We had a JD LA130 that was bought at the local JD dealer and ran it for about 4 or 5 years and it never missed a beat, not a spit or a sputter. I wish I had kept it just for the bagger. Sold it for $1600 with about 150 hours on it. I wish I could say the same for our JD X720. It's been a thorn in my side since we got it. My wife mowed her sisters yard with and it just died with like 50 hours on it. I called Deere and told them to just come out pick it up. They claim it had water in the gas. Strange that the gas came from the same station we have been buying from for years and no problem, not covered under warranty. It's never ran smoothly from idle up to about 3/4 throttle. It smooths out above that. I've changed plugs, air filters, fuel filters and a new battery just to make sure the fuel pump was getting the correct amount of power. I've ran Seafoam, Lucas Fuel Treatment, Stabil, etc. through it. We've been running nothing but non-ethanol gas in it for about 3 years and it's helped some. The old LA130 always ran smooth as sewing machine and a bagger would cost me about $1600. for the X720. I tried to get my wife to buy the diesel when she picked the X720 out but she wanted a gas engine, go figure for a farm girl, I can't figure her out not when they have a 500 gallon diesel tank.
So unless they have drastically changed these lower end models I don't understand what all the throwing off on them is about. I think they'd be fine for some people unless they have changed them.
