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

Very reliable. It was delivered with a full tank and ready to go.

This mower handles great. I'm very happy with the turn radius. It runs quiet and has a smooth ride. I really appreciate the high back on the seat. I purchased the catcher attachment and like the mesh bags - much lighter than solid catcher buckets. The view window for the fullness of the bags is difficult if not impossible to see without getting off the seat which turns off the mower. I plan to have mulching blades installed. Fueling is a little tricky - hard to reach the tank with my spout as it sits under the seat and there isn't much access with the catcher attachment on. Fueling is doable but hard to avoid some spilling. I also had the bumper installed. It looks good and I like that it has a close profile and doesn't protrude from the front of the mower. I like the deck wash. I found it to be easy to connect and disconnect. My yard is very sloping, 7+degree inclines and this mower pulls with ease. I find that I like the forward and reverse foot pedals instead of a hand throttle like my old mower. There was a little piece of confusion regarding delivery. My mower was shipped to, prepped and delivered by the nearest John Deere dealer. They didn't get the typical notification as to who and where to deliver. Several days after ordering my mower and not hearing from anyone, I made a call to customer service. The service rep was helpful, kind and apologetic. She promised contact within the day. Later that day the JD dealer called and scheduled delivery for the day and time of my convenience. Everyone has been pleasant and helpful. Good experience, great mower!

Very powerful and comfortable to drive. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but I'm cutting grass not driving it to Florida.

The D120 is great I cut my acre in less than an hour. The deck cuts the lawn nice and level without tearing the grass.

After my girlfriend wanted to buy a riding lawn mower for her 3/4 acre hilly lawn, I suggested this mower to her. Comparing it to my (other than JD) mower that I bought from a client, I have these observations: Pros: Smooth ride; much quieter; tighter turn radius; clean level cut; foot pedals for forward/reverse Cons: Seat cutoff switch is too sensitive if you have to adjust your sitting position to avoid low limbs or lean too much on a side slope; using the catcher it is difficult to determine if the bags are full (requiring you to look behind you and seat cut-off may engage) Overall, I believe this mower to be far superior to my mower which was comparably priced. Oh, and one more con, now I want to replace mine with one like hers.

Just received the mower yesterday. It was delivered by the local John Deere dealer. He demonstrated the operation of the tractor, went over the features, and answered all my questions. I waited over ten years to purchase this mower after being nickled and dimed by my last dark green mower that had very little craftsmanship as it's name implied. The deck was the biggest problem. It is easy to see the John Deere is built to a better standard and design. I can't wait for the snow to be gone and my grass starts growing. I may even fertilize so it grows faster!! The best feature is the D120 has cruise control while the D110 does not. I have a large lawn and didn't want to have to hold the forward pedal down while mowing. I also installed a front bumper from day 1, the mower looks great with the front bumper installed.

John Deere does not stick by products even when bought from their own dealers. No support is offered except through the local dealer which is no service at all really if you have a lousy dealership. Quality is poor. Tractors do not last. Worst product I've seen. I will never buy JD again. A cheaper Yard Machine lasted longer and was a better product than JD.

i drove my riding mower for the first time earlier today. i was quite fearful while doing so, as i have never operated a riding mower before. i was a sight to see, but i will get better, the more i drive and use the machine. the operator's manual is well-written; even so, learning to operate this fine mower has been a great challenge for me. however, doing so has given me a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

This is my second JD mower. I thought the first one was a fluke. Shame on me for buying a second one. This mower had 4 hours on it before it died. Warrany required that I transport it to a JD dealer. Good thing I had a trailer! Dealer has had it for over a week. Evidently valves need adjustment. Really? I firmly believe that JD mowers purchased at Home Deport receive low priority at JD dealers. This is my last one!!!!

This lawn tractor is all i had hoped for and more. Everything it claims to do it does great. I think after this purchase i just might be a john deere man for life.

The reason i bought this was for the hydrostatic drive and the mulching blade. At first i was very dissapointed with the mulch cut and excess cuttings left on the lawn Right out of the box blades really dull. However since i sharpened the blades, which should have been sharp from the store, i have found they work very well.

I've only used it once so far, but it is fantastic!! Love the hydro-drive. The mower feels solid, handles very well, and does a great job cutting the weeds.

The single hand throttle controlling both forward and reverse on my very long lived (14 years) John Deere Sabre riding mower was much easier to use than the forward and reverse foot pedals on my new John Deere D120. Plus the brake pedal was on the right on the Sabre where the gas pedals are located on the D120--guess I will have to get used to that! Really hate having to stop the blade (or hold down a button) to go into reverse. Holding down the button with one hand while driving with the other, makes driving more difficult, so I don't see how that improves safety. (Might be easier if the button was on the steering wheel.) On the whole, the D120 is an excellent mower but I wish it were not so tall--I could ride my Sabre into my shed without hitting my head, now with the D120, I have to duck! The seating position relative to the steering was more comfortable on the Sabre but it is easier to steer the D120 due to the much reduced steering effort, perhaps a consequence of the revised steering wheel positioning. The D120 is definitely faster than the Sabre!

Home Depot was great in helping me choose the right one for our needs. Everything was perfect

easy to use like the larger turf tires on the the back compaired to other brands

Have absolutely no complaints. I now only have to ask my son once to mow the lawn. Is able to mow lawn in much less time.

My mower transmission, hydrostatic, failed at 198 hours. It seems like a common problem; too many other similar stories. It costs about $1000 to replace it. Be careful.

As I expected from reading others reviews the reverse button is a pain. I have only used my new tractor three times so I assume it may get a little easier in time. Hopefully it will become 2nd nature and I won't have to THINK about pushing the button every time I want to go into reverse. I was given a demonstration when delivered but I had to ask. The delivery guy just asked if I had any questions at which I replied "I'd like a demonstration". It also was not delivered with much gas in the tank. Overall, I'm very happy with my John Deere.

Just the right size for what I needed. The local stores did not carry this model, I really like the cruise control function. It was worth the wait.

Delivered as advertised. I am new to riding mowers so the jury is out. I have only used it on the front yard once but I have had no problems so far. I do like the turning radius and the quick start.

I like the small turn radius and all the features of the mower. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't mow uphill very well. The tires just spin in some areas. On flat ground, it mows great.

The riding lawnmower is great and the experience with ordering it over the internet through Home Depot went flawlessly. The mower came from the John Deere factory and was actually delivered by a John Deere dealer (in a town about 100 miles away; the Home Depot store is also 100 miles away) and came on time. However, the delivery person seemed less than enthused about the delivery. He BRIEFLY went over the operation of the mower and didn't even know the type of oil to use in the engine (he said he thought it was 30 weight but when I read the manual, it actually takes a multi viscosity oil, the weight depending on the operating conditions). When I asked,somewhat jokingly but serious as well, if it came with a John Deere hat ( I wear lots of hats), he gruffly replied, "if you had bought if from us it would have". Although I would definitely purchase additional items from Home Depot, I will not patronize the John Deere dealer who delivered the machine. In addition, I paid a delivery charge to get the mower delivered to my house.

Performs as advertised. Feel like I am a kid riding a go kart! The cup holder comes in handy. Recommend getting a pull cart to help move materials around the yard.

We've used the tractor 5 or 6 times so far and are well pleased. The mower gives a nice even cut and our lawn is far from level. It turns tight enough to get around most obstacles and leaves very little for trimming, less than an inch from walls. A free 7 cubic foot poly dump cart came with it and it is great for yard work. Rep who delivered the mower installed the mulch cover and gave me a tutorial, answered all my questions. I wish there was an emergency disengage for the PTO but don't know of any tractor that does, certainly not in this price range. Of course, everything stops if you leave the seat.

My new D120 replaced my old 1973 John Deere 140. I was sad that my old mower died, but I have been very happy with my new 120. We have just under 2 acres and it mows very well, very smooth riding. I have a creek and the reverse is a bit of a pain, but I can deal with it. My head lights stopped working under 7 hours of operation and the fuel gage is not very acurate. Overall, I am very happy with my new mower. I am John Deere to the bone...I have an old push mower and a weed-eater...both John Deere.

I wasn't expecting high end John Deere quality at this price, but, frankly, I see little difference between this mower and ones from other manufacturers that cost 1/3 as much. I have 30 hours on the meter, and I've replaced two tires, there is a vibration starting in the mower deck, the thing backfires when I turn it off, and, just seems cheap and plastic. I'll maintain it, and get some years out of it, but I think I could have just purchased a much less expensive machine and gotten pretty much the same thing.

Does a great job for me. Instead of over one hour cutting on foot, I can be done in 30 minutes and have lots of energy reserve. Powers up the slopes easily. Cut could be more even, but it will improve with driver experience. And since it is so easy, I can cut my grass more frequently avoiding lawn getting too tall. I really believe this mower will produce a better lawn, much more enjoyable to my family and me.

I actually enjoy mowing the lawn. The only down side is backing up. if you don't push a button or turn off the blades (PTO) the engine dies. Smooth ride, good power even on hills, good turning

Customer service was excellent. The two people I spoke to we're very polite and helpful. The delivery was also excellent. The John Deere driver answered all our questions and demonstrated the whole mower for my wife and I inside and out, gave us his business card and said we could call anytime if we have any further questions. Overall, we had excellent service.

Good on a very hilly terrain and the controls are easy to use.