15 replies to this topic

[mark843]

I bought a used LX288 from a local dealer today to mow my lawn. It came with a 48 inch deck and the guy threw in a new set of blades also. I got it for $870 out the door. The hood is cracked and broken in a few places but it still sits on the engine fine. Here are some pics. I apologize for the poor quality.



I went to mow my backyard tonight which is about 3/4 of an acre and the grass was pretty long. I'm sure it was 14 inches or more in some places. I took it slow and only used half the deck to cut. It went great for the first 30 to 45 minutes but then it seemed like the engine wanted to stall. It was not lugging or anything, but if I would ease up on the throttle or turn off the PTO it would come back. This would happen even in areas where I already cut and mostly liked to do this if I turned left but did it straight and turning right as well, but almost always if I turned left. It would happen even if I would just ride around with the PTO off so I know this is not related to the deck putting strain on the engine.

I thought I might be low on gas, but I could see that there was some still left in the tank. I still went to the gas station to fill my can and dump some gas in. After that, it ran well for about 5 minutes then started acting up again.

It looks like I have to get a new air filter and clean the pre-filter and the oil looks ok. I did not see any black smoke or anything unusual and the battery connections were tight. Any ideas what could be causing this issue?

The other problem is that the battery light came on. I am not sure if this is related. It came on then went out when I first started to mow. After I put more gas in it came on, went off then came on and stayed on. I tested the battery and it was 12.12V after mowing my yard and was 14.13V while running. Any hints to what I should be looking for?

Also, can I get a replacement air filter at Autozone or another car parts store? The dealer is 30 minutes away.

Thanks for any and all help.

Edited by mark843, June 09, 2012 - 08:41 PM.

[HowardsMF155]

When I hear that your engine ran well for a few minutes after you put in gas, I wonder about the vent in the gas cap. I had that issue last fall with a new engine, the vent was faulty. You could try running your tractor till it started giving trouble, then loosen the gas cap and see if it straightens out.

[KennyP]

Since you just bought it, I would do a few things to try to figure it out. But I would get hold of that salesman and let him know you are having issues with it.

[JDBrian]

I think you have a bad battery as well. The charging circuit is working, putting it up to 14.14 when running but a battery that has just been charged like that for 45 minutes should read higher than 12.12 after you shut down. If you check it after sitting all night it will likely be lower, which is a sign that it's time for a new battery. You probably should discuss these issues with the dealer. It sounds like you may have a fuel delivery problem as well. Those were the top of the line LT from JD in their time and had the frame of a GT and a heavier transmission then the lighter L and LT series. It is well worth getting these issues ironed out as it will make a very good mower. How many hours are on it?

[mark843]

Today I blew out the air filter with compressed air as I could not get a new filter and cleaned the pre-cleaner. I also put in a new fuel filter. I also cleaned the little radiator for the oil as it was dirty and caked with crud on the bottom third. I ran it for about 45 minutes and I did not seem to have any issues today, but I am not sure if I ran it long enough. I did not put in any gas so it might not be a vent issue. Also the battery light went out after I started it this time, but I will test the volts in a few days and if it is low, I will throw it on the charger for a day to see if I can revive it.

I don't see an hour meter so I don't know how many hours are on it. The manual shows it on on the dash but I don't have one there. I will probably try calling the dealer tomorrow if I can get the time.

[olcowhand]

The turning may be a low fuel level problem in the carb, and turning that way rolls the low fuel away from the main jet. Hopefully the new filter did the trick, but time will tell.

[mark843]

It's been a week so I figure I would give an update. After shutting down the tractor the volts measures 12.44 A few days later it measured 12.33 so it is slowly dropping. I will be checking the water lever and throwing the charger on in the next few days. The new fuel filter did not cure the stalling/loss of power issue. After mowing on Saturday it seems like it only did it while turning left and not any other time so that is a positive.

I did notice a few other issues too. It seems the reverse is slow. I guess it should be somewhere around 3 mph and backing into my garage it seemed to be about .5 mph. I took the deck off and to look at the linkage but it seemed fine to me. I also noticed that the traction belt is bad. I see chunks missing from it and one spot was missing about 4 inches from the V part, so it needs to be replaced.

I call the JD dealer up this morning and got a hold of the salesman who sold it to me as he was off for a few days. He told me to bring it in and they would look at it and get things in order. I will not have time until Saturday to take it in as they are a half hour away.

What websites or places are good to deal with getting parts such as air filters and possible if I want to replace the hood in the future?

[KennyP]

Glad you got hold of the salesman! Hope he fixes your problem. They should have put a new belt on it too before selling. Sounds like they didn't check it out very well before selling it.

[mark843]

I talked to the service manager today and he said they rebuilt the carb, put on a transmission belt, replaced the battery light sensor, replaced a fuel line, changed the oil, plugs and airfilter. He said he talked to the salesman who sold me the JD and they wanted to split the bill, which was $425. I am not sure if I want to pay more for this tractor when I asked the salesman if it ran well. I might tell them just to refund my money and they can keep it.

Any thoughts?

[MH81]

I would say no. They should have gone over it closer than that if they are a reputable dealer.
I know it's a newer unit and green, but if you were going to spend $1100 on a tractor, there are lots and lots of options for less that will handle more (GT's)

For starters, on the cost they are quoting you... they have inflated it to include their labor and the parts markup.
Wrong answer...
IF I were to agree to split anything, it would be their cost on all parts and no labor (for darned sure not shop rates), but i would start with saying "No way" right out of the chute and mentioning that NY has an Implied Warranty of Merchantability on the books (after you research what that means to you, the buyer) if they decide to argue with you.

From what you have told us, they are trying to take advantage of you at this point... IMHO

[mark843]

I talked to the salesman yesterday and said it was too much as I was on a budget and I didn't have that kind of money. I offered to just take a refund and they could sell it again as they put the time and parts into it. The salesman wanted to talk to the service manager and his boss and wanted to call me back. The salesman called me back today and said after talking to the boss that they wanted to keep me as a customer and that they would eat the cost of the bill.

I am glad this is resolved and they didn't give me a hassle or anything. They seem to stand behind their service and sales and I am happy with the outcome. If it does run well, I may go back and get a new hood from them within the next year.

[Trav1s]

Good to hear they took care of you and the machine is fixed.

[olcowhand]

They stood up & did the right thing. Rare these days. Glad it was resolved & you are happy.

[daytime dave]

Mark, I'm glad they fixed it without much hassle. It probably came in and hardly got a look over before it went out. That's just an assumption on my part, but I would imagine.

Just imagine if you had bought it from a private individual. Good service and reputation do factor into a dealer purchase.

[UncleWillie]

Glad to head they stood behind it. Years ago a friend bought a new Ford F350 and it was an absolute turd. Everything you could imagine was wrong. The Ford dealership refused to do anything until he offered to return it to them through the front window of the dealership.

Just a word of wisdom. Once you get it back in good running order make sure you send an email to John Deere home office and let them know how good the service you got was.Make sure you use specific names and dates and really oversell how good they were. It will make a world of difference if anything else goes wrong.