LS Tractor at Lowes

   / LS Tractor at Lowes
  • Thread Starter
#21  
Our decks, it's not just, its abrasion from sand. It's like 500 hours of sand blasting on a 24 ga metal deck.
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #22  
I've had two very used Deere riding mowers, and I won't say they are bad. One of them is like 13 years old, and still running. The other made it like 9 years. Both, I think the average home owner would have put out to pasture a long time ago, but I've redone bearings, belts, starters. No matter what, you will wear through the deck within a few years from sand, but that can sometimes be patched, or often, frankly ignored, for a Long time.

That's really same between all of the basic 24ish hp riding moweers.
I've got 2 Statesman riders that are 30 years old that I continue to replace worn parts, weld up the decks, still going strong.
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #24  
I've got 2 Statesman riders that are 30 years old that I continue to replace worn parts, weld up the decks, still going strong.
Have 1 of those that my dad bought in1998. Deck still in good shape. New starter, carb, deck bearings. Use occasionally instead of my ZTR, still works great
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #25  
The 'sales associates' at Tractor Supply, for the most part have issues putting their pants on the right way, let alone fixing anything...lol

Around here we call TSC Tough Shitte Charlies, where everything is either scratched, dented or broken and the bulk of their stuff comes via container.
Our local Tractor Supply stores used to refuse to sell anything they hadn't assembled. I even offered a cashier an extra $100 to not have my log splitter assembled before pickup... no dice. Yet, I have never bought anything there that wasn't incorrectly assembled, with various degrees of consequence.

The last thing I bought there, a 3-point boom sprayer, they did willingly sell to me in the shipping crate, unassembled. So maybe they've changed policy, there?
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #26  
I pity people who buy tractors or mowers at HD, Lowes, TSC etc. The way things are now, Good luck with parts & service. You’ll pay all those “savings” back later.
You think the parts counter at an LS dealer isn't going to sell you parts, just because you didn't buy a tractor from them? I've only bought one of my four Deere's from our local Deere dealer, the other three were obtained second-hand, but I never noticed any difference in how the parts counter treated me on any of them.

I can't speak to service, but this wouldn't even be a factor in my purchase decision. I can count on two or three fingers, the number of times in 40+ years of operating tractors, that I've let a dealer touch any of them. Each time they screwed up one thing while fixing another, the most recent of those documented in my "Deere replacement seats" thread... they ripped my new seat during a warranty repair! :p

If a big box store sold a tractor I was shopping, and they were cheaper than the dealer, I'd just go to the dealer and present the box store's price. If the dealer were able to get anywhere close to it, of course I'd prefer to buy from a local business. But if the price gap were really large, like more than $1500 on a $15k machine, I don't know that I'd be so worried about buying a fully pre-assembled machine from a big box store.

Where I'd be most worried, honestly, is how they're handling dealer prep items. Are all fluids and dealer-mounted items handled correctly? I suspect this stuff isn't done at the store, for a chain like Lowes, but probably at some regional assembly center.

I got an eye opener about 2 decades ago. Bought one of the disposable "john Deere" mower from Lowes. Lasted about 5-6 years I think it was about 2k. Found out when a bearing went bad that its not a real "deere" but a painted over murray I think it was.
I remember discussing this with the guys at my local Deere dealer recently, and they said yes, it was a common practice 20 years ago for Deere and other brands to sell a lower grade of the same model thru big box stores. That doesn't happen anymore, although I can't recall now if they said it was due to manufacturer policy, or actually laws changing which did not permit this anymore. In any case, they were consistent in saying, you won't find a Deere at a big box store that's badged the same but internally different than the same model at the dealer.
 
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   / LS Tractor at Lowes #27  
You think the parts counter at an LS dealer isn't going to sell you parts, just because you didn't buy a tractor from them? I've only bought one of my four Deere's from our local Deere dealer, the other three were obtained second-hand, but I never noticed any difference in how the parts counter treated me on any of them.

I can't speak to service, but this wouldn't even be a factor in my purchase decision. I can count on two or three fingers, the number of times in 40+ years of operating tractors, that I've let a dealer touch any of them. Each time they screwed up one thing while fixing another, the most recent of those documented in my "Deere replacement seats" thread... they ripped my new seat during a warranty repair! :p

If a big box store sold a tractor I was shopping, and they were cheaper than the dealer, I'd just go to the dealer and present the box store's price. If the dealer were able to get anywhere close to it, of course I'd prefer to buy from a local business. But if the price gap were really large, like more than $1500 on a $15k machine, I don't know that I'd be so worried about buying a fully pre-assembled machine from a big box store.

Where I'd be most worried, honestly, is how they're handling dealer prep items. Are all fluids and dealer-mounted items handled correctly? I suspect this stuff isn't done at the store, for a chain like Lowes, but probably at some regional assembly center.


I remember discussing this with the guys at my local Deere dealer recently, and they said yes, it was a common practice 20 years ago for Deere and other brands to sell a lower grade of the same model thru big box stores. That doesn't happen anymore, although I can't recall now if they said it was due to manufacturer policy, or actually laws changing which did not permit this anymore. In any case, they were consistent in saying, you won't find a Deere at a big box store that's badged the same but internally different than the same model at the dealer.
I used to own an old riding mower that was orange and labeled “Scotts by John Deere.”
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #28  
I pity people who buy tractors or mowers at HD, Lowes, TSC etc. The way things are now, Good luck with parts & service. You’ll pay all those “savings” back later.
Why? When I bought our LA145 riding mower back in 2009 at Lowe's it had this on it (Still does) but it's been problem free, granted it only has about 350 hours on it so far since the 2016 Spartan 61" ZT has been the main mower used since it's purchase. Maybe the JD's at Lowe's don't have this any more, I haven't checked.
That JD dealership is still around but at a different location now.

20090525 JD LA145 003.jpg
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #29  
Maybe i should add. neither of those mowers were new. Both very used when I got them. 1st one, had no hood, but decent function till hydrostat went out. 2nd one, needed a starter, and something else? and I got it for free, in return for trailering their new Craftsman riding mower for them.


There is no way to change hydralic fluid, and I think that's a built in limitation. The engine, components are readily available. Decks, you can replace bearings, belts, even electric clutches, but once the deck is too far gone, a replacement deck costs 75% of what a new mower does.
Do some googling/youtubing, I found my HST in my old LT1000 rider, I could do a partial drain and fill through the top through the breather valve. On my mower it was easily accessed by taking out the battery and tray under the seat, and there it is, unscrew the valve and I sucked out the fluid with a small fuel line on a large syringe, so I probably was pulling from near the bottom of the trans. The stuff that came out was pretty close to mercury! I took out almost a litre, replaced, drove around a bit, did it again. I just put in 15W40 and it slips a little less when its hot.
 
   / LS Tractor at Lowes #30  
I think 15W40 is pretty common in zero turn HST systems. It's what my Deere ZTrak 757 runs.

Speaking of filling from breather holes, I remember now we used to fill the outdrive on our Mercruiser by pumping gear oil in thru a lower plug hole, until it spilled out of an upper plug hole. It was apparently the only way to properly "burp" those tall vertically-oriented gearboxes. But since dad always ran the operation now, I can't remember how he used to disconnect the hose from that lower fitting and get it plugged, before half the oil had drained back out of the drive unit.
 

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