John Deere JS25 Walk-Behind Mower


Our John Deere walking lawn mower is the greatest and I can't be happier with it. At first we were worried about spending that much money on a lawn mower, but after using it all last summer, we are glad we did. We had previously gone through 2 other mowers in the last 5 years and were very disappointed in those for they didn't cut the grass as well and seemed to needed to be worked on all the time, so basically the John Deere has paid for itself for the years to come.


It has some great features as well, it has a 3-in-1 blade and works great for mulching and has a attachable side chute that the grass can be shot out of.

John Deere's special MowMentum System means it adjust's it's own speeds by moving the pivoting handle to control how fast the mower moves by how the handle is set, which you can also lock into place.

This machine is extremely durable and I know it will last along time. The grass bag is huge and holds alot more then the other mowers we had, it is made out of some sort of tough fabric and not that netting material in cheaper brands, it can be removed to be cleaned with a hose and then hung to dry.

I would totally recommend this lawnmower to anyone, John Deere has been around for a long time and their specialities are in farming for large areas of work so you know that their products will be great.

I love this lawnmower and will only buy John Deere lawnmowers from now on.

Comments for John Deere JS25 Walk-Behind Mower

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Aug 29, 2017
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Design?
by: Anonymous

If someone actually reads this and knows how to rig it to activate the self propel and not have to push UP on it, please let me know! The way it is designed, you have to push up on handle to activate the self propel which is impossible. I'd like to see the person who designed it to use it! Previously owned a js61 and used it with few problems for over 10 years and the self propel handle was merely pulled down. Please reply if you have a solution.

Aug 25, 2017
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Poor quality
by: Anonymous

Owned the JS25 John Deere mower for about eight years. I have had five major problems over this time period. Everything from recoil starter, rear frame broke, bearings and transmission failed. I now have to use the mower as a push mower as I will not spend more money on repairs. Poor quality mower with no support from John Deere.

Aug 06, 2016
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Bad Platform - Great Engine
by: Anonymous

I've had a JS-25 mower for about 6 years. Saw it in the used/return area at Lowe's and thought I had gotten a great bargain. My dad had JD farm tractors and they were great in the 50's 60's 70's 80's. And, the push mower was great for the first 3 years. About the 3rd year, the front axle broke - at a weld. Crap. I ordered and replaced it myself for about $60. This year (year 6) the back axle broke. Poor design/material not strong enough for the stress. Not an easy fix. When I realized that, I bought a new Honda mower. Meanwhile, I thought I would fix the rear axle and sell the JD or keep as back-up or to give away. Got the rear axle for about $70. But, had to remove two pressed on bearings. Finally, figured out to use a pulley puller - worked like a charm. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to get the axle on. Looks like several hours since I have to remove other parts to get it on. I'm glad JD doesn't make residential mowers. Best to quit at the big stuff. Hope they're still making the big stuff right. If they make it like this, the farmers will be buying something else - or going out of business.

Dec 14, 2015
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front Crossbar axle broke at weld....glad they stopped making them! Can't rip people off anymore!
by: Anonymous

POS

Sep 12, 2015
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JS25 Stall Problem FIxed
by: Anonymous

Removed air filter cover and cleaned thoroughly. Found that the air intake valve (small shutter door) was stuck. WD-40'ed it on all hinges. Stall disappeared.

Sep 12, 2015
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JS25 Stall Problem FIxec
by: ken

Removed air filter cover and cleaned thoroughly. Found that the air intake valve was stuck. WD-40'ed it on all hinges. Stall disappeared.

Jul 10, 2015
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lol
by: Anonymous

What planet are you mowing on?

Jul 10, 2015
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bent shaft
by: Anonymous

Worked great until I hit stump in the grass. Bent the shaft. Now I can't find a place to fix it. Also from looking at the JD web page, they don't sell residential walk behind mowers anymore, only big, heavy, expensive commercial ones.

May 01, 2015
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2 years on, still a great mower
by: Ron

I bought the JD model JS25 mower in Dec 2012. Unlike many reviews, I have had no problems whatsoever with this mower. As a matter of fact, over the past 25 years I have owned a Toro and a Snapper; this JD is by far my favorite. This thing has never failed to start on the first pull. At one point the mower would stutter and shut off after about an hour. Having it professionally serviced did not resolve the issue.. they seemed to poo-poo any problems and the problem persisted. So, I added a bit of your basic gas treatment and voila! I have had no problems since. It continues to do an excellent job on my quarter acre lot. Each of my past powers gave me an average of 10 years' use; regular oil and filter changes are mandatory to achieve such longevity.

Apr 29, 2015
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Total P.O.S.
by: Anonymous

This has nothing to do with grammar or spelling....but? In a nice way....this mower is a total P.O.S! Heavy vibration . Wheel fell off in first year.Have bungle cords to hold engine cover on, Rear axle broke second season. I only use this mower to trim and cut hillside....Nothing good has come from this Total P.O.S!

Apr 03, 2015
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BestMower ever
by: Larry

I have a John Deere self propelled 14SB for 28 years. This mower is the best mower I have ever bought. It starts with one pull and runs like a dear. Will buy another J.D. mower when this baby dies.

Jan 25, 2015
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sometimes belches black smoke
by: Anonymous

Brought this for my dad 2 years back and it works good.The same unit with the Sears badge was bad out of the box,fortunately they refuned money and went to J.D. dealer.
Now it occasionally belches black smoke as if it was choking too much.
Went to look at a mower for myself Dec2014 and was told they no longer make these, only riding type mowers.
They sell honda mowers which look suspiciously like this mower.They must have read this forum and figured they better get out of this J.D. badged unit before they lost all credibility.

Nov 21, 2014
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dead man cable
by: Anonymous

It streches . just remove at the handle where it attaches. pry open the brkt on the cable move it up then reclamp the brkt with a vise gripe pliers .Worked .great for me.

Thats on the js45.

Nov 21, 2014
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dead man cable
by: Anonymous

It streches . just remove at the handle where it attaches. pry open the brkt on the cable move it up then reclamp the brkt with a vise gripe pliers .Worked .great for me.

Sep 15, 2014
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Front Axle
by: Anonymous

Generally the JS25 mower has been OK with the major exception of the front axle. Not sure who supplies or builds these for JD but they are crap. Just today I replaced my 5th axle on a mower I bought brand new. This is a very light weight residential mower and it's not like I'm running over potholes all over my yard. The way the axles are welded looks like a job done by someone that has no welding experience at all.

Jul 03, 2014
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do it right or the free market will do it for you
by: Anonymous

A friend acquired a JS25 from a family member that left the state. After reading these comments,I must say I'm skeptical. The mower came to him not running.Upon inspection, the unit was somewhat neglected. Checked oil and fired the mower. Started, ran for about 10 seconds and quit. Pulled off the pre and air filters. Definitely will need replaced.Checked for "good" spark. Seemed a bit low. So a new plug later, drained the old fuel and with the air filters off, it fired and seemed to run well. Without spending anymore than the money for a $2 plug as of yet, I am hoping for the best.

I would tell you, there are notable design flaws that I have read and seen here on this blog. I am still in the early stages of making this machine right for him, ... but I am hopeful.

First, the intake air ( as noted in previous statements here ) has definite issues. I will be trying to get a pack of prefilters and have him change them regularly. Lack of intake air may have something to do with poor performance/stalling/and possibly overheating issues.

The "dead man" cable seems to be an easy fix by adjusting the cable as noted in earlier posts.

The drive system on this mower seems to be in tact, all but the cable, which has been discarded previous to his ownership. Again, another easy fix, however, I will admit, after the previous posts, I'm a bit skeptical.

To address the unusual amount of rod/piston failures reported in this blog, ... I can only think that cooling is a problem mostly due to the amount of clippings I discovered on the flywheel/fan.

In the end, I'm hopeful for a good outcome. If I were JD, I would find the exec. who gave the nod to this set up and ask for his resignation. Yes, I'm sure money was made, but at what expense? Seems to me these (hopefully simple) flaws can be righted, but why at the customers expense? If you understand a problem, make it right, ... otherwise Honda still makes a great product. This mentality of hurting the lower end market ($300-$400 sales) will in the end bear no fruit.

May 30, 2014
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inferior engineering
by: jack

crap. I have the easiest/flattest lawn in the world. Front axle weld broke two years ago. PIA to replace, but I managed. Now the weld on the rear axle broke. Bought a new one, spent two hours breaking rusted bracket bolts/nuts off, now can;t figure how to get the axle back on, over the transmission drive train rod, or whatever its called. ! I feel like idiot, but actually suspect it can't physically done because the welds were done post-assembly at the factory.

May 29, 2014
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fuel stablelizer caps underside of gas cap don't do the job ?
by: Anthony Blackmon

Bought this mower (J.Deere JS 28) 2 years ago .at the end of summer 2012. mowed my yard 3 times (3) about a hour each time. put in the garage for the winter aprrox. 8 months .got it out to mow would not start . changed out the break in oil, put a new spark plug in, bought carb cleaner and fast start fluid ,worked on it a couple hours still wouldn't start. now this is a brand new mower !! use for 3 times approx. 3 hours .so I just stored it until today 5/29/14 just been using my old toro I had for 11 years dull blade and all. it starts right up . so anyway I took it to a mower repair shop this morning . charged me 50 bucks said the carb was gummed up and that the little cap of fuel stabilizer you put under the fuel cap of the mower will no way stop the fuel from gumming up your john deere after it sits a while . buy some sta-bil fuel stabilizer and use it was his advice. anyway got it home. now the self propelled wheels want work !! go figure . called the repair guy and he said what work he did ( the Carb) had nothing to do with the transmission of the mower . bring it over and he would check it out at no cost ? seems like nothing but trouble with this piece of crap john deere mower . never again will I purchase any product that carries the john deere name !! nothing runs like a deere ? yeah right . everything else runs better !!

Sep 03, 2013
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John Deere = NO Quality
by: Robert Latora

I purchased the JS25 mower in 05/13 for 400$ , i was very excited that i believed that i just purchased a high quality mower. I have 0.5 acres of level lawn and this mower struggled from the start. Called my local Deere dealer, the Padula Brothers, he told me I didnt it warm up enough??, really in May , I put in fresh gas, plenty of oil, checked the spark plug, all good. I called John Deere customer service. Could not be less helpful. After 20 minutes of a confused conversation, she told me i have to call the dealer, got the run around, I could not be more disappointed. JOHN DEERE MOWERS ARE A PIECE OF SHIT!!!! Save your money.

May 28, 2013
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Holy crap
by: 2013 newbee

I was just given a jd js25 lawnmower and was excited but after reading all these problems I think I will give it back.

May 24, 2013
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Does Not meet expectations
by: Mike Lewis

I bought the JS25 about 2-3 yrs ago. Facts are had all kinds of problems w/the throttle cable and the engine would cut out. At the end of the 2nd season the front axle/drive broke and had it repaired cost approx. $175 to have fix. Then 6 weeks into 2013 the rear axle breaks. I live in typical sub w/ flat .25 acre lot and grass is cut weekly in Apr/May/June , then whenever it needs it for remainder of season. No way will I pay to fix the rear axle. Cutting my losses now and getting another brand. Probably Japanese mfg.

May 16, 2013
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hate to say it
by: Anonymous

It pains me to say it. I bought this JD JS25 because it was American-made and the JD brand was classic. But there is no other way to say it. It has been a POS since I bought it. First, it was the throttle cable not working right. Too long and I couldn't tighten it enough to make the mower run. I finally wrapped it tightly around the extension bar until it was tight enough to stay on. I had to tie it down with zip ties. Ghetto. Then it was the self-propelled mechanism. Had to take it in for work after about 3 months of owning it. Then the most disappointing feature was it would choke on the least amount of grass. I live in the 'burbs with a small lot, so it's not like I am putting it through the ringer. I was CONSTANTLY stopping the mower to reach down and pull grass out of the side chute. When the mower chokes and shuts down 4-5 times per mow, I get angry. Plus, when I did bag it, the bag design is poor and barely stays on. A little jostle going from grass to street, would knock the bag off and spray grass all over me. Another reason to get even angrier. Then the final straw, the front axel (which is welded, not bolted) broke. Can't fix that myself. According to the other posts, this seems to be a common occurance. My neighbor has a mower from a foreign country and I have been borrowing it since my axle broke. I hate to say it, but it puts my JD to shame. Its sad but it is true. I'll never buy another JD product again.

May 06, 2013
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Recall it please
by: Trish

John Deere should recall this collassal mistake and refund our money since it would be difficult to compensate us for our time and anguish! I got the same garble from my John Deere business. It was my fault,etc, bad gas, didn't know how to run it, etc, etc. GET REAL! It's the machine, NOT the operator! I went out a bought a Toro, and my father ( rest his soul) was a JOHN DEERE dealer!

May 06, 2013
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Recall it please
by: Trish

John Deere should recall this collassal mistake and refund our money since it would be difficult to compensate us for our time and anguish! I got the same garble from my John Deere business. It was my fault,etc, bad gas, didn't know how to run it, etc, etc. GET REAL! It's the machine, NOT the operator! I went out a bought a Toro, and my father ( rest his soul) was a JOHN DEERE dealer!

May 06, 2013
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A John Deere LEMON
by: Anonymous

I purchased my JS25 3 years ago because I needed a self-propelled mower because of back problems. This mower has been in the shop 6 times! The first 3 times, they kept telling me "bad gas". the 4th, 5th and 6th time, I told them to stop insulting my intelligence and fix the darn thing. The problem was overheating and stalling!! 4 years later, problem not fix and John Deere won't do anything to help. As of 1 week ago, the self-propelling cable snapped! Back to self-pushing!! Shame on John Deere and this is a name brand and why I paid more for this mower. I would not recommend this to anyone.

May 01, 2013
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DO NOT BUY
by: Larry Shay

After having my first John Deere Mower for 15 years and basically no problems it was time to purchase another lawn mower. I did not hesitate buy another John Deere mower when the deck of my mower rusted through. Bought the JS25 from Lowes. one of the worst purchases i have ever made. Handles very poorly and after 6 months cheap plastic parts started to break. Always takes multiple pulls to start and runs rough until the excess fuel burns off. Serviced this mower yearly and change air filter twice a season. by year 3 rear tires no longer had any traction. Do your homework before purchasing this model or spend the extra money and buy a better quality mower.

Nov 01, 2012
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JS25
by: Anonymous

BECAUSE ITS NOT A JOHN DEERE ITS A MURRAY

Nov 01, 2012
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js25
by: Anonymous

js25 is a hunk of junk because its made by murray i got a true john deere js20 a true green machine

Oct 19, 2012
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What hunk of crap
by: Anonymous

Wow this is a hunk of crap. Stalls, throttle cable was to long and now my left front wheel fell off... Seriously!?!?
LAME!

Sep 30, 2012
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to many problems
by: Anonymous

mower stalls out, brought to the dealer where I bought it they claimed it was bad gas and they flushed the tank and replaced with fresh gas. After a a week it was doing same thing again,so brought it to a local guy in the neiborhood he got this running well again ran the rest of the year well,it is doing the same this year have to bring it somewhere agian it truly is a maintnance mans best friend.seems all these mowers these days have more adjustments on them that seem to have to be made. I will not by this brand in the future,

Sep 16, 2012
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Mower runs but smokes
by: Anonymous

I crank the mower and it smokes. engine will not clear itself and increase rpm's

Sep 09, 2012
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Belt change
by: Anonymous

JS26 John Deer mower wher can I find info so I can replace the belt..please help

Sep 03, 2012
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Piece of Junk
by: Anonymous

I bought the JS46, only got to use it part of last year. Now sitting in the garage, not willing to pay for service that they are going to say is my fault. DO NOT BUY THIS MOWER!!!! SHAME ON YOU JOHN DEERE.

Jul 29, 2012
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Nothing Runs Like a Deere (That's True!)
by: Anonymous

This is my second, and last, JD walk-behind mower. The quality is so poor!!! I just crossed my 3-year anniversary with the mower and have replaced a broken handle, both the front and rear crossbars (welds broke), and now my operator presence control cable is stretched just like many others in this forum. Attempting to actually contact someone in JD's corporate customer service is a joke. Found out the JD mowers are not made by JD - they simply license their name to B & S to produce them and JD takes a cut ($) - no wonder they don't care. Living in Iowa in a city where JD has a major presence is an embarassment. The mower is stored in my garage, serviced at all of the appropriate times, cleaned, etc. My lot is only 100' x 150' so it's not like I am mowing acres with it. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!

Jul 28, 2012
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sucks
by: Anonymous

john deere mower sucks, and i mean sucks!

Jul 11, 2012
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owner neglect.
by: Brandon

Engine problems are usually owner neglect, however you can take any 190CC briggs quantum motor and stick the 25mm diameter PTO crankshaft into it, and then you have an older and better motor in your mower. I pulled the motor off of a 2001 craftsman for one of these that cracked a piston. Runs good now. Im eventually going to order a longblock so i have a rebuilt motor.


Autopsy on the blown motor...owner hit something big bending the crank, Bent crank excessively wore the hole in the oil pan, and oil leaked out. Low oil and tall grass overheated the motor, then the owner sprayed it down with a water hose. The block didnt crack, but shrunk around the piston causing it to crack. Owner gave it to me, i fired it up to diagnose the knocks, and the piston came apart in the bore, with the upper ring cutting the wall like butter.

Jun 19, 2012
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Mower stalling out or not starting? TRY THIS
by: GaryC

If you mower stalls when you push the hand grip forward to make the mower move forward (and are grasping the engine "cut off" handle) the cable that the cut off handle is most likely stretched and no longer in the proper position to allow the engine to continue to run. If the cable is so far stretched even clutching the cable tight against the push grip bar will result in the engine not even firing! John Deere is well aware of the problem - but ignores it!

Below is my final response to John Deere on the issue:

Ok -- I found a ton of the same issues on line - which tells me that John Deere is not only well aware of the issue, but is negligent in responding to the problem. The issue is simply the "cut off" cable that came with my unit (and most likely thousands of others) is CLEARLY defective as it stretches and renders the grab handle useless as the stretched cable acts as though the handle is released! Since I have read countless blogs about this issue it is a shame that John Deere is IGNORING the issue and their CLEARLY defective product.

The fix is to simply drill a new hole on the bracket at the engine throttle plate that moves the cable forward about 1/4"! Of course John Deere should be replacing the defective cable as it should not stretch that much to render itself and the mower useless! (In the event you eventually replace the cable with a new one, the original hole is still usable.)

As for the pot metal / brass "L" bracket (located under the hand grip bar and part of the "cut off handle bar") mounting screw that often breaks:

Simply using a standard screw and nut with ring lock washers keeps the bracket in place and works fine with the above cable fix of relocating the hole!

Not that you or anyone else at John Deere will care, but this will be the last John Deere product I buy as YOU have FAILED to provide a responsible lever of customer care on a clearly defective product that should have been replaced on the first repair by YOUR John Deere dealer. Since you cannot be relied upon to do the right thing, purchasing another product from would be irresponsible on my part.

Jun 19, 2012
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ME AND MY YEAR OLD JS26
by: Anonymous

DO NOT BUY A JD WALK BEHIND. . . PERIOD . . . THEY DO NOT START. THERE IS NO THROTTLE CONTROL. THERE IS NO PRIME PUMP.I HAVE A JS26. I POLISH THE PLUG, I CLEAN THE AIR FILTER, I PULL THE FREAKIN CORD 600 TIMES, I SMELL GAS, YOU TELL ME HOW TO CUT MY GRASS. JUST SAYIN. . . BOB

May 06, 2012
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Unless you're 6' tall and want a he-man workout, don't buy this mower!
by: Anonymous

I have always loved yardwork and looked forward to mowing our yard ... until my husband brought home this mower. It is difficult to start - at least 5 pulls - and once it gets going it is a nightmare to maneuver! In part I think it is a design problem - by making it necessary to 'lift' the handle to make it move anyone who is under 6' feet tall ends up with the handle mid-chest instead of at your waist. This makes pushing it exhausting, especially since it gives you no help as the only 'propelling' motion must come from your legs. But turning is the real nightmare - trimming around a curved landscape is impossible as you have no leverage to execute the turn and continue pushing forward. I don't usually write negative reviews but honestly, it has taken something I used to enjoy doing and made it a miserable chore. I hope this saves someone else from wasting $400 on a machine that will be frustrating rather than helpful. And I hope my husband learned a lesson about the importance of reading reviews before purchasing large-ticket items.

Apr 14, 2012
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Awesome Mower!
by: Anonymous

Can't believe all the negative comments about the JS25. Have had it for three years and it has run like a champ every time. This mower has never failed to start with just one pull and cuts through grass like butter. I have used full synthetic oil and have kept the air cleaner clean. Have always made sure the deck gets cleaned after each mowing.

Apr 11, 2012
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Great Mower
by: JP

I live in central Alabama and I bought my JS25 in 2008. I had the stalling problems at first, but quickly found the root cause. JD puts the air intake vents for the air filter in the bottom of the casing. What is directly underneath it by a couple of inches? The grass side discharge. When the mulching plate is in place, little bits of grass fly into the vents. The filter will need cleaning out after about every 1 acre of cutting. I took my filter housing apart, and JB Welded the bottom intake vents to seal them. I measured the size of the holes before hand to determine the surface area that needed to be opened up to keep the same air flow volume as before. I drew out and cut new holes in the side of the housing. Now, I can go all season long and only service the mower once a year. At the end of the summer, I add some Sta-Bil to the tank, change the filters, oil, and the plug, run the mower for a minute to gett he Sta-Bil into the Carb., sharpen and oil the blade. (to prevent it from rusting.) I have never had to pull the rope more than twice to get it started, even after sitting all Winter. It fires right up, doesn't use oil, and the Mow-Mentum drive system is awesome. I use my mower once a week from March thru October and have been doing so for the last 4 years. This is a great mower. Really can't blame JD for the intake issue, the motor is designed by Briggs and Stratton. I don't use the bagging attachment because in my opinion, none of the walk behinds are capable of holding enough to make it worth while. Besides, it is healthier for the grass to just mulch it.

Apr 09, 2012
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JS 36 front axle
by: Lancerdad34

Last fall the right front axle on my JS36 broke. I took it in to the local JD service center for warranty repair on March 20th and it is still there! The dealer claims that the hold-up is JD on shipping the part. JD customer support has been useless. I am still waiting for a JD customer support supervisor to call me. This is my first and last JD mower!

Mar 11, 2012
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Will not start and blow material all over
by: Anonymous

I have had severla lawn mowers over the years. Generally LawnBoys. This was the first try at a John Deere product, and it is awful. Have only had for a year, but it has always taken several pulls to start - when it starts. But to me the worst feature is the front of the mower it too high. This means material like leaves blow out to the front and to the side, so grass never has that clean look. This is the first time I responded to a companies "how well are we doing" card and let them know how poorly designed this maching is

Feb 21, 2012
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Up in Smoke
by: Anonymous

This machine stalled after about 3 uses when initially purchased a couple of years ago. I fired it up today since landscaping services were getting expensive, but now it blows tons of white smoke after about 15 minutes of use, polluting my neighborhood's yards. Not a "green" machine at all.

Oct 07, 2011
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Used in a commercial business
by: treeman

I bought this mower 2 years ago to use in my business and have been using it 3 and 4 days a week, 20 to 25 cuts a week for two years and the only thing I've done was replace the start/stop control cable, I think a lot of the problems listed here are user error...

Sep 24, 2011
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Engine blew after 2.5 years
by: K Sullivan

Well maintained, kept it garaged and cleaned it off after each use. Started to go through oil this year - kept filling oil each time. Hard to start.
Today it blew a hole in the side of the engine. Wow.. complete junk. I did however like the self-propelled drive bar that automatically adjusts to your stride. Too bad they didn't focus on overall quality.

Sep 08, 2011
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AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
by: Patricia

First, let me say that I am the 60 year old daughter of a man who was a John Deere dealer for over fifty years. Our family lived and breathed Deere. I bought and used two different John Deere mowers after buying my own home. The first two John Deere mowers worked perfectly, started on the first pull, never needed oil or parts, and each lasted over 10 years. They never caused me a moment’s trouble. I would highly recommend them to anyone who was interested in purchasing a lawn mower. My opinion of John Deere mowers now has changed drastically.
I purchased a new JS25 lawn mower in May 2009. The first month I had it, the front axle broke. The next month, the mower kept trying to “die” whenever I used the self-propelled feature. That same month, the black plastic piece covering the handle crossbars broke from the nut holding it in place. I returned the mower each time stating that I wanted a mower that “ran like a Deere.”
In 2010, I again had trouble with the mower. I decided that I had purchased a lemon. This year, I had to purchase a new operator control cable, a new side discharge vent, and the black plastic piece covering the handle crossbars broke again, but the real “kicker” was the horrible grumbling noise that appeared while I was mowing two weeks ago. The mower was extremely difficult to push. My husband thought it was a belt, so I ordered the belt. That was NOT the problem. I took it back to the dealer and after a diagnostic fee of $90, was told I needed a new transmission and pulley. The transmission alone was $250! I spent $343 to buy the mower, now to put another $340 into it was ridiculous!
I, too, was told the mower needed oil, I didn't know how to "run" it, etc. The blame was placed totally on me rather than this LEMON of a mower. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!


Aug 09, 2011
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ditto on the piece of junk
by: Anonymous

First year pretty good, second year the wheel fell and the pull cord jammed inside the casing making it impossible to start. Dealer fixes it, drops it off... second mowing, the same problem. Gets fixed again. I'm thinking great... a happy mower. NOT...this year the momentum quit working. I, like everyone else, commenting on this forum, invested a little more money, thinking it would be money well spent. Agreeing with everyone else...this should be recalled and money refunded :(

Aug 02, 2011
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POS
by: DO IT YOURSELFER

First off - thanks knot man - I did the same thing and fixed the engine stall. This is my fourth season with the JS25. I live in SWFL so I mow the lawn year-round. In year three, the stainless steel bolts started to rust along with the handles. This year, the one-of-a-kind gas cap fell apart. Try finding a replacement. I replaced the filter and spark plug this spring when the engine started crapping out. I pulled the slack in the wire and capped it off. Runs fine for now. In year two the bolts holding the squeeze bar broke through the cheap plastic hand guard. Bought mine at Loews. Home Depot does not carry replacement parts for JD. Very disappointed in the quality of this machine.

Jul 26, 2011
Rating
starstar
yep same problem, different fix....
by: Chris

WOW... I am sorry( as well) I bought this mower..I wanted to buy American so I spent a little more expecting alot more quality. I am sure John Deere knows how to build a quality mower, but they choose not to. I will not be sorry to see them "fail". Anyway...I have the stalling problem as well. I planed on keeping this "til the wheels fell off" but that seems to be not too far down the road from what I read.:) OK... what I did to fix the stalling problem today is; I removed the rectangular piece of plastic right in front of the gas cap, above the filter. Once that was gone there is a plastic arm there that I could push in to get the motor to run stronger. It appears that setting that arm right in the center of its motion range was perfect. So to get it to stay there, I stuck a stick of the perfect thickness (and yes I am laughing as I type this, but this is the truth.) to hold the arm in place. Finished my lawn and it ran like a champ the rest of the day...
For a more permanant solution I plan on putting a rubber foot in place of the stick so I can close the top and imagine that I have a good mower. I am sad though, because at one time John Deere was a good company that took pride in it's name. Now it just wants to make a buck off it. I pray that management will see the error or their ways before more good Americans are out of work due to the greed of the corporate moguls...

Jul 13, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstar
great quality mower
by: Anonymous

i have this mower for 4 years and havent have any problem with this mower besides the stalling problem known in this mower if the cable is not facing the motor which i easily fixed with a tier tying the cable so it stays permanently facing the motor,no oil change have ever done to it, first time today i did a clean up under the deck, always start at first pull,i mow in florida which is used pretty much weekly in springs and summers,but is being one hell of a mower cant complaint,not sure why everyone is rating it so low band complaints about it.

Jul 10, 2011
Rating
star
DON'T BUY A JOHN DEERE
by: Anonymous

I purchased the mower and it lasted all of 1 week so I returned it and did the same with the 4 others that I had to return for all types of reasons from not running to making noises and yes the mower had oil plus I have been in the automotive repair business for over 40 years.
The last one that I had to exchange lasted 6 months and quit so I call the place where I purchased it from and they would not do anything so I called the 1.800 number for John Deere and was told that I would need to take it to an authorized dealer.
I called to tell them what I thought was wrong and they said to bring it in and when I unloaded it they stated there would be a $70.00 dollar service charge even if it’s under warranty so I loaded it back into my trunk and they service manager said that he would waive this for me since this was my 6th one.
They kept it for one week and call to say that nothing was wrong with it so I asked if they had checked the carburetor because I knew that it was indeed flooding out and yes they did. I picked it up and it did the same thing plus it still continues to run for 30 minutes and quits.
I called the main office at John Deere to explain what was going on as well as what does their so called 2 year warranty really cover and was informed that it covers everything, but why do they charge the $70.00 dollar service charge?
They stated that many problems are caused by the owner of the mowers and this service charge is to pay for that company’s time in the event that it’s not a warranty issue and I can understand this since I work on vehicles everyday and people do strange things and yes I need to be paid as well but I know that the carburetor is bad (it’s flooding out and the mower has both fire and fuel) so why not just replace it and be done?
The long and short is that they will not do anything, the mower is still bad and the John Deere warranty means nothing, zero, nada, so if you are in the market for a walk behind mower I would NOT recommend this John Deere or anything from them at all plus the mower just turned 1 year old.

Jul 01, 2011
Rating
star
Absolute JUNK !!
by: Anonymous

Don't even think about buying this piece of junk. I also have the problem with stalling in light inclines. Took it to the "Official Dealer" who denies there is any problem with the mower (which obviously is well known by anybody that buys it). They could not fix it. Will try the solution posted in this forum.
I thought that buyin JD equipment guaranteed good quality. Very dissappointed on the quality of the product, and even worse, on the quality of service. And yes, this product should be recalled.

Jun 29, 2011
Rating
star
Complete Junk
by: Upset in PA

Two years ago I bought the JD JS25. I had a Toro for about 9 years before that, and the only maintenance I ever had to do on that was sharpen the blade. Not once did I change the oil, spark plug, any filters etc.

When the self-propel broke on the Toro I decided to just get something new. Thought I would upgrade to a JD. This thing worked real good for the first 2 months that I used it in 2009. Last year it started cutting out when using the self-propel. After coming on this site I fixed it by pulling the excess slack of the cord all the way up towards the engine, and it worked great. Tonight I used it for about 30 seconds when it made a strange noise and died. Now I can't pull the cord, and from what I've read on here it sounds like the engine is done.

I had this for two years and it's already shot. What a waste of money. I'll never buy another JD product, that's for sure. I'm going back to what works, and that's either a Toro or a Honda.

Jun 20, 2011
Rating
star
JS36 CRAP
by: Anonymous

I have had my JS36 now for for 14 months. It has been hard starting and most of the time wouldn't start. I took it to the local John Deere Dealer where I had purchased it. I knew it had to be the automatic choke part, since they did away with a manual choke and primer bulb. The dealership told me that the problem was old gas and they went ahead and replaced the choke part due to being worn out. They covered the cost of the choke part, but charged me an additional $20.00 to dump out perfectly good fuel. They got me there. After having the mower back, I attempted to mow the yard. I didn't even finish the yard, when the self propelled function on the mower stopped working. I again returned it to the dealership and 4 weeks later the mower was fixed. The belt had broken and was covered under the warranty. However, they tried to charge me $80.00 for the belt and another $20.00 for having to dump the fuel out due to being hard to start. So I began to get upset. I was not being taken for another $20.00. They advised me that the mower should start on the first or second pull and not the fourth or fifth. I said my gas was new and that the fuel is not the problem. They just kinda looked at me, so I said let's go and see if it starts on the 1st or 2nd pull with your fuel. The man walks down to the mower and after 4 pulls it finally starts. He tells me that it should have started, but it had sat there a couple of days and that's why. I said I wasn't happy and the mower should start on the 1st or 2nd pull. They then try to feed me more BS about the mower not being properly serviced. I had replaced the air filter, oil, and spark plug and set the gap on the plug. they doubted me. Then they checked it and it turns out you don't have to be a mechanic to work on a lawn mower, because I serviced the mower correctly. The guy at the dealership then said he would adjust the high idle screw on the carburetor so it would start easier. HELLO!, the idle screw has nothing to do with the choke!What a joke!These dealerships try to rip you off just as bad as John Deere selling $400.00 mowers that are CRAP!I will never ever buy anything John Deere again, not even a hat. I was going to purchase a $8,000.00 mower to mow five acres and I guarantee you it will not be a John Deere. However, the dealership does clean the mower up real nice and makes it look new again, maybe I can make it a $400.00 lawn ornament.

Jun 20, 2011
Rating
star
Wheel fell off Junk
by: Anonymous

Mower lasted about two summers until excessive vibration caused throttle screw to back out and engine cover came off. Replaced blade to combat vibration. It helped a little but front wheel fell off before I could evaluate. Worst purchase I ever made. Junk

Jun 17, 2011
Rating
starstarstar
axle weld broke, cable frayed, gummy carb
by: Anonymous

I got it from Lowe's July 2009 and it worked great all summer. It started to run poorly in 2010 and the dealer said it was a dirty, gummy carb from using bad gas. They said you must use a gas stabilizer to avoid this problem in the future. I have done that and the motor runs perfectly. Two weeks ago the front wheel left came off. What really happened was the weld holding the axle to the bracket failed. I also noticed the wheel turned very stiffly and I think the stiffness added torque which caused the weld to break. There is nothing in the manual about lubricating the wheels. I had to loosen the bolt attaching the wheel to the bracket to make the wheel spin freely. If I tighten it the wheel barely turns and that after oiling it.

Jun 16, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstar
Stalling / Mowmentum Issue
by: Anonymous

As others have mentioned, this is a notorious/virtually guaranteed problem on this mower. It finally started happening on mine after 3 summers.

There is very little space to work with on the lever by the motor - when I drilled the hole here, I poked through the side.

I found it much easier and more effective to drill a hole on the handle side on the safety bar that you need to squeeze down in order for the engine to run. You'll need a 3/16" drill bit.

Other than that, I've found this mower to work pretty well as long as you keep the blades sharp.

Jun 09, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Self Propel Doesn't Work
by: Okie Girl

Bought the John Deere JS25 two years ago. Used it with the bagger for the first year and all was well. Began using the mulch plug and the self propelled feature together and that's when the problem started. Ordered and installed a new transmission and shaft and cleaned every part of the propelling system. Nothing on the wheels or the rear axles to slow anything down. Finished the installation and fired up the mower---three passes on fescue grass and the propelling system began to bog the engine down.

Any ideas on an adjustment or other thing that might help. Could it be the self-propelled feature only works when not using the mulch plug? Could it be that the grass gets caught in the cover on the underside and causes additional stress on the belt? Could it be that the mower is really not at all self propelled, but simmply an expensive push mower? The John Deere dealership didn't have a lot of answers, but I would welcome any assistance.

Jun 07, 2011
Rating
star
Spelling Bee
by: Anonymous

Here we go, now we have a forum on english spelling...

Jun 07, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Junk Deere
by: Bob Cratchet

Hey man, I have had my JS 25 for 3 years and never had a problem with it. Oh and before you go bashing a product, learn how to use proper grammar. When you say, "The cables (to)long on Momentum drive....." It's supposed to be cables are too long. It's amazing how many people don't know how to spell and when to use to or too or two. My cables on the momentum drive were not too long. My JS 25 has worked perfect for three years and nothing is too long or too short.

Jun 06, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Good Machine
by: Adam

Starts on first pull and gets the job done. Wish deck would go up just a bit higher

Jun 05, 2011
Rating
star
Total Junk
by: Junk Deere

Can not believe I paid 500 for this thing. Cables to long on Momentum Drive. Lowes will not refund money or let me exchange it! John Deere has replaced cable twice, still stalls halfway thru yard. Such a simple fix to make cable 1/4 inch shorter but they refuse to fix the problem. I can't beleive John Deere refuses to anything about it! What a waste of hard earned money!

May 30, 2011
Rating
starstarstar
Front wheel fell off today, axle weld failed
by: Mike

Just starting season three, and no problems until the wheel fell off today. The axle weld failed.

Will be able to repair it, but have to say it's poorly designed. Wouldn't mind, but this was supposed to be a quality product.


May 28, 2011
Rating
star
Fail
by: Anonymous

These are reviews for John Deere JS25, not JS60 or other models.

May 28, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
No Problem
by: John Dallaire

I have never seen so many negative comments about walk behind lawn mowers that on this site.

I just don't understand.

I have a John Deere JS60 (^hp-21"cust mower) self propelled whicj I purchased in JUne 1998. It has been in for repairs once, for replacement of a bent drive shaft resultings from having hit a small stump while cutting the grass on neighbours lawm.

It has worked exceeding well ever since and still stars after priming 5-6 times.

I change oil, spark plus, sharpen blade and wash out underside on regular basis. GOOD MOWER FOR ME.

May 20, 2011
Rating
star
JS25 SUCKS
by: Anonymous

Bought it 1 1/2 years ago. Good maintenance but still dead last week. Took it to JohnDeer repair shop, they told me the engine burnout, it cost me more than buy a new one..:(....

May 08, 2011
Rating
star
Worthless piece of junk
by: Anonymous

Worthless piece of junk mower, cannot mow for 5 minutes and it stalls, anyone considering a class action against JD?

May 04, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstar
Good Mower
by: Anonymous

I have 2 of these in my landscaping fleet, both were purchased used. These mowers are great. Just got to be careful when collapsing the bar for storege as you'll ruin the cords and not a fan of plastic parts(mine are lasting). They cut through everything,, mulches like crazy, beautiful cut, and you can change the entire height of the deck with one pull or push. One start up 1-2 pulls(warm or cold),, the other 6-7 pulls(cold) 1-2 pulls warm. And my Deere riding mower is second to none,, just ask my jealous neighbors who got to test drive it.

Its not a honda,, its not a commercial toro or lawnboy,, but its better than good. All of these bad reviews makes me wonder if these idiots even know how to cut grass.

Apr 02, 2011
Rating
star
JD is a POS
by: Anonymous

Purchased this NAME BRAND mower last summer... from day 1 it is very hard to start even with the battery starter. There is no primer and the only way I can get it to start is to try and start it about 4 or 5 times, let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes and try again... sometimes it starts, most of the time it doesn't.

I am not a gear junkie but it simply sounds like the CARB isn't getting enough gas to start... it's not dirty and it has been this way since day 1.

DO NOT BUY THIS MOWER.... read all the issues with it. JD should be ashamed of themselves and offer some type of renumeration to purchasers.

I now have to go and buy another mower and I promise you, it WONT BE A JOHN DEERE. What a waste of $500.00.

I don't even want to put it out on the curb for someone to take for free... don't want them to go thru all the aggrevation is P.O.S. has caused me.


Feb 27, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstar
Self Perpelled
by: Anonymous

every time that I engange my rear wheels it kills the engine any idea why that is??

Jan 28, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
concirn owner
by: isiah

my johndeer js-20 walk behind rear wheel drive move real slow when in maxmum speed foward,what causes this and why.


Jan 21, 2011
Rating
star
very slow in foward speed
by: Anonymous

my john deer js-20 walk behind rear drive
moves very slow going forward in maximum speed
position what causing this to happen.

Oct 30, 2010
Rating
starstar
What are you talking about
by: Jerry

I have had my Deere mower for 2 years and had no complaints. The hydrostatic drive is not as smooth as my Honda had but a very solid mower.

Oct 30, 2010
Rating
star
Front wheel fell off
by: Anonymous

This is poorly build and designed mower. JD should stay out of the mower business. The mower is less than a year old and I am putting it to the curb. The list of problems goes on and on

Oct 21, 2010
Rating
star
Don't Buy This Mower
by: Anonymous

The design features of the John Deere JS25 mower make it cost probitive to operate. I recently purchased one and after mowing my lawn twice the paper air filter became totally clogged with grass, to the point that the mower barely had enough power to pull itself. A new filter costs around $12. It is virtually impossible to install the filter so the grass can't bypass the foam cover and go directly into the paper filter. This is a terrible design feature and makes the mower cost prohibitive to operate. My other concern is that if it ceases to start, there are no engine adjustments the owner can make. Everything is set at the factory so it has to go back to the dealer for repair, which again makes the mower cost prohibitive to operate. Stay with a mower of simple design, with a traditional foam air filter, and get years of trouble free service.

Oct 21, 2010
Rating
star
Grass Clumps
by: Anonymous

We bought our JD from Craig's List - he said he gets them re-conditioned thru Lowe's. WELL, what a rip-off! The grass clumps up so bad underneath that we have to stop it every few minutes to clear the grass. Much worse with the grass catcher. The grass gets clumped up - the chute is much too small for it to get into the catcher. What a disappointment and money.

Oct 21, 2010
Rating
star
SHOULD BE RECALLED
by: Anonymous

UNREAl i have the same problems all else have had stalling when engaging the drive, which i've fixed with some zip ties. secondly the front axle on this unit is a ridiculous arrangement, when one fron wheel breaks they both break, there is an axle which runs under the mower from one side to the next. I had true hopes of having this mower for 10 years, What A JOKE.

Oct 08, 2010
Rating
star
Free Junk
by: North Carolina

A coworker told me that they had a John Deere that would not run and they just bought a new mower. They said that I could have the JD if I would just come and get it. I fix things so I thought that I had just got a hell of a deal. When I got it home I took care of the typical isues(gas,oil, filter, spark plug etc.) About an hour later I got it started and decided to change the oil. WHAT WAS`JD THINKING the drain plug is about three inches inside some sort of housing around the blade. Afer a few #$%%^ and %^&$%^ I got the plug out and then back in. Much to my surprise it cranked and I was able to mow the lawn. Twenty minutes later the #%^$%# thing will not crank. I guess it was just free junk.

Sep 21, 2010
Rating
star
Junk
by: Anonymous

Junk, I contacted corporate representative from John Deere is a and their response was an utter joke. I receive customer no service from John Deere. I was utterly disappointed. John Deere should be ashamed of themselves for painting this thing green. I could not use the bag from the first day got bought it. The bag never worked. I noticed the dealership is out of business I can't help but wonder if John Deere Corporation and their lack of customer no service had something to do with the dealership's demise.


Sep 16, 2010
Rating
star
Do not recommend this mower
by: Trish

This is my second year using the JS25. My father was a John Deere dealer all of his life until he retired because of Alzheimer's. I "am a true John Deere fan, but this mower does not run like a deer". I bought it in the fall of 2009 and it worked ok for the month before the snow came. This year the front axle broke, the plastic cover near the handle fell off, the kill switch made mowing take twice as long because it kept wanting to kill when I walked up hill with it. The dealer told me it was because it was low on oil. I took it back for repair 2 weeks after he "fixed" it and told him it was still cutting out when I went uphill. This time he said the kill switch was adjusted. Now, the last time I mowed, my grass chute fell off, and I mowed over the clip to hold it on. My old mower never used oil and must have had a bigger gas tank. I barely get my yard mowed with the gas tank on this mower. I would definitely not recommend this mower to anyone.

Sep 05, 2010
Rating
star
DEERE JOHN (js25)
by: Joe S

John Deere.....Literally I would like to send them a DEERE JOHN letter. I purchased the js 25 thinking it would be a quality mower that would last with little maint. Well what a piece of garbage. this is the worst mower Ive ever owned. Talking about paying xtra for the name this is clearly evident with this poorly designed from top to bottom.
1st of all lets start with the awkward handle that when you make a certain move around a tree or an eneven terrain the motor wants to quit for a split second while your trying to maintain the even upward grip on handle. "who designs this crap?", also the wheels lock up while your trying to pullit backwards. not done yet!!!. How about all the screws that hold all the plastic together on the motor itself.. "all strip out" total garbage... John Deere took me on this one. Very dissapointed in Hamburg New York

Aug 13, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
easy fix for stalling problem
by: Anonymous

I have the JS45 (front wheels spin) but after a year it started to stall when I engaged the drive. After reading all the post herein which were very helpful, I drilled a hole in the drive handle just above the one thats there, you do have room, it now runs great. This is the only issue I have had. I guess it would have been just as easy to replace the cable but this was a quick and easy fix.

Aug 05, 2010
Rating
starstarstar
Hard starting and stalling
by: Mike E.

So far not bad, but at 2 yrs old it has started to run rough and then when the handle lock is released in order to put the unit into drive mode, it dies. After reading the prior complaints, I bought a new "dead man" control bar cable for $10.99 and took 15-20 minutes to replace it. It now runs like a champ. The new cable seemed to bit a touch shorter but still had a clamp at the handle that had caused a break in the cable housing. This clamp is still on the new one, so I foresee it breaking thru the cable housing again in a couple of years. The cable bends and it appears to have the clamp in a bad position.

Jul 30, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
height adjustment bar
by: Anonymous

Can someone take a peek at the front bar on there JS25 and see what the location is when the mower is set either at its highest level or lowest level, preferably the lowest level! The welds on the wheels broke on mine and I was going to have them welded back on but I am not sure what the location of the bar should be, it is not a straight bar so I am thinking that in the lowest setting the bar is at the lowest point but I want to make sure before the weld. Thanks anyone for the help.

Jul 17, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
throttle cable
by: Anonymous

Apparently everyone has the same problem. My fix involved duct tape. I unlinked the cable from both ends, put a small strip of duct tape around the spring of the throttle handle so that the throttle cable would not get stuck in the spring. Reattached the throttle cable except near the handle, I fed the cable under the spring and back up and attached it. In this way, the cable would always have tension. If it goes down again, I plan to install bicycle brake screws so I can adjust the tension as the cable stretches. Bad design, bad company. While every American company is trying to raise their reputation for quality, John Deere tarnish's it. They should be spanked for their arrogance.

Jul 11, 2010
Rating
starstarstar
simpler fix for common stalling problem
by: leaf bagger

someone suggested drilling a new hole just back of the original, seemed like too much work for me, all i did was pull the end of the cable all the way through the original hole. you know...that little not-quite-z-shaped end piece. its designed to be pulled about 1/2 way through and hook inside that hole. i just pulled it all the way through so the cable was actually resting against the hole. shortened the cable just enough to run like a champ. not sure, but the cable may wear out sooner but, heck, better than having the lawn mower not run at all.

Jul 08, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Fix to stalling problem for JS25
by: Gromit

Thank you Sam I Am for posting the fix. I drilled the hole slightly higher and inserted the end of cable into the newly drilled hole. Works like a charm! Saved me $$$ and a lot of frustration. This problem could easily be solved if JD would either make the cable 1/4 inch shorter or position the hole 1/4 inch higher.

Jun 19, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Easy fix to common problem
by: Sam I Am

I had the same problem many others have had with the motor cutting out when the Mowmentum engages, especially after the motor is warm. Got no help from the local dealer. Figured out I needed to take up some slack. First I tied a knot in the cable (yes, you read that right), but that took up too much slack. Then I did the same thing someone else suggested, which was to drill a new hole in the bracket at the motor end of the cable (there is just enough metal to drill a hole the same size as the existing one). It took up just the right amount of slack, and it works fine now.

My dad was a farmer and never had any John Deere products. My brother worked for IH for many years, so my bias against Deere continued. I bought this one despite this bias, figuring Deere is #1 in ag equipment and should have good quality. I am disappointed with the problem and Deere's customer service, but the fix was very easy, and otherwise I do like the mower.

Jun 07, 2010
Rating
star
The color is pretty
by: Lisa

This only thing good about this mower is that the color green is pretty. This thing worked 1 time. All john deer can say is, it's the gas then I'm using wrong gas can, they need to replace this hunk of junk! Buy a Honda

Jun 02, 2010
Rating
star
John Deere = GARBAGE
by: Anonymous

I have owned this mower less than 2 years and the "mowmentum" drive system quit working like everyone elses. Lowes does not want anything to do with it, because their JD repair guy only shows up about once a month. The store manager told me do like he did with his and fix it myself. John Deere Corporate office is a joke they want me to drive it to the "local" JD repair which is 60 miles one way, because all the other JD dealers went out of business!! NO WONDER WHY! Their customer service is a joke! They dont care about you and their crap mower. The guy told me on the phone they know about the issue and refuse to do anything about it! Oh and when you ask to talk to a manager it's a 3-5 day wait period in which they will call you back. 3-5 days?!!!!! That must tell you how much JUNK they have to answer to! RIDICULOUS DO NOT BUY JOHN DEERE!!!

May 24, 2010
Rating
starstarstar
Worst lawnmower I have owned
by: Jim

Absolutey the biggest piece of junk lawnmower I have ever owned.The front wheels have both fallen off. The screws holding the side chute have stripped and fallen off.The rear wheels lock up when trying to pull the lawnmower backwards or turning around. Now I have the same problem as a lot of other people, it turns off when self propelled engaged.

May 12, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
js25 JUNK
by: Anonymous

Got a call from John Deere. Won't cover damage. Claims a thrown rod isn't a warranty item. This is the second time the engine went bad in less than 2 years. Now waiting for a rep. from Briggs to examine the engine. Repair shop never properly repaired the mower the first time. It was seized and they got it to run but didn't tell me it was a temporary fix. Now I'm told that they were buying me time. I would think that a company like John Deere would stand behind their products.

May 11, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
JUNK
by: Anonymous

I bought the John Deere JS25 less than 2 years ago,thinking it would be the last mower I would ever need. The engine seized only a short time after buying it. The repair shop got the engine un-seized.They claim it was out of oil which is bull. I checked the oil before starting it and again after it broke down and found plenty of oil on the stick. After being "repaired", it worked fine for the remainig first year.
This season, it started on the 2nd pull. I cut the lawn one time with no problems. The next day, I tried to start it and it threw a rod. Now they want over $300 to fix it. The mower only cost $399 when new. They claim it may not be covered by the warranty due to the first repair. I was told that the first repair was to buy me time, which tells me that it was never properly repaired the first time.This may not be my last mower, but it is my last John Deere mower.

May 09, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Don't buy a john deere
by: Anonymous

I cant even cut short grass with it I purchased an electric mower and have had no problems.

Garbage lawn mowers Don't buy them!

May 06, 2010
Rating
star
JS25 Drive Problem
by: John

I bought this mower based on the John Deere name and have been very disappointed. Using it brand new, the engine would stall every time I engaged the MowMentum drive. I thought it was probably just that particular mower, so I returned it to Lowes in exchange for the same model. Within a short time, it started doing having the same problem and it takes about twice as long to cut my yard as it should and requires a lot of manual pushing. I called John Deere today and it apparently is a known issue so they say it will be covered under warranty but I have to take it to an authorized dealer which all have 3-4 week turnarounds on repairs. When you read all the complaints about this mower, the drive issue is the biggest problem. Knowing that this issue is so prevalent, how can they continue to sell this model without fixing this known issue? They know that many, many buyers are going to experience this frustrating issue but continue to inflict this pain upon their customers. I think John Deere is losing many existing and potential customers because not only will many of us tell this story to our friends who will shy away from John Deere, but with the internet, millions can see how they are treating their customers and manufacturing defective products and then knowingly selling them to unsuspecting buyers. Shame on you John Deere.

Apr 28, 2010
Rating
starstar
won't last
by: Anonymous

Got the mower about 2-3 years, it worked great the first year, the second year it was ok but had some stalling issues, the 3rd year the same issues. Now after using it twice this year I can't even pull the cord. I don't even know what to do, they told me it'll need a new engine.
The engine isn't even a John Deere engine, it's a Brooks/Straton or something like that.

Don't buy it, if you're going to get a motor for home buy a cheap one and just replace it ever 2-3 years instead of thinking you can buy one that will last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, manufacturing isn't built to last now a days and that is across the board with EVERYTHING

Apr 21, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
JS-25
by: Anonymous

Bought a JS25 model used in less than one summer then the mount for the blade broke, Lowes where I bought it can't get the parts, And ordering it online you can't find the part, off market parts cost three times the $15 dollars and $35 dollars to ship, I think a $100 mower from Walmart is a better deal than I can toss it out buy three mowers for the price I bought this one for, Pull try to get this thing started and keep it running good luck there. This product use to mean something

Apr 21, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Very bad mower.
by: Anonymous

I have the john Deere JS35 mower. The bottom line is that I will never buy a John Deere product again. The JS35 mower is a bad piece of machinery; it simply will now continue to run up the very slight upgrade in our front yard lawn.

Apr 11, 2010
Rating
star
Recall this mower!
by: Anonymous

We also bought a MowMentum John Deere last fall, paid $600 at Lowe's and bought the extended warranty. We got it home and could not get it to stay cranked! Called the store, told us to return it as it might be defective. We did, and finally figured out the business with the adjustment for the drive cable. Took it back home, used it last fall with no problems, but when we got it back out this spring, the same problem reared its ugly head. We could not even finish cutting the grass today. I think this is a design defect that NEEDS A PRODUCT RECALL.

Apr 11, 2010
Rating
star
Recall this mower!
by: Anonymous

We also bought a MowMentum John Deere last fall, paid $600 at Lowe's and bought the extended warranty. We got it home and could not get it to stay cranked! Called the store, told us to return it as it might be defective. We did, and finally figured out the business with the adjustment for the drive cable. Took it back home, used it last fall with no problems, but when we got it back out this spring, the same problem reared its ugly head. We could not even finish cutting the grass today. I think this is a design defect that NEEDS A PRODUCT RECALL.

Apr 11, 2010
Rating
star
Everything runs better than a Deere!
by: J.J. in KC

I bought this at the end of mowing season 2008. I used it a couple of times and it did ok for the rest of the summer.

I started using it again in the spring 2009 as a side discharge, every 34 to 45 feet I had to unclog the chute. I carried around a coat hanger that I had straitened and put a hook at the end of it so I could try to unclog it w/out having to bend down every time. I decided to use it as a mulcher and it made the biggest mess. It seems like the blade is not fast enough to cut and recycle the grass at the same time so it just stays underneath the mower until you get to the sidewalk and then it all falls out onto the sidewalk. The other bad thing about this mower is that it leaves blades of grass sticking up that have not even been touched by the blade.

I decided for 2010 I would run over to my parents house and borrow their Honda mower until I could figure out what I can do about the piece of junk I have been using. By the way, I cannot recommend a better mower than a Honda. I have a super wet spot in my back yard that the grass grows longer than the rest of the yard, most of the yard was about 8” tall, the wet spot was about 1 foot tall, and the Honda has cut through it without a problem. I wish I had bought a Honda.

Apr 10, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
js25
by: Anonymous

The first, ran pretty good. Not great, just good. Now, after one mow, my actually less than a year old wont start at all. My 6 yo re-manufacted toro runs better!! Last year, JD claimed i bent the shaft. Well true, I did hit a plastic kids toy in the yard, but nothing I hadnt hit before. the blade never bent, etc. Second, amoth later the front whell fell off. Dealer fixed, but he swears he never saw anthing like it before.
Anyway, one year later, I am stuck with a $350 boat anchor. I WILL NEVER BUY A JD AGAIN. Bought it on JD rep. I was so wrong!!!!

Apr 03, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Disappointed in John Deere
by: Anonymous

I bought a John Deere JS35 mower one year ago. Since that time the right front wheel has fallen off twice due to an apparent sheared bolt that holds the wheel on. With average mowing as I do, this shouldn't happen. I absolutely cannot recommend this mower to anyone and will certainly think long and hard about purchasing another John Deere product if this is an example of the engineering that goes into the finished piece of machinery that they produce. I thought John Deere was an icon of dependability. I have found, with this mower, that is not true and now am left with a yard that is half mowed until I transport the mower 30 miles to the closest John Deere repair facility
to me. Disappointed? Definitely yes.

Apr 01, 2010
Rating
star
Mowmentum HAH!
by: Disgusted

The mower is impossible to use. Constantly stalls and it's a race to PUSH the mower before it stalls once again. There definitely is a major defect in the design of the self-propelled mechanism for this mower. It simply stops working and it particularly bad for any slight incline. Also seems to get worse as the machine warms up - say after 5 minutes of flat use.

Because of this problem - it's even harder to use than if it didn't have the self-propelled feature! Bad on the back.

JD should recall this mower or give us our money back. I would not recommend buying this mower. Those that rate this machine high must have a different mower from those of us that experience constantly stalling.

I actually dusted off my 7 year old mower and used it last year instead of this poor excuse for a lawn mower.

Mar 25, 2010
Rating
star
Never been this dissapointed
by: Bret KC

I purchased the JS25 1 year ago today. After one season of use I fired it up, heard a loud bang and now the cord won't pull. Deal tries to tell me that I didn't follow proper maintenace (I need to out oil into a mower more than 3 times in a season) that doesn't seem right. They also said I probably hit something large enough to stop the blade and bent the crank shaft. Wouldn't there be damage to the blade if I had hit something so large it would stop the blade and bend the shaft?? Dealer claiming this isn't warrenty covered because it's not a factory defect? All of these sites with the exact same comments leads me to believe otherwise. Still waiting on a call back, but have a good idea what they are going to say!

Nov 22, 2009
Rating
star
JS stand for Junk
by: Anonymous

bought this machine new in sealed box off craigslist for$280 i though i was doing a hell of a deal til' i start mowing with it,just the same old problem everyones here, stalling when engaging,when cold start and do not stall for about 10 minutes then becomes a pain in the butt.
john deere is all name they're products sucks, i should have bought an honda,im convinced american made equipment,tools,cars etc etc sucks.

Nov 20, 2009
Rating
star
Buyer beware of this product
by: Roger Carlough

Initially happy with the purchase of the mower that I purchased at Lowe's but now totally unhappy. Only have had the mower since August and was happy with the performance. In October while mulching leaves-I hit a tree root about 2-3" above the ground. The mower stopped and I checked for damages-it seemed to be OK and the mower restarted and I continued using it through the end of the fall season.

This spring, mower started without issue but now the motor has seized. I have an extended program with Lowe's so I called in. They had me take the mower to a repair center and I waited over 2 weeks to get a call back on it. Initially they told me the blade was bent and it would cost $100 to repair-they called back an hour later to tell me that the bent blade caused damage to the motor and that I would have to replace the entire motor. How is that possible-you can a bent blade cause the damage that they are reporting.Also, they told me that grass was in the self encased motor-how can that happen? I told them I wanted it replaced by the manufacturer-they told me that it would not be covered and I would have to spend $350 for a new motor!!

At any rate, called Lowe's again-they will talk to the service center and see what can be done. Not expecting any help. Also, JD contacted and they were no help at all.

I did also read that the mower model is being replaced-why? I have also read and experienced that grass clippings get stuck underneath all over and it is a pain to clean which it is. Again, i think I got screwed-buyer beware of this product

Nov 20, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
Powerful but loud
by: Phil

I bought the JS25 yesterday and mowed with it. It is a bit bulkier than my previous mower and I have a tight lawn so it is gonna take some getting used to.

Also, It is very loud, Guess i'm gonna have to get some ear plugs. It is very powerfull and didn't bog down even in the thickest spots. I give it a 7 out of 10 mainly because of the loudness.

Nov 19, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
update to "some stalling suggestions"...
by: batpot

First of all: John Deere customer service is worthless. They were adamant that it was Briggs & Stratton, not John Deere who were responsible for handling the warranty, and claimed it was B&S who denied the warranty claim.
I followed up with a visit to the dealership, looked at the disassembled engine, and spoke to the owner who said that the mower is actually made by B&S for JD?the WHOLE MOWER. Really?
He said that it was in fact B&S who had denied the warranty claim, but said that the B&S rep would be visiting, and they may be able to work something out.
A few weeks later, I get a call from the dealer, who was able to convince the B&S rep to do a sort of "courtesy" replacement engine; so it's not a warranty repair, and I still have to pay the dealer for their labor to install it, but all things considered, I'm satisfied with this compromise.
I had previously filed a BBB complaint against the dealer which may have motivated him to work for me, but may not have. You might also want to involve your state's attorney general, and if this engine is burning oil as bad as it seems to be, a class action lawsuit (against probably B&S rather than JD) may also be viable?

Nov 10, 2009
Rating
star
a piece of junk
by: Anonymous

I bought my JS35 in April and it quit working last week (Nov. 5). This year it's dry and I used it for about 30 hours. The dealer just called me and said the rod is broken, probably due to low oil, although I'm pretty sure the oil was okay when I dropped it off. The warrany doesn't cover it and they want $150 for diagnosis. It's interesting to see so many people having same problem.

Oct 23, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
JS25 is a great mower...
by: Josh

I purchased a John Deere JS25 almost two years ago. It was a little pricey, but you usually get what you pay for. Like others on this post, I had some trouble with the mowmentum drive handle shutting off the mower. This was easily fixed with a small drill bit and about 5 minutes. I drilled out the engine side bracket that the cable slips into and moved the cable forward to give more tension. (3rd or 4th use.) The only other issue is also mentioned in a previous post. The air intake is too close to the deck and the discharge/mulch plate which allows clippings to clog the filter often. (Maybe once every other cut on a 1/2 acre lot.) To remedy this, I measured the size of the current intake holes along the bottom of the housing to figure out the surface area of the openings. I then JB welded them closed I then drilled out the side of the housing with the same square centimeter of surface area open. This works well because now the intake openings are well above the discharge and you still have the protection of the filter and pre-filter. I admit that it is a little aggravating to have to do this, but the reviews of other mowers were quite worse than the JS25. Other than these two extremly minor issues, the mower has worked great. Starts on the first pull after sitting all winter. (After properly winterizing and storage.) No more clogged air filters, no stalling, easy to adjust deck height with one lever, great pulling power, and very smooth cut. I do wish that I could find one of the John Deere extreme blades to fit the mower as the OEM blade has a very low rockwell hardness and needs sharpening about every 3rd cut. I would most definitely buy this mower again and recommend to someone else.

Oct 19, 2009
Rating
star
Poor Excuse for JD
by: CT Lawn

I posted here months ago & I've figured out the problem- I bought the wrong lawnmower- I'm no lawnmower mechanic but I was able to, after hours of my time- able to figure out how to rig this mower to work right- the simple fact that I had to rig it to work right- in it's first season out of the box, tells me that this was a product put on the market without proper testing, with little care for the consumer purchasing it & with little concern over the consumer impression of an inferior product because this company can still sell much more expensive machines to others & not care how they piss on your head by selling the average middle American a lawnmower that has many flaws in design & machinery. Shame on you John Deere. Just another example of how Big Corporate will do anything for a buck.

Oct 19, 2009
Rating
star
js25 junk
by: Robert harding

I purchased the JS25 on June 9th and liked the mower. I went out to run it on October 9th and heard a loud bang and it stopped running. I took it to the dealer and they said it was low on oil and the motor was junk. How in that short of time did a new motor burn all the original oil out. I mow about once a week for an hour. Deere was no help. Never buy a Deere. What a piece of junk. It was interesting that someone else had the same experience.

Oct 14, 2009
Rating
star
some stalling suggestions, and a warning
by: Anonymous

Right out of the box this mower would stall every time I engaged the drive train w/ the handle.

By disengaging the spring that holds the kill switch open, I figure out the problem is the "presence cable" was slightly too long, so that when you pushed the handled forward to engage the drive train, it would release just enough tension allowing the kill switch to close, stalling the engine.
The good news: this problem is covered by warranty, and the local service center remedied the problem for me by replacing the cable at no cost.

I've also noticed that the air intake port where the air filter is can be easily clogged with grass, causing the engine to stall, so some of you may want to investigate that as well.

Now the reason for the 1 star rating: the engine failed in less than 6 months, and they refuse to fix it, claiming it was run w/out oil. Due to a very dry summer, I have run the mower fewer than 6 times since purchasing it in April. About mid way through my last mowing session, there was a loud KACHUNK, and the engine immediately stalled. Trying to pull start the engine caused the blades to spin, but the engine was toast.
The service center claimed that the bolt holding the engine rod in place was shredded, suggesting lack of lubrication, but could not explain to me how 1/2 quart of oil was lost in less than 6 months with only ~5 hours of running time. Then they informed me it would cost $140 for their "diagnostic", which was not mentioned anywhere on the paper that I signed when I dropped the mower off with them for what I was certain was another warranty repair.
I can buy a whole new engine for $150!

This may go to small claims court, but first I'm going to contact John Deere directly, and see what they are willing to do. Wish me luck.

Sep 14, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
How to prevent engine stall while using MowMentum
by: Anonymous

Just like Bob found out. You can prevent the engine stall by pulling the cuttoff cable slack toward the motor. Then use cable ties to secure it.
http://www.lawn-mowers-review.com/john-deere-675-torque-js35-21-cut-selfpropelled-electric-start-gas-mower.html

Sep 03, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
My mower stalls too
by: Anonymous

I've owned the JS25 for about 9 months. The first few times I used it was great but then it began to cut off frequently when in the drive gear. It does it about 50 percent of the time and its very frustrating. Until I read the comments on this site, I thought it was just a minor problem but apparently this mower is a piece of crap. This was the most expensive mower I ever bought and I thought it would be the best but I could have paid a couple of hundred dollars less and got a better product. John Deere needs to take care of this problem because I know they have had many complaints. I will be the next complaint.

Aug 30, 2009
Rating
star
js25
by: Anonymous

I have bought garage sale mowers that work better. The biggest problem is the automatic cuttoff system. It is so sensitive, if you release the cuttoff so much as a hair, the mower cuts off. this mostly happens with the momentum drive engaged. I think the temp. of the mower has somthing to do with it. upon first start it works fine but after about ten minutes the issue starts. if you pull the cuttoff cable slack toward the motor, the problem is somewhat less. toward

Aug 29, 2009
Rating
star
complete junk
by: Anonymous

purchased this mower after my deere mower for 12 years had some slight issues. so instead of putting the repair money into a 12 year old mower decided to purchase this mower (what a big mistake) within 4 cut, mower jammed, clogged and walk behind mechanism now does not work. Corporate Deere was no help claiming I did not know how to read the manual or use the mower. Corporate should add pages to the manual explaining how to use the mower while pulling it, as it works better backwards than fowards, guess this is corporate deere way of keeping us fit and trim. ABSOLUTE COMPLETE JUNK, going out and purchasing a honda mower.

Aug 24, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Piece of Junk
by: Anonymous

I can;t seem to figure out why the Momentum lost momentum in it's first summer of use. I did everything that they say to do. Now I just push the mower to get it to move. Wish I didn't buy this mower. Seems like I'm not alone. What a crock that JD is this top quality product- this mower is junk.

Aug 24, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Piece of Junk
by: Anonymous

I can;t seem to figure out why the Momentum lost momentum in it's first summer of use. I did everything that they say to do. Now I just push the mower to get it to move. Wish I didn't buy this mower. Seems like I'm not alone. What a crock that JD is this top quality product- this mower is junk.

Aug 24, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Mine stalls when the drive is engaged
by: Anonymous

Used it 3 times (6 hours) and now it stalls when the drive is engaged. Has anyone figured this out?

Aug 08, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
Walk Behind ????
by: YEA

Have had this for two years now and no problem, Then is starts stalling when I engage the drive, thought that it was other things cleaned the air filter, spark plug, and adjusted all the other things be still kept stalling. Not sure if it is the drive or not but now I have a John Deere JS25 PUSH MOWER. Not good at my age either but with the way things are now days can't afford to have it check out just yet.

Aug 04, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Mowmentum Stalls in first month of Use
by: Anonymous

When I engage the Mowmentum Drive within seconds the engine stalls. I have checked oil, filters, & am going to check the belt tomorrow. Not quite sure what is going on.

Jul 16, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
Major problems!
by: Anonymous

I thought I loved this mower! Was easy to use and a breeze to push. I treated it well, hosing it down after the 12 or so times I used it in less than the one year I owned it. Then, one afternoon while mowing, one of the front wheels began to wobble, and upon further inspection it appeared that an axle had snapped. Fast forward through much frustration w/ dealer I went to...they claim the crank shaft is broken and it would cost twice what the mower is worth to fix it. I paid $389. last July, and they claim it would cost $785. to fix!
Hopefully I will get a new one, as it is under warantee. We'll see.

Jul 16, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
The John Deere JS25 is a great machine
by: Briggs_racing

Hmmm, my Craftsman self propelled walk behind just died after 9 years, time to get a new one. First I checked out the John Deere JS25 AKA Snapper at the John Deere Dealer, great quality, built to John Deere standards, then checked out the equivalent Snapper at Sears, MUCH poorer quality. Also checked out the TORO SR4-20092 at a REAL TORO dealer, quality lookin' good, checked out the equivalent TORO model at Home Depot built to their standards, once again MUCH poorer quality. Our local John Deere dealer handled TORO during the past few years but dropped them because of getting poor service from the TORO rep and parts orders not being filled promptly, that cooled me on TORO. I ended going with the John Deere MowMentum JS25, I am extremely pleased, the MowMentum drive works great. Being a lawn mower racer and having torn apart old John Deere riders, their quality is amazing, this definitely helped push me toward a genuine John Deere as well. Yes, I am a happy camper.

Jul 16, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Great Quality
by: Anonymous

Hmmm, my Craftsman self propelled walk behind just died after 9 years, time to get a new one. First I checked out the John Deere JS25 AKA Snapper at the John Deere Dealer, great quality, built to John Deere standards, then checked out the equivalent Snapper at Sears, MUCH poorer quality. Also checked out the TORO SR4-20092 at a REAL TORO dealer, quality lookin' good, checked out the equivalent TORO model at Home Depot built to their standards, once again MUCH poorer quality. Our local John Deere dealer handled TORO during the past few years but dropped them because of getting poor service from the TORO rep and parts orders not being filled promptly, that cooled me on TORO. I ended going with the John Deere MowMentum JS25, I am extremely pleased, the MowMentum drive works great. Being a lawn mower racer and having torn apart old John Deere riders, their quality is amazing, this definitely helped push me toward a genuine John Deere as well. Yes, I am a happy camper.

Jul 16, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
John Deere MowMentum JS25
by: Anonymous

Hmmm, my Craftsman self propelled walk behind just died after 9 years, time to get a new one. First I checked out the John Deere JS25 AKA Snapper at the John Deere Dealer, great quality, built to John Deere standards, then checked out the equivalent Snapper at Sears, MUCH poorer quality. Also checked out the TORO SR4-20092 at a REAL TORO dealer, quality lookin' good, checked out the equivalent TORO model at Home Depot built to their standards, once again MUCH poorer quality. Our local John Deere dealer handled TORO during the past few years but dropped them because of getting poor service from the TORO rep and parts orders not being filled promptly, that cooled me on TORO. I ended going with the John Deere MowMentum JS25, I am extremely pleased, the MowMentum drive works great. Being a lawn mower racer and having torn apart old John Deere riders, their quality is amazing, this definitely helped push me toward a genuine John Deere as well. Yes, I am a happy camper.

Jul 09, 2009
Rating
star
A stalling disappointment
by: Phil C.

After a lot of research and discussions with lawn mower shops, my wife and I purchased this JS25 mower. It has a lot of nice features, such as the single lever hight adjustment, electric start, MowMentum, mulch / bag / side discharge. And it is a JOHN DEERE. The first mow was very successful, however, it went downhill from there. The next 4 mows were a disasters. The lawn mower started to stall as soon as you would engage the MowMentum. Tonight would have been the 6th mow, but when I barely move the handle to engage the MowMentum, it stalls. Huge disappointment. Instead of a reliable tool, it appears that we just bought a lemon. I am about to call John Deere and I am expecting to have a bad experience (isn't that what happens when a company sells a bad product). We already regret this purchase. I will add another post here with the outcome of my repair/warranty experience with John Deere.

May 27, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
JS25 is a great mower
by: Anonymous

In August of last year, I purchased a John Deere JS25 mower for my small lawn mowing company in North Idaho.Itreplaced a 2005 Husquvarna push mower. It did not take long for me torealize that this was a smart purchase. My JS25 is a way better mower than my Husquvarna was. All my customers compliment me on how much better my JD cuts. I would recomend the mower to anyone.

Mar 22, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Very sturdy
by: William

I just recently purchased a new push mower about 6 months ago. It was finally time to get rid of the no name Frankenstein that I had. Don’t get me wrong the mower I had was old faithful and very easy to fix with the little 5-horse power engine on it. I looked into all types of mower from riding to standing self-propelled and everything in between.

Some of the leading companies out there have a lot to offer from the Ariens that have push mowers and trimmer that you also can push to the Brill manual push mower. The Craftsman and Snappers that Sears offers made the decision hard on me. To many companies to little time what seemed to be the best value in my book was something you pushed but not too hard. I mean a self-propelled model that really does the work for you but not all the work.

I couldn’t see dropping four to five thousand dollars to sit on my but to mow the lawn it just wasn’t the way I did it as a kid. I did decide to go with the John Deer brand some of the reason is the brand. John Deer has been around for a very long time and it was the brand that my grand father used back on his farm. They offer a very competitive price for about 450.00 dollars you can get a self-propelled walk behind with a bag attachment. I ended up getting the JS25 walk behind with a steel deck.

This model is very sturdy and the adjustments are great and easy with a Briggs & Stratton 190 cc engine it has enough power. You can adjust the speed that you need to be able to have a nice and easy day outside and think about all the exercise you can get.

Jan 05, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
Quick Start is a bonus
by: Anonymous

My mower is fairly new (purchased in August) so I’ve had limited usage. But I’ll talk about what I like so far. It’s a John Deere 21” (model JS25) self propelled quick start mower.

What I love about this mower is the quick start. It starts immediately. I’ve had other brand new mowers that took a bit to get started, having to adjust the choke and speed. This one just works the first time and you don’t have to worry about adjustments. My old no-name mower rarely started without giving me a workout first.

The John Deere JS25 also has what they call “Mow Mentum” speed control. Basically, you can adjust the speed of the self-propelled wheels better than any other mower I’ve used. My last mower either ran too fast or so slow it would stall on longer grass. What really bothered me was when the ground was still wet, the mower wheels would dig into the soil then the cutting blade would hack up the grass. With the JS25, you can easily adjust the speed as you mow. So when I walk towards areas of the lawn that I need to be careful with, I just simply slow it down. And it doesn't stall easily. The 21” blade reduces the time it takes to mow my lawn and it looks a lot neater afterwards.

Other features are a mulching bag (not much different than any other mower), large wheels (it makes it a little easier to control) and a height adjuster that’s easy to use (large handle).

The downside? It’s expensive compared to other brands. I paid $399 which is more than I’ve ever paid for a mower before. John Deere’s signature green/yellow paint scheme looks nice when it’s clean but not as nice after use. Maybe I just have to get used to it since my last mower was dark red with black wheels and never looked too dirty after use. Since you have to hose it down anyway, I would recommend cleaning underneath the deck. The mower tends to collect clippings that don’t fall out and it’ll clog up after a couple of uses.


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