When I got mine a few years ago, the first thing that failed was one of the steering tierods. The other one looked newer and obviously had been replaced before. I tried peening the socket but it wouldn't last, so I had to get a new one. Checking the dealer's website now, I don't see any of that stuff available anymore. It looks like the JD dealerships around here went through a change in ownership, was Agraturf and now it's Premier Equipment, so the bean counters probably scrapped all the old stock. The sector gear at the bottom of my steering column looked pretty ratty and the teeth had been welded. Last year it started skipping, so I just welded extensions on the ends of a couple of teeth. The thing about the old John Deere stuff is that it's rugged and well made and worth fixing and can be fixed by a farmer or a blacksmith. The new low end JD lawn tractors sold by Home Depot are a different story.
