# A Review: John Deere E120 Lawn Tractor



## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Thorough.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

The only thing that came to mind was cruise control, which you said it has. Constantly pushing the pedal gets old fast.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Ran into an interesting issue that has me somewhat disappointed in John Deere (JD).

Although I keep the included manuals for my tools, I like having .pdf copies. I keep a copy on my main computer and another on my Kindle. This makes it easy to access when I am in the garage and need to refer to the manual as it is easier than having to dig through the drawer to find the one I need.

Almost all companies offer free .pdf downloads of their manuals... JD is not one of them. 

They do offer a website that has the information contained in the manual. However, if you want to *download* a .pdf copy of the 60-page manual, it will cost you *$28*.

As for the "60-pages", there are whole pages that contain only one or two sentences. For instance on the page titled "Electrical", the only thing on the whole page is, _WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead components, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling._ 

In other words all the information in the manual could have been edited down to about 50 pages or less. 

It is pretty arrogant of JD to sell a mower for four figures and then turn around and want another $28 for a downloadable file that took a person less than 60 seconds to scan and save to a website. (The 60 seconds is not an exaggeration. I work in IT and we use desktop document scanners that will scan both sides of 30 pages simultaneously in less than 30 seconds and save it in .pdf format.)

More than likely the printed copy that comes with the lawn tractor, originated from a computer file easily converted to .pdf. So aside from the initial creation of the manual when the product was developed, it costs JD nothing to make a .pdf file available to it's customers.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

You work in IT, waste 30 seconds and scan it. It is a pretty good return for saving $28. I do agree that they suck for charging, most companies want it easily available for CYA on safety issues.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Old Thomas said:


> You work in IT, waste 30 seconds and scan it.


Not exactly my point. However, even if I wanted to I am not permitted to use my customer's equipment for personal use.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

UPDATE:

I purchased and installed the John Deere Original Equipment Mulch Cover for 42" Decks #GY00115.










It is made of an impact-resistant polymer which seems quite robust and attached with the two heavy-duty rubber straps and steel hooks.

It took a little work but I got it installed. The instructions that came with it are not very good. The photos in them were of very poor resolution making them almost useless. There are a some YouTube videos that provide better installation instructions.

I did my second cut with the cover in place using the 4" setting and was very satisfied with the performance. The lawn looked good with absolutely no clumps or lines of debris. The $30 investment was worth it and beats shelling out $350 for a bagging system.

There were a number of reviews that complained about the cover lifting up allowing clippings to blow out. Photos accompanying some of these reviews show the owner had removed the chute when they installed the mulch cover. 

The spring-loaded chute has to remain on as it helps keep the cover in place. Some owners have removed the chute but rigged a metal plate to hold the mulch cover down using the bolts that held the chute to clamp it.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

I am cheap. Before I paid $28 I would take a screen shot of each page and print it out. Or give my grandson $20 to do it for me.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Old Thomas said:


> I am cheap. Before I paid $28 I would take a screen shot of each page and print it out. Or give my grandson $20 to do it for me.


Actually, there is an option to print so you can print each page to a .pdf file which is what I did. I then collated all the pages into a single .pdf file.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

I have the X350 model and in the entire owners manual they dont list the part number for the oil filter for the kawasaki engine. REALLY! the oil filter part number is not important?


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

turbo4 said:


> I have the X350 model and in the entire owners manual they dont list the part number for the oil filter for the kawasaki engine. REALLY! the oil filter part number is not important?


There is a downloadable Maintenance Reminder Sheet for each JD model which lists the part numbers for the most commonly replaced parts including air, oil, and fuel filters.

Here is the link for the X350 with 42" deck.

Here is the one for the X350 with the 48" deck.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Read the review and glad you are happy with your purchase. Our 1988 JD170 (14hp Kawasaki, geared) is still chugging along but I do like to follow reviews, just in case. The only time we use the bagger now is in the Fall when the crabgrass goes to seed, in an effort to gather as many as I can. One trouble with baggers is the missus can't lift them to empty them anymore.

I do like the cruise control. I had it on my real tractor with a fore-and-aft treadle and, without it, it can get old really quickly, particularly if you are trying to hold a ground speed. I wouldn't be a fan of the PTO reverse lock-out; I do that a lot around trees, etc.

I guess I'm old school but I like the idea of dumping all the old oil every time.

One problem we are seeing now (aside from the missus discovering that a sloped driveway, neutral and a tree are a bad combination) is one spot is the mower deck is wearing through. The soil in our current place - 11 years now - is very sandy and it is basically sandblasting a hole in one spot. I've had it brazed once but it didn't last. They did make a heavy steel insert for this area of the deck, but given its age is almost impossible to find. The only place I could find one was in the US and the shipping wasn't worth it.

JD isn't making any friends with their proprietary service requirements in real tractors and farm implements. You pay for green paint but they do make a solid product.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

that is a hell of a review for no compensation.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Drachenfire said:


> There is a downloadable Maintenance Reminder Sheet for each JD model which lists the part numbers for the most commonly replaced parts including air, oil, and fuel filters.
> 
> Here is the link for the X350 with 42" deck.
> 
> Here is the one for the X350 with the 48" deck.


I just checked that today and yes itss there ,but im surprised that i got big 100 page owners manual that list the exact type of oil but no filter number. I just changed the oil and filter for the first time.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Fix'n it said:


> that is a hell of a review for no compensation.


ID give mine good reviews but sure would like to raise the cutting height to more than 4 inches. Every lawn is not as flat as a sheet of glass. I scalp some tree roots at the 4 inch height. Thats my biggest gripe.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

turbo4 said:


> ID give mine good reviews but sure would like to raise the cutting height to more than 4 inches. Every lawn is not as flat as a sheet of glass. I scalp some tree roots at the 4 inch height. Thats my biggest gripe.


i would love to mow higher, but i have a garbage tree in my yard and i have to mulch the leaves or else they kill the grass.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

lenaitch said:


> Read the review and glad you are happy with your purchase. Our 1988 JD170 (14hp Kawasaki, geared) is still chugging along but I do like to follow reviews, just in case. The only time we use the bagger now is in the Fall when the crabgrass goes to seed, in an effort to gather as many as I can. One trouble with baggers is the missus can't lift them to empty them anymore.
> 
> I do like the cruise control. I had it on my real tractor with a fore-and-aft treadle and, without it, it can get old really quickly, particularly if you are trying to hold a ground speed. I wouldn't be a fan of the PTO reverse lock-out; I do that a lot around trees, etc.
> 
> ...


Thank you.

I am still on the fence about a bagger and cannot yet justify the $350 expense. There are occasions when my lawn grows very quickly and the even with he mulch cover I get clumps which is when I would use the bagger. Right now, I just let the the grass dry and run over the lawn again with the deck at the same height I initially cut to help disperse the clippings. So far this method is working satisfactorily.

There is a conversion kit available to switch from the 30-second oil change system to a conventional oil change system. One can also just install the drain tube and use it in conjunction with the 30 second system to remove the remaining oil. They would just have to top off the oil once the new filter is in place.

As for your mower deck, perhaps you can take it to a metal shop and have them cut and weld in steel plate for you.

I have been watching the JD right-to-repair controversy as I can see this extending into the consumer automotive industry. Already independent mechanics are having a hard time repairing newer cars because of systems being tied to the computer. There is similar battle going on with the computer industry with Apple as the main culprit. Apple has been making it increasingly more difficult for third part repair facilities to fix their products mainly through the use of proprietary chips and bogus lawsuits. This forces Apple owners to have to take their product to the "Apple Genius Bar" who most of the time tells the customer the cost of the repairs are such they would do better buying a new product. It has been proven that often times the repairs are actually quite simple and would cost substantially less than replacing the product.



Fix'n it said:


> that is a hell of a review for no compensation.


As a DIY site, I am certain folks often come here for opinions on tools and products. By posting reviews (I have done others) of products I have purchased, perhaps I can provide a regular Joe's real world opinion, as oppose to a professional reviewers, to someone considering that product. It also gives others the opportunity to share their experiences and resolutions to issues on the same product.



turbo4 said:


> I just checked that today and yes itss there ,but im surprised that i got big 100 page owners manual that list the exact type of oil but no filter number. I just changed the oil and filter for the first time.


That is quite odd not having that information in a comprehensive manual. My mower came with a basic setup and use guide. For more comprehensive information, I had to go to their website to access their online manual. Originally, they were charging $28 for a printed copy of the owners manual, an issue that was discussed earlier in thread. I recently found they are now providing a free downloadable .pdf file through their Tech Info Store.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Drachenfire said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I have been watching the JD right-to-repair controversy as I can see this extending into the consumer automotive industry. Already independent mechanics are having a hard time repairing newer cars because of systems being tied to the computer. There is similar battle going on with the computer industry with Apple as the main culprit. Apple has been making it increasingly more difficult for third part repair facilities to fix their products mainly through the use of proprietary chips and bogus lawsuits. This forces Apple owners to have to take their product to the "Apple Genius Bar" who most of the time tells the customer the cost of the repairs are such they would do better buying a new product. It has been proven that often times the repairs are actually quite simple and would cost substantially less than replacing the product.


I haven't followed it closely but I recall that it started out in the automotive industry until right-to-repair legislation forced the manufacturers to release their codes to allow indy shops to start using code readers and analyzers. Apparently, the legislation didn't extend to 'all things mechanical'. The issue with most auto consumers, who don't typically do a lot of their own work, was choice between dealerships and their local shop of choice. With farmers, a greater percentage tend to do their own work, but the bigger complaint is the downtime. Having to wait for a JD tech to show up, or trying to drive many miles to a dealer (if the machine is actually drivable) at the height of planting or harvest season can have a massive impact in cost or lost income.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

I think what you are referring to is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA)

Passed by Congress in 1975 MMWA prohibits product manufacturers from conditioning consumer warranties on the use of any original equipment part or service. Furthermore, a manufacturer can only deny warranty coverage if it can demonstrate that a non-original equipment part or related service caused a defect to occur in the original product.

This law was, passed because manufacturers were telling consumers that only dealer service shops using original equipment replacement parts can perform required servicing or their new car or else their warranty would be voided. Of course, those parts and services came with a hefty premium price.

There is a new battle going on now in that car manufacturers do not want to release software code to companies that manufacture diagnostic equipment citing proprietary and copyright issues. This is why so many independent mechanic shops are unable to do certain types of repairs on newer cars.

In my opinion, the manufacturer’s position does not compute.

Microsoft Windows is proprietary software. When you buy a copy of Microsoft Windows or a computer with that operation system on it, you are not really buying the software, you are buying a license to use that software in the manner stated in the End User License Agreement (EULA).

Car manufacturers can do the same thing in licensing their diagnostic/repair software to third party mechanics. Instead, they are claiming “proprietary and copyright issues” to get around MMWA and force consumers back to the dealerships and their high priced operations.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Drachenfire said:


> I think what you are referring to is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA)
> 
> Passed by Congress in 1975 MMWA prohibits product manufacturers from conditioning consumer warranties on the use of any original equipment part or service. Furthermore, a manufacturer can only deny warranty coverage if it can demonstrate that a non-original equipment part or related service caused a defect to occur in the original product.
> 
> ...


No, I was thinking more of 'right to repair' legislation. It seems some US states have them and there is, or was, a federal bill in the system but I couldn't tell for certain where it stands. It seems they only speak to 'motor vehicle' which, depending on definitions, might exclude farm equipment.

I'm not aware we have similar legislation up here, but there is an 'agreement'. I only use indy shops for non-warrantee work and have never encountered a situation where my shop couldn't access the diagnostic codes, repair protocols or parts.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

We (US) have right to repair in part because of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act but it only applies to vehicles.

I think JD is already using proprietary and copyright issues to get around MMWA. I do know there are farmers who are buying pirated software from overseas primarily Poland and Ukraine so they can work on their own JD equipment. Apparently the few hundred dollars they pay for the cracked software beats the loss of productivity they incur waiting around for a JD tech to get to them and the $150 per hour fee they charge plus the repair itself which can be quite expensive.


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