Nothing Runs Like A Deere? Ha! By sizwizz on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
We live one a little over an acre, all planted in grass. Mowing with a walk-behind mower would be labor intensive, so we bought a riding mower. When we first moved in, we bought a used John Deere and it served us well, until it started to have mechanical problems. We liked the John Deere brand so much we decided to replace it with an upgrade.
What we like about it: It's an automatic, it has a 42" deck, and it cuts the grass.
What we hate: Everything else!
The design of the John Deere LX255 is basic... or so they would like you to think! If you just want to put gas in it, flip the switch and mow, it's fine. But let's say you want to bag the grass. No problem. Attach the bags (easy), and the grass chute (difficult). Aligning the bottom of the chute with the side-hole on the mower deck is tedious. It doesn't sit properly on the lip that's supposed to hold it in place, and as a result there is always a gap where the chute attaches to the side-hole. Two heavy-duty rubber bands with clips on the ends are used to fasten the chute in place. Obviously, it doesn't do it securely. While mowing, the grass will go up the chute and into the bags, but it also flies out of that gap where the chute and mower meet. Oh! Did I mention that the chutes get plugged up every time we mow? Between emptying the bags, and unplugging the chute, it takes us forever to finish!
If you want to mulch the grass while you mow, a whole different deck needs to be bolted on. Then the regular blade needs to be removed, and a mulching blade needs to be put on. It's a huge pain in the backside!
The John Deere LX255 does a nice job of mowing; it's all of the other headaches that you have to put up with to get the job done!
In the first sentence I meant to say we live ON a little over an acre... Well, we do live on a little over ONE acre, but you know what I mean. My mind was thinking of one thing and typing another! :-)
About The Author:
John Deere LX 255 Purchased at: John Deere Center Price: Too Much!
Wow-what a bummer! Too many necessary adjustments!
I'm thankful for our postage-stamp size lawns here in CA - we'll never have the headache of a riding mower!
A good lesson on really getting the info on how various features work before you buy.
If my yarad was big enough for this I wuld so get one. But my little gas powered push mower will do for now.
You did have issues with this mower,to bad John Deere is uaually a top notch name.
Seems like a lot of hassel, they need to make a new one that really is automatic.