D130 problems

[davesl708]

I have a 2011 D130 I bought new. No problems except the idler sheave on the mower deck failed at 101 hrs. Just after warranty.
Has anyone else had problems with their D130's?
I have 147hrs on it as of this date. Worried about what else is coming.

 

[s219]

I have a 2011 D130 I bought new. No problems except the idler sheave on the mower deck failed at 101 hrs. Just after warranty.
Has anyone else had problems with their D130's?
I have 147hrs on it as of this date. Worried about what else is coming.

I hear about lots of problems with the Deere D and LA models, both on the forums here and around town. They are built to meet a price point, and not the best materials or quality. You have to step up to a X series (or older LT series) to get one of the better made Deeres.

I think they only came out with the D/LA series in order to have something to sell at Lowes and Home Depot. Unfortunately, a lot of people get lured in by the Deere name and expect it to be better than the other options at those stores. Great marketing idea by Deere, not so good for the customer!

 

[davesl708]

If that is the case then Deere will be off my list for all future purchases. If this D130 gets to be a cost center then I will just sell it and use the Kubota to mow the lawn.

Thanks s219 for the info.

 

[beenthere]

Can pretty much go by the price... we pays for what we get. No way around it.

 

[davesl708]

It is perplexing. I see 10 yr. old Cubs and Toro's in the neighborhood that have no problems and were much cheaper than the JD's at that time.
My old JD 214 was still running just using a little oil when I got ride of it.

 

[beenthere]

And you said in the OP that you have no problems... that is good.

 

[davesl708]

And you said in the OP that you have no problems... that is good.

So far. If it starts having trans problems or engine problems it will be history.

 

[jhonb]

I have a 8 year old 200 hour plus LA 120. Other than the valves not adjusted properly in the factory, it has been trouble free since I got it. It even still has the original belts on it. Once a year I change the oil, grease all the stuff your supposed to grease, change the plugs and filter and never put it away wet or caked.
I have read on these forums others that have the same tractor as me and have had issues from day one. I don't know what makes two tractors so different from one another. I can only tell you about mine.
If I had found these forums before I got my tractor, I never would have purchased it because of all the horrible thing people say about the Box Store tractors and that would have been a big mistake.
The part you need seems cheap enough, I would just replace it and hope that that part was just a defective one.

Good Luck

 

[MORRISONSTEEL]

arn't 100 series 2 year 120 hour warranty? Would sound like well past warranty not just past warranty.

 

[JD mower man]

If your washing your mower deck after use it will greatly shorten the life of the bearings. Or if it's left out in the rain. But I agree you get what you pay for. There is night and day differance between the D and X series.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have an L130 purchased from Home Depot in 2005 with 280 hours on it. This replaced a Craftsman 19,5 hp mower that went through the spindles like crazy. I mean I had to put about 5 or 6 spindles in the Craftsman and got tired of it. The Deere has never had any spindle problems but the tranny is now very slow and needs to be rebuilt. I have to admit that when I bought the L130 I just did not know enough about these lawn mowers to make a good choice. In Nov of 2010 I purchased a new x749 that solved the mowing and lawn maintenance problems for me. For good longevity of these mowers I would recommend an x500 series and up, good decks with good transmissions and good engines.

 

[davesl708]

If your washing your mower deck after use it will greatly shorten the life of the bearings. Or if it's left out in the rain. But I agree you get what you pay for. There is night and day differance between the D and X series.

I use a blower to clean the mower and store it in a shed.

If John Deere is putting their name on a machine that is no excuse for poor quality. Poor quality follows the brand name. Look a Sears. They use to make good quality power tools then went cheap to match the competition. They are on the brink of closing down.

 

[davesl708]

I have an L130 purchased from Home Depot in 2005 with 280 hours on it. This replaced a Craftsman 19,5 hp mower that went through the spindles like crazy. I mean I had to put about 5 or 6 spindles in the Craftsman and got tired of it. The Deere has never had any spindle problems but the tranny is now very slow and needs to be rebuilt. I have to admit that when I bought the L130 I just did not know enough about these lawn mowers to make a good choice. In Nov of 2010 I purchased a new x749 that solved the mowing and lawn maintenance problems for me. For good longevity of these mowers I would recommend an x500 series and up, good decks with good transmissions and good engines.

I understand the Craftsman. My friend bought the 25hp Craftsman for a small (1/2) lawn. Fortunately she bought the extended warranty. From year one she had them out to fix the thing so she could mow the lawn. Spindles, transmission, sheaves, starter, you name it. That was the reason I never considered Chraftsman.
I just feel if you are a company like John Deere and you put your name on a machine it should meet your brands quality standards. If not don't put your name on it. I had a 35yr old JD 214. It still had the original parts on it when I sold it. My neighbor has a JD 100 and 318 both are over 30yrs old. Still working fine.

 

[jenkinsph]

I understand the Craftsman. My friend bought the 25hp Craftsman for a small (1/2) lawn. Fortunately she bought the extended warranty. From year one she had them out to fix the thing so she could mow the lawn. Spindles, transmission, sheaves, starter, you name it. That was the reason I never considered Chraftsman.
I just feel if you are a company like John Deere and you put your name on a machine it should meet your brands quality standards. If not don't put your name on it. I had a 35yr old JD 214. It still had the original parts on it when I sold it. My neighbor has a JD 100 and 318 both are over 30yrs old. Still working fine.

Problem is not everyone can afford a nice mower with all the quality and long life components. I know when I was purchasing the L130 that I did not want to spend the money for a high end mower such as the x595. Later I was better prepared and wanted one with the 3ph for a pine needle rake and other attachments. At that point I did more research and had been participating on the forums here. So far the x749 has been a good choice for my uses, guess I just paid more attention and thought about the purchase more.