John Deere LA105 Lawn Tractor

by bart procacci
(long island, ny)

I have always wanted a riding mower (since my lawn is huge) and always wanted a John Deere. They can be a bit expensive, but I found that the LA105 was reasonably priced and still have some of the great features that some of their more expensive models have.

I got this lawn mower on sale and paid about $1400 for it.

This particular model doesn't have as much horsepower as their bigger models (the John Deere website says the horsepower is 19.5) but I have no trouble with some of the rougher parts of my lawn. Turning on is simple- if you can start a car, you can start this mower.

The gear transmission is simple- the mower uses one pedal for both braking and shifting. And the mower gets a top speed of about 5mph (in case you are racing your neighbor.)

The mower is comfortable. With my lawn, I usually need about 3 hours from start to finish. The seat is padded and my backside never hurts when I am finished :). The seat is adjustable (in case your wife wants to use it- fat chance!). And, of course, there is a beverage holder- for your soft drinks, of course.....One feature I LOVE about this mower is the sun canopy- I can stay mostly out of the sun when I have it attached, which is simple to do. There are no-slip pads for your feet, which is a terrific safety feature.

I believe the gas tank is about 2 gallons deep. Since the you can see right into the tank, it's very easy to see when you need to refill.

This is an awesome mower and I have practically no complaints about it. It is expensive, which is certainly a big concern (especially in this economic climate.) However, if you can afford it, this is a great machine!