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Hello all. Central Indiana relocation to 3 acres of grass, with mature trees everywhere.

Some sudden changes in living situation prompted me to hastily find a riding mower. Operating on a budget so a 60" zero turn - the right tool for the job - was simply out of the question. Picked up a LA120 from amongst the dozens of machines that were available locally on craigslist. Chose this machine for the following reasons

-bang for the buck - for what I paid for this I was looking at craftsmans, MTD's yardmans all with splash lube singles - or VERY old.
-twin briggs & stratton 21 HP pressure lube as opposed to late model B&S singles/splash lube
-Hydrostatic trans
-parts availability
-sounds odd, but there are dozens if not hundreds of you tube how too's on this machine. Comforting and unsettling all at once.

It's only got 146 hrs on it, started up and sprung to action. Drive train and mower deck all responded well, and the PO is a contractor with lots of gear and claims professional service, and all appearance and experience back that up. This was his home mower on a .75 acre lot. He moved to a town home.

If anyone can share any known weak spots I can proactively address, that'd be appreciated. Ill be using it more than designed, frankly, I suspect 4 - 6 hours a week. That's a lot for what I'd consider a homeowner grade machine. Parts prone to fail I expect will be encouraged to do so.

Am I disrespecting this thing? Should I invest in attachments (snow blade/thrower etc) or save the money for the ZT i suspect will be in my future?

The only consistant problem the small JD's is the deck.
Regularly remove the deck and check for cracking around the welds that hold the two rear mounts to the deck.
Oxy welding the crack works better then electric welding which leaves the joint too stiff and prone to cracking again.
Excessive vibrations are caused by the blades being out of balance so remove them regularly, sharpen them & balance them.
Better still will be to buy 2 or 3 sets so you always have a pair of fresh, sharp & balanced blades to pop on.
I use truck ramps or a hoist to do the blades. With a rattel gun it takes about 30 sec to replace the blades about 4 times as long as it does to lift the mower high enough to get underneath.

QUOTE: kidsmoke
- If anyone can share any known weak spots I can proactively address, that'd be appreciated.
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On mowers other than oil changes and air filters proactive would be nearly an impossible guessing game in my opinion.

I don't know how much the LA 120 is identical to a LA135 but in the 7 years and 250 hours I owned the LA 135 I replaced the rectifier 3 times. Three batteries I suspect is normal expectations. Recently the plastic carburetor needle valve stuck closed twice in a month. Other than those items it was a good lawn tractor. Replaced with a brass valve about 3 weeks ago and have since traded it for a X350.

If it is difficult to start in cold weather even after being certain the choke is in top notch operating condition, there is a simple way to prime it with gasoline even though it doesn't come factory with a primer bulb system. I made my own primer system.

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

I'm going to move your thread on over to our John Deere section

you've gotten some great information on your mower. i'm sure, with the proper maintenance, it will last several years. good luck

FWIW I fit taps in the fuel lines of all the mowers repair, gratis ( $ 1.20 when bought bulk )
It goes either between the tank & fuel pump of between the fuel pump & filter.
Firstly it makes it easier to change the filter & secondly I tell every one to turn the fuel off & starve the engine.

Cleaning should always be done with air, particularly the deck where water will pool then rust the deck and wreck the pulley bearings.
Slide the back wheels off every couple of years and grease the rear axel to prevent the wheels rusting on solid.
Change the oil at least every season, on the last mow before you lay the mower up, immediately after you have finished the mowing so it sits with nice fresh oil in the engine over the off season.

bertsmobile1 said:

FWIW I fit taps in the fuel lines of all the mowers repair, gratis ( $ 1.20 when bought bulk )
It goes either between the tank & fuel pump of between the fuel pump & filter.
Firstly it makes it easier to change the filter & secondly I tell every one to turn the fuel off & starve the engine.

Cleaning should always be done with air, particularly the deck where water will pool then rust the deck and wreck the pulley bearings.
Slide the back wheels off every couple of years and grease the rear axel to prevent the wheels rusting on solid.
Change the oil at least every season, on the last mow before you lay the mower up, immediately after you have finished the mowing so it sits with nice fresh oil in the engine over the off season.

Click to expand...

First off, thanks everyone for taking the time. Good info, and I'll be keeping an eye on the components mentioned.

To US users of these Briggs & Stratton twins with the pre set carbs...what are you doing about gas? Running standard 87 octane/ethanol? Do you Run premium? Ever put Seafoam or similar through it to keep it clean?

To Bert...when you suggest the tap and starving the engine...do you actually suggest cutting the fuel and running it out to evacuate the lines and the carb? Regularly or at storage?

specs:

Automatic Model LA120

Engine Model: Briggs & Stratton 44
Displacement: 725 cc (44.2 cu in.)
Bore: 75.44 mm (2.97 in.)
Stroke: 73.41 mm (2.89 in.)
Ignition Module (Armature) Air Gap: 0.203 - 0.305 mm (0.008 - 0.012 in.)
Intake and Exhaust Valve Clearance: 0.102 - 0.152 mm (0.004 - 0.006 in.)
Spark Plug-Gap: 0.76 mm (0.030 in.)
Spark Plug-Torque: 20 N•m (15 lb-ft)
Cylinders: Twin
Oil Filter: Yes
Air Filter: Paper with Foam
Transmission: Hydrostatic
Transaxle Model: Tuff TorqTM T40
Travel Speed - Forward 0 - 8.9 km/h (0 - 5.5 mph)
Travel Speed - Reverse 0 - 5.2 km/h (0 - 3.2 mph)

Yep, every time.
Reason is 2 fold
1) in the last few revolutions the engine runs very lean which burns any build up off the plugs so it will start better.
2) decreases the chances of water condensing in the carb. This of course will depend upon local weather, where you store the mower etc.
As for gas run it on std unleaded with no ethanol.
While all the stuff on the mower should be safe up to 10% ethanol, you are better off without it.
gas goes off really quickly now days so getting small amounts of fresh gas is the best way to go.
Down here I sell 2 gal fuel cans and recommend the buy fresh gas if the stuff in the can is better than 1 month old ( tip it in their cars )
Your car has a computer, you mower just has small hole.

Good council, Bert. Thanks.

Got a quick pic of the type of tap you recommend?

Revisiting this thread with a couple new questions.

First of all, the machine performed flawlessly. I've had absolutely no trouble with it. Getting it ready for spring and would like to know which mulch kit folks have had success with?

Also, Bert if you're out there, I'd still welcome a pic of that fuel line tap you recommend.

Out of curiosity

is this a ELS 725 with the yellow air filter lock down tab?

kidsmoke said:

Revisiting this thread with a couple new questions.

First of all, the machine performed flawlessly. I've had absolutely no trouble with it. Getting it ready for spring and would like to know which mulch kit folks have had success with?

Also, Bert if you're out there, I'd still welcome a pic of that fuel line tap you recommend.

Click to expand...

Sorry,
I must have missed this post.
A std plastic in line fuel tap fitted between the tank & fuel pump, should take about 4 to minutes to shut down.
In this position it makes it easier to replace the filter.
Buy it from a mower shop.
The market is awash with cheap Chinese look alikes with the wrong rubber in the tap with either goes to jelly and blocks up the carb or swells and jambs the tap off.

Also remember to oil the steering shaft where it goes through the bush,
A bitch to get at as it is under the battery but worth doing.
If you have not done so already download the owners manual and note all of the places that need to be oiled.
Keep the tranny clean so it can remove heat readily.
For some unknown reason JD get their boxes filled with 5W 30 oil so you really need to keep it clean to prevent overheating.

Looks like a nice machine, just needs a little cleaning up. I am a big proponent of religious maintenance, keeping electrical connections clean and protected from moisture/corrosion and treating it like you would a catholic nun; with the utmost kindness!! John Deere machines are built well, but years of use can loosen things up and wear out parts on just about any machine. Look for slack or play in belts and linkages. Look for loose nuts and bolts. Look for slop in the steering and the wheel hubs/axles. Good Luck with your new (to you) machine.

All the repair and maintance vidios on the internet is a good thing. It means the machine is worth having and fixing. Parts for a deere arent too bad but dealers charge a fortune to fix them. If you want to keep yours for very long and be happy with it start learning as much as you can in your spare time. Trust me it will make you love your deere more and give you great satisfaction. But beware your friends and nabors will notice you have a deere and you will brag that you work on it yourself....next thing you know your the neighborhood mower mechanic.. Wait...sorry was just having flashbacks. As far as weakneses, its the transmission. Other than the engine its the most expensive part especeally if you have hills or mow 3 acres a week. So watch the vidios on changing the trans fluid and switch to a full synthetic. In the south i run 5w50, in the north i think they say 5w30 if you plan to use in the winter. I would change it now and then every 100 hours at least.

Dont let all this intimidate you. After doing the research you will be surprized at how simple these machines are to work on if you have the time. I had never turned a wrench on a mower untill about a year ago when i got a jd 155c. Im restoring it. I had to rebuild engine, then the deck. (learn to weld in the process) Replace front wheel bearings. Break open a sealed trans to replace break shoes. Wireing? dont get me started. It has 246hrs on it and all thats left before I start using it is to change trans fluid.

If you dont have the time and interest to do all that research, dont worry there are plenty on this site that will do it for you and save you a ton of money one repair at a time. Bert...is one of those and he is in great part responsible for my interest and knowledge.

And on the subject of self repair making you a "mechanic".
Get a JD Technical manual for your mower.
They are by far the best mower manual ever printed.
Clear, devoid of jargon & systematic taking you in small steps to diagnose any problem you will ever have and how to fix it.