is john deere really worth the money ?

[Carscw]

Well here JD and grasshopper are the main ones you see here with a few toros thrown in. But to answer your question, the answer is very common and stated daily on this forum PRICE is the main reason you pros don't use the JD and it being deep south more than likely the lack of JD dealers. Yes I stand by my statement about JD from riding different zero turn mowers and examining different mowers at the dealerships, but for some reason unless you are a JD owner here JD is the black sheep. Half the mowers I have seen photos of I would not even park in my garage, but I don't make statements on how crappy they look or how the functions and features are crap with crappy design, but everyone not owning JD wants to pick on JD.

I own 12 Jd riding mowers. And still would not buy a new one.

 

[Ric]

Well here JD and grasshopper are the main ones you see here with a few toros thrown in.
But to answer your question, the answer is very common and stated daily on this forum PRICE is the main reason you pros don't use the JD and it being deep south more than likely the lack of JD dealers.

Yes I stand by my statement about JD from riding different zero turn mowers and examining different mowers at the dealerships, but for some reason unless you are a JD owner here JD is the black sheep.

Half the mowers I have seen photos of I would not even park in my garage, but I don't make statements on how crappy they look or how the functions and features are crap with crappy design, but everyone not owning JD wants to pick on JD.

Actually price has nothing to do with the fact the pros don't use a JD because if someone is serious about mowing professionally price really doesn't matter that much, but I'm like everyone else that believes the JD isn't worth what there asking. The lack of dealers does have a lot to do with though, in the past few years I've seen at least 3 different JD dealers here in this area close there doors because they could make a go of it. The reality is you can buy a pretty serious commercial ZTR from Toro, Exmark or Hustler and have more mower for less money than you can from JD that's why the pros don't use JD.

 

[buzzzmeister]

Actually price has nothing to do with the fact the pros don't use a JD because if someone is serious about mowing professionally price really doesn't matter that much, but I'm like everyone else that believes the JD isn't worth what there asking. The lack of dealers does have a lot to do with though, in the past few years I've seen at least 3 different JD dealers here in this area close there doors because they could make a go of it. The reality is you can buy a pretty serious commercial ZTR from Toro, Exmark or Hustler and have more mower for less money than you can from JD that's why the pros don't use JD.

Interesting. We have a very strong JD dealer network here in NEWI. I'd guess maybe 75% of the pro guys are using JD, 20% using Kubota and the rest using whatever the cat coughed up. Its actually quite noticeable when the pro's aren't using JD because they're so common here.

 

[Ric]

Interesting. We have a very strong JD dealer network here in NEWI. I'd guess maybe 75% of the pro guys are using JD, 20% using Kubota and the rest using whatever the cat coughed up. Its actually quite noticeable when the pro's aren't using JD because they're so common here.

Having a strong dealer network in the North really doesn't surprise me, there's more farming and agricultural needs up north than down here so it would be reasonable to assume they would be selling more mowers there than here. The faults with JD for me is #1 Price #2 their weight and #3 the stamped deck, with that combination there's no way I'd buy one.

 

[Nwatson99]

Actually price has nothing to do with the fact the pros don't use a JD because if someone is serious about mowing professionally price really doesn't matter that much, but I'm like everyone else that believes the JD isn't worth what there asking. The lack of dealers does have a lot to do with though, in the past few years I've seen at least 3 different JD dealers here in this area close there doors because they could make a go of it. The reality is you can buy a pretty serious commercial ZTR from Toro, Exmark or Hustler and have more mower for less money than you can from JD that's why the pros don't use JD.

Oh now I do not believe that at all, the Ztrak is a serious mower and built like a tank, matter of fact the weight alone will prove how strong they are built. I have been a member less than a year here and I can assure you 7 maybe 8 out of 10 topics when purchasing a mower is all about price, then 2nd is quality.
Me personally to heck with the price, I am a firm believer in Buy Once or Cry Once and I buy the best when I purchase and with the functions I need and like hence that is why I am purchasing another JD.

Did I look at other mowers before the 960r was ordered, yep sure did, my family has always been huge gravely people, I drove 50 miles of country roads to check out the big new gravely 400 especially with the new air ride seat system and sad to say that was a wasted trip.

Got a toro dealer not 11 miles from me, they are pretty color but where all the functions are located to set it up, just not my cup of tea.
Same with the all within 13 to 15 miles of me are hustler, grasshopper, husq, and one or two more while on the road trip.

The only ztr I have seen that is close to functions and features like the JD is the Altoz "which I learned about on this very site" and that is only brochure study.

Anyway between my immediate family and I we have owned
Gravely
Craftsman "multiple units"
Murray
Snapper
Troy Built
John Deere

But we are all own and operate strictly JD now, so not all JD owners can be wrong that JD's quality is not there.

 

[Carscw]

What oil should I use.

 

[Nwatson99]

Having a strong dealer network in the North really doesn't surprise me, there's more farming and agricultural needs up north than down here so it would be reasonable to assume they would be selling more mowers there than here. The faults with JD for me is #1 Price #2 their weight and #3 the stamped deck, with that combination there's no way I'd buy one.

Ahh the stamped deck you do realize a stamped one piece part is more structural sound than a multiple part welded together right?

You take two objects rather it square or round with the same thickness of steel, you stamp out one with a press, then you weld multiple parts to make the same structure the stamped piece does not have seams, welds protruding, nor do you have the risk of welds cracking or the metal around the welds cracking away from undercut.

Same principle of a "clipped under carriage on a vehicle" that is why new production cars are not made that way anymore they break into from impacts, you press out the under carriage in one piece, yes it might be layered which they are, but you do not stamp out the front, mid, rear, then weld them together and expect them to be a strong as the one piece stamped out, it does not happen nor does it work that way.

Yes JD weighs a flat 1 ton "with oil, gas, and 200+ lb operator" or just a few pounds under a ton, but that just goes to show you how sound they are by the weight, you look at a JD there is not unnecessary weights or anything hanging off of them, it is pure strength with the same engines and trannies on most other mowers, so the structural integrity is higher.

 

[Nwatson99]

What oil should I use.

:laughing:
I give what do you like, I run Castrol since my cousin was motor pool involved in all that testing for the military and that is what he says is the best so that is what we run.
Others around here like Lucas oil.

 

[gfp55]

I agree with you. There is a night and day difference between a John Deere and a Craftsman. The Deere is way better then the Craftsman, by a long shot. Regards

 

[Ridin' Green]

Actually price has nothing to do with the fact the pros don't use a JD because if someone is serious about mowing professionally price really doesn't matter that much, but I'm like everyone else that believes the JD isn't worth what there asking. The lack of dealers does have a lot to do with though, in the past few years I've seen at least 3 different JD dealers here in this area close there doors because they could make a go of it. The reality is you can buy a pretty serious commercial ZTR from Toro, Exmark or Hustler and have more mower for less money than you can from JD that's why the pros don't use JD.

Sorry, but that is not true at all. You can't make a blanket statement like that. It all depends on what part of the country you live in as to whether or not "pros" use JD, or whether or not JD is more expensive. Go to lawnsite and ask or read. Lots of pros use them. I use one. Does that mean I am not a pro? There is no better cutting deck for any part of the country than the 7 Iron Pro deck (the MOD is another story IME). Rain or shine, long or short, weedy, or lush. Doesn't matter. The deck cuts clean, and doesn't clump. The Velocity + is an excellent deck, but leaves longer clippings behind than the 7 Iron. The Exmark needs dry grass or it clumps like mad. The VX4 is having all sorts of issues on 60" decked machines. As far as the stamped deck issue, that's a bunch of BS. I guarantee you if more of the mower manu's could actually afford the enormous press it takes to make a stamped deck out of a single sheet of 7 gauge steel, they do it in a heartbeat since it is stronger and faster to produce once you have the expensive press and dies it takes to do it. They can't, so they knock it to sell their welded decks. Think about it....thousands of years ago the Romans were smart enough to now that a radius/arch was a lot stronger than a square corner. Are you going to try to tell me that that has all changed in the time since?

Here, Exmark rules as far as numbers. Why? Because back when lawn care was nowhere near as common as it is now, now that the economy is crap and everyone and his brother has a mower and trailer here (there are more LCO's here than you could ever believe unless you came here and saw them for yourself), Exmark and Toro were about it for commercial mowers here. If you wanted to be considered a "pro" you had to have an Exmark since that's what the other pros (who hadn't had much choice here previously) always used. It also happens that Exmarks is far more expensive than JD, Scag, Hustler, gravely etc etc here, and I mean by far.


As far as JD lawn, or L&G tractors goes- no one should judge them based on the entry level machines sold at Lowe's, HD, or dealers. They were designed to compete with cheapy machines like MTD/AYP products. Move into the 500 series like the OP bought, and it's a totally different world.


In ten years, how many MTD/AYP machines will be worth anything? Not very many, if any. The JD 500 and up series? Plenty as long as they were taken care of.

Most guys who claim that you are just paying for the paint on aJD are either jealous because they can't afford one themselves, or too cheap to spring for one.