Mikelly Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 So my riding lawnmower died back in the spring. It is about 12 years old, and was inherited along with the wife, two kids and a dog. It was time, I suppose... So I've been shopping for a new lawn tractor that would cut the drain/septic field behind the house (About 1/2 acre), the back yard (About a 1/3rd acre) and trim both sides of my driveway (About 450ft. each side) and the driveway going down to my detached garage. I also need to be able to push snow off the driveway come winter time. I ended up buying this: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100520385&N=10000003+90401+502008+1051&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125 The only one left was the floor model, and there were two people in line behind me wanting it if I didn't buy it... At 0% interest for 12 months, they were selling every mower they had faster than they could get them in and unboxed! I got it on a better deal than expected, as a woman at the store asked them to pricematch the same mower with the ad at LOWES and I said "Me too"... So off I go with my new tractor (And she DOES NOT think my tractors sexy!) and ready to cut some drain field/lawn... So I get it home and unloaded from the trailer and throw gas in it... And start to crank it over... Nothing... So for about 30 minutes I troubleshoot the electrical issue and even put a charger on it... Finally I notice in the manual that a 20amp fuse needs to be inplace in a socket I hadn't noticed. So I scavage one from the Z in the garage, and VROOM! We're in business! After about 10 minutes cutting and 1 minute in the drain field the thing quits cutting.... WTF??? So I'm back to trouble shooting... A NEW MOWER???!!?!?!! So after another HOUR of dickin' around with the damned thing, I notice on the transmission that the wires seem a little loose, and I stick my hand under it and come up with a loosened wire connector... No wonder the darned thing won't engage the mower deck. It had come loose... So back in business, again... Now the real challenge is I HAVE NO place this thing will fit through... It won't fit in the shed (Too wide) and we had to "modify gate posts (Think trans tunnel mods in JTR manual!) to get it through the gate into the back yard... Yup, I'm gonna have to clean out a spot in the attached garage, which already has two cars, a motorcycle and a bunch of bicycles in it... Ugh... Never buy the floor model, and always make sure what you're buying will fit within the spaces allowed. I measured before hand and figured the 53inch width with the plastic 'chute folded up would get me where I need to be... I was wrong by half an inch... On the upside, the grass is cut... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannyvig Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 This is the saddest story I have heard since the kids wheelchair got stuck in the grille of the big rig. Glad its working now. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Those John Deeres they sale at Home Depot are not "real" John Deeres. They are made by Scott's I think it is and just tagged as a Deere. We have a pretty big real Deere bough from a dealer, its a 310 I beleive, anyways, no problems so far. Sorry about yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 This is the saddest story I have heard since the kids wheelchair got stuck in the grille of the big rig. Glad its working now. Good luck Sadder, maybe. The wheelchair guy got a ride you couldn't buy at Six Flags, evidently with no lasting harm. Mike is permanently losing garage space. Must be time for a building dedicated to landscaping and gardening. <> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbleguinea Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 "I measured before hand and figured the 53inch width with the plastic 'chute folded up would get me where I need to be... I was wrong by half an inch..." thats awesome....sounds like something i'd do... when i read that last line i laughed out loud... at least you have a nice new mower!!! i still jump on the mowers and mess with them when i get to home depot with my father Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Um i would recommend buying the floor model.. and I WORK at home depot. sounds like the mower was stored outside during the winter.. lovely. tell me you got a smokin deal right?! plus home depot will replace it for you within 90 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLave Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 LOL that was a great story. Sounds like just about all my weekend household projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogriz91 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Those John Deeres they sale at Home Depot are not "real" John Deeres. They are made by Scott's I think it is and just tagged as a Deere. We have a pretty big one, its a 310 I beleive, anyways, no problems so far. Sorry about yours. I've got to sink some money into a new mower and would want a real Deere if they made one. Any suggestions on who builds a better mower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSM Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I've owned Older Snapper mowers both rider and push and wouldn't buy any other kind. The olders ones especially are very bullet proof and easy to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30TRBO Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Mike, I was going to buy a John Deere from one of the box stores (Home Depot, Lowes) and started doing some research. I found out that they are NOT the same John Deere's that you would buy at a John Deere dealer. I read that they cut corners like the bearings which are plastic. Also Home Depot/Lowes’s farms the service out to the local John Deere dealerships and you know they take care of there cliental first. Here is what I bought from my local dealer: http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?pNbr=SKU21899&tM=HO&link=enav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I have also been recently screwed on the floor model deal. I went to pick up a new 60 gal compressor from Harbor Freight but they had sold the one that they were holding for me, and so they gave me the floor model instead. It was quite a PITA for my wife and I to get the thing out of my pickup, but we did it, and I went and downloaded the instruction manual, only to find out I'm missing a BUNCH of parts. Called to see about getting the parts, they're backordered 6-10 weeks. So I called the store, they are going to order a whole new compressor and I'm going to exchange this one. So basically I get to load and unload this sucker twice to fix this BS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Mike, I was going to buy a John Deere from one of the box stores (Home Depot, Lowes) and started doing some research. I found out that they are NOT the same John Deere's that you would buy at a John Deere dealer. I read that they cut corners like the bearings which are plastic. Also Home Depot/Lowes’s farms the service out to the local John Deere dealerships and you know they take care of there cliental first. Here is what I bought from my local dealer: http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?pNbr=SKU21899&tM=HO&link=enav Just as I posted earlier, 240ztt is right as well, go to a Deere dealer and get a real Deere. We have two and one with 2200 hours on it and the other is newer with 1100 hours on it. No problems at all other than the cruise control got stuck on one because of some rust on a pin. A Deere is higher but worth the money imo. I would buy a 5 year old used real Deere than those brand new Home Depot junkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(goldfish) Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I think the title should read "Never trust that a floor model is put together properly". Sucks to hear about the troubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Mike, though I feel for your bad luck here, I can see you will probably just buy a shed to keep that thing in and get your garage space back . Oh, as a lady friend of mine once said, "A half inch can make all the difference in the world." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 Pete, You know we keep all measuring devices away from the wife...Lord knows what might happen if she found out the real meaning of 6 inches! As to the other comments, I have no interest in spending $6000-8000 on a "lawn" tractor... The $1900 I spent was stickershock to me... I hate lawn work, and it was a strech to spend the money and get a replacement for the old Murray riding mower that was procurred at Walmart about 10 years ago and did just fine. I'll keep it in the garage for now, and once Jim's car is out of the other garage, I'll relocate the motorcycle there along with the dirtbike that's there now, and reorganize a fair amount to make more useful space and storage... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I'm actually kinda glad to see some others go through the same crap I do trying to get a deal, lol. There is ALWAYS something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I've got the JD LT135 22HP 42 inch mower deck. Difference is, that I bought mine from a john deere dealer for $1700 delivered to my door last summer. I get service after the sale. If I were you I'd take it to your nearest JD dealer, they do have a warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Ironicly guys our 1978 John Deer R70 lawn tractor finally thew a rod last week after being passed down in the family since purchased new. I'm bummed. At least it's ancient enough for an oldskool rebuild. Untill then hope that new generation plastic lawnboy push mower is up to the task, haha yea right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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