D130 problems

[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.