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I purchased a new D130 from a john deere yesterday with a bagger. While attaching the bagger I found the bladed were all rusted . I emailed the dealership where I bought it from and they said that that was normal for them to look this way and that once I cut the grass they would look better. This doesn't sound right to me. I'd expect a brand new tractor to have new looking blades on them whether they cut the same or not. What does everyone else think? Should I ask for new blades to be put on or is this irrelevant?

They are new never been used so I would just let it drop.

I understand what you are thinking that they should be yellow and shiny but they will look nice and clean after the first mow.

Those look like they came from a salvage yard and an employee took the new blades home for his mower. I'd raise he!!. A new mower should have new blades.

BTW - those blade nuts have dimples. Get rid of them before they screw the shaft threads up. Ace hardware will have what you need, standard fine thread nuts.

Wow those are pretty nasty looking...

I do not know how your dealer operates, but my dealer would have insisted on replacing them.
Now with that said your mower has just been sitting outside and you had moisture just come up from the ground and got them damp so they are just scaling a little bit, after your first mow it will clean them up good and the more you mow the cleaner they will be.

It's rust, it's not going to effect the cut of your lawn. If you wouldn't have looked underneath the deck you would have never known they were rusted after the first mowing. The rust will go away.

The blades are fine. They don't come painted. They look sharp and there appears to be no nicks in them. The mower has most likely been outside and moisture from the ground caused the rust. If it bothers you take them off and run a wire brush over them.

mpannozz said:

I purchased a new D130 from a john deere yesterday with a bagger. While attaching the bagger I found the bladed were all rusted View attachment 22229View attachment 22230. I emailed the dealership where I bought it from and they said that that was normal for them to look this way and that once I cut the grass they would look better. This doesn't sound right to me. I'd expect a brand new tractor to have new looking blades on them whether they cut the same or not. What does everyone else think? Should I ask for new blades to be put on or is this irrelevant?

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I would mow 2 or 3 times with them and re-check. If after using them they look the least bit pitted from the previous BAD rust I would take them off and take them and the original pictures to the dealer and insist that he exchange them for a new set of blades. Any significant pitting "could" affect the balancing of the blades and put unnecessary stress on the spindle bearings. Surely the cost of a new set of blades would not be a problem for your dealer to make a new customer happy.

Probably too late now, but take some more pics. I would expect a new pair of blades, and I wouldn't trust the dealer's word on this, especially if you ask for a new blade off of the shelf. I have seen many dealers putting old used parts on new units to get rid of them, also have seen them re-paint blades and try to sell as new.

The pic of the blade still on the mower shows the existence of black paint, they probably swapped old blades, or else sold you a mower that has been sitting outside for a year or 3.....

Fish said:

The pic of the blade still on the mower shows the existence of black paint, they probably swapped old blades, or else sold you a mower that has been sitting outside for a year or 3.....

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Good point....with blades rusted that bad, I would be checking the Serial# with JD. That dealer may have sold the OP a 2012 mower at a 2014 price:0(

Fish said:

The pic of the blade still on the mower shows the existence of black paint, they probably swapped old blades, or else sold you a mower that has been sitting outside for a year or 3.....

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Sadly, some people just suck. It is criminal when you see things like this. It reminds me of the poster earlier this year that had 4 cracked tires on his mower. Find a reputable dealer and pray. Good luck, unfortunately life isn't fair, but hey, if your dealer won't replace the blades with shiny new ones, then I would say you found one of the few bad dealers and you can gi e your hard earned dollars to a new dealer next time

Yeah, I have worked for some real scumbags. I had one guy that used his "demos" on the side in a lawn mower business, with their unplugged hourmeters and all. I remember grabbing some new blades off of the shelf for a parts customer, and looked down and saw wet paint all over my palms.

mpannozz said:

I purchased a new D130 from a john deere yesterday with a bagger. While attaching the bagger I found the bladed were all rusted View attachment 22229View attachment 22230. I emailed the dealership where I bought it from and they said that that was normal for them to look this way and that once I cut the grass they would look better. This doesn't sound right to me. I'd expect a brand new tractor to have new looking blades on them whether they cut the same or not. What does everyone else think? Should I ask for new blades to be put on or is this irrelevant?

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Hi
The blades on a mower is manufactured out of a carbon and High chrome mixture making them vulnerable to fast rusting If you look at blade and it does not indicate any wear you can use them and as the dealer said start using them as long as the blade is sharp no problems

Regards
PJ

PJ said:

Hi
The blades on a mower is manufactured out of a carbon and High chrome mixture making them vulnerable to fast rusting If you look at blade and it does not indicate any wear you can use them and as the dealer said start using them as long as the blade is sharp no problems

Regards
PJ

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Yeah, I agree, but those blades are old as hell, so either just the blades are old, or the mower is too!

Fish said:

Yeah, I agree, but those blades are old as hell, so either just the blades are old, or the mower is too!

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Those blades sell for around $33 each so it certainly wouldn't bankrupt the dealer to simply give you a new set, tell you to keep the existing set and send you on your way happy.

Do any other components on the deck or tractor appear rusty? If the blades are that bad simply from storage then surely other items would be showing some corrosion.

jgayman01 said:

Those blades sell for around $33 each so it certainly wouldn't bankrupt the dealer to simply give you a new set, tell you to keep the existing set and send you on your way happy.

Do any other components on the deck or tractor appear rusty? If the blades are that bad simply from storage then surely other items would be showing some corrosion.

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WOW...$33 a pop, those sure are expensive blades:0(
One would think at that price they would be rust proof:0)

Yeah $33 a blade is way to much.

Toro 3 pack 48 inch $40 at the dealer.
Snapper 48 inch 3 pack $46. And last over 300 cuts.

mpannozz did you ever use that machine and if so how does it look.
Those blades are $33.00 per set.

There is corrosion on the spindles. I would return mower and get my money back.
Those are mulching blades. What mower comes with mulching blades.

BlazNT said:

There is corrosion on the spindles. I would return mower and get my money back.
Those are mulching blades. What mower comes with mulching blades.

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John Deere lists them as a "3-in-1" blade. Sorry about my incorrect price info earlier, they are indeed $33 per set. I mis-read the JD parts catalog.

Nwatson99 said:

mpannozz did you ever use that machine and if so how does it look.
Those blades are $33.00 per set.

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jgayman01 said:

John Deere lists them as a "3-in-1" blade. Sorry about my incorrect price info earlier, they are indeed $33 per set. I mis-read the JD parts catalog.

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No problem at all I took care of the little incorrect price for you, post is also quoted above. :thumbsup:

BlazNT said:

There is corrosion on the spindles. I would return mower and get my money back.
Those are mulching blades. What mower comes with mulching blades.

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I just purchased a brand new JD125 about a month and a half ago and there was not a spec of rust on anything, blades included. Of course I checked it from top to bottom before I took it off the lot and this is something you should have done too. I also drove it around some, ran the deck for about 10 minutes and made sure all of the fittings were greased, oil, filters, tires... They also gave it to me with a full tank of gas and JD hat of my choice. I am sure the rust on the blades will come off over time, but they should not be selling you a new mower with rusted blades. I mean, if you went to buy a new car and they gave you one that was dirty and not detailed would you accept it? In my opinion, I think there is deceit afoot here and you should not tolerate this type of marginal service.

Those just look to be old blades off another mower I would just buy new blades.

jgayman01 said:

John Deere lists them as a "3-in-1" blade. Sorry about my incorrect price info earlier, they are indeed $33 per set. I mis-read the JD parts catalog.

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IMHO, either a 3-in-1 blade is an amazing breakthrough in blade design(discharges/bags/mulches) or it is a Jack of 1 of those trades.....and not a master of all 3:0)
Most likely the latter. Or at best, so-so for all 3. I would either run a lo-lift, hi-lift or mulch blade for the specific mowing option I chose.

But that's just me:0)

3 in 1 blades have been around for 40 or more years.

The corrosion seems to be from months of outdoor storage, on a fertilized lawn.

The important point here is the actual production date/year of your new JD. When you find that out through the serial number, your concerns should be satisfied.

Check it though your serial number and then you decide on your next step. My guess is that the stated model year is correct.

Carscw said:

Yeah $33 a blade is way to much.

Toro 3 pack 48 inch $40 at the dealer.
Snapper 48 inch 3 pack $46. And last over 300 cuts.

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What do you expect a John Deere dealer is overpriced anyway!

LazerZLandscaping said:

What do you expect a John Deere dealer is overpriced anyway!

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My original info was a mistake. The blades are $33 per set.

LazerZLandscaping said:

What do you expect a John Deere dealer is overpriced anyway!

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Maybe in your area and in some areas you have dealers from every manufacturer are insane on pricing.
I have one JD dealer in the 100 mile radius from me that uses the JD msrp pricing list like it is a golden book and cannot use any other pricing, but my dealer is very competitively priced and takes care of their customers.

I wished the OP would come back with a photo after use and tell us what year model that machine is.

Nwatson99 said:

Maybe in your area and in some areas you have dealers from every manufacturer are insane on pricing.
I have one JD dealer in the 100 mile radius from me that uses the JD msrp pricing list like it is a golden book and cannot use any other pricing, but my dealer is very competitively priced and takes care of their customers.

I wished the OP would come back with a photo after use and tell us what year model that machine is.

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Its funny to me how people will say to folks that buy cheap --it, "you get what you pay for" but in the next breath they say "brand X is priced to high". I don't understand that logic. But thats just me.

gfp55 said:

Its funny to me how people will say to folks that buy cheap --it, "you get what you pay for" but in the next breath they say "brand X is priced to high". I don't understand that logic. But thats just me.

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That ain't no joke, funny how folks will spend thousands of dollars for a mower, but whine like a baby over $50 blades for example.
I like this motto and I try my best to live by. "Buy once or cry once" LOL

Nwatson99 said:

That ain't no joke, funny how folks will spends thousands of dollars for a mower, but whine like a baby over $50 blades for example.
I like this motto and I try my best to live by. "Buy once or cry once" LOL

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Yes that is a good one. I with you, I wish the OP would post some pictures of the blade after some cuts.

When buying a mower or anything I don't look for what one is cheaper. I look at which one is the best buy for the money.

Which one will do and handle the job I need it to do.

I do not care about the cup holder or the seat. Or any dumb add ons that do not need to be there

Carscw said:

When buying a mower or anything I don't look for what one is cheaper. I look at which one is the best buy for the money.

Which one will do and handle the job I need it to do.

I do not care about the cup holder or the seat. Or any dumb add ons that do not need to be there

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and that is the way everyone should buy cheaper is never better that means improvements and quality have been left out, you get what works best for you and your mowing needs.

Now you have read my story and cup holder yea I don't need but it is pretty much standard on all mowers now LOL, but the best seat is critical for me.

Nwatson99 said:

and that is the way everyone should buy cheaper is never better that means improvements and quality have been left out, you get what works best for you and your mowing needs. Now you have read my story and cup holder yea I don't need but it is pretty much standard on all mowers now LOL, but the best seat is critical for me.

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I agree you need a good seat.

Carscw said:

I agree you need a good seat.

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Good seat and a cup holder.