Go with the 145 but ask the dealer to do a thorough cosmetic cleanup and waxing as a condition of the sale

David

Thanks for the info & suggestions, guys. Keep 'em coming, please!

Couple of points I should have mentioned: the front can be "side-hilled" easily, no problem. The back- steep & lots of trees, even though I traverse it, I probably shouldn't, but it's just not practical to mow the whole thing up & down. So, I mow the back in a loop, across, down, across the other way, then up. Across is much longer than up, so that'll probably be OK. Fortunately the back only needs mowing about once per month "during season"(~8 months of the year!)- gets too much shade.

Before the MTD, had a Murray. Yeah, I know! Anyhoo, by the time I got rid of the Murray, the sand had worn thru these little "mounting dimples" it had in the deck- so you can see that a thick-shell deck is important to me! :^) This is one of 2 things I don't like about the JD- deck only 12-ga thickness, while some Craftsman & Husq have 11 ga, a few even have 10ga I think. The other thing, JD has no quick-detach feature on these mowers, it's all the old Rube Goldberg-type pins & clips. 8^P

Another thing- while I really like the looks of the larger wheels on the JD 145-155-la130, do they really make much of a difference?

Should have said- I plan to mow, & maybe pull a lawn sweeper to pick up leaves in the fall-winter. No snow plowing, no garden plowing, etc.

Today I plan to go look at Sears & a couple of Husq dealers, see if I can really pin down what trans those have. Probably won't buy anything yet.

*Plan for tonight- ck parts list on Internet, see if JG LA130-145-155C use same trans or not. If the 155c had a heavier duty transmission, now *That* might be worth the extra $300!

The 145 and 155C both have the TT K46AC. The 130 has the TT T40J. See link for comparisons.

Here is a link that might be useful: JD Comparison Chart

That chart is *Very* useful, & doesn't seem to be on the USA website. Thanks!

Well- No new mower yet. Made expeditions yesterday & today. What I've learned so far- and today.

*In the stores & dealerships, never have I seen & heard so much misinformation, downright lies, stupidity, brand-worship for no reason, & brand hatred for no reason. Some people make a substitute religion out of this- seems to me more of those "believe in" JD than any of the others. But just about every brand has rabid supporters & haters. Spare me, please!

*Just because they're a JD dealer doesn't mean they're good, or know their product. I might still get the 145 at the JD dealer, but it has *Serious* competition now.

*JD uses only 12-ga thickness steel on their 48" decks- that's a Big Negative with me. The soil is so sandy here that one of the things that happens to mower decks is that they wear through, from the *Inside*! No, that is *not* an exageration, I even had a Murray(yeah, I know!) that wore through in about 4 years. Also, JD still uses the old Rube Goldberg pins & clips attachments for the deck- big PITA when it's time to change blades. With all the JD worship that goes on you'd think they'd have some kind of quick-detach system by now- but Noooooo! In short, JD has a decent workable system- but there's nothing special about it, not even a little bit. (I know the JD crowd is gonna really hate reading this!)

*So far, the only real advantage I can see to the JD 100 series is that all its Hydro trannies are TuffTorq. Since others now use the TT trannies, that becomes even money when both have the same TT trans.

*Craftsman & Husqvarna use 10 or 11 ga steel for their 48" & 54" decks- a big plus with me. Much more rugged than the 12-ga JD decks- & the deck is what gets all the really hard knocks.

***BIGGY***: Curious to see if a hydro-drive Sears Craftsman or Husqvarna has a TuffTorq or Hydro-Gear trans? Just raise the seat & look on the bottom- there's a sticker that will tell you which brand & what model hydro trans it has! Woo Hoo! Big thanks to Jayson at Sears for teaching me that extremely useful little tidbit.

*Saw a last-years model of Husky at an independent dealer today that really looked good- I especially liked the grab-handles on the rear fenders, might have even bought it- but unfortunately it has the weak low-end Hydro-Gear 0510 trans. The external brake on those is gonna be trouble, I just know it- too much leaves/grass/dirt/twigs here to jam something up. But at least I was able to lift the seat, read the sticker, & know for sure!

*Sears has *nice* unit for $2099.99 this week that has a Briggs Extended life 26-HP V-twin, the TuffTorq 46 trans, big rear wheels & tires, & really heavy duty 48" deck. And if I buy it with my Sears card & then pay it off right away, I get a 5% rebate- that's $105 back- makes it the same price as the filthy-dirty outside-for-months last year's JD.

*And BTW- on every lawn tractor I've been seriously interested in, I've opened & inspected the air filter setup. That Briggs Extended-Life V-twin engine has the best looking air filter setup I've seen on any lawn tractor so far- a "flat-sided oval cylinder" of pleated paper, with a foam sleeve, as opposed to a flat pleated paper panel with foam panel ahead of it, or the Kohler Courage series which seem to use paper only & have no foam pre-cleaners at all. The air cleaner is extremely important here in the sandy soil of NE Tx, & for me an oiled foam air pre-cleaner is an absolute must.

I'm still considering the JD 145- but that pretty red Craftsman will cost about the same, has the same TT K46 trans, a *superior* deck, better air filter setup- and hey, even 4 extra HP!

It's not just about the amount of steel... It's how you use it. If sandblasting is a problem, then your 10 gauge deck will last 5 years instead of 4. I'd rubber-coat the underside, to prevent abrasion of the metal. Done... As for the deck hanging system, it takes me 60 to 90 seconds to remove, or hang the deck. is that "bad"?... Anyway, don't cvonfuse good design with weight... They are usually mutually exclusive.

think of that pretty craftsman as the equivalent of a shiny new chevy.. I'd rather drive an acura, even though it weighs less.

Food for thought

OK, Wally, I'll ask- other than the name, just what is there that makes the John Deere deck an Acura, and the Craftsman deck a Chevy? Please enlighten me, & be specific about what's so superior. I'd be delighted to learn.

I've messed with these things for many years now, & see nothing special about the JD design. Both companies buy their small parts, pulleys, etc from outside suppliers, both are belt driven, and just about anything will cut smooth & even when it's properly adjusted & the blades are sharp. Basic mower design is the same.

Just remember- I'm looking for a mowing workhorse, not a lightweight that coasts along on a name & can't take the hard knocks of real life. ;^)

There are plenty of 100-Series owners here that will attest that their machines are "mowing workhorses" and do more than just coast on a name.

We should yet again leave it up to a test drive. Go drive the Sears and then drive the JD. Then make your decision.

I'm sure that's true, but Wally's statement about the Chevy & Acura business sounded way too much like a true believer, with no support offered for his point of view. Both systems have a belt driving pulleys, angles & approach are similar, both should work about equally well.

Fact is, I've found plenty of John Deere testimonials, also plenty of JD true believers- and plenty of JD horror stories too. I look at them as another mower, & have no love/hate for any of them- well OK, no Murrays or MTDs please! 8^) Other than that, for me it really doesn't matter. If the local JD dealer(closest, he's still ~25 miles away) inspired more confidence, I might be more inclined to buy into the JD mystique. But he doesn't, & so I don't.

When I say hard knocks I'm not kidding- no matter how careful there will always be tree roots etc to run into. I've had my troubles with a thin deck before, & don't want any more of them. Just ask the mower repairmen around here, it's common in my area.

I posted my analysis just over 2 years ago just after I bought my L120. Yes I looked at simplicity as well (too expensive in Canada), Toro and Craftsman.

To summarize in a short paragraph: Managing an egineering department in the aerospace industry for over a decade now, I know about mechanical stress analysis. There are material shapes and patters you recognize in formed, welded and machined materials such as metals (decks, frames etc), that are distinctive to the concept of finite element analysis (an advanced 3-d modelling concept for solids under stress), and the strenghtening of a structure in areas of concentrated stress. JD equipment has these patterns all over the place. Craftsman does not (to be fair, that was 2 years ago). What that means is that JD is engineered... using advanced CAE tools. The craftsman design is typical of an unoptimized approach - if "you think intuitively that an area will be weak, put more metal there" But whether it's enough?... time will tell. That's why chevy cast-iron engines are heavy, and japanese (and recently Ford) engines are not. And why engines last 200k miles for a chevy, and 400k miles for a toyota (or acura if you want). More metal (or more weight) does not [necessarily] mean more life.

Of course there is a point where more metal will equal more life. For example, if you use a Mack truck to deliver a pizza every day, that Mack truck will last a million years - but that's another story. A craftsman is quite far from a mack truck, in relative comparison terms.

Hope that helps, but if not then sorry - I can't help you.... make your own decision at the end of the day. I am just telling you what I think and what I know.

Oh and never mind my name "Wally" - it's not my real one.

but is sure entertains....

Now *That's* an explanation! Thanks for taking the time, I really appreciate it. OK, let's say the JD 145 now has a slight lead on the Craftsman- now if that local JD dealer just wasn't so "don't-much-give-a-hoot" about things. Heck, they could at least wash it. The guy at Sears, on the other hand, really wanted to sell me a tractor, & once I made clear what I wanted, he steered me straight to their bang-for-the-buck champ.

One thing I thought I'd pass along- even my 77-yr old mom recognizes the John Deere name, and she's never lived on a farm. ;^)

Hmm...maybe I should change my username to "the Beave"...Nah! 8D "Gee Thanks, Wally." ;)

Let me say this: Sears made drastic strides in the engineering of their tractors with the introduction of the '06 models, and are further improving with the newly released '07 designs. wally2q's comments above are most interesting, and I think they may have been true when comparing Sears ve Deere '04 and '05, but I wonder if he would draw the same conclusion looking at, say an '07 28714 model from Sears for this year--Sears answer to the current LA-110.

Having said all of that, I still like the L-145 idea.

One on Deere's problems in marketing inexpensive lawn tractors has been that some dealers at least seem more that a little snooty, focused primarily on the big spenders that want higher margin tractors with more features, and as a consequence don't seem that interested in helping in the small $ residential (aka LA-series) customer, despite the fact that they have a nice product. IMHO, the HD or Lowes stores sometimes are more customer friendly in selling Deere. You are well aware that a lot of guys here think that one should always buy Deere from a dealer but I don't necessarily agree with that contention.

David

Just another note... how machines are treated before a sale - at a dealer (JD dealer in my experience), mattered to me. I went to one dealer with a relatively small shop... he kept everything outside.... I asked him if all the rain and snow was affecting starter switch reliability at all... he said no..... sure...... Unless JD uses a $250 mil-spec ignition switch (they don't), it sure is getting affected by rain.... I didn't want reliability problems 5 years from now, so another that was another reason why I bought my tractor from a dealer that keeps all his stuff in-doors.

If this "Sears has *nice* unit for $2099.99 this week that has a Briggs Extended life 26-HP V-twin, the TuffTorq 46 trans, big rear wheels & tires, & really heavy duty 48' deck" is the one in the link, it's not for you. The K46 is only rated up to 20 inch tires. Your property combined with big tires will kill that trans.
I'm not trying to talk you out of a Craftsmen as I own one, just sharing info.

Here is a link that might be useful: sears

I thought sears used Hydrogear not Tuff Torq on their bigger tractors. I know our 05 GT5000 has Hydrogear.

Sears would not likely use a tranny with different tire size than it is rated for.

I don't know anything about 20" being the maximum tire size for the K46 but I DO think the tranny needs to be your main concern in deciding what to buy!

Forget the deck thickness, deck hangers and air pre-filter for a bit and focus on the essentials. You need to buy something that will handle that steep slope at your mother's place without straining. If it takes going to a beefier JD or whatever to accomplish that, then by all means that's what you need to do. IMHO

"I don't know anything about 20" being the maximum tire size for the K46 but I DO think the tranny needs to be your main concern in deciding what to buy!"

Look at the link and you shall learn.

I am thinking that Sears model uses a Hydro-Gear as well, but not sure. I do know the GS series uses a Hydro-Gear 3000 series.

Here is a link that might be useful: tuff torque

Thanks guys- keep those cards & letters comin' in! :^)

The link to the Sears tractor posted above- yup, that's the one! That model *definitely* has the TuffTorq K46 trans, I lifted the seat & read the sticker myself. The TT website chart has a note that says, referring to the K46 & 22" tires, "Possible, but depends on weight & duty cycle". So, while it may be marginal, it seems to be doable. As far as that goes, the JD 145 uses the same TuffTorq K46 trans, *and* it also has 22" rear tires. Both machines with 22" rear tires & TT K46 trannies, = even money on the trasmission.

I even printed out charts from the TuffTorq & Hydro-Gear websites- I'm even more determined to get a TuffTorq trans after talking with a repairman this morning. Especially between the TT K46 & HG 0510 series, he *strongly* recommended the TT.

Yeah, the JD dealer is a disappointment. He could at least wash the poor things- they've sat outside for *months*, & every external surface on them is covered with dirt & dust. :P I have the same concern about the switches- plus the battery is a year old on it, and in my experience LT batts last about 2 yrs, no matter how much or little I use 'em. Your experience may vary. ;^)

Just to further complicate things- found another possibility at Sears on internet though I don't yet know which trans it has. But I plan to find out! :D

OK, Jason from Sears just called back- the closeout tractor(Fairway 5500 24-Hp 48" deck) I found on their website late last night has the Hydro-Gear 0510 trans- too bad. Price $1900 on closeout- buy it Sun evening & get 10% off that, use Sears card, pay off when first bill comes, get 5% rebate, trims price way down. But I'll pass on the HG tranny.
If you're interested, here's a link to the Fairway closeout w/HG trans:

Here is a link that might be useful: Sears Fairway 48

Why do you want to pass on the Hydrogear? They are good units.

David, that's a good question. I can only answer that virtually all the advice I can find, both online & in person, prefers the TuffTorq trannies to the Hydro-Gear in the light-duty trannies. (it's not that many sources either, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt) For all I know they may be wrong, but I've decided to go along with it. It's true that there are one heckuva lot of Hydro Gear -0510 series units out there, and surely they aren't all giving trouble! But I'm gonna follow their advice & go with the TT- if it dies in a few years I'll sure be PO'd, huh? ;)

I have noticed that on the heavier duty garden-tractor transmission units, this preference for TT over HG seems to weaken or disappear, depending on who you ask. The one thing that I see on the HG that looks like trouble to me is the external dry brake- with all the dirt, sand, chopped grass/leaves/twigs etc we have here, it looks like a potential trouble spot to me. And a local repairman I spoke with only this morning was specific about that feature in particular. He doesn't sell lawn tractors either.

I just wish I could find a good automatic trans garden tractor, wth a 54" deck, that I can afford. All the Sears GT's have 54" decks, & I fear that'll just be too wide.

unclestu, Did you end up buying the Craftsman? I have been looking at that exact one and I like it. I'm really curious as to how that thing sounds running wide open with the blades running. My only other concern is how easily the deck comes out from under the tractor in comparison to the simplicity regent or the JD LA130.

Haven't bought yet- but will tomorrow/Sat or Sunday evening between 6-9 pm t0 get additional 10% discount- it depends.

If I buy the $2100 MST 5500, gotta jump tomorrow- last day of sale for that one. Buying any model lawn tractor today(Fri) or tomorrow(Sat) at Sears gets you a free bumper- they're on sale for $30 thru Sat, but free is even better, right?

BUT: I may get the $1900(Clearance price) Fairway FS 5500 instead. Why? Turns out that some of them have the HG trans, and some have the Tuff-Torq!(also, the air cleaner is the 2nd best I've seen, exactly like the John Deere 145). And I believe the HG's in that model may be the -0610(same size unit as 0510, but with greater reduction ratio) instead of the -0510. And if they still have one, may be able to get the sales mgr to hold it till Sun evening for me, & get the 10% discount avail on lotsa stuff in store Sun evening between 6-9 pm. That would save $400, so it sure won't hurt to ask. ;^)

Anyhoo, will post tomorrow *after* I've either been able to lock-in the deal I want, or found it impossible & had to go with the $2100 MST 5500. (the "M" in MST stands for- get this- "Monster"! No kidding- Bwahahaha!!:^) )

Drove by the JD dealership this evening- the JD 145 still sits outside near the fence, as it has for months, getting covered with dew every morning, rained on, & dirtier every day. Next closest JD dealer is over 60 miles from home- so yup, gonna get a Craftsman for sure.

But will I get the 26 hp $2100 Monster, or the $1900 24 hp Fairway? Tune in tomorrow, CW- I'll post here.

Went back to Sears this morning- they were willing to put a hold on the $1900 clearance-priced Craftsman Fairway FS 5500, #27684 for me until Sunday evening- so I'll get the 10% discount off the mower, plus get another 5% rebate for using the Sears card. And it has the Tuff-Torq trans- woo hoo!

Today is the last day that the 42" high-speed lawn sweeper($280/$350) & front bumper($30/$50) were on sale, so I went ahead & bought both of those- they're in the carport right now. Would have bought those anyway, even if I'f gotten the $2100 MST 5500.

I'll save so much on the "tractor"(let's face it, unless you get into a full fledged Garden Tractor, it's a riding mower in the shape of a tractor!) that I'm seriously considering getting the Extended Warranty/Service plan- 3 yrs, includes house calls. The house call coverage is the big thing for me, since I have no truck or trailer to haul it with- and a bare nekkid house call costs $88, plus parts & labor! :0

Deck removal- the Craftsman also has the Rube Goldberg pins & clips, certainly no better than the JD 145, maybe a little more difficult. No idea about the Simplicity.

And tomorrow evening I don't even have to drive back to Sears(~32 miles)- can finalize the mower purchase with a phone call! ;^)

Here is a link that might be useful: Craftsman Fairway FS 5500; $1900

Are we going to see photos of your beast in action on this thread soon?

As Red Skelton used to say- I dood it! Gave the Sears card a real workout, & will be neck deep in new Craftsman yard-care goodies.:)

The Sears Hi-Speed 46" sweeper went on sale today($330/$400)- with the 10% discount this evening it came to only $17 more than I paid for the 42" model yesterday- so this evening I went back to Sears, returned the 42" sweeper, & bought the 46" instead. :^)

And CW- I bought the Craftsman Fairway FS 5500 at 10% off the $1900 clearance price. Some of you may say I'm an easy mark- but I even sprang for the extended warranty/protection plan. Got 10% off that too- I figure one good house call will just about pay for it. Since I have no truck or trailer that will haul the new mower, it may turn out to be a very good idea.

David- Pix maybe, but action shots? Dunno how I'd manage that.

The mower & sweeper will be delivered on Sat Mar 31. Gotta get the old MTD going & knock the grass down one time with it, then put it up for sale. "*Strong* running Briggs 14 hp I/C engine- CHEAP!"

Thanks to all who offered advice & info. For good or ill, I've made my choice & will be using this mower & sweeper for years to come.

Congrats. I too bought a Craftsman YS4500 24 HP B&S V-twin for $1289 tonight. I only mow 1/2 acre, but the price for this was so good, I couldn't pass it up since I needed a new rider anyway. What a great sale. I even got the free bumper.
I was debating long and hard and wanted the automatic but I think in the long run for a flat lawn like I have it wont make a difference except for maybe less parts to repair.
I did not get the protection plan because I thought it would be a waste since there is 2 year warranty on the machine anyway.

I can't wait to get my new toy- wanna race?

Hmm...you might win a race, I think the 4500 is a little lighter than the 5500! ;^D At the Sears store here, the free bumper was for Fri & Sat only- I had to choose between a free bumper on Sat, that was on sale for $30, or 10% off of $1900 on Sun- needless to say, I went for the $190 off. Sounds like you got a heckuva buy on your mower too- Congrats!

Just a question about these Craftsman tractors. My dad has a huskvarna and a craftsman. One is about 6 years old and the other is about 3 or 4 years old. Both machines have the fender mounted, foot controlled hydo. No idea what model trans they have. Both CREEP in reverse. I mean, most mowers go about 1/2 speed in reverse. These go about 1/8 speed. VERY slow. VERY agitating to drive. They have done it since new, and the dealer for the huskvarna said that they all did that, but tried to adjust the linkage anyway, but it did not help. Also, unlike any other hand operated hydo I have ever used (Saber, Scotts, Yardman, a couple of others), when you push the brake pedal it does not put the hydro back the neutral. If it is going to do that, I'd rather have a gear drive. When ever I get on it, I get whiplash. When I bought my Deere L118 in Nov 2005, I refused to even look at the AYP mowers because of this. With all the talk of the new trannys in the Craftsman tractors, I am curious to see if this is corrected. Do the new ones actually move backwards at a usable speed, something comparable to the other brand mowers? Do the new hand controlled hydros return to neutral when you push the brake?

...Do the new ones actually move backwards at a usable speed, something comparable to the other brand mowers? Do the new hand controlled hydros return to neutral when you push the brake?

I can't begin to answer any of this for several reasons.
*My tractor won't arrive for another 4 days!
*I've never driven a hydro-drive lawn tractor/riding mower of any kind before, & have no idea what's usual with them. I chose the hydro-drive because I'm tired of the manually operated variable-diameter pulley system.
*Whatever trans your Dad's mowers have in them, they're sure to be a different trans than the Tuff-Torq that's in my mower- Tuff Torq didn't begin supplying hydro transmissions for Sears mowers until Jan. '06.
*The hydro trans on my mower is foot operated, not hand controlled. Every hydro-trans lawn tractor that I looked at seriously these past two weeks had a foot-operated trans, sort of a "double-pedal" setup- press the front one with your toes to go forward, press the back one with your heel to back up.
*Dunno how fast it'll go in reverse, gotta wait & find out this weekend. It does list a top forward speed & reverse speed in my owner's manual- reverse speed listed is about 1/2 of forward speed.

I'll bet you are excited to get that tractor. I know I would be. If you've never used a hydro before, you will LOVE the foot control. That is the only way to go. Even if it goes as slow in reverse as my dad's, you will still like the ease of control. Yours having the different trans and also the foot control, along with the advertised speed leads me to believe that you will be good in that sense. I'd be interested to know how it performs though. At any rate, any hydro in my opinion is far better than a vari-drive pulley.

I can tell you that as far a durability goes, my dads tractors run commercially 5 to 6 days a week, don't get proper care sometimes, and are stored outside in the weather year round. They look pretty beat as can be expected, but they are both still in service. If the new ones are similar, they should last a LONG time in residential service.

the speed actuation system needs adjustment... if it can't be adjusted, it may need modification.

typically there is a single lever on the tranny that controls speed. Tilt the lever one way, it goes forward, tilt it the other way it goes in reverse. Perhaps the reverse tilt is not fully actuating to the limit of the lever tilt action. You'll need to get under your tractor, and study the mechanical actuation system. It may be as simple as a tab that prevents movement beyond a preset point. "Work" the tab and you may be in business.

Yes, I thought of that. I have looked at it a couple of times, but it looks like it isn't so easy to modify. That's too bad though. I think that the trans is capable of more speed, but AYP limited the reverse speed for some reason. I hope the new ones are better, with the foot control. I have never used one, but I would like to know how they work.

Just came across this and thought I'd chime in with something. Seeing as you have steep hills, does the tractor you bought have full pressure lubrication (oil filter)? If it is just a slinger engine, it might not like those hills much. From my understanding, most slinger engines are made for grades of 15% or less. Beyond that the oil doesn't get to the cylinder walls.

I had the same choice last year, had a tractor that blew engines every four years. Wished someone told me a long time ago. Ended up with a used JD with a Kawasaki engine, I love it and wished I would have done this two engines ago.

UNCLESTU - you have to do your homework. the free bumper was listed on sale until 3/24, but if you looked on the internet and clicked on the offer, it had a contradiction and showed 3/25. I pointed it out to the salesman on Sat and when i went back Sun I got the bumper. Sears has so many sales every other day that you realy have to triple check all the ads to make sure you get the best deal. I was obsessed for the last two weeks going over what I wanted to buy and how to get the best for my money. I had to buy it or I would be divorced by now driving my wife crazy. Tracotr comes tomorrow - cant wait. good luck with yours

The local Kohl's store (doesn't sell tractors, yet) does the same thing. It is hard to know what the actual price should be because they have once a year "sales" every week. A little shady if you ask me.

OK unclestu, im curious, did you get your tractor yet? Got mine a few days ago, the headlight was broken off the mount, and when I used it today for the first time, it leaked oil like crazy. Plus some piece of rubber fell off it from underneath. I must have got one that fell off the truck. I called sears and told them to bring me a new one that works.

Yup, mine arrived at 9 am Sat morning- lights A-OK, no oil leaks, air filter properly installed & pre-cleaner oiled- the only thing I spotted so far that *might* be off- deck may be a little uneven, one side looks a hair higher, but haven't adjusted tire pressure & measured yet. Fired right up & ran like a top. Sorry to hear about your troubles.

It rained hard last night, from about midnight Fri until about 8 am Sat, so was too wet to try anything today. I installed the bumper late this afternoon. Gonna try to put the 46" sweeper together tomorrow.

About that homework: I did one heckuva lot, researching all over the internet & talking to dealers, store sales people, etc on John Deere, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Sears & more. I saw that Sears 3/25 free bumper thing on the internet the day before- but when I looked an hour later it was gone, so when I bought the mower next day didn't think to mention it. It's OK though- because the saleman, at my request, ran a check on my mower early this morning to see if I could get any kind of favorable price adjustment due to today's 20% sale- and called me before 9:00 (just a few minutes ahead of the delivery truck)to tell me I got an additional $60 credit. ;^)

Sounds like you did exactly the right thing- you buy new, make 'em get you a *Good* new one! Good luck, & let us know how it comes out.

got the new mower today - its raining so I will have to wait until next week to use it. It definitely sounds like you got the best deal. I went back to the store and tried to get the additional 10 percent off and the manager insisted it was not eligble for the additional percent off. F&F is the best deal they told me. We tried but they wouldn't budge. I called customer relations and they apologized but the best they can do is send me A $100 dollar gift card. I am not sure how they can offer a price protection plan and not stand behind it. I'll accept the gift card for now but the war is not over.!!! All in all I got the tractor for about 1170.0 with a free bumper. not too bad a deal

Here are the US specs. The LA130 has the Transaxle Model Tuff Torq HD K46

Hi, I have a John Deere 145, and yesterday I had to change the drive belt on the 48" mower deck. No problem dismounting or remounting the deck, no problem to fit a new belt on the dismounted deck (after removing the two belt shields).

But getting the belt round the drive pulley after remounting the deck proved impossible. The only way I could do it was to remove the two centre deck mount R-clips and slip the center-support lever arms off their pins; then the deck had enough fore and aft travel that I could heave the belt over the drive pulley. That was struggle enough (both my partner and I are in our 70s).

But then of course I had to get the two center supports on again. For each side I just had to spring the arms out then keep struggling to move the deck back and forth until the arm slipped over its pin. This took many attempts, because I had to get the arm precisely aligned and shift the deck back precisely right. Just by trial and error.

It was exhausting to a seventy year old, and I felt sure I was doing this wrong, there must be a better way. So is there please? Who can help?

DW32-I take it you released the Disconnect Tensioner Handle on the left side of the deck? That tends to make things quite a bit easier.

Thanks for your response Metal. I didn't do this, I can't find a Disconnect Tensioner Handle on the 48" deck. Can you tell me what page(s) it's mentioned in the manual?

The manual I have is OMGX22083 J5. This may be an international manual, but the first part is in English so hopefully the page numbers should be the same or at least close.

I only have the Technical Manual (it's on page 10-31) for that deck, but the handle should be directly over the deck pulley for the left blade, and right behind the left-front anti scalp wheel (left while sitting on tractor). You just release the handle at the front and it should swing out and back, releasing the tension on the drive belt.

1*Another thing- while I really like the looks of the larger wheels on the JD 145-155-la130, do they really make much of a difference?

2*I just wish I could find a good automatic transmission garden tractor, with a 54" deck, that I can afford. All the Sears GT's have 54" decks, & I fear that'll just be too wide.
````````````````````````````
1*I have a tractor with the bigger wheels that will go about anywhere.
My PowerKraft with the smaller wheels gets hung up trying to cross it's own shadow.

2*Last fall For $3500 I got a New CC garden tractor with automatic transmission and a 54'' mower.
----------It was well worth 500 to 1500 bucks more than the box store lawn tractors.

The way metal described it is the way it is on the 48c deck on my GT235. The tensioner handle is on top of the deck. You not only release tensioner handle; you also pivot it back as far as it will go, which provides the maximum amount of slack in the belt. With your other hand, slip the belt over the front pulley (from the motor), and then release the tensioner handle, and swing it back and lock it in place.

If you're still confused by this, let me know and I'll take a pic tonite and email it to you.

Thanks to both of you. I'm beginning to suspect my deck is different. There don't seem to be any handles on it at all.

What the book tells you to do is:
"Put a 15mm closed wrench or a socket on the idler sheave nut (A) and rotate clockwise to move idler sheave toward front of tractor and hold to release belt tension."

I tried that, but it doesn't give nearly enough tension release. I'm begining to wonder... I bought the new belt from Alexander & Duncan in Leominster UK, and while I was at it I bought a second one as a spare. The second one has "John Deere" on its outside face, but the first doesn't, and it's the first one that I mounted.

Both these belts came in an identical thin card sleeve, but they weren't coiled quite the same way. I'm wondering if someone "made a mistake" and put a non-original belt in a John Deere sleeve.

But be that as it may, is it possible that your 48" deck and mine aren't the same? I bought the whole thing less than a year ago, so maybe they changed the pattern. Passthegravey: does your manual talk about slipping a wrench over the left-hand idler sheave nut?

Looking online it seems you have the 48 Edge deck, not the 48C. Maybe someone here has that deck and can help. It may help to start a new thread so people with this knowledge can more easily find it. Name it "Problems Removing John Deere 48" Edge Deck" or something to that point.

Yeah, thanks Metal, HOPEFULLY I've now done that. I was disconcerted to see my original post appear in this thread.

Naively I'd thought changing the subject line would do the trick, not having readily found something like a pushbutton saying "Start a New Thread" or whatever. And dammit, I STILL managed to enter 48' instead of 48" !!

Thanks again for your help.

Interested to know what you think of the Craftsman three years later? I'm still looking at the newest version of the JD LA145, as I milked 8 years out of a Craftsman, but spent a fortune every year keeping it going. Left a pretty sour taste in my mouth, so I don't really want to jump the wrong way again. Your thoughts, if you're still out there?