JD Z520A Zero Turn Mower

[Hammermechanicman]

This doesn’t relieve them of any responsibility to support products that they sell especially at the prices they charge. If what you say were true why wouldn’t we just by the cheapest junk available knowing that we would just discard it when it broke. I don’t hear of these problems from Kubota. Maybe the reason is that everything that JD makes is proprietary to them and you can’t get parts from any other source. You can make all the excuses for them you want, but there are thousands of expensive zero turn mowers like mine out there that will probably experience the same problem, will you say the same “tough luck” to them. You sound more like a company spokesman.

Not a company man. I just know how it works. The FTC generally requires a company to provide parts and service on equipment for 7 years depending on what the equipment is an what it cost. The company i used to work for had a machine we sold that used a very specific rubber coated roller made by Ames rubber company. This was a wear item changed often. Many thousands of machines in service. One day Ames rubber company sends a message that they will no longer make the roller and the tooling has been destroyed. They said the contract for that one roller was not profitable enough and canceled it. The only other company in the country that could make the roller said they would not tool up for the part. Since the machines were over 7 years old customers were told we were going to end of life the product. One company canceling one part in the spares supply chain cost the company many millions in revenue and credibility. Company told us service reps not to tell customers why we were end of lifeing their machine. It is not that JD doesn't want to fix it, they can't. Yes, you got screwed and it sucks.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yep,
Briggs just screwed over their parts suppliers ( and the tax man ) for $ 900,000 by filing the chapter 11 .
So would any one be surprised if the company that makes the magnetos for the 20 year old mowers says "Stuff you and all of your customers " then dumps all remaining stock on ebay .
Happens every day .
As for the mower, it is only a motor .
So there will be some sort of engineering solution .
A hydro motor is a hydro motor is a hydro motor.
Oil goes in one side & comes out the other
Ho much passes through determines the speed and the direction determines the rotation .
The question is , will the customer wear the cost of the modifications.

Eaton decided domestic mowers were not profitable near 20 years ago.
They offered the tooling & IP to the market but the market called their bluff, so they smashed everything, including all of the service parts.
This was one of the reasons why Bolens went broke .
But I have 4 Duratrac sub compact tractors in my service run & we can always find some one who will take on a hydro work around to keep them running .

The big problem is he franchise rules that the JD dealers have to work under.
SO when head office says they can not be fixed the dealers are left holding the bag of dead kittens.
An independent workshop can look at it, cu the frame, make up a new mounting plate & fit a different motor then work out how to link it to the existing lap bars .
To a lesser degree an non JD dealer could do the same ( but is highly unlikely to ) .
Cold comfort for you but usually the HO will come up with a generous ( and ritefully so ) trade in deal if you push hard enough ( which you should not have to do )

 

[Lometa]

Yep,
Briggs just screwed over their parts suppliers ( and the tax man ) for $ 900,000 by filing the chapter 11 .
So would any one be surprised if the company that makes the magnetos for the 20 year old mowers says "Stuff you and all of your customers " then dumps all remaining stock on ebay .
Happens every day .
As for the mower, it is only a motor .
So there will be some sort of engineering solution .
A hydro motor is a hydro motor is a hydro motor.
Oil goes in one side & comes out the other
Ho much passes through determines the speed and the direction determines the rotation .
The question is , will the customer wear the cost of the modifications.

Eaton decided domestic mowers were not profitable near 20 years ago.
They offered the tooling & IP to the market but the market called their bluff, so they smashed everything, including all of the service parts.
This was one of the reasons why Bolens went broke .
But I have 4 Duratrac sub compact tractors in my service run & we can always find some one who will take on a hydro work around to keep them running .

The big problem is he franchise rules that the JD dealers have to work under.
SO when head office says they can not be fixed the dealers are left holding the bag of dead kittens.
An independent workshop can look at it, cu the frame, make up a new mounting plate & fit a different motor then work out how to link it to the existing lap bars .
To a lesser degree an non JD dealer could do the same ( but is highly unlikely to ) .
Cold comfort for you but usually the HO will come up with a generous ( and ritefully so ) trade in deal if you push hard enough ( which you should not have to do )

What you say makes some sense, but in my mind JD cannot afford to treat its customers so callously. I am posting everywhere and talking to lawyers about filing a class action suit (don’t like the idea) but this has really got me riled up. They have not even tried to accommodate me or work something out. I think people should start looking at other brands to purchase such as Kubota that offer better value and don’t tie you up with proprietary expensive parts.

 

[bertsmobile1]

And I for one back your actions 100% .
JD have a moral obligation to provide some sort of work around.
Be is a generous pro-rata trade in on a new mower or an engineered solution

 

[StarTech]

Ever heard of Googling the PN?

 

[Lometa]

Ever heard of Googling the PN?

Thanks, that was the first thing I tried.

 

[StarTech]

 

[Hammermechanicman]

JD probably can't fix your mower but they should give you a hefty discount on a new mower. The dealer can't afford to go deep in the hole on a trade but you would think JD would try to fix the black eye that model has given them.

 

[Lometa]

View attachment 54547

Thank you, when I searched I didn’t come up with these. I will check them out tomorrow. Hope one of them will do the job.

 

[Lometa]

JD probably can't fix your mower but they should give you a hefty discount on a new mower. The dealer can't afford to go deep in the hole on a trade but you would think JD would try to fix the black eye that model has given them.

That would certainly take some of the sting out of the experience, I think JD has some obligation to try to make good on the significant purchase I made and the trust I put in their premium product. I think it would also be small change considering all
The JD equipment I own and the fact that I would never purchase another JD product if they don’t do something to make this good. All my neighboring ranchers who also own JD equipment are watching to see what JD does and have indicated that it will affect their dealings with JD in the future.