 series lawn tractors worth the price? I'm thinking the X380 with 54" deck and probably adding the rear blade to do light dirt work and crushed rock.

Also wondering if their 4.9% 48 month financing is a reasonable deal?
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Comments

  • Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,244 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    John Deere stuff is expensive but its good. Go with a tractor you can only get at a John Deere dealer.

    I have a 1998 LX 178 and it runs as good now as it did when I got it. I do all the maintenance and I am religious about it. Change the oil, filters, and plugs every season. Pull the deck off in the winter and fix anything that looks bad, I grease it once a month at least.
    RLTW

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  • Wild TurkeyWild Turkey Member Posts: 2,425 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Agree with getting a good one from a "servicing dealer".

    I got a Husquvarna mower last year because I thought the local Kubota dealer was a rip-off and the John Deere dealer a chain store that doesn't have a good small-engine service dept.

    Really happy with my Husky and the dealer.[:D]
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  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,459 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I allways had great luck with simplicity, get there good grade though.....
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  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Sam06
    John Deere stuff is expensive but its good. Go with a tractor you can only get at a John Deere dealer.

    I have a 1998 LX 178 and it runs as good now as it did when I got it. I do all the maintenance and I am religious about it. Change the oil, filters, and plugs every season. Pull the deck off in the winter and fix anything that looks bad, I grease it once a month at least.

    My LX 172 is a 1992 I do not use is at much as I used to, but it is still a good machine. It is about due for a rebuild though.
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  • BrookwoodBrookwood Member, Moderator Posts: 13,768 ******
    edited November -1
    X 10 on the Simplicity! Had mine since '94 and it is still doing it's job.
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  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,344 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The John Deere X300 series have pretty lite transmissions unless your yard is pretty level. They either have the tuff torq k46 or k56. Google those transmissions and see how much trouble they are. I would go with the x500 series to get the k72 transmission that is bout bullet proof.
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  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jltrent
    The John Deere X300 series have pretty lite transmissions unless your yard is pretty level. They either have the tuff torq k46 or k56. Google those transmissions and see how much trouble they are. I would go with the x500 series to get the k72 transmission that is bout bullet proof.


    Thanks for the tip. I'd have never given a thought to the transmission. I also found out the iTorque engines are Kawasaki.
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My two cents, change the oil more often than once a season and make sure you change it after the last mowing of the season. Fresh oil will not have the acidic byproducts of combustion the used oil gathers quickly. My motto is, oil is cheap motors are expensive, quadruple that for airplane engines.[:(]
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  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,697 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've had a John Deere X300 since 2007 and bought this particular mower because it was designed for large, sloped, difficult to mow yards. I mow an acre of lawn and most of it is sloped. The X300 takes on the slopes and never hesitates!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing lightweight about the X Series in my opinion.

    I've always done my own routine maintenance; oil, filter, plugs, grease, blades, belts, etc. However, since my X300 is now 10 years old, I decided to let John Deere service it this time and take care of any issues it might have. There were no issues; transmission was fine, engine was fine, and the mower deck spindles were fine. They just put on a new set of mulching blades and performed routine maintenance.

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    jltrent has great information I worked for a john deere dealer until last week and yes the 300 series transmission gives lots of trouble if loaded heavy by use on steep hills
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  • remingtonoaksremingtonoaks Member Posts: 26,245 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    jltrent has great information I worked for a john deere dealer until last week and yes the 300 series transmission gives lots of trouble if loaded heavy by use on steep hills


    And pulling things like blades
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  • truthfultruthful Member Posts: 2,143 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Be aware that most of the low-end John Deeres are not made by Deere. They license the name to others.
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  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,394 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Last year I sold 1977 John Deere 300 that I bought new and got almost all my money back.I still have a 212 gear drive that I use to pull heavy things and cut rough areas.About all I know about the newer JDs is there needs to be an X in the model number and be Kawasaki powered or its a box store mower.
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  • acdoddacdodd Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought a John Deere zero turn mower last year.
    It cut my mowing time from am hour to around 20 minutes.
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  • BikerBobBikerBob Member Posts: 2,745 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a 1025r with a 60" deck, a front mount snow lower and a rotary broom.

    Love it!

    It replaced some POS orange stuff I had and that replaced a gas JD 328? that lasted for
    20 years!
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  • rongrong Member Posts: 8,459
    edited November -1
    I've bought a JD L100 in 2004 for the next 7 yrs
    I used it to cut my lawn and snow blow the driveway
    Sadly I'm too lazy to maintain it as I should but it still runs
    every spring ,in the fall I attach a motorized leaf vacuum
    I'd buy an L100 in a heartbeat when this one gives up the ghost
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  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have two of the John Deere garden tractors.One was sold under the Simpson name from a box store, and the other is the green one sold by Home Depot. The Orange one is older than 15 years and used and maintained by renters.

    The Green one is about 15 years old and the only thing done to both was to drill and tap the blade spindles for a zert. Oil change and grease the blade spindles is the only maintenance done to either. Blades only last a year and resharpened about once a month.

    I have no complaints about John Deere garden tractors. I also have a John Deere dump trailer (plastic green one) that I added a linear activator to enhance the ease of use. I have moved a lot of dirt with it. I can dump the dirt from my seat with the push of a button.
    For weed control I have a 24 gallon tank trailer. 12 volt pump on the trailer I can control from the my seat to wand spray or spray a 48" wide swath.
    Again I got no complaints about the John Deere garden tractors.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
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  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by remingtonoaks
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    jltrent has great information I worked for a john deere dealer until last week and yes the 300 series transmission gives lots of trouble if loaded heavy by use on steep hills


    And pulling things like blades




    That's why I was thankful for the info jltrent gave.[:D]

    I don't have any hills but my 2 acre yard, I'll not call it a lawn, isn't what one would call flat. The south half around the house isn't too bad, but the north acre has a large shallow depression where another house use to be. Being the tightwad that I am I'd rather do some now and some later rather than shell out the bucks to have it done.
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  • pulsarncpulsarnc Member Posts: 6,559 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you are going to buy a john deere buy only from a john deere tractor dealer .The john deeres sold at the big box stores ,lowes home depo etc are not the same machine as the one from dealers .Cheaper engine , bushings in the front wheels instead of bearing etc .You get the idea Most of the pro yard services around here run Toro zero turn mowers
    cry Havoc and let slip  the dogs of war..... 
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  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,298 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by buddyb
    Last year I sold 1977 John Deere 300 that I bought new and got almost all my money back.I still have a 212 gear drive that I use to pull heavy things and cut rough areas.About all I know about the newer JDs is there needs to be an X in the model number and be Kawasaki powered or its a box store mower.
    Those were well built machines!
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  • JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,309 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For tuff lengthy periods of work and if your money allows it buy a John Deere lawn tractor/mower that has lug nuts on the rear axle, not snap rings, a quick glance will let you know [;)]. If no lug nuts, you might as well buy a Snapper which would be a better built, time tested machine than a fake John Deere.

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

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