How much per hour. . .

om21braz · Jul 25, 2011

JJT said:
300+ hours on my 5 year old ZD21. Other than normal PM, zero maintenance cost, I'm even still using the original blades and original battery.

+ 1 Almost identical results here - 500+ hrs., 6 yrs. old, org. battery, 1 extra set of blades and 1 deck caster.

hunterridgefarm · Jul 25, 2011

I have a JD LX277, aprox. 10 years old, cost around 4K. Once a year I change the , oil, plug, and fuel filter. Never had to do anything else to it except pump a tire up every now and then. I can't remember how many hours on it. But it has been an excellent mower.

David

sandman2234 · Jul 25, 2011

If we want to talk about lonegivity versus maintance costs, I can throw in another view. Steiner 525 purchased new in 1996 for $23,000.00, and purchased by me in '05 for $503.00. Maintance on it has been a couple of hoses and belts, filters and such. Getting close to needing a little more work as an axle seal is leaking and I tore the muffler off on a tree limb. Parts aren't cheap for it, but they do last. Hour meter last time I looked was aproaching 3800 hours, but might have passed that. I also replaced the battery and electric fuel pump last year (generic pump with inline filter) and the tires.
Normally homeowners won't pay this kind of money for new, but for large yard owners, rather than buying a mower every few years, might do well to consider a quality mower that costs more than my first house.
David from jax

pennwalk · Jul 25, 2011

I have read that you can save money by buying one of the less expensive models and trading it yearly but I have never seen the actual numbers on this system.

Chris

sandman2234 · Jul 25, 2011

pennwalk said:
I have read that you can save money by buying one of the less expensive models and trading it yearly but I have never seen the actual numbers on this system.

Chris

Trading it yearly to who? The guy selling them has to make a profit to stay in business and there are only so many fools (though there is one born every minute) willing to pay you too much for a used mower. Most people looking at used mowers are looking for a deal, not a cheap used one at close to new price. If it is anything like automobiles, you will be deep in the red before too many years have passed. This might not be true if you are paying someone to do all the maintaince and repairs to the unit and they are charging you for every step they take.
Just my two cents worth...
David from jax

jhonb · Jul 26, 2011

LA120 here. I am in my 5th season, a bit under 100 hours.
Oil, filters, grease, gas, spark plugs, two sets of different types of blades and two brand new and still unused belts is all I'm into it for. (Not including all the JD crap I buy)
It still runs like a deere

So other than normal maintenance and toys... zero dollars an hour.

McKay · Jul 27, 2011

2001 LX279.....525 hours. Other than maintence only one pully/bearing on the deck. Still on the factory battery. Only put the battery tender on it in the winter. Still on original belts and all.

jinman · Jul 28, 2011

jhonb said:
So other than normal maintenance and toys... zero dollars an hour.

I think that is excellent service on your LA120. I also think that you made a wise choice to get it because it has a 2-blade 42" deck instead of the 3-blade 48" deck. That smaller deck and the manual PTO are two things that will make your mower last longer. However, your initial price for that mower was probably around $1700, so your cost so far is not zero. It would be at least $17 per hour plus maintenance items. Every year you use it, the cost-per-hour will go down as you put more hours onto it. When you sell it and buy another mower, then that sales price comes off the equation and raises your ROI. If you were to get to 500 hours, you'd be in really rare territory with cost based on purchase price only being $3.20 per hour. We are all a long ways from that, but many of the sturdier JDs have 500 to 1000 hours with only routine maintenance.

Thanks for posting. It's great to see you are getting good value so far and I hope your LA120 makes that 500 hour mark.:thumbsup:

High Compression · Jul 28, 2011

I have 1300 hrs on my ZD21. Routine maint. some anti-scalp rollers, a deck belt and tires are all that I have had to do to mine.

jhonb · Jul 28, 2011

jinman said:
I think that is excellent service on your LA120. I also think that you made a wise choice to get it because it has a 2-blade 42" deck instead of the 3-blade 48" deck. That smaller deck and the manual PTO are two things that will make your mower last longer. However, your initial price for that mower was probably around $1700, so your cost so far is not zero. It would be at least $17 per hour plus maintenance items. Every year you use it, the cost-per-hour will go down as you put more hours onto it. When you sell it and buy another mower, then that sales price comes off the equation and raises your ROI. If you were to get to 500 hours, you'd be in really rare territory with cost based on purchase price only being $3.20 per hour. We are all a long ways from that, but many of the sturdier JDs have 500 to 1000 hours with only routine maintenance.

Thanks for posting. It's great to see you are getting good value so far and I hope your LA120 makes that 500 hour mark.:thumbsup:

All I will probably need is 1/2 of the 500 mark. I got the 42" because the 48" would not fit through my gates. I knew absolutely nothing about tractors when I got mine. I was originally going to buy a Sears, but my father in law basically said he would disown me if I didn't buy a John Deere. And if I had read on this forum about the 100 series, I never would have purchased it. I need to get 4 more years out of it, as I have already purchased my retirement home in Fla. and will be moving there in early 2015. Bary's Lawns is cutting the Fla home for me now, and will probably continue to cut it when I move down there. The lot is much smaller. I think I will either sell the Deere or throw it in with the sale of my house. But maybe, if it still runs and looks nice, I will take it with me. Yes, I paid about 1700, and with bagger system and with tax it right around $2,000.00. I did not get mine from a box store, but rather John Deere dealer, only because they were right around the corner from my house. I could have driven it home. It was a few bucks more than Lowes, but I would have had to pay for delivery so it was a wash.
The funny this is, I subscribe to consumers reports and over the years, the Deere 100 series has been top rated.