Table of Content
The amount that JD can tamper with the quality is proportional to the cost of making the modifications at the production line. Hi Dan, Yes, fender control used to be very common. Today, only Craftsman offers good mowers with a fender control. The Cub Cadet XT2 falls right between the Deere 100 series and the X350. Since you have a local Cub Cadet dealer I suggest that you also look at a steering wheel ZTR. The Z-FORCE® S 48 is a little more than your budget but has the traction you want and will be more stable on the hills.

And the engines that are outsourced respond to specific instructions. The manufacturers produce these parts solely based on the specifications of each John Deere product. Companies such as Yanmar or Kawasaki are industry leaders that specialize in making engines. The reason for their reverence is that their engines are invariably top quality, durable, and reliable. That is why companies like John Deere outsource their products to these manufacturers.
What is the best lawn tractor?
Lawn mowers RatingsView and compare all Lawn mowers ratings. However, they still recruit other companies to build some of their engines. That is why you will see their engines have different names or logos on them from time to time. But, that should not concern you as this is how they have been conducting business for a long time. In this article, we will take a deeper look into the world of John Deere’s engines. We will answer questions such as who makes these engines, where they are made, and whether they are good or not.

If you're looking for a new lawnmower, you might have come across the range by Cub Cadet. However, making this decision isn't always easy when there are so many factors to consider. Once you’ve chosen, John Deere will help you find the nearest dealer so that you can go pick up your new mower.
Who makes the engine for John Deere e130?
It’s very comparable to the Kohler 7000 series and arguably better than the Kawasaki FR series. Let me repeat, don’t buy this lawn tractor because it’s the cheapest John Deere you can buy. It is only designed for small, relatively flat city lawns.

The only upside to this discovery is I don’t have to sharpen the blades because the cutting edge has never touch grass! I feel a couple mowers may slip through the cracks of the ten point inspection. Many can also mulch cool season grasses like bluegrass at 2.5 to 4 inches but they were never designed to mulch Bermuda at 1 to 1.5 inches. With normal mulching, you cut the clippings into small bits and a properly designed mulching deck is designed to drive that tiny clipping down into the turf. Since you are cutting Bermuda so short you need a very deep deck to lift, cut, recut and recut those clippings into a fine mulch. The deck on a lawn tractor is not deep enough to accomplish that.
Who Makes John Deere Lawn Mowers? (Are They Good?)
This has been a popular article for quite some time. I wanted to update it and respond to some of the comments that have been left about my take on things. More specifically I want to comment about some of the confusion in the comments. It is true that some of the Box Stores sell some of the same exact models that you can find at the John Deere dealers.

Depending on your work environment, choose the right brand. John Deere produces good commercial-scale mowers. I wish John Deere would install the K58 transmission and increase the price $200. It would then be one of the best large area lawn tractors on the market.
At the dealer
If I just wanted a 4WD or a mower with a locking rear differential to mow with that is where I’d start to look. They also added a new 30-second oil change system to the Briggs engines and now the three top models have the extended life Briggs engines. Since the D140 doesn’t have side covers on the engine compartment so that air is probably blowing right on your foot. A piece of sheet metal should channel that air down out the bottom of the mower. Hi Wade, John Deere really doesn’t make an exact match to the LX266 at this time. The X380 is similar but has a slightly lighter duty transmission and the X570 is probably a closer match but it does have a heavier duty transmission than your old model.
The new 1 Series BMW is an excellent machine. Prior to that, the 3-series was the bottom of the BMW line-up and still managed to be the best selling model for decades. Mark – The debate seems to continue with no 100% confirmation either way.
What is the entry level 4WD that you would suggest? It sounds like the D160 would be a good selection for me, but I wonder about having 4WD because sections or transitions in my yard have a pretty good slope. Hi Brian, If you want towing and longevity you’ll have to go with the X350.
He used to own a John Deere dealership and now collects John Deere tractor scale models. We had to settle for buying the previous owner’s lawn mower because it was such a good deal. The single cylinder engine will have a little more vibration than the V-twin engines in the next two tractors – D125/D130 – but everything else is the same. I’ve driven this mower many times and to me the single cylinder engine is not an issue at all. The D110 steers easily and really works well for your 1/3 to 1 acre suburban lawn. Personally, I would have no problems owning this riding mower for my one acre gently sloping lawn.