P.J

I got a name for "Lowes" too. Don't know if you have them out your way, but when they tick you off you can refer to them as "Blowes" minus the "E", (may be edited).
Home "Cheapo" I learned from an Electrician that wired my garage. He was dissapointed at the quality of fixtures I got and knew where they came from without asking, oh well.
TRUST ME, I know the're on the high side just to cut grass, but after fooling around with the Junk deck, spindles, steering, diff, etc. you spend as much in the end anyway. Check out Deere's financing options, I think when we bought ours it was zero %, then up to 6.9 fixed after a year. Kinda like buying a new or used car, wanna pay more now or later, up to you. The price of anything these day's is enough to make you want to stab yourself with a pen.
Good Luck

nirion

We bought a Yard Man (MTD rebadge) with a 15hp Kohler engine about 10 years ago. A little under $2000 and it ran great until somebody forgot to check the oil. We have about 3/4 acre and it takes about an hour to cut with 42" deck and hydrostatic drive. My uncle bought a $5500 JD, because he likes to have the best, but never takes care of anything, so he has trouble with it sometimes.


Nick

crobtex

MTD Yard Machine....20.5 hp b/s twin....46' cut....sleeve hitch with scrapper box.

Been using it since 1997 to mow all and part of 10 acres. Replaced: starter, one spindle, blades, air cleaner, belts twice, plugs once. Lots of oil and filter changes.

This year I bought a Swisher 60" trail mower to use with it to speed up the job a little. I use the Polaris to pull the Swisher when the weeds get too high for the MTD.

Mtd: $1900 and worth every penny.

DodgeRam3500

The L series John Deere tractors are not made by MTD nor have they ever been made by MTD.

They are in fact built by John Deere in a John Deere factory.

I own a John Deere L130 bought from a, oh my gosh, John Deere dealer.

This tractor has run perfect from day one and I expect it to run for a good twenty years if not more!

herb

as i said earlier i bought a Cub Cadet GT last year (3300 dollars) and i am mowing about 5 acres. Up until this Cadet i had always bought the 1,000 18 horse tsc or walmart specials with this phylosophy (sp) use it two seasons while still covered by warrenty, sell it for 500.00 and buy another . Shiney paint and warrenty for 500.00 bucks a year is hard to beat.

Buckshotmckee

DodgeRam3500 is correct! Well I went to Home Depot tonight and picked her up. And sure enough on the side of the mower it says, Manufactured by John Deere at the Moline, Ill. manufacturing plant. I got the L111. GOSH She's pertty. Check this out! I was going to purchase a small trailer to pull behind, and they had a little 10cu. metal trailer sitting there. So I asked how much do those go for. The gal told me, that one is not for sale, we special order those. So she gave the Item # and I went to there customer service desk and asked how much? That gal preceeds to tell me that the trailer is discontinued and marked as clearance. So I asked, you have a display model, can I buy that she said "sure" . So again I asked, how much? She said its clearanced for "$1.00" I said are you sure? She said yup. So I got a metal 10cu trailer to pull to behing my Pertty new John Deere for only a "$1.00."

herb

Need to get you a can of JD green for the trailer

P.J

I didn't think anyone said that the lessor models were Built by MTD, just hat besides the green and yellow paint theres not much of a difference. JD had to do what it had to do in order to get a piece of the "homeowner market", can't blame them for doing what it takes to compete in our "throw away society". Most folks around me are into compacts, most of which are Diesels ofcourse.
I agree with the others that if properly taken care of, most equipment under light to medium use will last may years.
Good luck with your new purchase, happy grass cutting.

Palmetto_kid

My family has had 1 John Deere lawn tractor for 20 years. In those twenty years, my dad & uncle rebuilt the motor once & repainted the body once, put a new seat on it, and 5 years ago they put a new deck on it. This one tractor has been used to take care of 3 yards that are 1.5 acres each. So your looking @ 4.5 acres a week for 4 months out of a year for 20 years. Not too bad. This is a 48" cut, air cooled engine too. I think it would last allot longer if my legally blind & deaf grandad would quit running into fence posts & running over everything..... Oh well, he says its his.

Just recently, my dad and uncle bought a used craftsman with a 55" cut & hydrostatic tranny to support the JD. Funny thing is, you can never get that craftsman to cut level, but 55" of unlevel cut goes quick on 1.5 acres.

surfram

I have a Craftsman GT5000 with a Kohler Pro 25hp and a 54" deck. I have only put 9 hours on it so far but I am pretty happy with it for the price($2,499). Who makes these tractors?