John Deere JX75 Push Mower Performance Analysis

   / John Deere JX75 Push Mower Performance Analysis #1  

rancar

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Messages
1,726
Location
Cambridge, New York
Tractor
JD425 lawn tractor; JD4710 CUT; JD JX75 Walk Behind
This past weekend I had the chance to try out my new John Deere JX75 walk behind mower (previously referenced in the following web link). The following provides a brief assessment of its performance after this initial break in period.

My John Deere JX75 Purchase

First, some facts on the JX75. It has an overhead valve, 6 HP, 4-cycle Kawasaki engine with full pressure lubrication. It has a self-propelled, 5 speed, gear driven transaxle. It also has a blade/brake/clutch (BBC) safety system (keeps engine running after operator control is released). It has a recoil starter and not the zone control start on lower end push mowers. There are seven cutting heights: .5 to 3.5 inches. The JX75 has bag, side discharge, and mulching capabilities. The deck is high quality, cast aluminum. Oil changes from the top of the deck from a discharge tube that transfers the dirty oil into a canister that's placed next to the mower deck. No more is there the need to turn the deck on its side or upside down to loosen the oil discharge plug. Overall, the build and engineering quality of this mower and its components appear to be outstanding.

Now, for the operational assessment. I ran the mower for approximately 90 minutes. From cold start, it took only 2 easy pulls to start the engine. The choke operated flawlessly without engine stall tendencies prior to the time I throttled down several seconds after start.

I thought I would run this mower first for the ultimate test....how well it bags grass clippings when cutting around my wife's flower beds. My wife has a penchant for clean flower beds with no thrown grass clippings scattered in the beds after mowing. With bag attached, I cut carefully around the flower beds. The vacuum action was great and I was surprised to see there was not one grass clipping in the beds. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif My wife was very happy and the JX75 passed this test with flying colors. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Next, I ran the JX75 around other smaller scrubbery and along paths that I can't cut with my John Deere 425. The JX 75 was outstanding in its ability to cut through various heights of growth. It has tremendous power and it cut through 6-7 inch grass growth with no problems or stalling encountered. Because, I was not familiar with what I needed in terms of cutting height until I gave the JX75 a work out, I hit a couple heavy twigs during the mow. The JX75 chopped right through them without any noticeable engine stall.

Now, for a few overall assessments of the mower itself. This mower discharges grass clippings on the left hand side of the machine, not on the right (which I'm most familiar with). As such, it took a bit getting used to and I had to adjust my walking patterns to account for this characteristic, especially when I was using the side discharge chute and not the bag. In addition, the numerous cutting heights provide the operator with the flexibility to cut an assortment of lawns, from putting greens to overgrown swamp grasses.

The JX75 is a heavy mower (about 100 lbs.). While it is self-propelled, it is difficult to use the self propelled action when doing close up work around flower beds that require careful movement around flowers edging the beds. In wide open spaces, the self-propelled transaxle operated well. At top speed, the JX75 will be taking the operator for a slight jog. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

All in all, I am very pleased with this mower. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=poor; 10=outstanding), I would give the JX75 a rating of 9. The only negatives that preclude the scoring of a perfect 10 are a) cost and b) its weight.

I paid $713 for the JX75 (includes the optional side discharge chute for $18). The weight could also be problematic for close up cutting in sensitive areas and if there is a need to lift the mower (eg, in and out of a car's trunk). However, these are perceived shortcomings that could be overcome. I justified the expense because I wanted a push mower that was going to last a significant period of time (ie, many, many years) without replacement. I was willing to pay extra if this mower will give me a good 15-20 years of performance without major problems. The weight.....well, I look at this as a way to skip a workout at the gym. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Pushing this mower on warm summer days is definitely a workout that will give anyone a sweat. But, as I said, one can save money by skipping the trip and expenses of joining a gym. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The money saved can be looked upon as income generated to off-set the expense of this mower. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Overall, I love this JX75 mower. It's easy to start on the first try. It provides a well groomed cut. Every component of the JX75 appears to have a superlative build quality. It's a powerful mower and I expect this mower may be the last mower I buy in a very long time.

I have no regrets buying this mower. The JX75 promises to provide countless hours of trouble free mowing. If anyone is looking to purchase a top of the line mower, this JX75 is a very good candidate. If offered a good deal, don't hesitate to buy it.

...Bob
 
   / John Deere JX75 Push Mower Performance Analysis #2  
Glad you like your new mower /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have used the 14SB model for the past 8 years and it still runs great! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
   / John Deere JX75 Push Mower Performance Analysis #3  
Bob, Glad the JX is working out for you. The Toro super recycler is proving to be pretty good for me. I like the personal pace, it is real easy to edge around landscaping. It does a great job mulching, and I have little to complain about the bagging, except for the fact that some grass seeps out around the chute (not onto the ground, onto the mower deck.
I could not find a JX at any of the local JD dealers. I would have thought very hard about buying one if I could have found one near the price you paid.
Will
 
 
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