Have you gone directly to John Deere's own web site. In my experience, they have always had everything for the older models, with quick delivery etc. as well. No price discounts, but it is also all factory OEM quality. Their WEB site is a little hard to navigate for the non-current stuff, but I have always found everything there somewhere. Overall, the availability of parts long term is one of the big advantages of buying a JD in the first place. None of this junk about it is over 5 years old and we don't support it anymore, as from many manufacturers these days.

I can't say one way or another on this model of JD.

However, I've noticed a LOT of the newer models of JD's on craigslist including the x300, x500, and even an x7xx models. I find it rather strange that these mowers aren't all that old, and yet are finding their way into the used mower market very fast.

It may just be a sign of the times with jobs lost, people moving, or whatever. I do see a few of the other makes on craigslist, but not in the JD numbers.

Go here and click on parts manual or attachments. You can still get all of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: John Deere Site for LA130

Your model appears to be almost identical to the current LA165. All that appears to have happened is that you may have bought near the end of the model year, and the model numbers changed now. It isn't anything like them getting rid of a lemon model. All the parts you mention (bagger, wheel weights, 12v outlet, etc.) would be interchangable among models as long as you find a model with the same size deck, or wheel, etc.

As an example, I have a 2005 L111. It didn't have a 12v outlet, but it did have the hole pre-drilled where the outlet is located in the higher line models. I bought the 12v port from an L120 or L130, and it fits fine.

Also, I have upgraded the height adjustment plate to the 1/4" adjustments that are on the LA series. The parts to do that were easy to retrofit to my mower.

The LA series is built for parts to interchange across the different models. So, you are just mistaken if you think that any of the parts you want aren't readily available.

Your local John Deere dealer will be able to get whatever it is you need for your LA130.

I bought an LA140 last year from my John Deere dealer and this year, noticed they have replaced it with the LA145.

Thats life. Upgrades, I mean. Small changes, increased prices, hype, sometimes you're sorry, sometimes you're glad.

Look at the difference between the '72 and '73 Volkswagen Beetles, or the '96 and '97 Ford F150. I owned both of these and both cases, waited until the redesigned model came out and wished I could have bought the older one when I made the purchase... I never will forget my reaction to the 1973 VW's when I went to the dealership, $2675.80 in hand to buy a new one - "ARGHH...tail lights like pie plates! And this stupid plastic dashboard!!?? Do you guys have any more 1972's left??" They didn't.

When I saw the redesigned F150, I thought it was just plain danged too curvy...

I still have the F150 and it runs fine but I still sometimes think it is too curvy. Traded the VW for a heat pump five years ago. Maintaining a vintage car ain't what it's cracked up be...

My LA140 works great. You probably are OK. Get some Gator blades, cut grass and sin no more.

wankel, I too bought a new 1973 Super Beetle...Baja Edition...had Recarro seats. It was "Saturn Yellow" and everywhere a standard Super Beetle had chrome trim....this one had black trim. By the way, those "pie plate" sized tail lights WERE not a "fashion choice", they were to comply with the 1973 "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards" which increased the tail light area required (square inches of lens) as well as requiring a separate bulb for rear turn signals. The dashboard was changed to "vinyl covered padding" to meet another new "safety standard" for 1973 model year. As I remember, I had to kiss $2,995 goodbye to get mine.

LOL. I ALMOST bought a "Thing"...probably would have regretted it...that VW was one of the best cars I have ever owned. However, that plastic dashboard cracked in short order...

Another quirky feature - the windshield washer operated off of pressure from the spare tire.

My local Home Depot has tons of attachments in stock for the L-Series JD's. You might want to check them out.

Yeah, there was a "pressure threshold/regulator valve" in the tiny plastic tube that carried the air pressure from the spare tire to the washer reservoir (supposedly at 5 PSI by design intent). The valve was supposed to stop air flow out of the tire if the tire pressure dropped to 15 PSI. The "fluid valve" was built into the windshield wiper switch on the steering column. I got in the car one day (car was 6 years old by then) and noticed "water" on the aftermarket floor mat on the driver's side. In the investigation that followed, I found that the threshold/regulator valve had failed, allowing full air pressure from the spare tire to be applied to the washer bottle and plumbing. The hot summer day may have helped the rubber supply hose to slip off the washer valve and so the contents of the washer reservoir emptied out into the floor (also the spare tire went "flat"). I decided that I no longer agreed with VW and their "unique" method of putting fluid onto glass. So I set out to revamp the system. A trip to an auto salvage yard provided a suitable washer reservoir and pump assembly (from a Ford). I tore open a leaky safety switch (from a truck air conditioner system) and salvaged the "micro switch". I attached the micro switch to the stem (wash/wipe control handle) so that pulling the stem closed the switch. I powered the switch from a fused circuit (remember the fuses were on the cowl bulkhead in the "trunk"?). I completely disconnected the delivery hoses from the OEM fluid valve (on the steer column) and spliced the "new" pump delivery hose to the hose that fed the spray nozzles. It worked like a champ and never wet the floor or flattened my spare.

That VW had its share of quirks - the notoriously bad heater, the wooden plug for an optional cigarette lighter, that odd little aimable light that the manual said to aim down at the heater lever area.

But then, my idea of a total nirvana car at the time was a Citroen DS21. Always lusted after one, still do, never got one...

"the notoriously bad heater"? There was a heater? I guess it was located in the close proximity of the water pump. :D