Thank you for this informative video. Ours was just delivered today, and I have never operated a riding mower in my life, so I had no idea what to do. I appreciate the walkthrough and advice.
I just got mine delivered from Lowes today. My first riding mower. This was beyond helpful as I basically followed every step and checks you did. My battery connections were the same way, loose. I would have never known if I didn’t watch this video. Thank you again.
Thanks Chris. I couldn't get my new machine to move today. I have had lawn tractors in the past, but this was my first John Deere and I was furious thinking it was defective. I spent more than an hour searching videos until I came to this one and I saw that you had the same problem as me and sure enough the rod was out on my machine. It's dark now, so I'll wait until tomorrow but I am confident I can get it working now. Thanks for your other tips as well.
Lol! That drove me crazy as well for about 10 minutes until I noted the little rod at the back. My older JD doesn't have that. It is for moving the mower when it's not running.
Final assembly is done by the john deere dealership that sold you the machine...the battery installation as well as other things are a part of the PDI (pre deliverie inspection)
They definitely made them cheaper than the older ones. The older ones actually had a metal casing around the battery to secure it. Not some cheap plastic strap. The older ones had a clear gas tank showing you the level of the gas and not some cheap plastic leveler. They also got rid of the front wheel rim grease fittings on the newer models. All these cost cutting measures while increasing the price.
Apparently they ship the JD mowers with that transmission rod out, mine came that way too from Home Depot(3 yrs ago). Luckily, I remembered that my salesperson (a very knowledgeable lady, explained every feature), mentioned that I had to push it in, to activate the transmission. 65hrs and running like new. E120
Great video. Thank you. I just bought mine waiting for it to come in. I also just heard about the lawsuit with JD and their farmers so I’m a little nervous about running into issues in the near future. Hope not.
Just got my JD from Lowes delivered S130. Delivery was great also but the battery was dead. I was not happy I had to cut the strap to get the battery out and took it back to Lowes to exchange for a new battery which was easy to install. Put gas in and it starts now. Just added the bagger.
How do you strap the battery back in if you had to cut the strap to remove it? I have not yet tried out my new JD, but am studying everything on this website before getting started. The video opened my eyes to so many ways to understand what to do. Thanks!
Bless your heart for making this video, because I couldn't get mine started. Your inspection checkover, clarified bad info from my Home Depot sales rep. TY ;)
That’s normal for the fuel tank to be like that. They float, so the fuel gauge will work. I have a D140 it’s just like it. I’ve had it 10 years. Great mower for 2k. I got it at lowes too.
Many thanks for taking the time to do this video. You got right down to business. I'm in the market for a new one and doing research. John Deere no longer has the quality they were famous for and not worth the extra buck compared to others. Belt flies off, floppy fuel tank, expensive new JD oil filters are only a few of the things mentioned.
Bought mine from Lowes, after multiple delivery delays, I finally decided to pick it up myself. It's been a good mower ever since, but Lowes is useless in so many ways.
You were lucky to get that thing to start that easy mine. I bought last year from home depot and it's still very, very hard to start. Like the Choke doesn't work.
Nice mower I have a 2020 e130.u should of got it at the dealership same thing same price and if u have any issues they treat u better then buying from a box store good luck with ur new tractor 🚜
The more research I do on these new John Deere 100s, the more aggravated I get with how much more steel was taken away. Just realized here that the battery holder was way-significantly cheapened- it used to be a drop-in holder, and now it's just a basic tray that relies on a rubber strap. The hood holder bracket also used to be heavy duty steel- and it's been changed to plastic. The driver's station also used to be formed from a steel riser and topped with plastic control panel, but the whole thing is now plastic. Also not happy with how that hood is now snap-together plastic instead of just one big molded piece.
Beware: Bought an S100 from Lowe’s May 2024. Registered it and saw it was a 2023. Fuel line and carburetor clogged after just 6 hours of use, 2 1/2 months later (I only use ethanol free gas with 1 ounce of Stabil per five gallons). Lowe’s said it’s not their problem, I should have bought the extended warranty. Local Deere dealer says Lowe’s puts gas in them to move them, then they sit for months to years on the lot. On top of that they’re telling me the warranty doesn’t cover fuel issues, so it’s almost $500 to repair. I will warn everybody I can reach to never buy a lawnmower from Lowe’s. Don’t make the same mistake I did.
Nice job Chris. Now I’ll know to check out my brand new grass cutting machine before I use it. Prior to this video I probably would’ve just gassed it up and started mowing. Thanks Chris
Just had mine delivered the other day. Appreciate the video. First timer. The yellow seat has some darkish spots probably from sitting out at the lot. Is that normal?
Bought a E100 and had less than 75 hours and had a problem with starter and gears cost $1300 to fix gave $1600 for it one week after getting it back from shop it smokes like hell when starting up it's a piece of shit don't buy E100 even mechanic said it wasn't a good lawnmower
Ethanol is not regular gas. It will run fine on 10% ethanol, you just don't want the gas mix to sit in the lawnmower for more than 3 months in humid areas. The methanol attracts water over time.
Very nice review. Just got my S100 today which replaced a 2010 D110. Right when the body changed from LA. Have you done a follow up comparison video yet?
I remember having to sign a delivery receipt. I had about 5 minutes to look it over while the delivery people put other items back in the truck. So I think the answer is yes.
Had s100 delivered from lowes today but have yet to turn it on, this video will be a great help! Thanks a bunch. In all honestly (as I really want to get mowing with this thing) what would you really recommend for a break in. I fully agree (and didn't even consider before watching this video) in the 20m break in - 20m cool down, then check for leaks but past that what would you suggest for a home user (just slightly larger than average yard) ? Thanks again for the video!
I'm sure the owners manual addresses it but I ran mine for about an hr total, then slowly engaged the deck just above idle speed then throttled up to ~90 % and cut from there. I'm at about 5 hrs total and I still vary the throttle from 75-90% but that's just me. Good luck with it.
Any problems using 90 octane when it only requires 87? I like the idea of ethanol-free gas, I have to overwinter my equipment for months, and adding Sta-Bil every fall sucks. And I can’t find any 87 octane gas without ethanol around here.
No problems using a higher octane, it costs more but stores better than gas with ethanol and is generally better on the engine seals and gaskets, especially the carburetor. Some states are as high as 10% ethanol -yuck. If you have a marina nearby they may have ethanol free, also you can buy 100 octane aviation fuel at the airport. It would cost more but you wouldn't have to buy sta-bil.
I just purchased this s100 yesterday so waiting for it to be delivered next month can’t wait. I was wondering how it has been running for you? I have read a bunch of reviews that the deck belt slips off and breaks…have you had any issues/problems with your tractor yet?
I only have 5 hrs on it (even in Florida it's still winter :) but no issues. I would give it a once over before starting it. I always engage the blades slowly hopefully that helps. I love the hydro-static drive! Good luck with yours Jeremy.
@@USNVA-yn6cp no I haven’t, I have read comments in other videos and also have read reviews on Lowes website and google reviews. I think if I treat it right and leave all the safety things in place/in tact this mower should do well
You may want to consider a lawnmower with cruise control with 4 acres, the s100 does not have that. I'm on 11 acres but only 1 acre mow-able. I believe the s130 has cruise control, where you can set everything and just steer.
hello , question . i bought this mower and the timer counter always stays on 24/7 . is this normal or is there some switch i should use to turn it off ? it's gonna run my battery down in the winter , aint it ?
My 15 year old lawnmower has the same feature. The battery will die after 4-5 years but not because of the tiny amount of energy the hour meter requires. It's a drop in a big bucket. I subbed you BTW. -Diver
Thank you, just got this bad boy from Lowes delivered today and I also couldn't get it to move lol. Thanks for your tips and excellent break down!
That issue has been coming up a lot..Maybe I should make a short video on it.
@@astrodiver1 I'm glad I watched until the very end and was so relieved when you came across that same issue and showed the fix. Thx again.
It was the flipping pin! Your a godsend, thank you!
I need to make a quick vid of that, It got a lot of us! Thanks Erin.
Thank you for this informative video. Ours was just delivered today, and I have never operated a riding mower in my life, so I had no idea what to do. I appreciate the walkthrough and advice.
Your welcome. Thanks!
Glad I found your video, I had the same problem not getting it to move due to that lever in the back not being pushed in.
Glad it helped
I'm glad I saw you run into the lever thing in the back to make it go. That one would have gotten me for sure. Good job.
I just got mine delivered from Lowes today. My first riding mower. This was beyond helpful as I basically followed every step and checks you did. My battery connections were the same way, loose. I would have never known if I didn’t watch this video. Thank you again.
John Deere must ship them without batteries. I don't know why so many have loose battery cables, maybe they get paid by the unit? Glad it helped!
Thanks Chris. I couldn't get my new machine to move today. I have had lawn tractors in the past, but this was my first John Deere and I was furious thinking it was defective. I spent more than an hour searching videos until I came to this one and I saw that you had the same problem as me and sure enough the rod was out on my machine. It's dark now, so I'll wait until tomorrow but I am confident I can get it working now. Thanks for your other tips as well.
Lol! That drove me crazy as well for about 10 minutes until I noted the little rod at the back. My older JD doesn't have that. It is for moving the mower when it's not running.
I had the same issue haha!
You are a gentleman and a scholar. Mine was not moving and i couldn't for the life of me find in the operation manual why. 👍 Thanks.
Thanks 👍
I couldn’t get mine to move either, I’m glad you did the video so I knew to push in that lever! Thanks
Your welcome Michelle. I need to do a short video on just this subject. I guess yours didn't have a yellow tag on it also?
Final assembly is done by the john deere dealership that sold you the machine...the battery installation as well as other things are a part of the PDI (pre deliverie inspection)
They definitely made them cheaper than the older ones. The older ones actually had a metal casing around the battery to secure it. Not some cheap plastic strap. The older ones had a clear gas tank showing you the level of the gas and not some cheap plastic leveler. They also got rid of the front wheel rim grease fittings on the newer models. All these cost cutting measures while increasing the price.
You seem like a person that does inspections for the city or along those lines. Very thorough check over of the machine.
Thanks 6string. I didn't get down to the deck, 'cause that stuff is way to low for me.
Apparently they ship the JD mowers with that transmission rod out, mine came that way too from Home Depot(3 yrs ago). Luckily, I remembered that my salesperson (a very knowledgeable lady, explained every feature), mentioned that I had to push it in, to activate the transmission. 65hrs and running like new. E120
Great video. Thank you. I just bought mine waiting for it to come in. I also just heard about the lawsuit with JD and their farmers so I’m a little nervous about running into issues in the near future. Hope not.
Just got my JD from Lowes delivered S130. Delivery was great also but the battery was dead. I was not happy I had to cut the strap to get the battery out and took it back to Lowes to exchange for a new battery which was easy to install. Put gas in and it starts now. Just added the bagger.
How do you strap the battery back in if you had to cut the strap to remove it? I have not yet tried out my new JD, but am studying everything on this website before getting started. The video opened my eyes to so many ways to understand what to do. Thanks!
Bless your heart for making this video, because I couldn't get mine started. Your inspection checkover, clarified bad info from my Home Depot sales rep. TY ;)
That’s normal for the fuel tank to be like that. They float, so the fuel gauge will work. I have a D140 it’s just like it. I’ve had it 10 years. Great mower for 2k. I got it at lowes too.
Thanks for letting me know that Josh. I was worried the plastic would wear through from vibration.
Signing papers and having it delivered Friday. Cant wait!
Many thanks for taking the time to do this video. You got right down to business. I'm in the market for a new one and doing research. John Deere no longer has the quality they were famous for and not worth the extra buck compared to others. Belt flies off, floppy fuel tank, expensive new JD oil filters are only a few of the things mentioned.
Lance,,how long did you own one?
Thank you very much for the Very Informative Video especially the Why does it not move.......
Your welcome Brian. Thank you for the feedback.
Bought mine from Lowes, after multiple delivery delays, I finally decided to pick it up myself. It's been a good mower ever since, but Lowes is useless in so many ways.
You were lucky to get that thing to start that easy mine. I bought last year from home depot and it's still very, very hard to start.
Like the Choke doesn't work.
You should of gotten it returned that moment
The gas tank is loose on the s100 because the way the fuel guage reads, its spring loaded. The other models w digital gas guages don't do this.
Nice mower I have a 2020 e130.u should of got it at the dealership same thing same price and if u have any issues they treat u better then buying from a box store good luck with ur new tractor 🚜
Very helpful video , I couldn’t get mines to go either.😊
Thanks Denise! I may have to make a quick vid on that.
Sounds great 😊
The more research I do on these new John Deere 100s, the more aggravated I get with how much more steel was taken away. Just realized here that the battery holder was way-significantly cheapened- it used to be a drop-in holder, and now it's just a basic tray that relies on a rubber strap.
The hood holder bracket also used to be heavy duty steel- and it's been changed to plastic.
The driver's station also used to be formed from a steel riser and topped with plastic control panel, but the whole thing is now plastic.
Also not happy with how that hood is now snap-together plastic instead of just one big molded piece.
Just recently got my S140 and the fuel tank threw me for a loop too lol
You just don't expect a fuel tank to move around! haha.
Wow, I was just in Lowes today and I saw a JD S140. $2900 Dollars US. Wow.
I had one delivered last week same one S100....I also have an older one LA125...With 670 hrs on it
Beware: Bought an S100 from Lowe’s May 2024. Registered it and saw it was a 2023. Fuel line and carburetor clogged after just 6 hours of use, 2 1/2 months later (I only use ethanol free gas with 1 ounce of Stabil per five gallons). Lowe’s said it’s not their problem, I should have bought the extended warranty. Local Deere dealer says Lowe’s puts gas in them to move them, then they sit for months to years on the lot. On top of that they’re telling me the warranty doesn’t cover fuel issues, so it’s almost $500 to repair. I will warn everybody I can reach to never buy a lawnmower from Lowe’s. Don’t make the same mistake I did.
When your gas tank moves around that's how it's made in the factory
Nice job Chris. Now I’ll know to check out my brand new grass cutting machine before I use it. Prior to this video I probably would’ve just gassed it up and started mowing. Thanks Chris
Thank you!
just noticed the battery dates are not notched off, usually the little divits are pulled off when they are sold
I noticed that also. It will work until it doesn't :)
God bless you
Thank you. Let me guess the rod at the back?lol
Thank you I thought I bought a broken lawn mower 😂
HeHe Robert Santos! I don't know why that engage rod is not more highlighted to new users.
Buy the bumper it helps a lot.
I didn't know about the bumper until now. Thanks Charles!
Just had mine delivered the other day. Appreciate the video. First timer. The yellow seat has some darkish spots probably from sitting out at the lot. Is that normal?
Bought a E100 and had less than 75 hours and had a problem with starter and gears cost $1300 to fix gave $1600 for it one week after getting it back from shop it smokes like hell when starting up it's a piece of shit don't buy E100 even mechanic said it wasn't a good lawnmower
What happens if you put regular gas in it? Ethenol free gas is off the charts expensive. $20/gallon!
Ethanol is not regular gas. It will run fine on 10% ethanol, you just don't want the gas mix to sit in the lawnmower for more than 3 months in humid areas. The methanol attracts water over time.
I was born in the same town that John Deere was born.
Very nice review. Just got my S100 today which replaced a 2010 D110. Right when the body changed from LA. Have you done a follow up comparison video yet?
Not yet!
Does Lowe's just drop it off and leave? What if there are scuffs or a mechanical problem- can you tell them to take it back for an exchange?
I remember having to sign a delivery receipt. I had about 5 minutes to look it over while the delivery people put other items back in the truck. So I think the answer is yes.
Had s100 delivered from lowes today but have yet to turn it on, this video will be a great help! Thanks a bunch. In all honestly (as I really want to get mowing with this thing) what would you really recommend for a break in. I fully agree (and didn't even consider before watching this video) in the 20m break in - 20m cool down, then check for leaks but past that what would you suggest for a home user (just slightly larger than average yard) ? Thanks again for the video!
I'm sure the owners manual addresses it but I ran mine for about an hr total, then slowly engaged the deck just above idle speed then throttled up to ~90 % and cut from there. I'm at about 5 hrs total and I still vary the throttle from 75-90% but that's just me. Good luck with it.
Any problems using 90 octane when it only requires 87? I like the idea of ethanol-free gas, I have to overwinter my equipment for months, and adding Sta-Bil every fall sucks. And I can’t find any 87 octane gas without ethanol around here.
No problems using a higher octane, it costs more but stores better than gas with ethanol and is generally better on the engine seals and gaskets, especially the carburetor. Some states are as high as 10% ethanol -yuck. If you have a marina nearby they may have
ethanol free, also you can buy 100 octane aviation fuel at the airport. It would cost more but you wouldn't have to buy sta-bil.
I just purchased this s100 yesterday so waiting for it to be delivered next month can’t wait. I was wondering how it has been running for you? I have read a bunch of reviews that the deck belt slips off and breaks…have you had any issues/problems with your tractor yet?
I only have 5 hrs on it (even in Florida it's still winter :) but no issues. I would give it a once over before starting it. I always engage the blades slowly hopefully that helps. I love the hydro-static drive! Good luck with yours Jeremy.
Thanks for the tips you had in your video and in this reply I will definitely do that….I’m looking forward to it
Jeremy have you known anyone that actually owns this mower and the belts always fall off?
@@USNVA-yn6cp no I haven’t, I have read comments in other videos and also have read reviews on Lowes website and google reviews. I think if I treat it right and leave all the safety things in place/in tact this mower should do well
@@USNVA-yn6cp thank you for your service from one veteran to another
Where's our review video Astro! :)
Dude it's hot out!
On your S100 each blade is 21" cause 21x2 is 42
The cooling fan on the transmission shouldn't break. If it does you are probably abusing the machine
As happened on my TYM tractors, a finger sized Oak or Cedar twig can strip the plastic blades off in a fraction of a second.
What
Gas should I put in mine??
Was it supposed to come with 2 keys? Mine came with only one in the bag
mine had a metal key in the ignition also.
I had an all metal one and the one that is black with the JD LOGO on it. You can buy extra keys at Lowes
I’ve been thinking about getting this tractor for our 4 acre yard. Have you run into any issues yet? The belt still good?
You may want to consider a lawnmower with cruise control with 4 acres, the s100 does not have that. I'm on 11 acres but only 1 acre mow-able. I believe the s130 has cruise control, where you can set everything and just steer.
hello , question . i bought this mower and the timer counter always stays on 24/7 . is this normal or is there some switch i should use to turn it off ? it's gonna run my battery down in the winter , aint it ?
My 15 year old lawnmower has the same feature. The battery will die after 4-5 years but not because of the tiny amount of energy the hour meter requires. It's a drop in a big bucket. I subbed you BTW. -Diver
@@astrodiver1 thanks so much . i have to do the first oil change tomorrow . it's looks pretty easy . it's a good mower for sure .
How big is your yard
11 acres but I only mow~ about 1 acre.
Can I get your John Deere LA 105
Yes. Come on by.
Where are you at?
Is the mower free?
Premium ... HAHAHa,. now that Gas price is increasing...
I don't get it...