# Deere 14/JA/JX/JE series mowers - Who's got 'em?



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

John Deere 14 Series 21" walk-behinds and their descendents hold a special place with me. There was an earlier series, including the 12 and 14 series models from the late 80's but it's the far more popular 1993+ units that were a part of JD's renewed focus on lawn equipment at the time and became the 'legendary' 14 series.

Towards the end - around 2005-6 or so, the JX75 was running almost $1000 for a 21" walk-behind rotary. Cast Aluminum Deck, Blade Brake/Clutch, Kawi FC150V (Full-Pressure Lube with optional spin-on oil filter), Ball Bearing wheels, 5 spd gear transmissions.... these things were Cadillacs albeit far more reliable. :lol: :thumbup: The JE75 was the same machine but with Electric Start. The venerable 14SB/SE preceded the JX/JE75, and was nearly identical other than the paint color (silver vs JD green). There was even a JX85 targeted to the commercial lawn contractor with small accounts. Same as a JX75 just with steel wheels instead of plastic. Towards the end of the production run, the deck molds were producing noticeable casting flaws. 

During the reign of the 14 series, there were several levels of the same, excellent, design. All at increasing price points.

14PZ - "Zone Start" (meaning behind the handle) Briggs Quantum power, Push
14SZ - Zone Start Briggs Quantum, Self-Propelled (3 spd)
14PB - BBC Kawi FC150V, Push
14SB - BBC Kawi FC150V, Self-Propelled (5 spd)
14SC - Zone Start Kawi FC150V, Self-Propelled (5 Spd), Steel wheels, Oil Filter kit factory installed.
14SE - BBC Elec Start Kawi FC150V, Self-Propelled, Elec Start

14PZ >> JA60
14SZ >> JA62 (but with a 2 spd vs 3)
--- >> JA65 (Was essentially a JX75 with a Briggs OHV engine)
14SB >> JX75
14SC >> JX85 (The JX85 gained a BBC that was not on the 14SC)
14SE >> JE75

The JA units moved from Briggs flatheads to Briggs OHV in 2001.
The JA62/JX75 mower deck was re-designed/re-styled in 2004. These were the only models to survive post-2003.

On all, the accessories were easy to use. The bags just hung against the back of the mower and aligned intuitively, no plastic chutes to wear out, leak, or break. The bag could be removed/installed one-handed and it fit through the handle no problem. The discharge chute would hang-on in similar fashion, oddly, these were left-side discharge. The mulch plug inserted into the bag chute in such a way that you couldn't do it wrong. A large spring-loaded door would hold all accessories in place. Most people gave up on these machines after 10-15 years when the wheels were bald, it needed a new bag (which was pretty easy to replace), or the deck succumbed to fertilizer corrosion after having never been washed. Most of these units died due to neglect after being handed down from their original owners. The second owner would run it until it stopped and then opt not to fix it for $150-$200. (I'm shedding a tear here.... :roll: )The Kawi engine was much like German cars in that if you kept up with it, it would reward you with decades of excellent performance. Neglected, the failures would cascade into a relatively expensive repair bill. I bought many of these with surging carburetors, weak spark from a failed ignition capacitor, and valves that hadn't been adjusted in 15+ years. Usually with the original air filters in place too! The BBC models weren't ideal for those who didn't like to clean out under the deck either. They all would rust themselves onto the crankshaft if never disturbed, but if always ingesting alternate layers of dirt and moist grass clippings, it was only a matter of time before those two factors resulted in a machine that was too expensive to fix. (Clutch failed, seized to crank, lots of labor to even attempt pulling it off and replacing it with new.)

I cannot figure out for the life of me, how Deere screwed this up. They discontinued all but the top models of the 14's (which soldiered on as JA/JX/JE units) and released the JS models which were steel-decked nightmares of which few examples remain in service. They started from having simple, reliable, excellent performing walk mowers that were priced at a premium (think Toro Super Recyclers level) but lasted for decades, with excellent parts availability. Which is pretty much what folks expected from Deere. Then they moved to offering heavy, poorly designed, average performing machines (JS-anything), got caught building price point machines wearing the same "sticker" model number as dealer units for the big-box stores, and when the units began to fail consistently, they offered replacement parts at exorbitant prices only to discontinue them when the volume fell off due to every owner scrapping these turds. Wait, maybe I do know how they screwed this up after all...... :bd:

Anyhow...... Do you have one of these machines? Still mowing with it? Post a pic!


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

Dang I wish I would have seen this post when you first posted! Here's mine!





According to the numbers it was built in November of '89. It would have just turned 32 when you first posted and is almost exactly 1 year older than I am. I couldn't even tell you what # owner I am. I got it from my Dad but he was not the original owner of it. He only used it a few times and decided he liked his personal pace toro over the 5 speed tranny this has. So I loaded it up and took it back to college with me to cut grass at my rental house.

After a few uses the BBC quit working and I almost trashed it! I about fell over when they told me what it would cost to fix. I hated to do it because the Kawasaki engine ran like butter so I ultimately decided to hold on to it. Not even a week later I just to happened to come across an old, abused, beat up 14SC AND a JX85 for free! The guy even threw in a bag, side discharge, and mulching plug. I figured out the SC used a blade adapter and not a BBC so I tore my old BBC off and put the blade adapter on and was back in business. Unfortunately, the 2 commercial mowers were beyond saving so they are just parts mowers now days. The jx85 deck was absolute toast so its long gone. I have put a combination of commercial upgrades from the 2 mowers onto my good 14SB so it looks quite a bit different than when it had the old flimsy chrome handles. I would be tickled if I could find an actual decent set of metal wheels to use but they are impossible to find anymore.

Just this week I decided that this mower deserved to have a little restoration done to it. I currently have it stripped down and ready for a fresh coat of silver jubilee paint and to have the handlebars powder coated. I also ordered new cables, wheels, decals, and a few other odds and ends to hopefully give this mower another 30+ years of service. I will definitely post more pics here when its all finished. I'm glad to see someone else on this forum has love for these old mowers like I do.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

I've got the 21" Kubota on order. I believe it's similar mower?

Cast aluminum deck, solid aluminum wheels with ball bearings, 3 speed gear box, and Kawi engine.


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

I saw you post that mower the other day. That Kubota looks exactly like what these mowers should have evolved into had deere kept producing them . Your new mower will be a beast. That FJ180v has tons of power


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

SEKBrian said:


> I saw you post that mower the other day. That Kubota looks exactly like what these mowers should have evolved into had deere kept producing them . Your new mower will be a beast. That FJ180v has tons of power


Thanks. That's what I'm hoping.

I'm a Honda guy but after excessive amounts of OCD research, it seems the Honda commercial mowers are not what they used to be.

Dealer is telling me about 3 weeks or so. I'm going to do a review of it when I get it.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

SEKBrian said:


> I saw you post that mower the other day. That Kubota looks exactly like what these mowers should have evolved into had deere kept producing them . Your new mower will be a beast. That FJ180v has tons of power


Thanks for keeping the faith in these old mowers!

Deere did actually offer that mower @DFW_Zoysia mentions. That mower was released as the Deere WE80/WE85 a few years back. Unfortunately, I don't consider it a successor to the 14SB or JX75, only because it's not a Deere design. I have not gotten the opportunity to run one so I have no opinion on how it performs vs the 14 series. That mower has worn a few other other colors, and I think @Ware had mentioned it recently as well in another thread.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> SEKBrian said:
> 
> 
> > I saw you post that mower the other day. That Kubota looks exactly like what these mowers should have evolved into had deere kept producing them . Your new mower will be a beast. That FJ180v has tons of power
> ...


Here is the post about those Eastman/Ingersoll commercial push mowers that have been rebranded a handful times.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

I'll hopefully have my Kubota in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post a review on it for the forum and let DFW people know who I bought it from and how it went. Happy to share my contacts info so anyone interested can reach out to him assuming the purchase/delivery goes well.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

DFW_Zoysia said:


> I'll hopefully have my Kubota in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post a review on it for the forum and let DFW people know who I bought it from and how it went. Happy to share my contacts info so anyone interested can reach out to him assuming the purchase/delivery goes well.


Didn't you just buy a new Honda? You may go through equipment faster than me. :lol:


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

Ware said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> > I'll hopefully have my Kubota in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post a review on it for the forum and let DFW people know who I bought it from and how it went. Happy to share my contacts info so anyone interested can reach out to him assuming the purchase/delivery goes well.
> ...


Sssssshhhhhh.....my wife may hear you!

Yes. But as I tell my wife I NEED both of them.

I really wanted the Honda Commercial to get me to the .75" cut and a more stout build quality but I don't think the Honda Commercials are as good as they used to be, so I want to try the Kubota.

Also, from what I'm hearing from different sources, mowers and gear is going to be much harder to come by this summer than last summer and prices are going to skyrocket. I would imagine come May or June I'd have no problem selling the units I decide not to keep and get back pretty much what I paid for them. Especially as with my size yard they'll probably have a total of 30 minutes use on them.

One contract was telling me the orders he placed in October to receive now won't arrive until September of this year. My other contract was telling me the equipment packages they were selling in October have now seen a 50% price increase in the last 5 months. They don't expect the lawn equipment availability to stabilize until Q1 of 2023.


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## Apapknarf (Oct 3, 2018)

I feel somewhat bad, I have a ja65 and a jx75 sitting in the shed but use my time master 99% of the time. Love those mowers though.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Apapknarf said:


> I feel somewhat bad, I have a ja65 and a jx75 sitting in the shed but use my time master 99% of the time. Love those mowers though.


Nothing wrong with them being semi-retired. I'd love to find a cherry 14SB/SE or JX75 again. But with the cost and availability of spares for these 20+ year old units, I might think twice about running it as my "daily".


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

My 14SB only sees my front yard. My back yard is not manicured like my front so I use my 33in cub cadet walk behind back there. The 33in swath sure does save time so I don't fault anyone for using a bigger deck.

So when I tore my mower down last Friday, I found a good size crack in the back 




I was pretty bummed. Every single one of these silver decks I have rehabbed has cracked in this same spot. I thought mine was good but it was just covered with dirt and I didn't notice it. I took it somewhere to see about getting it welded but the guy didn't want to touch it. What I will end up doing is just getting some aluminum welding rods and try to fill the crack myself. It probably won't be pretty but this part is covered with the plastic cover so it won't be seen. Thankfully the crack is only on top and doesn't continue down and there is no flex in it. What I think happens is the transmission pulley hits it over and over again when you release the bail if you don't keep the drive cable tight enough. I could be wrong but the crack lines up exactly with the transmission pulley.

I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a show piece and it never will be. I don't want to sink a ton of money into fixing it either even tho I love tinkering with it. It has a job to do every week and as long as I own it, that will be my expectation of it.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

@SEKBrian By "aluminum welding rod", are you going to try an weld it via an electric arc welding process? TIG or Stick? The reason your guy probably didn't want to touch it is that aluminum castings can be a bear to weld on sometimes. Especially if they have been soaked in oil all their life, which shouldn't be the case here. I might be tempted to try TIG welding that but there are other options if it doesn't want to play nice.

There are products out there that apply like solder/brazing, and are usually marketed as "welding rod". Kinda hoping that's what you picked up. Alumiweld, Durafix, etc. Prep/cleanliness is key and yes, they work well. I have used Durafix in the past.


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

Yes just the "brazing" rods as you mentioned. Only harbor freights finest materials go on my lawn mower lol. I've actually seen good reviews on them so we will see! Any tips? Was gonna degrease and try to sand in the crack so expose new aluminum. Anything else I should be doing?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

SEKBrian said:


> Yes just the "brazing" rods as you mentioned. Only harbor freights finest materials go on my lawn mower lol. I've actually seen good reviews on them so we will see! Any tips? Was gonna degrease and try to sand in the crack so expose new aluminum. Anything else I should be doing?


Wire brush on a drill to clean the surface and get mean with it. There are special wheels for grinders and aluminum, would be useful to grind out the crack some or you could use a carbide burr. I like single-cut burrs on aluminum.

The rod will not "flow" into the crack most likely so I'd grind on it to expose fresh material and back fill with the rod. Very important to heat the work and not the rod. You're working with a sizable hunk of aluminum and getting just the cracked section up to 750 deg F is going to be a challenge. The rest of the mower will act as a heat sink and rapidly pull heat away from the area you are heating. I'd def want Oxy-Fuel vs a straight propane or even MAPP torch. If you aren't able to get the rod melting because the mower cools too quick, try heating the area from the backside while holding rod against the area you want to repair. Be careful not to turn the area into a puddle!


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

Well I finally got the mower put back together and got the restoration completed!

















The welding rods worked fantastically to fix that crack. Like @MasterMech mentioned previously, they did not flow into the crack. I tried a couple different times to get it to flow but it just wouldn't work. What I ended up doing was filling the crack from the bottom side with the rods, then just using a little JB weld on the top to seal out water and dirt. It is covered by the transmission cover so you won't see it. It worked really well and I am satisfied with it.

Now for some of the details on the restore: I purchased all new cables, new deck decals, new JD Silver Jubilee spray paint, new paint for the handlebars, a couple other small items that needed replaced like fuel and oil filters, gas lines, etc. Not sure how much I have into it exactly but it's probably more than I should have spent. The decals weren't cheap and neither were the cables.

As I tore the mower down, whatever part I took off the 14SB deck, I would immediately reinstall on the old 14SC mower deck I had laying around. It was a lot of extra work but I never forgot where a piece went, or how to install a certain part, or lost any bolts. It also took the pressure off me because I still had a functioning mower in the end and didn't have to rush anything. Switching everything back over to the 14SB was a breeze since I already had practice and it went very quickly.

As I have mentioned before, it really looks nothing like when I got it. It has the upgraded handlebars from the 14SC, which were much sturdier than the chrome ones it came with. It has the screw on oil filter, the black height adjuster guard plates, zone start, and the blade adapter instead of the BBC. The original transmission cover was also grey instead of black but my grey one is all dingy and ugly.

When it comes down to it, this mower more resembles the 14SC than the SB but there are a few differences. This obviously has yellow wheels. It still have the 14SB rear flap. This engine doesn't have an engine brake like the 14SC's does, which I prefer.

This was a fun project overall. I'm by no means a professional but I thought it turned out pretty well!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

This is an older thread I know, but that resto is so worth the bump. Fantastic job @SEKBrian !👏


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## Jelvis (Mar 31, 2019)

I have a 12PB and a 12SB, with the 2-cycle Briggs and Stratton engine made by Komatsu. They are great mowers. Please excuse the grass growing in the red lava rock beds, yeah it is an eighties house.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Jelvis said:


> I have a 12PB and a 12SB, with the 2-cycle Briggs and Stratton engine made by Komatsu. They are great mowers. Please excuse the grass growing in the red lava rock beds, yeah it is an eighties house.
> 
> View attachment 2606
> View attachment 2608


I don't know if I've ever seen the Komatsu 2-smoke in the wild. That's awesome! Especially on a silver-decked 12 series. The 12's are very rare compared to the vastly more popular 14 series. Love the drag slicks on the rears too.

Why Deere ever stopped building mowers on these decks, I'll never know for sure. With modern engines, I think these would compete very favorably with today's offerings.


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## deanius (Jul 21, 2020)

I’ve read that the Kawasaki-powered silver deck mowers have great suction and can drop to 1/2” HOC which sounds ideal for me to use for scalping, aerator core cleanup, leaves, etc. I mow with my Greensmaster so it would only serve occasionally as the backup/utility machine.

What do you guys think? Good plan or should I be looking for something else?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

deanius said:


> I’ve read that the Kawasaki-powered silver deck mowers have great suction and can drop to 1/2” HOC which sounds ideal for me to use for scalping, aerator core cleanup, leaves, etc. I mow with my Greensmaster so it would only serve occasionally as the backup/utility machine.
> 
> What do you guys think? Good plan or should I be looking for something else?


Keep in mind that the newest of these machines (JX75) is pushing 20 years old these days.

Great suction and quality of cut on all of these 14-series mowers for sure. I'd sure hate to beat one up though using it on aeration cores, unless it's just the thatch portion. 1/2" scalping would be tough on it too if you have sand on the lawn. I wouldn't want to run all that dirt/sand through a BBC equipped model, which the vast majority of the Kawasaki powered machines are. The Briggs powered units are just as good from a cut-quality perspective, a LOT cheaper on the secondary market too. But you're still going to be running a cast-aluminum deck machine that's 18-30 years old in rough conditions. Seems kinda like using a classic car to do pizza delivery. I don't know about dropping to 1/2", and I don't have mine anymore to check. 

If you are looking to get rid of cores whole, I think I would try a power sweep attachment for any of the major trimmer brands. Or order an all-plastic snow shovel off Amazon.  I personally like to pulverize them with my verticutter and them just let the mower pick up the thatchy portion naturally. With a reel, I mow too low to scalp with a rotary at all.


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## deanius (Jul 21, 2020)

@MasterMech thanks for the detailed response. I guess I’ll just keep beating up the Honda for now.


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## fortyeightjake (Sep 8, 2020)

SEKBrian said:


> Well I finally got the mower put back together and got the restoration completed!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a nice restoration job! I mess around with old garden tractors myself. I have no experience with these mowers but I'm curious about the "step here" sticker. In what case would you need to step on the deck?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

fortyeightjake said:


> That's a nice restoration job! I mess around with old garden tractors myself. I have no experience with these mowers but I'm curious about the "step here" sticker. In what case would you need to step on the deck?


Back in the day, that was standard practice for starting a machine. Then we moved to "zone start" machines which were designed to be started with the operator located behind the handle. On these particular units, the ones with a blade brake/clutch fully retract the starter handle to the engine housing, intending for the operator to stand off to the side when starting, necessitating a foot on the deck to stabilize the unit while pulling the starter cord.


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## fortyeightjake (Sep 8, 2020)

MasterMech said:


> Back in the day, that was standard practice for starting a machine. Then we moved to "zone start" machines which were designed to be started with the operator located behind the handle. On these particular units, the ones with a blade brake/clutch fully retract the starter handle to the engine housing, intending for the operator to stand off to the side when starting, necessitating a foot on the deck to stabilize the unit while pulling the starter cord.


Gotcha, that what I figured. Just threw me off since you relocated the starter rope.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

fortyeightjake said:


> Gotcha, that what I figured. Just threw me off since you relocated the starter rope.


You know, I missed that in his photos too. Now I gotta think if any of the latter Kawasaki's came factory equipped for a "Zone Start" postion or not.... I think the JX75 (Sticker Successor to the 14SB) did but not sure if the black-handled 14SB's did or not.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

fortyeightjake said:


> Gotcha, that what I figured. Just threw me off since you relocated the starter rope.


I actually went back through the steps he detailed on the resto - that mower, even though it's decal-ed as a 14SB, is built as a 14SC (less the metal commercial wheels) since he deleted the BBC. By deleting the BBC, configuring it as a Zone Start unit was 100% the correct (and safer!) thing to do.

I should really think about picking up another one of these mowers. So much nostalgia for them!


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

@fortyeightjake @MasterMech It’s still so awesome to see this thread getting looks. I love it.

This mower definitely qualifies as a frankendeer haha. Like I mentioned before, I essentially was able to take the things I liked about both models and put them on this mower.

Someone who knows every detail about these would be able to spot the things that are “wrong” with it. This really does look more like the old 14SC I used as the parts mower. I still have the 14SC labeled rear flap, but it’s not in nearly as good of shape as the 14SB flap that’s on it. It also didn’t feel right putting the 14SC flap on there since this mower doesn’t have the metal wheels the commercial mowers came with. I still have them, but they are so chewed up, they are unusable. I would absolutely love to throw a set on this thing and make it a true commercial mower but you just can’t find them anymore. Another thing I would love put on my mower would be the deck guards that go around the bottom lip of the deck. I was under the impression that all the commercial mowers came with them but that old 14SC didn’t even have the holes tapped to put them on, so I know it never had them. You can google a picture to see what I am referring to. 

There is a ton of good info about these mowers on MyTractor forum if you guys ever decide to pick one up. More specifically there’s a guy on there who goes by SilverDeck that has immense knowledge about these lawn mowers. Like seriously it’s a little crazy the stuff he knows and the info he has access to about these mowers. He will also answer your emails immediately even if he hasn’t been active for a year or more. It’s really something! 

As a side note, If anyone who stumbles across this thread happens to have a set of decent JX85 OR 14SC metal wheels PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I will gladly buy them! Even if it’s 20 years from now, message me!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

SEKBrian said:


> @fortyeightjake @MasterMech It’s still so awesome to see this thread getting looks. I love it.
> 
> This mower definitely qualifies as a frankendeer haha. Like I mentioned before, I essentially was able to take the things I liked about both models and put them on this mower.
> 
> ...


Not a damn thing "wrong" with that mower, lol. The semi-conversion to a 14SC is exactly what I would have done given the same opportunities.

The best would be if someone had a machine shop and the ability to reproduce those wheels. Anybody who owned a mower in this series would be a likely customer.

I fell in love (sounds so ridiculous) with these mowers when I was a tech at a JD dealership. Customers that brought one in for service probably thought we were a bit nuts, but they were almost treated like someone bringing their classic Ferrari in for service. We knew a bunch of methods and interchangeable parts to keep these things running for decades. The emphasis for these was avoiding a new mower, because we knew there was nothing that really would perform the same for a price anybody was willing to pay in the early 2000's.


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## SEKBrian (Jul 20, 2020)

@MasterMech I immediately knew there was something different about this mower as soon as I fired it up the first time. Just felt different. Hard to explain.

I keep thinking I might run across a company that could retread them for me or something. I feel like that would be so specialized that I never would find it but who knows.

Another interesting thing about those commercial wheels is that they have metal drive gears inside instead of plastic gears the yellow ones have . I thought maybe I could swap those into the plastic yellow wheels and increase the longevity of the gears and be one step closer to a full commercial unit, but it turns out 1. The bolt pattern to screw them on is slightly different and 2. The transaxle for the SC is shorter to accommodate the bigger metal spur gear. The commercial gears look like they have built in spacers in them. Again hard to explain without seeing a side by side picture. With the built in spacer and shorter transaxle the commercial mower and homeowner mower still have the same wheel width so nothing looks any different between them.

Those wheels are the only things that are not a direct swap on the mowers. From a money making standpoint this was smart because people couldn’t just go out and buy the cheaper homeowner mowers and swap in the nice wheels and be on their way. If you wanted the fancy wheels, you had to buy the commercial mower. Pretty interesting over all.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

SEKBrian said:


> @MasterMech I immediately knew there was something different about this mower as soon as I fired it up the first time. Just felt different. Hard to explain.
> 
> I keep thinking I might run across a company that could retread them for me or something. I feel like that would be so specialized that I never would find it but who knows.
> 
> ...


I wonder if there's a difference in the transaxles for the SC and SX besides the length of the axles.

Hmmm.

Would ya look at that, two part numbers for the 5 spd transaxle output shaft (axle). M96530 for the 14SC/SX, and M802579 for the 12SB, 14SB, and 14SE. There are two part numbers for the different transmission assembly but just a quick scan seems to indicate only the axle shaft is different.

John Deere Parts Catalog


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