5 years ago, I bought a new JD L110 with a 17.5 hp Kohler engine and a 42" mulching deck for about $1750 from a JD Dealer to cut my 1.5 acre up hill bumpy lawn with a septic field up top. I got it because Consumer Reports had said that it was the best all-around for the dollar. It worked great with a beautiful cut until the septic field and a contractors fertilizing made the grass so tough, the engine bogged down as if it was gonna stall, especially over the septic field, and really bad if I missed a week due to rain. By the way I threw away the $200 double bag grass catcher because I got tired of getting off the tractor and dumping them every 7.5 minutes. I went to a Kubota dealer to find out what a real tractor was and how I couldnÂt afford one, but some farmer had traded in his JD G110 w/ a 25 hp Kohler engine and a 54" mowing deck I bought it used, with no warranty for $2000, and at first was happier the way it had no problems with the thickness of the lawn. It also carried my over 300 lb. body uphill and cut much faster in that it turned my 1 hour and fifteen minute weekly task into about 50 minutes. The blue smoke the used G110 was blowing when I test drove it was to mean later that I had to put about 3 to 4 hundred dollars into it for repair, and apparently, I was lucky, because it could have been much worse! It seemed the farmer, believe it or not, didn't change the oil much. But the main problem was that with the 54" deck it had did not cut the grass as nice as the smaller 42" deck with the rounded mulching platform. It made "Wind Rows" that did not seem to go away even after going back over it again, because my grass grew so fast or something. A salesman told me I may have to cut it twice a week (NO WAY). So, bottom line, it was taking longer to get the grass cut with a 54" deck than with the earlier 42" deck; almost twice as long and it STILL didnÂt look as nice as before! I added a mulching kit to it, installed by the dealer, even after their warning that I may get clumping. I did get clumping, and my wife never lets me hear the end of itÂ..The tension spring on the belt/pulley system broke 2 weeks ago and I went to the dealerÂs parts dept. and bought another one for $6 because their Spring back-log for repairs was over 2 weeks wait. I spent about 3 hours getting it on the deck. This new spring worked for two mowings and broke. Now, with rain, I have monster grass and no way to mow it. My wife almost bought a $2000 Cub Cadet at a box store out of desperation yesterday just to get the grass cut. So now, 5 years into this monster lawn, and two JDÂs later, we are looking at our 3rd one, an X300 or X304, to solve my weekly woes on this lumpy lawn. Oh yeah, by the way, when it was graded, the man did not do a very smooth job and my back and I wish my tractor had shock absorbers, but we can not afford the Kubota, or a real John Deere. I will probably trade in the G110 for a X304 next weekend, and peeve that I am trading down from a 25 hp Kohler w/ 54" deck to a 22 hp Kohler w/ a 48" deck, albeit in the new "stronger" X Series, but my wife wonÂt mind, because there will be no more "Wind Rows" and clumping (HOPEFULLY!). She doesnÂt have to do itÂ.she naps on the couch while I mow! I guess sheÂll nap a little longer, because I will be out there a little longer now. I hope the clumping and rows go away then, and I really hope to have less annoying repairs. I imagine, though, that they all use the same spring. Wish me luck if you have no good advice I can use.

It took 3 of us 2 1/2 hours to get them all in. It got to 35. I can't get into my dining room at all & the porch is full too. The Voodoo bulbs are blooming & are on the back porch. I get to smell their "lovely perfume" every time I let the dogs in & out. Yuck! I'm sitting them outside until tonight. I had their box at the other end of the yard because there are about 8 of them blooming now & they were really covered with flies. It looked like a scene from the Exorcist or the Amityville Horror. LOL Another possible freeze tonight & then out they go. Next year I am stuffing them all in huge Rubbermaid tubs to make this sort of thing easier. Linda

I can't figure out how to post pictures but the picture of citrus canker on leaves of a citrus tree on wikipedia is what the leaves that I removed from my tree looked like. One of the leaves was also dripping this clear sticky liquid. The liquid came from one of the infected leaves and splashed onto three of the other leafs. I am leaving these leaves on the tree to see if they develop the same lesion type things that were on the leaf that dripped on them. (I have gone over this tree with a magnifying glass and have not seen any bugs so I am sure that the clear sticky stuff is from whatever disease my tree has.) The good thing is that the treeÂs health is not spiraling down as fast as it was before I removed the damaged leaves and the dying branches so hopefully it will perk up and start growing. If it is citrus canker then I guess it wont matter if it starts getting better because it will be taken away from me anyway. :( hopefulauthor- Thanks for the advice. I moved my tangerine tree to a different room away from all of my plants. I am hoping that it isn't to little to late since the tree has been dripping stuff that could infect my other trees. Sarah

No large dogs roaming (that I know of!) though we most definitely have coyotes -- didn't hear them this summer (unusual) but have heard groups over the last few weeks. Would they eat pumpkins (if so, why??) The mouth "pad" in deer is most curious...do all ruminants have one, I wonder? That's what I love about this forum -- you learn SO much stuff you never even knew you didn't know!!