JD discontinuing all but L100 series?

[Colorado]

I,m in the market as a first time shopper for a quality lawn tractor. The JD LTR180 seemed the perfect setup for me so I went to the local JD dealer to pursue this. They told me that JD was going to redesign their whole lawn tractor lineup except for the L100 series. This must be why they're offering the great financing deals...no payments until Jan '07. They said no more new tractors or associated attachments would be manufactured and that sales would be from existing inventories only.

I'm not ready to lay down all the money for every attachment I'll eventually want and the tractor all at the same time. My hopes were to build as time goes on but it doesn't look like this is an option with JD unless I want to go with their low-end L100 series.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

 

[timb]

No one except an insider at Deere can say with absolute certainty, but - chances are implements (and parts) being made now for current (and not so current) tractors will still be just as available next year.

Deere generally supports prior models very well. And often - not that much changes with some implements. Example - the 54" front blade for the X series is fundamentally the same 54" blade that was made for the 300 and 400 series tractors back in the 80's. Carts are carts, etc.,.

 

[bontai_Joe]

I am an owner of (2) 1970's Deere garden tractors and one from the 1980's and I can still get parts and attachments. There are very few companies of any kind that offer better part support that Deere does. As mentioned above the 54" front mounted blade offered today was first offered on the Deere 140 in the 1960s! The mount has changed slightly over the years. Mower decks are still available for everything built in the last 10 years, I would not sweat over there being such a radical change that stuff you bought this year might become an orphan next year. Based on my 30 years of buying stuff from them, it ain't gonna happen.

 

[Colorado]

I am confident that spare parts will remain available for many years. The issue is, however, that the attachments for the next generation (of which the snow blower is what I'm most interested in) will likely NOT be backward compatible with the older models. These are the dealer's words. He had a couple of horror stories about past experiences with this. Once the older generation snowblower inventory is gone, that's it.

 

[timb]

Just as an aside, according to the Deere site, the LTR180 does not take a snow blower - but the rest of the LT line is compatible with the 42" 2-stage blower. (at $1300).

That 42" blower is the unit for a lot of tractors Deere has sold over the last few years. Anything is possible, but again I'd be very surprised if Deere simply cuts off (and aggravates) a lot of existing owners of almost-new machines by a cold turkey halt to attachment production - unless the available stocks are pretty deep.

I think the same blower is used on the "L" line as well - and if they're not going away - then that blower would likely stay in production.

 

[Colorado]

The LTR180 will work with the snowblower per dealer. The website is ambiguous. If you go to the "build your LTR180" link, you'll find it is an option. I brought this up to the dealer and he was certain it would work. It's basically the same tractor as the LT180 but with a rear discharge deck and customized bagger. If I were to order the LTR180 (which probably won't happen), I would certainly get this confirmed and in writing from a JD rep first, though.

 

[timb]

You're dealer should know the best - but I was going by this doc:

42 Snow Blower

A line on page 5 reads...

"Not compatible with LTR166 and LTR180 Rear-Discharge Lawn Tractors."

...but things change and that document is dated 2003.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Colorado]

Thanks timb for the link. I checked further into snowblower at the JD website. Even though the snowblower is listed as an option when configuring your LTR180 package, if you check further into the links:

F.O.B. Davenport, Iowa

Description Code Price

42 In. Two-Stage Snow Blower
(For LT Series Lawn Tractors Model Year 2000 and Newer)

(Not Recommended for Model Years 1998 and 1999).
Will not fit LTR166 and LTR180 Lawn Tractors.

Rear Weight and Chains are recommended.

Tractors with no Mower or Equipped with a 42M (Freedom 42,
46, OR 48C) Mower require AM132726 PTO Rod and Spring Assembly. 3840M $1,350.00


I'd say the dealer doesn't know best in this case. This takes the LTR180 totally out of the running.

Anyone have suggestions for a tractor w/42-48 deck that is reliable, well built and powerful enough to use a snowblower
with without wearing it out?

Thanks

 

[timb]

Don't count the dealer out yet. At one time I don't think there was a snowblower option for any of the LT series, so things do change. That doc I linked was printed in 2003, so possibly whatever was the conflict on the LTR180 has been resolved.

If not, what about the 'regular' LT180? Basically the same tractor - definitely can take the snow blower, and has a couple of rear bagger choices depending on deck.

I'm thinking about picking up an LT160 w/42" deck as a nice smaller and manuverable lawn tractor since I have a heavier old JD garden tractor (that needs some repairs at the moment). The one-lunger 16 hp Kohler has a lot of torque for it's size and ought to make a good match for the 42C deck.

You have to go to at least the LT180 to use the 48C deck (which sounds like a "better" deck than the 42C). The LT180 has the 17hp Kawasaki which is supposed to be a very nice engine, but doesn't actually have as much peak torque as the Kohler - and while smoother *might* just bog worse under heavy grass conditions with the 48C than the LT160 would with the 42C.

For what it's worth, I've read a lot of posts from LT160/180 owners and everyone seems pretty happy with them.

 

[Colorado]

I was interested in the LTR180 because it looked like a very neat and efficient package with the customized rear-bagger setup. I have always preferred to collect grass rather than mulch. It also reduced the overall width vs the LT180 w/bag attachment which would make parking it in the space I've reserved for it in my garage easier.

At this point, I'm leaning towards avoiding JD altogether. I don't want to get caught up in their marketing realignment bs. Husqvarna has a couple of tractors I might be interested in or even *gasp* a craftsman...their service contracts are reasonably priced atleast.