John Deere 1025R 4.10 star(s) (32)

Transmission Oil Change (NOTE: NOT A REVIEW)
Model Year: 2017

The manual says to remove the hose from the suction pipe. I can't do this. The clamps holding the hose won't come off and the hose is too short to take out. I've been working on this for three days. Please help.

Pros: Runs fine, easy to drive.
Cons: Can't remove the suction screen from the transmission.

You Get What You Pay For
Model Year: 2016

I have five acres on a steep slope. I use the H120 bucket for snow pushing and removal and a 60D mower with mulching kit. It only has 90 hours but zero issues with it. The dealer sucked, though. They were confused about what to do at the 50 hour service. I will do everything from now on.

Pros: Reliability
Cons: Price of course

JD 1025R Backhoe Bracket Issue
Model Year: 2015

Good Evening my Tractor Friends! I have a question following this explanation: All my life, my family, along with myself, have been a Ford Tractor Family. In 2015, my wife and I were in the market for a small compact utility tractor, and John Deere was among the top of my list. So we purchased new a 1025R with loader and backhoe attachment. The tractor would make small jobs around the house/farm an easy task since it would go where my big tractors wouldn't. The versatility would be perfect. When it was new we noticed the backhoe attachment bracket under the tractor scrubbed the left tire. After 4 visits to my local dealer, it was band-aided by tire pressure and a bracket adjustment. These temporarily fixed it, but within a a short times you would feel and hear the tire scrub again. I know now the warranty has since run out and the tractor only has 130 hours on it and hasn't been used much at all, because I have been afraid of the tire tearing up. I finally had enough and carried it back on January 26th to have them check it. The service guy called me and said he saw in the corporate paper reviews that the company installed the wrong mounting bracket to the tractor and that the specs for the current bracket were wrong. He did let me see if John Deere would cover the cost of the replacement for the right bracket. He called on Tuesday and said corporate, their dealership, and me would split the cost of the bracket leaving me to pay $200 for a wrong part they put on their tractor. He said he didn't see how the part failed, and I put it to him as simple as I could, the company put the wrong spec part causing the tire to scrub. I said the tractor only has 130 hours. When I brought it to him for service it had 99 hours back in June, and they knew then my issue and never followed through. Luckily, I saved all my emails to the salesman, who is now the store manager. He never returned a single email but one saying they would take care of it. This was in 2015 when I bought. They have never stood behind my tractor, which is their product. The tractor is great, but it's no good when the tire scrubs the frame. So, needless to say, John Deere put on a wrong part and won't make it right, and I have a tractor that still belongs to them until I get it paid for in a year or so. Has anyone ever had this issue on this type of tractor and this kind of trouble in a John Deere? It's got me not ever wanting to buy a Deere ever again. Thanks Tim

Pros: Great little tractor for around the house
Cons: Just the bracket for backhoe scrubs back tire

Not As Easy As Ads On TV
Model Year: 2015

I've had my 1025R for three years. For me, because of trees, shrubs, and the shape of my lawn, I should not have bought the mower deck. The turning radius of the tractor is much too big to mow anything but a huge empty lot. The power take-off of the 'drive over' quick-attach mower deck does not work without crawling underneath to clean off and grease the power-take off spline. The front loader cannot be mounted without removing the snowblower power take-off attachment on the front of the tractor. The mounting plates on the front of the tractor must be unbolted and changed out to go from mower to snowblower back to mower. I don't understand why John Deere engineering did not make a plate that would fit both the snowblower and mower, and allow the front loader to be used by simply disconnecting the snowblower leaving the power take-off drive plate in place. Seriously. However, the front loader is very easy to remove and install. Overall, it is a super nice little tractor, but John Deere engineering gets a C- from me because attachments are a pain to swap out.

Pros: Front loader is excellent, rototiller works well, 25 horsepower borderline for front mount snowblower in heavy snow
Cons: No rear wheel weights available for tractor, large turning radius makes difficult mowing

Second John Deere Compact Tractor
Model Year: 2016

I traded my John Deere 2003 2210 tractor for the 1025 R. The new tractor has an easy-connect front end loader and drive-over 60-inch mower. The loader is easy to attach and detach. I used it recently to move and spread 15 tons of gravel. It worked very well. The mower cuts smoothly. With the wider 60-inch mower, I have to be more careful about scalping uneven places in the lawn on a low height setting and watching the left side of the mower near fixed objects as the mower body is wider than the tractor. The drive over feature is easy to disengage. Attaching the mower is a bit trickier. As the instructions say, the mower must be on a level surface; otherwise, the power take-off drive shaft does not engage the mower drive box. I appreciate the extra horsepower of the 1025 R. It has run very smoothly. It is much easier to mow without the front end loader attached and to use the front end loader without having the mower attached. The 1025 R also has improved engine cooling and is not as prone to overheating from front dust and trash accumulation as the 2210 was.

Pros: Stronger engine and detachable loader and mower
Cons: Some concern about servicing the transmission based on other reviews

1025R Issues
Model Year: 2015

I've had problems with the floppy bucket and trouble with the 3-point. It is hard to start in the winter and has terrible fuel usage. John Deere would not resolve the issues so I traded it on for a B2650 Kubota. I should have bought that to start with, what a sweet tractor. I will never buy anything green again!

Pros: Auto connect deck was nice
Cons: Not built very well

I Won't Be Able To Get Away From This Mower Quick Enough
Model Year: 0

I bought this tractor with the quick auto connect brand new. The dealer had to take it back because the auto connect would not connect. The dealer had it for over a month correcting the problem. I mowed with it for a while and another snag came up. The dealer had to come back out to get the tractor again. I've had a hard time getting the belly mower to connect up after disconnecting it for other uses. Then, as if that's not enough, the front kept popping out of the bracket causing the mowing to be uneven. My latest problem is that the tractor won't even start at all. The battery has been in the area of an 85% charge, but it's not even turning over at all. This thing is horrible. Talk about buyer's remorse! I've got over $16,000 tied up in this thing and it's junk. I'll never buy another John Deere again. I'll stick with Husqvarna or something more dependable like Murray from Walmart. Stay away from this mower!

Pros: Can't think of a single pro
Cons: Bumper to bumper, this thing is junk, makes me sick to think I've spent the kind of money I did on this, might as well have wiped my nose on all that money

Tilt Steering On 1025R
Model Year: 2013

The tilt steering wore out at 250 hours. I do a lot of turning when mowing my place and the tilt became all loose and steering developed about 2 inches of free play. It has poor design of the joint in shaft which is a ball and socket setup instead of a universal joint, so it had free play from day one. The E model without tilt has much less play. By the parts pictures, the newer models have a different setup for the tilt, as far as I can tell. Anyone else have the same problem?

Pros: It's green
Cons: Too many to list compared to the Kubota I had

Servicing Tractor
Model Year: 2013

I just did the 200-hour service. The dealer did a transmission change along with correcting other problems at 50 hours. The engine is easy to drain oil and change the filter. The transmission is another story. The oil filter is above the front power take-off shaft so it has to be removed to change the filter. Cleaning the oil pickup screen on the left side of the transmission is a royal pain. The clamps are hard to get at because of all of the framework in the way, and you have to pry the hose up and down to remove and replace it. I had a 2006 Kubota BX 24 TLB and it was much easier to service. There was no power take-off shaft in the way of the transmission filter and nothing in the way of the pickup screen in the bottom of the transmission. It just had one bolt to take out, and no hose to fool with. The cost is roughly $200. That is roughly $1 an hour to run it besides fuel. I a wishing I had stuck with Kubota. I think the John Deere is a rebodied Yanmar.

Pros: None
Cons: Too many to count, controls under the seat, tilt steering has abnormal free play

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My Bad Experience
Model Year: 2016

I dropped it off Friday night because the mid power take-off would not engage and the seat was canted to the right. Seven days later, and after dismantling a majority of the machine to fix a factory problem, there is the wrong size snap ring in the power take-off. The tractor returned and I used it for 5 hours. The 3-point will not stay in the up position. It's been returned again with 10 hours on the machine. Four more machines came in with the same problem.

Pros: When it runs right I love it
Cons: Poor quality build

Good All Around Tractor
Model Year: 2016

It clears snow great with the H120 loader. I have a 60-inch drive over deck that does good. It could be a little cleaner cut. My only problem has been debris in the grill and screen in front of the radiator that builds up while mowing tall grass and causes the engine to heat. I have to stop and clean out the screen about every 20 minutes mowing my field.

Pros: Attachments, good power, easy maintenance
Cons: Radiator location, overheating due to debris

Very Capable Piece Of Equipment
Model Year: 2016

I have read many reviews from all manufacturers before making this purchase. I got a TLB with a 54-inch drive over deck. Over the fall, I was able to rid the yard of several smaller stumps and some overgrown brush. This thing is NOT an industrial piece of equipment, but is very capable. It takes a little more time to complete tasks, but that is what I expected from it. The loader proved its worth in a 32-inch snowstorm, and releveling the front yard from a sewer install in an area where clay and limestone is a given. The attaching and removal of the loader, backhoe, and deck are fantastic. The operator controls layout is well thought out and functional, and for the price incentives and financing options from Deere, the purchase was a no brainer. Anyone can operate this with very little training. If anyone is having issues with their decks, I would suspect someone damaging the under carriage, because the transition to mower for the summer was under 30 minutes.

Pros: Controls, user friendly, you do not have to run it hard to get it to work.
Cons: hydraulic cylinders tend to bypass the piston seals.

Quick Attach Implements Not Compatible With Each Other
Model Year: 2015

The quick attach frame for the lawn deck must be removed to add the front power take-off frame with the quick attach snow blower frame. The front loader will not fit on the tractor with the snow blower removed and the front power take-off frame attached. It seems that John Deere engineering has work to do. It does not seem logical that one quick attach frame would not work with all attachments. When the quick attach frames must be changed out between implements nothing is quick attach.

Pros: Implements work very well
Cons: Quick attach frames are not compatible, front loader does not fit on tractor with front power take-off installed

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Tips Over Easily
Model Year: 2014

It is very dangerous to use this machine on any terrain except flat ground. I have a moderate slope in the back yard and this tractor cannot be used there with the front end loader attached. I came very close to a complete tip over on a slight slope.

Pros: Compact, easy to use
Cons: Tips over easily

Snowblowing
Model Year: 2014

Getting snow inside battery compartment in front of tractor; just screen when blowing snow some snow is blowing back through screen. This is probably not good for the battery.

Pros: Nice tractor
Cons: Needs more enigneering

My John Deere 1025R
Model Year: 2014

Perfect for my 5 acre horse farm.

Pros: Works like a charm. Couldn't ask for an better. Excellent!
Cons: I've got no complaints.

John Deere 1025R
Model Year: 2014

I have always had John Deere tractors for over 30 years. This tractor lives up to the name, the only complaint I have is with the seat springs. I have ordered heavier replacement springs so that should take care of that issue. Mows perfect, it handles the 4 ft. tiller that I bought with it with ease. My (and my neighbors) garden only takes about 1/2 hour to till (used to take all day with a walk behind).

Pros: Almost everything.
Cons: Seat springs.

Keep Your Kubota
Model Year: 2014

Had '06 BX 24 TLB with 60" deck Kubota and wanted new unit so bought the 1025R TLB w/ 60" deck. I should have stayed with Kubota. Build quality is no where near the Kubota, The 4WD drive/PTO controls are basically under the seat and not easy to reach. The only controls that are easily reachable are the high/low range, the Joyce stick for the front bucket, and the 3-point hitch control. The engine passes raw fuel and runs rough on start up even at 60 degrees after letting glow plugs cycle once. At 10 deg. after letting glow plugs cycle 3 times, it fills my garage with raw fuel smoke and runs rough. The Kubota never did that. Used to cycle the glow plugs for a count of 10 and it ran smooth with no smoke. The backhoe mounts on a downward angle and has no step to get up on it like the Kubota, the stabilizer cylinders just float around on the pins at the top end and have no grease fittings. The tractor is garage kept and rinsed down once in a while and it is showing rust on the frame of backhoe mounts already. If you want to know more email ralyjohn@hughes.net. I have reviewed the tractor for John Deere and talked with a rep last week.

Pros: Can't find any.
Cons: Poor quality, Poor engineering.

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Great Homeowner Tractor
Model Year: 2014

This tractor witn no attachments is ~1400 lbs. This makes a tractor that does minimum damage to the lawn. I bought mine with a backhoe/loader, MMM, loader, landscape rake, and rear blade. I have used the loader to scrape out unwanted landscaping and the backhoe to dig out unwanted vegetation and small stumps. This tractor has a high power to weight ratio so you can get after it. That said, it is a subcompact and you are not going to dig a swimming pool very easily. But you will do a nice landscaping fish pond. When it was first delivered, it had pinched wires by the left rear turn signal, kept blowing fuses. Local dealer fixed first time. The tool box was installed so the lid would not open more than 3 inches below the turn signal. I flipped the bracket upside down, faced it forward, and bought a bigger box made by Stanley and it holds the tools I need and is out of the way. This is a quality tractor, built to last, but attention to detail by the manufacture's engineers and a good final check by assemblyman could make this an outstanding buy.

Pros: Built sturdy, high power to weight ratio, light enough to be easy on turf, many attachments available.
Cons: Attention to detail in assembly checkout and tool box location lacking.

Not Worth the Money
Model Year: 2014

I purchased this tractor w/the front loader, rear mower, and rear blade. While for the most part the tractor is okay, the attachments leave a lot to be desired. I spent almost 30 minutes trying to attach the rear mower to the 3-point hitch. Afterwards, it took another hour to attach the mower shaft to the PTO. I actually could not do it, my neighbor helped and even he had problems. After looking at the Kubota PTO, I realized there are 2 problems: the JD shaft is straight vs. Kubota's tapered, and the 'quick-connect' on the Frontier mower is anything but---one has to hold the connection open. Every QC I have used stay open until it senses the balls in the QC have dropped into the grove, then it closes. Next problem is while mowing, I was losing traction going up hills and trying to turn. So I spent $500 for 4 John Deere suitcase weights and the front bracket. The bracket has a bar to hold the weights in, and once the weights are in place, the bar cannot be used. This was the last straw and it is going back to the dealer. Poor design of the tractor and the attachments. I expected more of John Deere. This is my first and last John Deere compact tractor.

Pros: None.
Cons: Attachments.