John Deere L120 3.30 star(s) (18)

Piece Of Junk
Model Year: 2005

I replaced everything possible but the motor and transmission, and I do mean everything. The motor cranks 200 or more times before starting It won't mow grass for nothing. The brand new and razor sharp blades keep breaking deck wheels. It dies constantly when mowing and does not like any kind of slope when mowing. Every part costs an arm and a leg, and to top it off - the brand new front axle just broke in half at the bottom of my ditch that it hates mowing. This is the worst mower ever made. John Deere should be ashamed i will never buy a John Deere again. I can't wait to shove it off the trailer at the dump. I am too ashamed to take it to the scrape yard ! I wouldn't waste a dime on one if your considering buying a riding mower.

Pros: None
Cons: Everything

Workhorse
Model Year: 2003

I purchased it new in 2003. Besides using it to cut anything you put in front of it, I use it to pull a 5-foot spike tooth pasture harrow and a wagon for picking rocks. The only thing replaced, besides spark plugs,blades and filters, is the fuel pump.

Pros: Everything
Cons: Nothing

Transmission
Model Year: 2009

Transmission started slipping at 45 hours, changed the fluid to 50w aviation oil. Works okay now.

Pros: Easy to operate, cuts good.
Cons: Expensive. Batteries only last one year. Weak transmission.

Got What I Payed For
Model Year: 2002

The tractor seems to be well made for the most part although the Tuff Torq K46 axle is a real deal breaker. Its cost prohibitive to upgrade to a K66 transaxle so the only option is to rebuild the current one. Check YouTube for info. This forum has lots of info on this axle which is why I joined.

Pros: Price.
Cons: Lousy transaxle.

Never Buy One!
Model Year: 2014

This thing is honestly the worst lawnmower in existence. Ever since we bought it twelve years ago, it has been nothing but trouble. The engine has been replaced twice, the mower belt has fallen off dozens of times, the blades break anytime you go over a hill, and other stuff is just constantly breaking. You get about 1 hour of mowing for every hour-and-a-half of maintenance. Finally, the thing doesn't just suck because it's old; it has always been terrible--ever since we bought it.

Pros: Looks good, comfortable, nice features.
Cons: Doesn't function at all.

Buy Only One
Model Year: 0

After many decades of purchasing the cheapest tractor I could find, I was in a position to purchase a John Deere tractor for my residential needs. Mind you, that I am in excess of 6'4' tall @ 232 lbs. It fit and had the automatic transmission. You must understand, the primary operator will be my wife, whose idea of a clutch is something you mash when you hit something. I also purchased a front bumper with the package as well as a cart and cutting collector. I am pleased to say she has not been able to harm the riding mower in almost 10 years. Yes, I perform all maintenance and the worst to date is the battery died and I destroyed the start solenoid by high amp jumping. Other than the fuel line that is due to be replaced and the fuel cut-off valve I installed, it is a bullet proof machine and I would recommend to any soul contemplating a purchase of a residential riding lawn mower. I've noticed that the L120A is no longer available but, I feel the D120 would be very similar.

Pros: It works. Two hurricanes and two floods and she's still ticking.
Cons: Need to purchase a shade cover. My bald head gets sunburned easily.

Green Weakling
Model Year: 0

Always wanted a John Deere mower. Well I bought this one and I am terribly disappointed. The twin cylinder engine runs great and has plenty of power for the mower. However the transmission gave out at about 120 hours. Now I have a mower that I can use for about 30 to 45 minutes before it begins to groan and loses the ability to back up or climb the slightest grade.

Pros: Quality engine and hardware.
Cons: Crappy transmission and customer support.

John Deere L120
Model Year: 2007

The season is coming to the end, after fixing the gas cap problems no more stalls engine cutting off! Time to due one more grass cutting and to due winter clean up on the John Deere, stabilizing gas, battery charging setup, cleaning the under deck, blade sharpening, lubrication.

Pros: Fast cutting.
Cons: Gas cap.

Reliable Workhorse
Model Year: 2005

Still working and cutting my lawn faithfully for the past 8 years. The transmission started to get slower going uphills around 140-150 hours, so I removed the transmission, turned upside down to drain it, and replaced the 10w/30 conventional oil with synthetic Mobil 10w/40. I will do this again when it hits 500 hours. No problems, except for normal maintenance: blade sharpening every spring, oil changes every 50 hours, and I did have to replace the deck belt around 400 hours when it started to squeal badly.

Pros: Very reliable.
Cons: Not designed for steep hills.

Worth Every Dime I Paid
Model Year: 2006

I have owned this tractor for 7 years and have had no issues that was the cause of the manufacturer. I have a fuel issue that was due to debris and one fuel pump replacement due to ethanol in the fuel.

Pros: Starts every time.
Cons: Some "safety" features are aggrevating!

JD L120 -- Can't Pull Hills After 15 Minutes of Operation
Model Year: 2005

I bought a John Deere tractor back in 2005 and I was very excited. I decided to purchase a John Deere because I thought I was buying quality and a tractor that would last a long time. About 2 years ago I noticed that after running the tractor for 30 minutes it was slow going up hills (for the first 30 minutes it performed well). It was better in cool weather then in hot weather. I just thought that I needed to change the drive belt and I put it off for a year or so. During that time the performance of the L120 tractor from John 'Deere continued to get worse. I finally decided to change all the belts on the tractor. Well that did not help anything at all concerning the ability to pull up hills (15 - 20 degree slope). I called the dealer (John Deere) and was told that my problem was my transmission. He indicated that the hydro-static transmission on the model (L120 and others like L130 , L110) wear out and need to be replaced. I explained that I only had 170 hours on the tractor and he indicated that is not much time but he insisted that the transmission was needing to be replaced. I ask him if the new one would last longer then 170 hours and he said NO it would not. The price for the transmission was $700 and another $85 -$100 for the labor to replace it. I was shocked! I said you mean that your transmissions only last 170 hours? He said yes like I should be happy with that. I ask can I pay more and get a transmission that will last. He said no, as if I was silly to even ask that question. He said that tractor is not for going up hills. I was again shocked. What do you mean it is not meant to go up hills of even 15 to 20 degrees? Then what good is it? My answer to that is it is a poorly designed tractor and it has a transmission (transaxle) that is not suited for a quality piece of equipment. I wish I had purchased a less expensive Cub Cadet or some other tractor---I thought John Deere meant quality---"Nothing runs like a Deere" . I am highly disappointed and suggest that unless you have a flat area to mow then do not even consider the John Deere L120. By the way I think I paid about $2,400 including the bagging attachment. A very disappointed John Deere customer! Well I do not plan on ever buying a John Deere tractor again.

Pros: Pretty.
Cons: Cannot be use to mow grass if you have any slopes or hills.

John Deere L120 Crappy Transaxle K44
Model Year: 2005

Hello, I am very disappointed with John Deere's crappy K44 non-serviceable transaxle on the L120. This is the same transaxle used on many of their "home use" products. As a result of the cheap tranaxle, the tractor began exhibiting traction issues while going up a moderate incline. Changing the oil in the transaxle helps, however, it's simply not the same as a working unit. The fix is to upgrade the K44 to a K66 at a cost of around $2,000.

Pros: 48" cutting deck.
Cons: Cheap transaxle (transmission).

First and Last John Deere
Model Year: 2004

I bought it at Home Depot in Foley AL. I spent a higher price because the product is supposed to be tough. The deck on this tractor stinks. It is designed to bring John Deere years of parts sales for sure. The front suspension is horrible. I am done with the Deere! I know people that had the older ones and they were great but the newer ones are cheap.

Pros: The engine is tough.
Cons: Everything built around the engine is cheap.

John Deere L120 Lawn tractor
Model Year: 2004

I purchased JD because I wanted the best. Well I am afraid that it was the best for about 1 year after which it started failing. At about 130hrs the transmission started getting weaker. By 175hrs it barely made it up any kind of slope whatsoever. At about 240hrs I change the oil (after reading about it on this site I believe) and put synthetic oil in. It never returned to new performance but has been able to mow the flat areas on our property. Yesterday at about 450hrs, one of the drag links let go but I was able to get it back together and get it to hold long enough to finish the lawn.

Pros: Engine.
Cons: Transmission.

JD Goes to the Dogs...
Model Year: 2004

At 142 hours, my L120 began to slow down when going up my drainage ditch (not very steep at all) and barely crawled when going in reverse. I went online to see if I could glean some info about this problem and was amazed at the hoard of JD owners having the same issue. I contacted Tuff Torq directly, they advised that I upgrade to the K66 trans. if I wanted a reliable machine. I replied with "I thought that that's what I already had when I purchased a John Deere". I then called my JD dealer; they advised that I either rebuild the K46 trans or upgrade to a K66 at a $1,700 price tag. Only paid $2,400 for the L120 when purchased new. When I asked, "what dim wit engineer would even think about putting a 'non-serviceable' trans. in a piece of equipment meant for rugged use," they told me that JD calls the K46 trans a "throw-away" tranny. I thought that to be totally absurd. After getting nowhere with the dealer, I decided to create a website for JD owners with similar problems. Never buy another JD. Period.

Pros: Nice machine except for "non-serviceable" K46 trans.
Cons: "Non-serviceable" K46 trans.

Poor Thing Died When Dealer Said it Would
Model Year: 2003

I purchased my L-120 in the spring of 03. We had our first baby, were trying to sell the house and there was no way I could keep up with the lawn and do primary parent care as my wife's job keep her immensely busy. At first, I could not be happier. The 48" cut was the widest I ever had and out lawn looked beautiful. About 18 mo. later we moved and the L-120 again was purpose built for the occasion. We added a snow blade garden card with a little accessories attachment (supposed to be mounted on end of trailer, I used friction tape (rubber stuff you use in cabinets and side-mounted it) no movement whatsoever. In general, we pushed it to its poor little heart's limits. First use with the blade was on 20 inches of snow on our new driveway--rock and 450' long. Took forever as I was adjusting to the new blade but once I learned how to use it, it did its job. Secret to newbies: with this much snow, I can't go straight forever, once a pile builds, and it will even with angle, move to side and around. Better yet, as pile develops, push off to side and start fresh. First third of driveway was slightly inclined (going out). This was by far the hardest but once I mastered this technique the rest was straightforward. Total time blading--3hrs! As far as mowing, great mower. Deep deck did not bog down easily. Garden cart and weight bracket meant even my wife (tractor phobic) used the tractor trailer combination for cleanup jobs around the house. I mowed, cleared snow, "bush hogged" our 5-6 acres of tall grass. took everything in stride. May of 2010 the mow at same speed as before. Could not climb hills as before. Eventually, tranny died. I could not replace affordably. I tried replacing hydro belt& seemed to work for few weeks, then slowed to crawl again. Last act was pathetic: I mowed sideways to hill w/foot hanging out and pushing. Eventually, no movement, dead tranny. Heartbroken as this was one handy little tractor. Replaced with RFM 60 from LandPride which is amazing attachment. I stepped up in mowing by being able to use JD2305 to mow w/RFM, but miss utility of 2 machines. Sold summer 2011 to someone looking for a project and a deal. Did not get much for it but then it did not move! I figured anything I got was worth it ($150 bucks). RFM 1k cheaper than new equivalent riding mower. Would have bought again given finances at time of purchase. 2305 way out of budget.

Pros: Great cut and functionality.
Cons: Tranny weak and no way to fix, maintain.

John Deere L120
Model Year: 2004

3 months after purchase, one blade stack wore out. Was replaced by dealer. After 6 months, the other two failed. Replaced by dealer. After 2 years, all 3 replaced again. Owner's expense. Fan clutch went out at 3 years. Replaced by owner. From the first day, mower would not go faster than a slow walk. Taken to dealer, was told that this was normal. Replaced drive idler pulleys twice. Drive belt replace 3 times in 5 years. I cut about 2 1/2 acres of grass. The motor on this mower is great. Not a bit of trouble . I am now in the process of rebuilding the transmission. The dreaded K46. Transmission has been slow to climb any hill, or work under any load. I will not buy another John Deere. This mower cost $2500 new. I would not recommend this mower.

Pros: Pretty green color?
Cons: Slow cutting speed (no adjustment), poorly manufactured attachments, and primary equipment. Minimally powered transmission.

L120
Model Year: 2003

I bought this mower to replace aging MTD Garden Tractor. The cut on this mower was great but I had to replace deck belt at least once a year and blade 3 times every 2 years. I did not put excessive hours on it. I had it 8 years and only had 450 hours on it. On the 8th year it started getting slower and slower. Junk hydrostatic transmission went out. Too much plastic on this mower and maintenance free transmission is a throw away. Deck clogged severely. I had to clean deck out about every 2nd or 3rd mowing. I don't and have not recommended this to any friends. As a matter of fact, I shun friends away from Deere. Cheap Outfit.

Pros: It is a green and yellow lawn mower.
Cons: Junk.