Hi all. Happy Mothers day to all the mothers on here. I just picked up a John Deere 130 circa 1986-1988 I believe. It's pretty rough and I will post pictures tomorrow. I paid 100.00 for it. It needs a new battery a couple of tires and tubes for now and general maintenance with a new blade. It has been poorly maintained and will get a complete restoration this coming winter. I was told it runs but the owner could not get it to start. I have cleaned the carb and tomorrow I will pick up a new battery and maintenance items. I restore motorcycles as a hobby but these mowers while somewhat simple can be frustrating. I bought a 14SB walk behind that did not run well and now it runs great after some work. I will thank everyone in advance for all the help everyone will give when I ask the somewhat newby questions. We mow about 3 acres and parts are steep and you cannot use a riding mower. Mowing three acres with a walk behind is great exercise. The plan is to pick up a 455 this fall and pick up the attachments for it. I will update my progress I as I can. I need a operators manual and service manual for it. Are there any downloads available for this model? Thanks again
John Deere 130 New member new to me JD
- Thread starter mx503
- Start date
- Views: 7660
-
- Tags
- john deere 130
Eric Barney
Silver Member
I restored a previously neglected LX188 to near perfect condition. It was fairly easy, and straightforward to do. I am in the automotive service business, and I find the tractors to be much simpler to repair than auto's.
One thing for sure, after mowing my lawn for years with a walk behind, Using the LX188 is like a dream! It makes mowing my lawn fun! Before the LX, I tried a Craftsman 'riding mower', and did not like it much at all. The JD tractor made all the difference in the world in ride quality, and the finished cut on the grass is fantastic.
These little tractors can be addictive, so be warned.... You may find yourself looking for a garden tractor soon. (I now own a X540 GT)
Enjoy, and welcome.
One thing for sure, after mowing my lawn for years with a walk behind, Using the LX188 is like a dream! It makes mowing my lawn fun! Before the LX, I tried a Craftsman 'riding mower', and did not like it much at all. The JD tractor made all the difference in the world in ride quality, and the finished cut on the grass is fantastic.
These little tractors can be addictive, so be warned.... You may find yourself looking for a garden tractor soon. (I now own a X540 GT)
Enjoy, and welcome.
Today I got the mower running! It runs a bit rough with some some on start up and then it seems to be running rich with some black smoke. sfter about 5 minutes of running it shut off like the ignition switch was turned off. It would not restart. This sounds like an ignition issue. What odes everyone think and where should I start? Thanks everyone!
I seem to be having a conversation with myself. I got the mower running again but it is running way too rich. I had cleaned the carb out well removing the jets and making sure it is clear. There is a lot of soot on the plug. I am very familiar with motorcycle carbs but not mowers. Can a guy get a little help please? And thank you!
Eric Barney
Silver Member
I do not know much about your JD 130 specifically. But if you know motorcycle carburetors, then the 130's carb should be simple. Clean jets, and passages, no leaks, proper float level, idle mixture properly set. There is not much going on here.
These utility use engines are very simple when compared to automotive, or motorcycles. They are designed to run at a constant RPM, and produce low horsepower by comparison. Fuel requirements are pretty basic.
The only carburetors that I know of, that are less complicated, are CV carbs. Used on British sports cars, and many motorcycles. They are very simple, but can be pesky to tune, as there are many variables in the main needles, jet sizes, and slide positioning. You should be having no such problems with your tractor carb. It is probably still plugged up. Most likely in the idle curcuit...
These utility use engines are very simple when compared to automotive, or motorcycles. They are designed to run at a constant RPM, and produce low horsepower by comparison. Fuel requirements are pretty basic.
The only carburetors that I know of, that are less complicated, are CV carbs. Used on British sports cars, and many motorcycles. They are very simple, but can be pesky to tune, as there are many variables in the main needles, jet sizes, and slide positioning. You should be having no such problems with your tractor carb. It is probably still plugged up. Most likely in the idle curcuit...
wthompson
Silver Member
just done a quick search on ebay and found this
John Deere Repair Guide CD 130,160,165,175,180,185 | eBay
this is a repair guide that was $7.99 and free shipping. Or just do a search for your mower.
John Deere Repair Guide CD 130,160,165,175,180,185 | eBay
this is a repair guide that was $7.99 and free shipping. Or just do a search for your mower.
Gcarbaugh
New member
I also just purchased a little 130 1986-1988. I have stripped it and getting close to paint and want to replace all the decals.... Any ideas where to find reproductions?
beenthere
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2001
- Messages
- 18,477
- Location
- Southern Wisconsin, USA
- Tractor
- JD_4x2_Gator, JD_4300, JD_425, JD_455 AWS, added JD_455, JD_110, JD_X485(sold)
:welcome: to TBN
Might want to find the decals first, as taping over some of the originals may be the best for restoration. Reproductions are not always "original" as I have found out with the 110 I am restoring. But too late on the hood decals... removed and gone.... and not replaceable.
Might want to find the decals first, as taping over some of the originals may be the best for restoration. Reproductions are not always "original" as I have found out with the 110 I am restoring. But too late on the hood decals... removed and gone.... and not replaceable.
