John Deere sold at Lowes & HD

[Volfandt]

I owned an 04 L130 for a season. 23hp w/a 48" deck. It mowed very well, the mulching kit worked good, the bagger also worked good and was easy to mount/dismount. The HST barely whined and I never bogged down the 23hp Kohler when mowing.
Only mechanical negative I had with it was that the CV Kohler smoked on cold startup way to much for my likeing. I'm not a big fan of the Kohler CV Command where as I think the Kohler K series is the best air cooled engine ever made.
I also found out that none of the 3 JD dealers in my area wanted to provide warranty service work on it, one of which was the assigned dealer. I finally got a Kohler authorized shop to repair the defective reed valves and after the repair I decided to not deal with my local JD dealers. But thats another story
I then sold it for what I had in it (JD sells) and bought a Kubota BX23.

Since you have seat time on the "Box store" 100 series, can you compare it performance wise to a JD "GT" series garden tractor

Can't compare it to any other JD L&G tractor as I've never operated another.
I would venture to say that a 100 series would compare similar in operation to a 200 or 300 series that had the same HST (Tuff TorQ K46) and similar HP, but I'd also say that the 200 or 300 series will have a better engine (Kawasaki as compared to the B&S), thicker frame, stouter steering assembly and more ergonomics. Gotta justify the extra $$$'s.
That said, For an inexpensive economy mower the 100 series seem to be a good deal.

 

[VABlue]

That's just it - its an "inexpensive economy mower". Its built for surburbanites to cut their half acre and pull a cart with mulch. Maybe a small blade for plowing a 50' driveway. And it does that well, but if you want/need heavy duty usage on rough terrain don't buy one. Or, at least, be very careful with it.

 

[Builder]

That's just it - its an "inexpensive economy mower". Its built for surburbanites to cut their half acre and pull a cart with mulch. Maybe a small blade for plowing a 50' driveway. And it does that well, but if you want/need heavy duty usage on rough terrain don't buy one. Or, at least, be very careful with it.

Think they're made in China?

 

[VABlue]

I don't think they're Chinese, but I have read elsewhere on this board that they are also not made by Deere. I have no clue who builds them...

 

[Volfandt]

but if you want/need heavy duty usage on rough terrain don't buy one. Or, at least, be very careful with it.

They aren't designed to be garden tractors, hense their less expensive price. They are lawn tractors so heavy duty usage isn't in their design. They do well for what they are designed for which is mowing, towing up to 700 lbs, working a snowthrower and snow blade.
I mowed 4 acres with the L130 for an entire season and it did just fine.

Think they're made in China?

They are made in a JD plant located Greenville, TN.
The Tuff Torq HST (for all L&G tractors) is made in Morristown TN.
Don't know where the B&S is made but I suspect Japan.
FWIW there is a Kawasaki air cooled engine plant (again, for all L&G tractors)in the same industrial park as the Tuff Torq HST plant in Morristown TN.

The starter(s) and other electronic components are probably made in a Denzo plant in Maryville and/or Athens TN.

Most of tires for L&G tractors are also manufactured in TN.

Now not all of the Tuff Torq HST's or Kawasaki engines are made in TN but these are major manufacturing plants.
And yes, these same components are installed in the more expensive 200 & 300 series JD's ;D

 

[LBrown59]

I don't think you were 'taken' on the costs of your machines from the dealers...

The Box stores are the takers.

 

[unit40]

I had a 2002 Scotts L2548. I traded it in for a Deere X744. The John Deere L series were and still are a great bargain for people shopping in that price range. Deere has the best repair history, and knows how to build tractors. They will build one to compete with the others and will naturally make a superior product. My 25 HP v-twin Briggs in the Scotts was loud, thirsty but powerful, and would leave a burn spot in the grass if I left it running while parked. My 24 HP Yanmar diesel will drag that thing around the block. But I went from a $2700 tractor to a $13,000 tractor and everytime I fire it up I realize to myself....It doesn't get any better than this!!

 

[Builder]

I was just hoping it wasn't some cheap chinese crap.

 

[Fordlords]

I don't know of any Chinese made lawn or garden tractors in the USA. Some might have a few Chinese components such as bulbs or ?, but for the most part even the cheapest models of Craftsman, Deere, Cub, etc are made in the USA and have mostly USA made components. Even Kohler's economy Courage and Briggs Intek engines are made in the USA. Tuff Torq who makes JD's transaxles is owned by Yanmar, but they build them in the USA, much the same deal of the Kawasaki engines they use on some models.

There isn't much of a profit margin on the lower priced tractors, and manufacturers have to fill that gap with their higher end, higher priced, and usually higher quality machines. (The same holds true for automobiles.) Most American companies that exclusively produced bottom end discount store push mowers and tractors have gone bankrupt, as it is nearly impossible to hold that end alone without building the mahines in China. Murray for instance, even after being bought out by a Chinese holding company, still could not build exclusively low end machines at a profit in the USA. At their end in 2004 it was estimated the company lost $10 for every push mower they built. They owed over $30 million to Briggs and Stratton when they folded.

People ask then why do companies like Cub and Deere even make low end machines? The simple answer is that they hope every customer will want to move up to something bigger and better in the future, or look to their company for buying other types of lawn and garden equipment. They know not every potential new buyer will hop on a $2500+ machine, so they hope by having their equipment out in the low end segment they can attract people to their name. Incidentally, the low end segment is also the most competitive.

-Fordlords-

 

[VABlue]

Unit40

I'm curious... When I was searching for a new mower, I looked into the X5 and X7 series. One of the things I wanted to do is clear some woods for yard, so I wanted a big, heavy duty tractor. My dealer showed me the X5, but didn't have any X7's. He did say he would order me one if I wanted it, but didn't want to sell it. For the same money the 2305 was a prettier option (at least for me). So my question for you is what pushed you into the X744 at the same cost of the 2305?