Got a Deere

[Jaymus]

Yeah, I don't know. I'm sure the Deere filter is a quality filter. I was just glad the Purolator was longer. I don't think a John Deere filter could be worth the $10-$13 I've seen them for. That's got to be just because people think that's the only one they can buy. I wonder who makes the John Deere filters?

And about the sticker on it about being designed for John Deere. I never thought it was anything special. I thought it was, like mentioned earlier, just the shrouding. It has a hood (someone posted a pic of one identical 100% to mine) with vents on the left and right side that channel the air into the engine through a shroud, helping it run cooler. I figured that was the only 'special' thing they did.

I hope to [censored] it doesn't have a plastic camshaft. Plastic camshafts, that makes me sick.

 

[cronk]

Most JD filters are made by Champion Labs, they seem to be well made.
Don't buy your JD filters from a box store, Lowes and Home Depot sell them at a stupid markup. They are usually much cheaper at my local dealer.

 

[TexHill]

As a service manager for a John Deere dealer I have a little insight on this subject.

When they say that the engine was designed for Deere on a Briggs & Scrap Iron it means it was built to Deere's specs.

On a Kawasaki it means it was designed to Deere's specs and sold exclusively to Deere. You can only get engine parts for a Kawasaki powered unit from a Deere dealer. A Kawasaki dealer is not supposed to be able to order the major parts. Minor components may cross reference, but pistons, camshafts, etc. you must go to a Deere dealer to get them.

The biggest repair issue I see every day is issues due to fuel quality. Since ethanol has been added to the gasoline fuel system repairs make up 80% of our repairs regardless of engine brand. Do not use fuel that has been stored longer than 3 weeks. If it is not clear then don't use it. The valve trains on these mowers have extremely close tolerances and the valves will stick in the heads if poor quality fuel is used. Do not store your mower over the winter with fuel in it. Drain the tank & run the engine until it dies from fuel starvation. I have not seen proof that any brand of fuel stabilizer actually works. We have just as many customers who use stabilizer with carburetor issues as we do with customers that don't use it. We sell Sta-Bil and when customers ask me I tell them I haven't seen proof that it works.

The LA105 is great as long as you realize what it is. It is an entry level mower designed to compete against the Murray's and the MTD's of the world. It's a mower, it's not a tractor and should be treated as such. It's designed to mow an acre of level ground not a 10 acre cow pasture.

The oil & filters, (oil, air, & fuel) are the life of your engine. If you bought this mower new then I recommend that you get your oil & filters from your local dealer. They actually sell a home maintenance kit -LG253- with everything in it to service your mower, but a six pack of beer. You made a $1,800 investment when you bought your mower so why not protect it with the manufacturer recommended filters?

Also, if you buy your oil & filters from your local dealer you are doing 2 things. First, you're creating a service record that Deere can reference should you ever have an issue with the engine while the unit is under warranty. It's a lot easier for me warranty an engine failure if I can prove with the receipts that the customer did the regular maintenance. Secondly you are creating a relationship with that dealer that can pay off dividends to you in the form of information and advice. I can't tell you how many people I have helped with issues who just came in to get a maintenance kit.

 

[Jaymus]

Yeah, but I'm not paying their outrageous prices for oil and filter when I can use my Rotella-T Synthetic 5W-40 and a longer Purolator filter and guarantee I get the same or better protection for a much better price.

I do appreciate the insight on everything else. Thanks for your experiences.

 

[RWEST]

Another vote for the FL400/L10241/PH3600&3614, etc..., there are a PILE of 'em out there including SuperTech (dunno the number offhand) that work just fine.

I had the same issue with overpriced Kohler filters (which takes the same filter as B&S), but, the good folks here put me onto the other filters..

Being easier to get at because they stick out further is a big plus, too .....

BTW - Rotella 30 always seems to work best; every time I used 5-40 or 10-30, I got lots of blue smoke at startup..

 

[mikeg5]

my uncle got a new deere as pictured on the front page. i told him to use 15w40 Rotella T in it so he did. is this the right choice? i figured since they work so well in air cooled motors why not a lawnmower

 

[nitehawk55]

Good advice from TexHill (a knowledgable JD source) but as usual it is often ignored .

 

[TexHill]

Originally Posted By: mikeg5
my uncle got a new deere as pictured on the front page. i told him to use 15w40 Rotella T in it so he did. is this the right choice? i figured since they work so well in air cooled motors why not a lawnmower


Rotella is a great oil, however unless he has a diesel powered unit 15w40 may be too thick of a viscosity for the small oil pump that is used in the gas engines that Deere uses. He may never have a problem, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[mikeg5]

Originally Posted By: TexHill
Originally Posted By: mikeg5
my uncle got a new deere as pictured on the front page. i told him to use 15w40 Rotella T in it so he did. is this the right choice? i figured since they work so well in air cooled motors why not a lawnmower


Rotella is a great oil, however unless he has a diesel powered unit 15w40 may be too thick of a viscosity for the small oil pump that is used in the gas engines that Deere uses. He may never have a problem, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.


that had crossed my mind some. so i contacted a good old friend of mine who worked for a JD dealer for years working on JD motors from small mowers to large mowers and he said itwas fine. he also said that a 30wt (5w30 or 10w30) would be great as well. we have a lot of heat here in NC in the summer and the JD book said we could use a 40wt bc it had the heighest temp range

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: nitehawk55
Good advice from TexHill (a knowledgable JD source) but as usual it is often ignored .


I wouldn't say that his advice is ignored. It's just not followed by many simply due to the exorbitant costs associated with anything done at a dealership. Why would a person pack his machine onto the back of a pick up or trailer, haul it to a dealership for oil and grease and pay $80.00 or more? I can do the same job at home for the price of two quarts of oil and a filter which is usually around $10.00.

I'm not falling for the "Kawasaki built just for Deere" story either. I have a Kawasaki engine in my Husqvarna riding mower and it's pretty much a generic Kawasaki vertical shaft engine. It came with a separate owners manual that makes no reference to Husqvarna. I'd love to see the parts numbers for the "Deere built" engines and compare them to an equivalent "off the shelf" Kawasaki engine.

To me, this just sounds like another ploy to squeeze more money out of the customer because of the "JD exclusivity" claim.

If one has basic mechanical aptitude and carries out regular preventative maintenance, using reasonable quality fluids and parts, the chances of needing the services of a dealer for anything are very slim.

 

[wavinwayne]

Here's a couple of pics of my '07 LA110, with the same engine as the OP's. It has served me and my 1.5 acres well for the past three years. The filter you see is a Wix 51056. It was $10-11 IIRC from O'Reilly. Twice as much as I spend on my car's filter, but thankfully not changed nearly as often.