I'm just an inexperienced homeowner with a 6-7 year old LT 160 JD with 120 hours on it - and the deck is just about rusted out enough that I can't use it anymore. It is a 42" Freedom mulching deck, which I guess they don't make anymore. And even if they did, the price for decks seem so high that it would make sense to buy another LT style mower. I have 2/3 acre - easy mow. The LT 160 has never had a problem, and believe it or not, I haven't even sharpened the blades, changed the oil, etc. - that is how light duty I use it (and how lazy I have been). Only bought a new battery once, that's it.
When shopping around at the big boxes, I ran into four guys I started talking with who were all buying a new mower for the same reason - their decks had rusted out - all of them John Deere's.
So what's the deal? Is the life of my Light Duty lawn tractor going to be determined by the life of the deck? And with my needs, and in this Hawaiian weather, is that it - six years and 120 hours? So why take care of it if the deck is going to rust before there would ever be any engine, tranny, or other problems.
I notice the new decks all have washing ports now. I never once cleaned this one. Is that why it rusted? Anyway, I'm sure you can understand what I am trying to figure out here. Thanks for any help or info.
BW - This has always been parked under a car port - so never left out in the weather.
When shopping around at the big boxes, I ran into four guys I started talking with who were all buying a new mower for the same reason - their decks had rusted out - all of them John Deere's.
So what's the deal? Is the life of my Light Duty lawn tractor going to be determined by the life of the deck? And with my needs, and in this Hawaiian weather, is that it - six years and 120 hours? So why take care of it if the deck is going to rust before there would ever be any engine, tranny, or other problems.
I notice the new decks all have washing ports now. I never once cleaned this one. Is that why it rusted? Anyway, I'm sure you can understand what I am trying to figure out here. Thanks for any help or info.
BW - This has always been parked under a car port - so never left out in the weather.