John Deere ZTR advice.

PaulT

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I am in the market for a ZTR.

The leading candidate so far is the Z525E with a 54" deck. A local dealer offered me a deal on what he described as "aged stock". They have a "new" 2016 Z525E with a 54" deck. The machine is new with no hours. It just never got sold. They offered to sell it for $3750 ($250 or so less than a 2019). The warranty clock would start with my purchase.

My concerns:

- When we looked at it, it wouldn't start because the battery was dead. Ok, batteries go dead, but this machine has a three-year old battery that may not be up to snuff. I could negotiate for a new battery or a warranty deal, but a thought was planted: This machine has sat unrun for three years. Does that create issues? Do transmission and engine seals go dry or get brittle, do belts get brittle or settle into a memory bend from being held under tension in the same curve for three years?

- Is the 2016 Z525E the same as the 2019? It looks the same. But have improvements been made in the last three years? Improved mower deck? Transmission bugs removed? Improved engine?


Currently, my concerns are outweighing the offer of a $200-250 discount (which seems on the light side to me). Are my concerns justified? Is the '16 identical to the '19?


I'll hang up and listen. Thanks.

Paul
 

MowLife

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For a 250 difference I would go with the newer one. Battery is probably shot if it wasn’t on a tender. Tires may have flat spots also.
 

Rivets

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If he has had that unit on hand since 2016 and only giving you $250 off a 2019, he is still at the MSRP of the unit in 2016. Personally I would be running away from this dealer, something stinks. There’s a reason it is still sitting there and you don’t want to be the goat who takes it off his hands. A 3 year old, aged unit, should have a minimum discount of 15% and at that age most dealers just want them off their lot, for $150.00 over cost Ask yourself; Why has no one bought this unit the last 3 years? Is it the unit, the dealer, or the price?
 

PaulT

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The rest of the story ...

The dealer upped his discount to $500 plus a new battery and free delivery and return if I didn't like it. I said that sounded fair and if that had been his first deal, it would have been a done deal. But, in the meantime, out of the blue, a serendipitous 10% of any purchase from Lowes coupon showed up in my inbox.

"Is this good on a mower purchase?"

"Yep."

"Ok, I'll take that one."


So, I got $400 off on the 525/54", plus I got them to throw in a hitch and a bag filled with JD oil and filters on the same 10% off ticket. They will deliver the mower, free, this Monday... and I will be off to the races.
 

Rivets

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When you get it delivered do a meticulous job of going through the full setup procedure. The big box stores are notorious for poor setups and going back for warranty service on a bad setup is not covered. Biggest things are shipping damage, deck leveling, greasing, improperly adjusted sticks and fluid levels. Don’t assume they did anything, you need to do their job.
 

PaulT

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Good advice.

Fortunately, Lowes no longer handles the set up of the JD mowers it sells. It has made arrangements with John Deere to have local Deere dealerships handle the set and subsequent repair and maintenance duties. There is a reassuring sticker on the back of the mower I purchased that says (paraphrased)...

"This machine was set up by 'True North' John Deere, Grand Forks, ND. True North will handle any warranty/repair issues this mower may require. True North Equipment, ph. xxx-xxx-xxxx "

True North own 9 JD dealerships in northern MN and eastern ND (a small outfit by today's standards. RDO owns over 80 dealerships) I called the service dept. at True North, and the guy said, yep, they do the set up and service for Lowes.

So, for good or ill, it doesn't matter where I buy the mower in Grand Forks, the same guy is setting it up and the same service dept. will be handling warranty/repair (and if it is under warranty, they pick up the mower on site, no charge).

Lowes (and apparently Home Depot) now work hand in glove with John Deere when it comes to selling their mowers. And their prices are John Deere list prices, same as JD online and JD dealer. Generally speaking, Lowes and the local JD dealerships co-exist by selling different lines... not a lot of 300 series at the dealer, and, other than the "E", no 500s or aboves at Lowes*.

Lowes and Home Depot have similar set up and repair arrangements with local dealers for the other brands of mowers they sell.

And I will check everything I can check before I turn the key on mine.


* you can order one 500M series ztr through Lowes and Home Depot, the M535 with the 62" Edge mower deck. You can't get a M series through Lowes or Home Depot with any deck size other than the 62" Edge. The 62" Edge deck is a bit of an odd duck in the Deere line that hasn't been replaced yet by Deere's newer upgraded decks (the "Accel Deep", the Edge HC (which starts at 60"), and the 7 Iron commercial). I expect that when the last of the in-stock 62" Edge decks are sold, that will be the end of them.
 
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