How reliable are JD lawn tractors?

[swines]

They are still built as a low price entry level unit just as are all the other Big Box Store tractors.

You won't mind if I call you "Captain Obvious" for that insight, which I'm sure, no one else was aware of? You mean, they're built to a certain price point for a specific market? Wow! Who'd have thought? Just like a Kubota BX series?

There's a specific amount of materials and labor that can go into any product at a price point - no matter who builds it. The only way you get around it, to some extent, is to automate as much of the production as possible. But, even that has its limits as you have to amortize the investment in equipment plus some percentage of profits - so that you can maintain and update the production line as required. Any other unique insights you'd like to impart - or do you just have a need to be "right"?

 

[swines]

Deleted - double post

 

[DK180]

I would think $1500-$2k would buy a **** nice used REAL John Deere. My buddy and I are both recent first time home buyers. We shopped for lawn tractors at the same time. He dropped $3500 on a new JD 130 with a snow thrower. I almost did the same but decided to check Criagslist. I wound up buying a 1988 JD 180 with snow thrower for $800. The
Original owner had clearly maintained it meticulously. He'd written all kinds of notes in the manual over the years on preventative maintenance , etc. I intend to maintain it just as well. I don't know much but I have a feeling my tractor will outlast my friends..

 

[Dan Caton]

I can confirm the lousy transmissions in the JD L1xx series. The tranny on my L111 gave it up after four and a half seasons of mowing about an acre or two. My land is in the NC mountains and somewhat steep--for example, I had to swap the turf tires on the back for agricultural treads to not slip. I called JD and complained and they actually provided a new tranny and I paid the labor to install. Now, after another 4 years it is worn out again. Never again! I am literally in the middle of shopping for a replacement. I really don't want to go to a stick shift but may have to. All the mowers seem to have Tuff Torq transmissions, no matter what the brand. The better ones (higher end Simplicity, for example), have TT trannys with a fan and/or changeable fluid and filter, some a cooler. I know someone else who had one burn out in flatland but pulling a lawn roller. These cheap trannys are built to fail, a real sham. I wish a lawyer would file a class-action suit on all of our behalf. Any advice form those with better success would be appreciated.

 

[jhonb]

I can confirm the lousy transmissions in the JD L1xx series. The tranny on my L111 gave it up after four and a half seasons of mowing about an acre or two. My land is in the NC mountains and somewhat steep--for example, I had to swap the turf tires on the back for agricultural treads to not slip. I called JD and complained and they actually provided a new tranny and I paid the labor to install. Now, after another 4 years it is worn out again. Never again! I am literally in the middle of shopping for a replacement. I really don't want to go to a stick shift but may have to. All the mowers seem to have Tuff Torq transmissions, no matter what the brand. The better ones (higher end Simplicity, for example), have TT trannys with a fan and/or changeable fluid and filter, some a cooler. I know someone else who had one burn out in flatland but pulling a lawn roller. These cheap trannys are built to fail, a real sham. I wish a lawyer would file a class-action suit on all of our behalf. Any advice form those with better success would be appreciated.

It is my understanding that JD has changed their transmission in this years D series and they are no longer using the TT's. But, I hear it is plastic?

 

[Dan Caton]

Oooh--plastic?? It just gets worse. I checked their manual online (and isn't it stupid that if you lose the manual the only version is HTML and not a downloadable pdf??), and it indicated the L111's as unserviceable. You cannot add or change the fluid, even. The other models, in the Simplicity manual, don't indicate that you can add it but do give a fluid type for it, so maybe you can. Anybody know if the Simplicity Broadmoor can have its fluid changed??

 

[JJZ 109]

Bought a GT235 JD almost ten years ago for $5000 even OTD. Still runs like the day I bought it 18 hp Kawasaki air cooled.400+hrs.
Still on original belts.

Boone

That's good news to me, Boone. I've got a Ferris Z turn that I use on the yard my house sits on. However, the lot next door that we own is pretty rough so I just picked up a 1999 GT235 to save some beating on the Ferris. It had a beat up Pirahna 44" deck that someone had converted from mulcher to rear dishcarge. It cut good but left a windrow in the rear.
Just put a brand new 48C deck on it and the old girl works great. Hopefully it'll serve me for years to come.

 

[JD420]

My suggestion would be to step up to a larger model mower that has the k56 transmission that is serviceable and much heavier duty.

 

[deerseeker001]

i have a L130 and cut 1+ acre of grass i bought it in 2003 good machine.

 

[Dan Caton]

I checked my hour meter last night and indeed it is at 390 hours. That agrees well with the statement that the tranny is designed to last 200 hours. 390 and two trannys--you do the math. No more hydrastatics for me here in the mountains!