new L130 tractor owner

[DanielNY]

Hey guys,

I finally made the decision and went with the JD L130 (vs the Craftsman GT5000). It was delivered to my door today, so I had some fun driving around mowing my lawn in an hour vs many many hours. I know this is just a 'baby' mower compared with some of the machines you guys have, but hopefully you can help me out /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

1) Since the first time I turned it on, I have had an hour glass constantly blinking on the display. The manual doesn't seem to mention the hourglass, so I don't know if this is normal, or am I having engine problems already? The tractor seems to run fine.

2) How do you guys clean the tractor? My back yard is VERY sandy, so by the time I am done, I am forced to remove as much debry as I can with a small brush, then use a garden hose to rinse the dust off. I am having trouble removing the stuff in the 'deck' itself, do you guys remove the entire mower deck in order to clean it or are there some tricks (I was thinking about using my auto ramps next time)? I did not rinse the engine part of course (not sure if it is allowed or not, but I know it means trouble when doing this with a car engine).

3) I have asked this question before, but now that I own an actual tractor, I am hoping that there are other L130 owners out there who have the 2stage snow blower attachment. We tend to get a lot of snow (sometimes up to 7ft in 24 hours), can the tractor handle the attachment, or will it ruin the engine relatively fast? I would of course try to 'keep up' with the weather so I never need to remove more snow than the height of the scoop, but I am still worried if it will shorten the lifespan of my machine significantly. What other accessories would I have to get? Is it a bad idea to run the machine in cold weather?

Thanks guys!

Dan

 

[yellowsocks93]

I don't own an L series but work for a JD dealer so I think I can help you out.

Blinking hour glass is normal. It tells you that the hour meter is working.

Use compressed air to clean the dust fast if you can't do a good job washing if you are pressed for time. I use water mabe 3x a year and wax my machines too but during normal mowing I use compressed air as it is faster than doing a complete wash down. If you use a garden hose to the engine it will not harm it. I have to pressure wash the motors at work so techs can work on them. Ag tractors and garden.

If you clean the mower with water remove ALL of the belt covers on top and let it dry our before you put them back on to prevent rust. Tanke them off and use a vacuum or air hose to clean them to prevent wear on you mower belt. A lot of people just let the grass pile in there and ride on their belts and wear their belt out.

The snow blower will not harm your tractor and it is good to exercise you machine in the winter anyway. I like to drive my garden tractor and normal tractor in the winter. Just not on the road as the salt will make it rust. The deep powder in the field is fun with the 4x4 990! I would get a blower for my garden tractor if they were not so expensive.

 

[DanielNY]

Thanks for the fast response. I didn't remove any belts when I rinsed it off today, not sure why I didn't think of that. I just bought a big compressor today too, so I can use this to clean the mowerdeck from now on.

Do you know if I need any other accessories (wheel chains/weights) in order to use the snowblower attachment (or does it come with them already) ? Thanks

 

[yellowsocks93]

You don't have to remove the belts just the belt guards.

I believe you have to pay extra for the weights and chains both of which will help for traction for the garden tractor. You might be able to make a custom mount and hang the 42 pound JD quick tach weights off the back like the larger garden tractors. Or you could use the wheel weights. I know I can get stuck easily if I am not careful with my garden tractor but I don't have chains or weights.