Hi

I have a JD L120 with 65hrs and a failed Hydro, Luckily its 23months old and will receive a new Hydro under warranty. As it has only lasted 1 1/2 summers I am sceptical to it's longevity. I mow a series of slopes covering 6 acres. I am interested in a replacement that will last, any suggestions / models / brands suited to slopes would be greatly appreciated.

Your L120 Is built to last 10 years. It was also built to mow up to 2.5 acres yard size. If you are mowing 6 acres and slopes you will need to consider a commercial type. However your deere should do the job fine if taken care of. A mower is like an automobile, At sometime they all need repair. That is why warranties are issued and honored. I build the L series a tractors for John Derre and do know the quality to them. If you have questions or need help let me know. I will help you all I can. I know these units inside out.

Thanks for the reply.

The mower looks brand new and I do look after it. It has only 65 hours use so whether the yard is 2.5 acres or 6, seems irrelevant. I never mow more than 1 or 2 acres in one day. I only mow the slopes 4 times a year which takes about 4 hours (1 tank of gas). I know the L100 would do the job on it's ear but I thought the bigger unit would be OK / better. Do you know of a unit that would be OK for hill work, Any brand or model. I am concerned that the Hydro will fail again and it will not be covered by warranty.

Thanks again for your comments

The L100 is the gear model and the engine is not internal pressurized. It has a slinger in it for oil circulation and is no good for slopes. My opinion is that you should not have any trouble out of the new replacement hydro. I'm not sure how JD warranty is but I would think you would get a full warranty with the new one. I work in repair at John Deere Power Products where your unit was manufactured and honestly we have very few ever fail. The hydro is also manufactured locally (about 25 miles from our plant.) I mow similar yard to yours with JD and had mine 4 years this past April and have only kept it serviced and clean. Not even had to replace a belt or spark plug. Change oil and filters and keep extra set of blades sharpened and mower has never given me any trouble and the lawn always looks great. Good Luck. Any future questions you might have let me know.

Hi Again, The local shop found someone interested in mine, they have a flat block so I am looking to replace. I am thinking the GT245 but at twice the price of the L120 it is hard to get my head around that much for a mower. Is the gearbox in the LX 280 or the GT quantum leaps or baby steps ahead of the L120.
By the way the L120 mows better than it did when it was new, so maybe it was a one off issue. The local shop has never replaced a hydro in any L110 or 120 and they are their best sellers.

Yes the L110 & L120 are the most popular. The LX & GT series are by far better but as you might have noticed there is a big difference in price as well. We don't make them at our plant, I believe they are made at the Horicon Plant. Mine is a LX 288 and I love it. I have had may mowers in my life and the JD is the best I have had. Bought it even before going to work for Deere, but after having been at Deere I know and am amazed at the quality that goes into each mower. Everything on every mower is checked and tested before leaving plant However, that doesn' ensure how long parts will last but that is what warrenties are for. Hope you enjoy your new mower and that is is trouble free. Sorry you had a little bad luck, but it's like everything else. Every once in a while there will be a failure. It's just the law of life. As long as you have a good dealer to back it up, you will be just fine.

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Originally Posted by enzo906

Hi Again, The local shop found someone interested in mine, they have a flat block so I am looking to replace. I am thinking the GT245 but at twice the price of the L120 it is hard to get my head around that much for a mower. Is the gearbox in the LX 280 or the GT quantum leaps or baby steps ahead of the L120.
By the way the L120 mows better than it did when it was new, so maybe it was a one off issue. The local shop has never replaced a hydro in any L110 or 120 and they are their best sellers.

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If you are just mowing grass and hauling a trailer or light work like that, the LX280 is as good as you'll ever need. The LX is closer to the GT series but without the stronger "garden" transaxle meant for pulling heavier implements. Several dealers I've spoken with tell me the LX280 is their favorite lawn tractor. We got ours used at about 80 hrs. It's at 110 now after just 3 months. We mow, pick up leaves, and frequently tow the 10p trailer full of dirt or wood or just garden refuse up and down hills. We wonder how we got along without it. The 18hp engine is plenty. For more opinions on the LX280, see: <http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tractor/msg111118377929.html>

You may have just had a lemon hydro, but I'd be concerned about the engine lubrication system. The kawasakis are reliable, smooth, and quiet with pressurized lubrication systems.

If this helps:

LT series has the Kanzaki K46 or K51 (wow that's tiny!)
LX series has the Kanzaki K62 (bigger)
GT series has the K71B (bigger than LX).
GX looks the same as GT, type not specified.

<http://www.stonehams.com/pdf/lt150trac.pdf>
<http://www.stonehams.com/pdf/lx280_289.pdf>
<http://www.stonehams.com/pdf/gt200trac.pdf>
<http://www.stonehams.com/pdf/gx300trac.pdf>

<http://www.deere.com/en_AU/equipment/cce/lawn_tractor/lx_specs.html>
<http://www.deere.com/en_AU/equipment/cce/lawn_garden/gt_specs.html>

I have the L130. (The L120 but, with a kohler motor).

This is our second season and we have had great luck.

We (my neighbor and I) bought the tractor together and we each have about 3/4's of an acre. We got the extended warranty with it so that the local JD dealer comes out and tunes it up for us.

When I was growing up, we bought a used JD 60 (6 horse tractor). We had it for 12 years and replaced the engine once about 3 years into it. (That taught me to make sure that engines have oil in them! ). We sold the tractor for more money than we bought it. And, it was 15 years old!

The only fault I have with JD is that the mulching plate is not as good as my old Toro Wheelhorse tractor.

But, then, that was the only thing good about the Toro tractor. In my opinioen, they are painted red for a reason. As in they keep you red in the face and your bank book in the red.

I had to replace the hydro twice in Toro and had to essentially rewire the whole damn thing.

I am not "dissing" all of Toro's products. For my money, they make the best push mowers and snowthrowers out there. I just never want to own another Wheelhorse tractor again.

Good luck in choosing your new tractor. (and remember to check the oil! )

Hello I'm in uk and have been offerd a ltr 166 please tell me if this is a good mower or what if any faults Are ? Have to get a rear collector as in uk its allways wet grass any imfo would be great

I have a scotts model# 42589x8. I would like to know who made it. What year it is and the part# for the 42 inch mowing deck and where I may find one. It has 16 hp koeler engine with automatic cruise control if that is any help sn# s003690730298