100 Series, are they worth it?

[crook038]

I purchased an LA165 last year and must say that I am rather disappointed. I mow just under 2 acre's and can not mow without the bagger getting clogged. I have mowed at different speeds, I purchased the high lift blades in hopes that this would alleviate the problem, no luck. I have mowed at different times of the day, making sure grass is as dry as it will ever be, still no luck. Also, at the end of last season I was plug aerating my lawn with a tow behind plug aerator, the transmission over heated and puked oil on my lawn! I took it to a dealer (the John Deere dealer I bought it from is no longer a Deere dealer) and all they did was put a vent cap on top of the transmission. The transmission is a sealed non-serviceable unit so he could not even replace the lost fluid, something tells me I will have problems later in the season. I purchased a John Deere because I wanted quality, I won't make that mistake again! The mower may do well on a smaller average thickness lawn, but can't perform on a well maintained, thick lawn.

 

[10boomer]

I have to say that I'm pretty darn impressed with your yard....well maintained!

 

[mjncad]

You must live in a wet part of the country crook038 as having that much manicured lawn in Colorado would quickly bankrupt you due to the high water bills.

Looks good and welcome to TBN.

Sorry to hear the mower isn't working out as well as you had hoped.

 

[verybadace]

I have a 2006 John Deere 102. It is a 5 speed gear transmission. I have built a sleeve hitch for it. I use it. Don't abuse it and it has done well for me. I have a sleeve hitch mounted dethatcher, sleeve hitch mounted aerator- homemade and heavy, sleeve hitch/pull type mounted disc, dump cart, box blade, bagger. I have had no real problems with it. Don't have a big yard but does what I want. Do sometimes have a problem plugging up the bagger but not a real problem. A couple of weeks ago helped a friend dethatch and aerate. Got 55 bags and only plugged up once. For the 1000 dollars I got what I paid for and more I think. I do have a 1986 John Deere 420 and yes it is a heavy unit compared to the 102. The 420 has a 60" deck and the 102 has a 42" deck. The 420 is 23 years old and doing well. I got it used and abused and rebuilding it. You can see a definite difference in the way the two were built. But I am happy with the two tractors.

 

[Keef]

Very nice lawn indeed.

My dealer told me some good advise regarding thickness of grass. He said in the spring and fall (and summer if your area does not get too hot), you need to cut your grass about every 5 days. If you wait a week, it can get too long and cause the heavy grass to clog your bagger. Also if you mulch like I do, by waiting a full week, you will see more grass clippings on the ground than you might want to see. I believe regardless of what mower you have (unless it is a heavy duty one), you will have problems with grass getting clogged if the grass is too long. Not sure what to say about the transmission, but the cap should help to some degree.

 

[thatguy]

I have to say that I'm pretty darn impressed with your yard....well maintained!

I agree.. it looks more like astroturf than grass though.. LOL

brian

 

[greenmule]

Man,yard and house like that,you got,I mean got,to have at least a 6 grand lawn mower cutting that grass[and that would be maybe not enough,as far as money],it just wouldn't be right otherwise.

Now my yard,and house,don't look that good,so, I can get buy with a 3 grand one!

 

[LBrown59]

Just looked at Consumer Report which reviewed the tractors. John Deere was in 1st place with the 300 series. Then the 100 Series was not far behind in 3rd place with great praise.

I don't put much faith in consumers distorts.

 

[TomWhite]

I have to say that I'm pretty darn impressed with your yard....well maintained!

Yeah, I don't know about his bagger, but the mower is sure doing a nice job.

 

[crook038]

Thank you for all the comments on the lawn. I have put a lot of effort into seeding/maintaining the lawn/landscape so that my family and friends can enjoy our time outside. I put in a dug well for my irrigation system which has worked out quite well. Good watering habits and the proper amount of fertilizer go a long way in maintaining a healthy lawn. The lawn is cut every 4-6 days depending on the weather. I was finally able to get the LA165 to cut and bag the way I thought it should. I double stacked blades in an X on each spindle. I had done a lot of research and found that Dixie Choppers actually makes an offset blade so that you can double stack on their mowers. Unfortunately the LA165 has the Star mounting hole on the blade and their are limited aftermarket blades available. I used a set of high lift blades on bottom with 3-1 blades on top. I did have to grind the center flat so the blades would sit one on top of the other. I also tack welded the blades to hold the correct orientation. The blades are held to spindle without the large washer, the second blade takes its place. The velocity this creates is exactly what I was looking for. This does lower the bottom blade closer to the bottom of the deck so you have to readjust the cutting deck height appropriately. I must say It is nearly imposable to clog the chute/deck with this setup. I have noticed no more drag when engaging the blades or while mowing. The grass clippings are smaller as well. I haven't tried to mulch with this setup yet, I will try that and post the results.

I have decided this year to truck all my clippings to the local transfer station for their compost pile. The pile I have from last year is still decomposing.