I picked up my John Deere D105 42" riding mower today. I hang my head in shame since I picked it up from a box store, and not a Deere dealer. Deere sets these things up pretty well from the factory, but some fine-tuning at the dealer or end user point is necessary. Mine didn't get any pre-delivery inspection aside from tossing it onto the trailer and carting it off after it was taken off the shipping pallet. The major grease points such as wheels were already greased well, but the deck spindles weren't. I'll remedy that pretty soon, along with setting the gage wheels and adjusting the deck. There's a real owner's manual included with how to do many common maintenance tasks, with instructions and illustrations. While it was on the trailer, I hit most of the moving parts with Fluid Film to make eventual disassembly easier when maintenance needs to be done. I did not get a chance to mow with it, but I will update once I get the chance to put it through its paces mowing.
First, obligatory shot of the D105 being towed behind my Cruze (towed it fine, and I had started removing the tie-downs before taking this photo):
This is about the easiest-driving riding mower I've driven. Put it in F, hit the go-pedal, and it goes. The General Transmissions GT400 CVT is pretty seamless, with no jerking or other untoward behavior. It sounds like a moped or go-kart CVT. The steering is quite light considering that most of the weight is on the front axle. Turning radius is okay, but not great like some MTD "turn-tight" machines. The machine felt agile enough dodging around obstacles in the yard. Going across a drainage swale didn't seem to upset it. The seating position is high, so there is a good view of the yard ahead. The seat slides so folks with different-sized legs can get comfy.
Noise-wise, the Briggs engine was loud, but not objectionably so. Earplugs are recommended for extended use, though. It was smooth enough for a single-cylinder Briggs. I felt a few vibrations at idle, but not that many. It's no Kawasaki, but for what it is it's smooth enough. Interestingly, the gas tank is located under the seat. I like this arrangement since it eliminates the likely good chance of a EPA gas can leaking gas all over a hot engine while re-fueling.
The deck is very easy to lower and raise. There must be a brake or assist spring somewhere, since it will stay in position without the selector being in a detent.
Now, the new-fangled CVT "automatic". It works, and works well. Time will tell how well it holds up. Here are some photos of it:
The unit itself:
Adjustable pulley. Note the beefy ridged drive belt:
Other end with power from the engine:
I don't anticipate ever doing anything to that transmission except maybe replacing the belts or a spring on the variator. Seeing the video on the abuse it went through during testing convinced me that it would hold up for a good long while.
Overall, I'm happy with the machine. While there certainly are much cheaper 42" riding mowers, they're not built or documented as well as the D105. There are lots of little touches to make living with it easier. The designers laid this machine out so routine service could be done fairly efficiently. Seeing all the little things and how they would save me hassle a few summers from now sold me on this machine.
First, obligatory shot of the D105 being towed behind my Cruze (towed it fine, and I had started removing the tie-downs before taking this photo):
This is about the easiest-driving riding mower I've driven. Put it in F, hit the go-pedal, and it goes. The General Transmissions GT400 CVT is pretty seamless, with no jerking or other untoward behavior. It sounds like a moped or go-kart CVT. The steering is quite light considering that most of the weight is on the front axle. Turning radius is okay, but not great like some MTD "turn-tight" machines. The machine felt agile enough dodging around obstacles in the yard. Going across a drainage swale didn't seem to upset it. The seating position is high, so there is a good view of the yard ahead. The seat slides so folks with different-sized legs can get comfy.
Noise-wise, the Briggs engine was loud, but not objectionably so. Earplugs are recommended for extended use, though. It was smooth enough for a single-cylinder Briggs. I felt a few vibrations at idle, but not that many. It's no Kawasaki, but for what it is it's smooth enough. Interestingly, the gas tank is located under the seat. I like this arrangement since it eliminates the likely good chance of a EPA gas can leaking gas all over a hot engine while re-fueling.
The deck is very easy to lower and raise. There must be a brake or assist spring somewhere, since it will stay in position without the selector being in a detent.
Now, the new-fangled CVT "automatic". It works, and works well. Time will tell how well it holds up. Here are some photos of it:
The unit itself:
Adjustable pulley. Note the beefy ridged drive belt:
Other end with power from the engine:
I don't anticipate ever doing anything to that transmission except maybe replacing the belts or a spring on the variator. Seeing the video on the abuse it went through during testing convinced me that it would hold up for a good long while.
Overall, I'm happy with the machine. While there certainly are much cheaper 42" riding mowers, they're not built or documented as well as the D105. There are lots of little touches to make living with it easier. The designers laid this machine out so routine service could be done fairly efficiently. Seeing all the little things and how they would save me hassle a few summers from now sold me on this machine.
