# John Deere 20sr7 - Anyone have any experience?



## msantaspirt (Mar 13, 2019)

Got this mower for free and I'm curious if anyone here has any experience with it. The guy who gave it to me said it worked, would start up just fine, but before I picked it up he pulled it one last time to make sure and pulled the rope our of the starter. I'm not too handy with small engines, but I tried my best and was able to get the rope back in and get the starter to recoil a bit, but there's still a substantial amount of rope left hanging out. Too much it seems, as I put gas in and tried to start it and had no luck. Hoping it's just because it's not pulling enough. Anyway, is there anything I should know about this mower? Any pros and cons to it? I'll be using it on a mostly bermuda yard, in the hopes that keeping it short this summer will encourage it to grow to an all bermuda lawn. Thanks.

edit: I saw this thread https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=560&p=10347&hilit=20sr7#p10347 but there's not much to it.


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## TonyC (May 17, 2018)

Sounds like the recoil spring needs checking. Not a difficult task, sometimes the spring breaks, sometimes the plastic housing breaks. You should be able to get a replacement rather cheap, or repair the existing one.

Do some YouTube surfing for Recoil Spring Mower Replacement and it will give you an idea of what you're getting into.


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## msantaspirt (Mar 13, 2019)

Thanks I should have put in the OP that I bought a new starter recoil assembly after I couldn't get it started. Wasn't hard to find, but wouldn't say it was easy either. Hopefully it arrives in a week or so. I'm still assuming that everything works and that when I swap out the old one for the new one it will start right up. Also, I didn't realize until right after I posted that there is a sticky post for John Deere Reel mowers. Sad face.


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## crussell (Mar 12, 2018)

I had a JD 20SR7 - It is simply a McLane mower that is branded for John Deere.

Decent little mower, it worked for me for a few years until I upgraded. One of my pet peeves on these mowers is the Reel to Bedknife adjustment is not user friendly.

Also I would recommend getting a front reel roller.


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## msantaspirt (Mar 13, 2019)

crussell said:


> Also I would recommend getting a front reel roller.


Thanks for the reply -- Did you put one on yours when you had it? I really want to get a roller for it. Would it be difficult to do? Would I have to improvise or is there a part for it? Also, since it's a McLane, does McLane have the manual for it, and if so, would it be under a different model number with them? Sorry for all the questions it's just really difficult to find information on this mower.


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## crussell (Mar 12, 2018)

REEL easy! Order one of these for a 20" McLane and you are golden.

ReelRollers.com McLane

@Reelrollers is on TLF as well in case you have any questions before you order.

Also look here for the manual & parts diagram

McLane 20 Inch Mower


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Everyone is spot on, the JD is a McLane with green lipstick &#128512;.

adding a front roller is a 10 minute process and will help reduce scalping which is critical to maintaining a healthy lawn. Make sure the mowers running to your satisfaction and mow a few times to be sure this is the mower for you. If it is, the front roller makes a big difference. You can order on our site, reel rollers.com


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## msantaspirt (Mar 13, 2019)

Thanks @crussell and @Reelrollers, in this thread and in the other general John Deere thread. I feel a lot better about this mower now that I know more about it. I watched a youtube video with a guy who puts a roller on from reelrollers. His is Craftsman branded, but it's the same McLane/JD 20sr7. Took him no time at all. Hopefully when my starter recoil gets here I can start it up and run it around for a bit to see how the wheels do. I have a very soft lawn that doesn't drain well so I'm worried about tire tracks. Again, thanks!

edit: I don't know how to properly tag people


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