John Deere LA140 Tractor

[artfull dodger]

Precisely why I will not own a L, LA or D series lawn fawn. For far less money, I have a nice 214, cast iron Kohler, its quieter than this series, can handle "ground engaging" equipment like moldboard plows ect. Has a cast iron gear drive transmission with seperate variable speed controler and has proven itself over the 20+ years of use. There are not any lawn and garden tractors in the sub $3000 price range that I would "buy" for myself, I wouldnt turn it down if it was given to me though. The transmission issue is a known problem that JD Corperate is not dealing with to anybody's satisfaction. But I do not see lots of issues with the paint not sticking. The paint will peal and flake inside the mower deck, but that is normal on all new tractors, not just John Deere. I defiantly do NOT bleed green, having owned most of the better known older brands and working as a mechanic for 2 years at a dealership (not JD) I got to work on everything from a L110 to a 23xx series compact. Upgrading the transmission is the only way to avoid the eventual failure, neither option is cheap. Most of the die hard JD lawn and garden guys stick to the older 100, 200, 300 and 400 series garden tractors. Most also do not care for these new lawn tractors, to fragile, cheap quality but not cheaply replaced plastic hood, piss poor headlights, worse than the bar lights in the older GT's, non-servicable transmission on the bottom end models. Even a lawn tractor should be able to handle a small lawn roller, leaf sweaper and a lawn cart, up and down a modest hill without putting the transmission in jeopardy. I personaly see a class action lawsuit over that transmission. If you have exhausted your options with your local dealer, I well thought out letter, make it a letter as it leaves a paper trail, to JD Corperate offices consumer affairs might help, or if your local TV station has a call for help line, use it. I have seen that done on our local ABC station and they take up the cause to get customer satisfaction from the company, and if the company chooses to stonewall them, then its on statewise TV for all to see. Atleast your trying to make the best of what you have by repainting it. But you shouldnt have to do that after spending that kind of money. But unfortunatly this is the society we live in, everything has become "throw away" Good Luck Mike

 

[MHanscom]

Markuda, you're right. I went the cheaper route and bought a John Deere. If I had bought the Snapper I would have been better off. In the long run it is "cheaper" and it holds up better. When I saw that green hood and that John Deere emblem I should have known it was garbage. I mean a man must be crazy to think a tractor company could deliver a riding mower that not only mows grass but the transaxle and paint will last. What was I thinking? Anyone knows you should spend at least $5,299 to have a decent mower for less than an acre? I should have spent gobs of money on a bigger one and lots of attachments so I could list them in my profile and impress everyone. I guess the accountant in me got the best of me. I make no excuses for my purchase. Because my family has used John Deere in our logging operations in Southern Oregon and farming operations in Northern Missouri I felt they were a brand I could trust. Just like our Stihl chainsaws we use to fall timber. Was I wrong to think a company that has made great log skidders, bulldozers, backhoes, escavators, tree harvesters, grapple loaders, and farm tractors could make a good entry level lawn mower? In my case yes. I didn't get burned because I took the cheap route. I got burned because I chose to pay more for a John Deere. What does it say about a company and their quality when people say to buy older models that haven't been in production for some time? I want a riding lawn mower not a tractor for hedge hogging, snow plowing, or plowing the garden. I was after a John Deere to mow grass and nothing more. I'm not against John Deere. I want John Deere to either make a good product worthy of their name or get out. If they can't make a decent entry level riding lawn mower then focus on what they are good at. When I buy a Stihl chainsaw whether it has a large bar for falling old growth timber or a small bar for trimming branches I expect it to do the job it was designed for. The LA140 doesn't do the job it was designed for. When people buy John Deere they pay more for quality. In this case there is no quality. Because I haven't got your kind of money to burn to impress people I will never see who after they log off won't give me a seconds thought I will finish repairing my "John Deere" in name only riding lawn mower and make a mental note not to buy another one.

 

[Markcuda]

I guess the accountant in me got the best of me. I make no excuses for my purchase

You sure are doing a bunch of crying over it.
As being an accountant, you should of did more research.

after they log off won't give me a seconds thought

Spoken by some one that knows I bet.

 

[jhonb]

I bought a John Deere LA series. 5 1/2 years later and it still runs and looks like a champ. I keep looking in my garage to one day see a pile of rust, but so far, so good. Sorry all of you people had bad luck. Glad I did not.

 

[MHanscom]

jhonb:

Just curious have you ever washed yours with water? We have a lot of dust in our area so you either spray it off with water or blow it off with an air hose. I blow mine off now with air but I have washed mine around five times before doing some maintenance. My neighbor told me to quit washing it because he was having them come in with paint and bearing issues. Also, if I may ask, is your yard flat or do you have some slope? Mine is totally flat in the back but it has about a 7-10 degree slope in the front yard. I just wonder if washing them causes the paint to separate at all the openings. It is not uncommon for the humidity to be in the 90's here in Alabama. I haven't had transaxle problems yet but my neighbor who works on these says eventually that will be a problem. I'm glad you are getting good results. And I hope you don't encounter any paint or transaxle problems.

 

[jhonb]

MHanscom

I have to wash my off after every mow to get the dog crap off the tires. I also wash all the grass off the top and underneath the deck. Tires, seat, and hood. I then let it sit in the sun if available for about 1/2 hour to dry. I don't do towels. Then I run the blades for a minute or so in the driveway to blow off any water underneath. I have a 75 foot section of my yard that has a 30-40 degree incline up to the shoulder of the road in the back.. I worry more about flipping the **** thing than the transaxle going bad. I go straight up and down which is a pain, but safer.
I got mine from a small JD dealer and not Home Depot, but it is the same tractor. I only did that because they matched the price and were right around the corner from my home. Mine needed a valve adjustment after I got it home, Something I would not expect when getting it from a dealer, but I did. But the guy did a free oil and filter change to make up for it. With the exception of oil, grease, filters and pugus, I have not put a dime into this thing. I purchased two belts and they have been on a nail in my garage for three years as the original ones are still going strong.
I don't get why some of these things fall apart while others keep on running, just happy I got the one that keeps running. I retire to Florida in 3 1/2 years, It should make it until then. Might even take it with me.
Saw an ad on one of these sites to upgrade my transaxle. They wanted more than I paid for the tractor brand new.

 

[jinman]

MHanscom, I agree with you. The problems with my LA145 have been well documented in this forum, including peeling paint just like yours. I think all the folks who are giving you a hard time need to get a reality check. If you pay $2000 or more for a mower, you expect to get $2000 worth of value out of it. If John Deere can't build a mower that competes with other mowers in this price range, then they should get out of the market. Of course, they are not about to do that because they sell mowers based on their name and they sell a bunch. It's their strategy to sell through box stores. They want a share of the low-cost market that sits out in front of HD and Lowes. They deserve every valid bad report that they get.

I just feel that we as users have to be careful to report only facts. For example, if you don't have any problems with your transmission, then there's no need to bad-mouth it based on what some mechanic told you. On a low cost mower, if the transmission hauls you around the yard and pulls light loads like a fertilizer/seed spreader, then it is perfect. Nobody in their right mind would pull a plow with an LA or D series mower. My transmission has worked perfectly and I won't say anything bad about it because of some perception of low quality.

So, for all my bad deck spindles, idler pulleys, cracking gas tank, peeling paint, faulty carb float valve, and electric clutch retainer failures, there are a few things I really like about my mower. Repair parts are inexpensive and available easily due to that John Deere name. It's almost like having an Edsel, but all the spare parts you need to keep it running.

Yes, I think JD needs to do better. I also actually like my mower now that I've replaced parts enough to get ones that are not faulty. Heck, if all the paint peels off, it doesn't affect performance one bit. Besides, I love that plastic hood. I just wish the operator platform was made of the same stuff. When/if I get 250 hours on this mower, I'll send it to the junk pile. In the meantime, in all its ugliness, it does a pretty good job of mowing my yard with the proper maintenance. :thumbsup: