JOHN DEERE MAINTENANCE (Part 1 - Chassis Lubrication)

Although it's been colder than normal here in North Carolina, the trees are starting to bud, the daffodils are blooming and, the grass is just starting to grow (at least on the sunny side of the house where the septic tank is).  But all of it's going to be growing soon so in preparation, I performed some spring maintenance on my John Deere LA175 lawn tractor that I want to share with you.

I bought the tractor in the spring of 2010 and it has about 165 hours on it now.  I picked the John Deere because of its reliability, it's power and maneuverability, the comfortable seat (important for an old dude like me) and because it also has a bunch of attachments that go with it that kind of function as big-boy toys.  Maybe it goes back to when I was a kid in Illinois where we lived in the country, surrounded by corn and soybeans, where the farmers were always on their tractors doing something out in the fields.  So climbing on my tractor allows me to relive my childhood, or maybe it's just fun to drive, but either way I enjoy using the tractor for all sorts of work around our yard.  I must say that it's been a workhorse for the last three years, performing all sorts of chores with no problems. 

I first wanted to mention equipment storage.  Since I'm much smarter now than I was in the fall (thanks to viewing training videos on the AMSOIL dealer website), I really should have done all of this maintenance before putting my tractor away for the winter.  Had I done that, the tractor would not only have already been ready for the mowing season, it would also have been better protected during winter storage.  Luckily, AMSOIL products help ensure that all of your outdoor equipment is properly protected even if you neglect to do perform the maintenance in the fall like I did.  I'll cover equipment storage in a later post.  

My John Deere LA175

First, lubrication.  Since I hate screwing stuff up, I tend to follow the John Deere Operator's Manual when I do my maintenance.  John Deere recommends certain John Deere greases including "a general all-purpose grease with an NGLI grade rating No. 2 rating."  I use AMSOIL Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease NGLI #2 (AMSOIL product code GLC) because (1) it complies with the John Deere recommendations; (2) the performance properties of AMSOIL Multi-Purpose Grease exceed those of the recommended John Deere greases (and it's compatible with those greases); and (3) it's what I have in my grease gun for use in my vehicles anyway so I don't have to worry about having two different grease guns or changing out cartridges (a job I hate).   

AMSOIL Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease provides the following performance features:

• Resists thermal and oxidation degradation
• Provides excellent water-washout resistance
• Outstanding low-temperature pumpability and torque value
• Adhesive and shear stable to prevent squeeze out
• Excellent load-carrying and EP performance

What this translates to for tractor owners is that components resist wear and corrosion better,  your equipment lasts longer, components stay cleaner and dryer, your equipment performs better and requires fewer repairs.  For a buck or so more than the John Deere greases (using AMSOIL preferred customer pricing) the AMSOIL Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease is a fantastic deal for those looking for the best performance and longest equipment life possible (which includes me since I hate spending my hard-earned cash buying new stuff when the old stuff works just fine - drives my wife crazy sometimes though). 

AMSOIL Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease

There are several grease points on the LA175.  Here they are:

Wheel Spindle Grease Fitting (2)

Wheel Hub Grease Fitting (2)

Front Axle Center Pivot Grease Fitting

Spindle Grease Fittings (3)

Note that John Deere recommends lubricating your tractor every 25 hours of operation.  

In my opinion, if metal parts touch each other they should be lubricated at least once-in-a-while (to use a technical term).  Except for deck idler pivot which John Deere recommends be sprayed with a "general all-purpose spray lubricant," the Operator's Manual doesn't mention providing any additional lubrication to the tractor.  However, given my obsession for ensuring optimal performance and equipment longevity, my maintenance routine includes using a spray lubricant at various points on the tractor.  For this job I use AMSOIL MP Metal Protector (AMSOIL product code AMP), a spray-on lubricant that protects metal surfaces, displaces water, silences squeaks and lubricates metal surfaces, leaving a dry wax-like film that's not sticky. What I love about MP is that it dries clean, dirt doesn't stick to it, it does not form any gum or sludge and is excellent at preventing rust and corrosion (I've actually got a thousand uses for this stuff but I'll spare you the details - once you use it I'm sure you'll build your own list).  

AMSOIL MP Metal Protector (old packaging)

AMSOIL MP Metal Protector (new packaging - same great formula)

Here are few of the places I spray my tractor.  Like I said if metal touches metal, I spray it.  So go crazy with the MP!

  Steering Linkages
 

 "Stuff" Underneath
 

Pedal Mechanisms

Deck Wheels

I could go on but you get the idea.  AMSOIL MP has worked for me not only on this tractor but on all of my other lawn and garden equipment, not to mention a bunch of other things around the house.

That does it for lubrication.  Thanks for visiting this post.  We'll tackle engine maintenance next.  

Questions, comments and/or advice are always welcome!!