Customer Reviews for John Deere D120 42 in. 21-HP Hydrostatic Front-Engine Riding Mower-DISCONTINUED

Cuts great, turning radius is great, engine vibration is minimal and clean up is easy. Down side is the little yellow button to allow you to cut backing up? Trying to hold button down and control the wheel is distracting. Engaging blades initially is rough but smoothes out. Purchased on line, details of delivery were not clear, surprised when local John Deere (6 miles away) called to inform me that my mower would be delivered. The concept of the "Break-in Oil" brought back memories when cars were sold that way 50 & 60's and I think the 70's also had break-in oil. Right now I am on 6hrs of use and after the next cut I will be changing the oil. The delivery person needs to provide better instruction then riding off the truck, indicating the latch behind the mower that disengages the ?? so you can push it without turning on the engine. After 1 month a follow-up from a John Deere or Home Depot representative to see how the customer is doing, any problems, etc..

This is a quality machine, I do not have a large lawn, but was getting tired of cutting it by hand. I have been impressed with how easy the John Deere D120 is to use. Very easy to operate. Makes cutting the lawn fun.

I bought my d120 about 3 months ago and already have 6+ hours on it. Mows great and has plenty of power. Only thing I don't like is the seat safety switch is to sensitive, if you adjust your seating position it activates and the engine cuts out briefly. other than that no regrets, worth every dollar!

I have had this mower for about 4 weeks and have mowed with it 4 times. It runs great as I imagined it would, and the quality of the cutting it does is second to none. I have used many riding lawnmowers in my day, and can say with confidence that you will not be disappointed.

Do not buy this mower. I have had it less then 3 years and I have had to rebuild the engine twice. It isn't a John Deere engine. It's a Briggs and Straton engine. I owned a Murray before this and never had any trouble. Owned it for 14 years. My son has it now and it's still running. The dealer told me this is a throw away world. They don't make things like they used to. The mower itself is easy to use. I would try and buy one with a different motor besides Briggs. Maybe a kohler.

this mower has 41 hours on it & already has two belt pulleys bad when I bought this mower new I paid for the bagger system & they never put the high lift blades on after using twice I realized this. this is my third deere first one was purchased in 1976 got twenty years out of it be lucky to get 5 out of this one

I was so happy last year when I bought my John Deere and actually thought I would enjoy mowing more. I have a one acre yard and catch the grass for mulch on the garden and around the yard. I bought the bagger attachement and started mowing. The mower worked great during the drought last year and I was only mowing dust, but look out when it starts to rain, the grass starts growing and you actually need a lawn mower. The design of the deck and grass chute is poor to say the least. The slightest hint of dew or dampness on the lawn plugs the works. I discussed this with the dealer who suggested special blades...which I wasted additional money on with no improvement. To make matters worse, the tube to the deck is so long, you cannot clean it out without removing it from the deck. I don't use the grass catcher now if the air even smells like rain...and I still have to stop periodically to clean the discharge. The seat is so high on the mower you can't get close around trees and shrubs. I even use my push mower on the front lawn because the cut is so uneven with this mower. And don't buy additional attachements because they won't fit. I thought sure I would love my green machine, but my neighbor laughed when he saw me pull it into the driveway after I purchased it last year. He had one for a couple of years and switched to Cub Cadet. He let me borrow it a couple times now to see the difference. I am hopeful I can find something good about the great green machine before I unload it after this second season to purchase a Cub Cadet.

With the Name brand of John Deere, and the price I expected a much better quality of equipment. This mower is very poorly made, does not handle well and in general am very disappointed in it. I would like to return the mower completely. Am waiting for a call fromt he dealership to see what my options are. Will not buy another small lawn tractor.

I have now had my Deere for two years, and in two years time I have had NO problems at all, and I mean at all. Some of my neighbors have gotten other riding mowers (newer than mine), they have already had problems. Mine starts the first time every time, cuts right (nice and even), hauls just fine and is very easy to operate. I might be a bit biased in my assessment, ok so be it. But all I know is this, that after two years my Deere is still running problem free. Now don't kid yourself I put this Tractor through it's paces, and it goes through it all. So YES I would recommend a John Deere to anybody with NO regret.

I had the previous model, LA120, and I abused it but it kept going strong. Easy to service, the battery is still good after 7 winters. I gave it to a neighbor he uses alot. I used this for hauling, pulling, and cutting 1-2 times a week. The transaxle started slipping on inclines after about 700 hours, my neighbor replaced the fluid and it runs fine.

I've had the 120 for two years now and it's been in the shop 3 times already and for the same thing. The spring cable that engages the snow auger or grass deck keeps falling off very poor design. I had a Murray for 12 years and never had a problem. It makes you think is john deere better quality.

I purchased the D120 from my local home depot ( amazing price I could not pass on) and used it today for the first time. The hydrostatic trans is amazing and super easy to use, the quality of the cut is outstanding, I love the seat...super comfortable, very fuel efficient, turning radius is awesome. Just had a blast mowing my half acre lot with this deere and would recommend it to anybody looking for the best rider out there.

I have the LA125 the cousin to this D120. The quality of the engine is very poor in my opinion. Don't expect the 120 to last as long as you think it should. For the amount of money you are spending, it should have a much longer life.

This John Deere mower is beautiful. It's easy to learn and easy to drive. One of the best features for maintenence is the hose out nozzle for the blade. I'm so happy I bought it. The John Deere Dealer was slow to deliver it, but they gave a really good presentation on use and care.

IThe first thing that separated the John Deere 120 from its competitors in my mind was that it came with a high back seat, which I really liked. I also like the size, the intutive controls, and its short turning radius. I believe it is 12 inches, The engine purrs like a kitten and it does a great job mowing my yard. I am a huge fan of John Deere Green.

I have been using my John Deere riding mower for a couple of weeks now and love it! The mowing time with my old mower was 2-2.5 hrs....with the new mower, I can do an acre in 1.5 hrs. Wonderful turning, smooth, not as loud, cuts really well, easy to keep clean. I especially love the undercarriage wash option. You can't go wrong with a John Deere!

Easy to start, easy to use. Performs well and has lots of legroom.

I was very pleased with the mower. It handled very well.

This mower, for me, is perfect. Plenty of power, and it has attachments that make the upkeep on my property easy. I live on Cape Cod, so I have winters to deal with. The plow will make clearing the driveways easier than using my snowblower. I also purchased the sun canopy, and the bagger system - which took about 20 minutes to assemble.

Everyone said I was going to miss my LX176 which gave me 20 years of great service, but I love my new D120. Have just used the mower so far and it does an excellent job. Have always had to sweep after mowing but with this mower it is not necessary. I haven't used the snowblower yet of course so I will update after that.

I just picked up the 120 yesterday from our Home Depot after sinking money into a "hand me down". Had been cutting with a 28 hp . and I can say that the JD cuts circles around it!! I understand the other has 7 more horses but,the JD has more power and it will turn on a dime!! I've cut with zero turns and the JD is close to cutting with one. Comfortable, VERY CLOSE turns, and the power to cut through my "rank Ga grass" without slowin down or missin a beat! Wise choice on the brand! Very pleased!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I purchased the D120 after owning a John Deere Sabre for 13 years. I own a 1/2 half acre flat lot. The Sabre ran flawlessly but I thought I it was time for an upgrade. After researching brands, models, and reading countless reviews I chose the D120 for the JD name and the motor and deck size that fit my needs. I have put 12 hours on the D120 before submitting this review. The Good: Engine starts fast and runs strong, no issues here. The Hydrostatic transmission works like a charm and the backup although rated low in other reviews is very easy to get used to. The turning is easy and smooth. Also the bag collector system works flawlessly, not sure about all the negative reviews. The Bad - I am not entirely sure that My local JD dealer did anything before delivering it. Deck was not level, belt brakes were not calibrated correctly, the outer air filter cover was missing and the machine squeaks at every bump. The front tires are so " toed" in that when I am driving it up the ramps to my shed, it moves the ramps inward and almost forces the mower to fall off. Other issues - Gas tank in the back cannot be filled without taking the bagging system off ( poor design), the deck scalps grass at the slightest indentation, and many of plastic parts ( hood hinge points, battery tie down) seem to be cheap. Also the mulch plug is useless if you want to mulch you will need to get the full mulching blade kit and inserts, which then must be changed out if you want to bag which is a major inconvenience. So the jury is still out on whether my investment was worth it or not, but I do not believe this mower will endure as long as the old JD.

I bought the JD d120 a little over a year ago based on reputation and marketing, and have been throughoughly impressed. I did zero maintenance on it at all except putting more gas in it when it stops running because its out of gas. I started working nearly 7 days a week this spring so have been depending on my wife to mow the yard but she isn't very smart and has blurry vision. The mower is very easy to use, even for her.

The ease of use is a tremendous benefit for anyone. The engine performance is outstanding.

this is a great unit for mowing grass. don't get it for a snow blower not even close to enough weight in the back.

I bought this d120 tractor a couple of days ago and it is really easy to use. my wife is blind in one eye and she is able to dive and mow the grass. It is simple with the foot controls and the cruise is also simple to use. I would recommend this tractor to other people.

I am very happy with the D-120 mower. It starts easily, has plenty of power, and looks to be quality-built. I am now able to mow my large lawn in under an hour.

well pleased with the quality and function of the tractor. I went up a couple of models to get the hour guage for motor and am glad i did that will be handy for service.

I have had my D 120 around 2 years give or take. This machine dooesnt compare to the old murray 17.5 I had 12 years ago. I have to boost this machine to use for about a year now, now it won't start at all. Guess I put my money on the wrong tractor this time.

love the mower. need to work on the reverse. converted it to a mulching mower. wish home depot had the d130 though. bought the bumper for my d120. for the difference in price would of bought the d130. had to have the bumper looks great with it!