# John Deere E100 Series Riding Lawn Mowers



## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

I'm planning to buy a new rider this Spring. I don't have a large lawn, just 9000 sq. feet of turf, but my current 25" Toro Wheel Horse rider, which has small wheels and a clutch drive, causes turf damage when the wheels slip in corners or in transition areas (going from driveway to turf) when the grass or ground is a bit wet, requiring me to reseed these spots at times. I like the mower far better than any push mower as it cuts well, is fast, fun to drive, and it does well pulling a plug aerator, dethatcher, or sweeper. I also feel a bit silly driving it as it is tiny and drives like a go-cart.

The Deere E100 series has 42 (2-blade), 48" (3-blade), and 54" (3-blade) models. I'm only looking at the 42" models.

E100 - $1599; 17.5 HP Single cylinder, CVT Tranny (apparently these fail as they use plastic parts)
E110 - $1799; 19.0 HP Single cylinder; Hydro Tranny
E120 - $1899; 20 HP V-twin; Hydro Tranny + 15" seat + open storage bin
E130 - $1999; 22 HP V-twin; Hydro Tranny, + 15" seat, covered storage bin, Front bumper, Fender Flares, + wider rear tires

The E130 is my current choice as it is the best value and the Hydro drive should solve the slippage problem. This model is sold at Lowes and at Deere dealers. 
Here are a few questions:
1. Does Deere/Lowes ever run Spring sales on these models, or any specials (free add-ons)?
2. How is the cut? Side discharge vs. Mulch vs. Bagging.
3. Any issues?

I don't find much discussion on here of residential people using riders. Not sure why.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

I have a D130, which is the predecessor. My understanding is there are no "real" differences.

I bought from an equipment dealer, so can't speak to what big boxes do. The cut is very good. I keep my blades sharp and have 4 total sets. 2 High Lift Bagging and 2 mulching. The blades are fairly inexpensive.

I have the bagger set up. It is helpful for leaves and when bagging is necessary. Last year I had a fungus issue so,I bagged a lot. I have issues from time to time with bagging. The occur most often when the grass is damp, or you are taking off a lot it gets clogged. I generally don't mow wet grass, but I know if I have to mow say before 10, it will be damp and after 10 it won't. So we are just talking morning dew type dampness which for me can be unavoidable due to,kids activities.

The other time is when grass is long or a miss a mow. For instance if I am cutting at 3.5" and it has been a week or so, and grass is at 4.5+ it may get clogged. This is a minor annoyance.

In both instances I have figured out a few work around to keep,the chute clear. The chute has a handle on it and I give the chute a little shake every so often. Usually after a turn. Not a huge hassle. Not a deal breaker. I also make sure I clear the chute after each time I empty the bags. If I am not mowing 2x week during peak growing season I have to do empty twice during my mow. I just make sure the chute is clear when the bags are empty.

The machine mulches really well when I mulch. I never use the side discharge. The mulch kit which blocks the discharge is a small expense, maybe ~20ish if I remember correctly.

Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase.


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## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

jdc_lawnguy said:


> The machine mulches really well when I mulch. I never use the side discharge. The mulch kit which blocks the discharge is a small expense, maybe ~20ish if I remember correctly.
> 
> Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase.


Thanks for the write-up. I did see one video from a commercial operator doing a side-by-side comparison mulching vs. side discharge with 2 identical mowers at identical cut heights. One mower had side-discharge and the other a mulch kit. He could not tell the difference in results, so he mulches in order to cut down blower/clean-up time.

Did you notice if you had to go slower to get good mulching results (no clumps or debris streaks) vs. bagging? Do you bag with the JD high-lift blades or the stock JD 3-in-1 blades? Thanks.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

I don't intentionally vary my speed for better mulching. I have not noticed issues with clumping when going forward.

I will note I have noticed clumping when I back up with the blade engaged, but it looks more grass that has gotten stuck to the mower deck and then fallen off during reverse, instead of poor mulched clumps.

I have 2 sets of high lift that I use for bagging I have 2 "standard set". I don't think there are 3 in one, but they may be. They are in my shed and there is snow so I can not confirm without trouncing through the snow.

I use the deck washout port after most mows to keep the underside as debris free as possible. Generally I will take the deck off once a month and give it a quick look and change blades as needed.


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## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

Blades from the Deere site (2/2019) for the 100 series:
42" Bagging: AM141034 ($48)/pair
42" Standard: GY20850 ($41)/pair
42" Mulch: AM141033 ($47)/pair

I guess you can use the "high lift" bagging blades for side discharge, it just shoots the clippings wider than the standard blades.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

TommyTester said:


> Blades from the Deere site (2/2019) for the 100 series:
> 42" Bagging: AM141034 ($48)/pair
> 42" Standard: GY20850 ($41)/pair
> 42" Mulch: AM141033 ($47)/pair


I trust this is accurate. I thought I paid a little less, but my memory is by no means clear on this. I can tell you that you have to use OEM or aftermarket specifically labeled for use on JD. I don't think I found any aftermarket ones the last time I looked. The blades have a star like hole that fits on the spindle, so you have to buy one made for JD.


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## pintail45 (Apr 26, 2018)

jdc_lawnguy said:


> TommyTester said:
> 
> 
> > Blades from the Deere site (2/2019) for the 100 series:
> ...


A pair of 42" G5 Gator Blades can be had for less than $25 on Amazon right now. I recently installed these and the mulch cover on my dad's D110 and so far we've been very happy with this setup.

Granted, I only have one cut on them (and this was on semi-dormant St. Augustine) but they definitely mulched the leaves better than the stockers. They're also noticeably thicker and heavier.


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## jdc_lawnguy (Oct 30, 2018)

pintail45 said:


> jdc_lawnguy said:
> 
> 
> > TommyTester said:
> ...


Thanks for the info. I may have bought a set of those. I use Amazon more than I wish to admit and I feel like I paid somewhere in that area, which is why I said I couldn't remember if I found aftermarket or note.


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## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

Here's a more detailed breakdown of what you get additionally with each model.



This guy does a good job covering the E100 series. See my chart above for the more subtle differences.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJHY5ivKqEE[/media]


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## krusej23 (May 8, 2018)

I also have the D130 and really like it for my 12,000 sq ft lawn. I used to mow with a 21" push mower and switching to a 42" rider didn't help much with timing just because of turning time if you do stripes instead of circle mowing. The cut of the d130 is good. I bought mine from a dealer because I got them talked into a deal where they give free pickup and delivery on any service. The only reason I got that was because Lowes had the same d130 for $200 off at the time. The dealer doesn't do deals like that on d or e series models. You won't regret buying the e series if you are fully set on a rider.


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## TommyTester (Jul 3, 2018)

krusej23 said:


> I used to mow with a 21" push mower and switching to a 42" rider didn't help much with timing just because of turning time if you do stripes instead of circle mowing.


I'm hoping to score some sort of deal on the E130, but mowers are not in stores up here yet.

This guy did an analysis to determine a faster way to cut lawns with a rider. I've been using this method and it works.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So58nHK5xwM[/media]


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## NJ-lawn (Jun 25, 2018)

@TommyTester did you purchase the E130? If so how do you like it? I'm having one delivered on Thursday


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