John Deere at Lowes

[lil_Blue_Ford]

MWE makes or at least sells a bunch of stuff too, that is where we get our oddball stuff from.

SEPW also has a bunch of stuff, they are usually our backup.

Craftsman is a MTD.

MTD has two kinds of parts.

1. Stupid common, somone somewhere must have a forest of trees that grow them.

2. Discontinued and you have a ugly hunk of lawn art.

Actually most Craftsman tractors were manufactured by American Yard Products (AYP). Offhand I don't remember if they produced MTD's lineup, but I want to say they didn't. IIRC MTD, White and Cub Cadet are all produced by the same company.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

In my parts book if I need something for a Craftsman it has been under MTD.

http://www.smallenginepartswarehouse.com/partsf2.asp

 

[naford]

Briggs and Straton builds almost all small gas motors. So the motor parts are going to go across different lawn equipment manufacturers. Cub Cadet is owned by MTD or at least MTD makes the small lawn equipment under the name of Cub Cadet. John Deere is still John Deere but on products that have a small markup ie profit I think you will see a lot of the same parts made by one manufacturer. The dealerships can't buy the same models as a Lowes and HD. They can buy similar units but not the same model number. I thought I heard the one dealer said he had a contract with JD to assemble the small tractors at HD, Lowes, etc.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The same model number that is on Home Depots site, is also on my local JD dealer's site.

 

[OilPatch197]

Briggs and Straton builds almost all small gas motors. So the motor parts are going to go across different lawn equipment manufacturers. Cub Cadet is owned by MTD or at least MTD makes the small lawn equipment under the name of Cub Cadet. John Deere is still John Deere but on products that have a small markup ie profit I think you will see a lot of the same parts made by one manufacturer. The dealerships can't buy the same models as a Lowes and HD. They can buy similar units but not the same model number. I thought I heard the one dealer said he had a contract with JD to assemble the small tractors at HD, Lowes, etc.

I thought John Deere has Kohler engines, or at least used to be?

I would generally prefer a Kohler over a Briggs for longevity and reliability. Given Kohlers consistent track record, I would choose the kohler if it were me buying the mower.

 

[feellnfroggy]

They are not true john deeres. They are MTD contracted builds, or one of the other lower grade brands. SOmeone might have mentioned this, already, not sure.

 

[wahlstrom1]

My parents bought an STX38 new in 91'. 12.5hp, 38" deck, 1 piece formed steel frame construction. It would cut 1' tall wet grass as fast as it would go and never bog down, worked great and would sidehill and do off camber climbs ditches great.....

They then bought an L130 for the larger deck (48" 3 blade) and 23.5hp. It bogs on 6" grass, has a bolted together sheet metal chassis that flexs terribly and binds to the point of throwing belts! It plain doesn't have the quality of the older JD tractor.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I thought John Deere has Kohler engines, or at least used to be?

I would generally prefer a Kohler over a Briggs for longevity and reliability. Given Kohlers consistent track record, I would choose the kohler if it were me buying the mower.

They have had about everything, Kawasaki is my personal favorite.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

They have had about everything, Kawasaki is my personal favorite.

+1... The Kawasaki's in the Hustler I used at work were great...

 

[Legend]

My Montgomery-Ward after 30 years, had so much wrong and was such a hassle I finally replaced it with an LA120 John Deere from Lowe's. It has a Briggs & Stratton V-Twin, 42" cut. The mower with bagger was $1,500 2 years ago, but I was able to use a 20% employee discount and Lowe's was running a 15% off sale - so the total discount of 35% off made it a fair deal (in my opinion). My old mower was such a hassle I hated mowing. Now it's so easy to just jump on it and go, mowing a couple of acres is a pleasure. With reasonable care and maintenance I expect it to outlast me.

 

[feellnfroggy]

The kohlers are low rpm high torque motors, they are the ohnans of old. If you get them in wet grass or thick stuff you will hear them actually rev up as opposed to boggin down, great motors they are also good for go carts.