John Deere LX279

The John Deere LX279 lawnmower is the upgraded version of the John Deere LX277 lawnmower, although, it’s not quite as big as the John Deere LX288. The JD LX279 enjoyed a production run that lasted 4 years from 1999 when it first started rolling off the production line in Horicon, Wisconsin until manufacture of this model ceased in 2003. The machine is built on a 4X2 2WD chassis that houses a Kawasaki FH500V engine that has a displacement of 0.493 liters. This 2 cylinder engine is air cooled and has a total power output to the wheels and blade of 17 hp.

Thanks to it’s Tuff Torq transmission that is found in numerous other JD lawnmowers, the John Deere LX279 is an automatic that requires no gear changing at all. Instead it uses special Twin Touch pedals, that the operator can use to travel forwards or backwards. The capacity of the fuel tank on the JD LX279 lawnmower is 11.4 liters (3 US gallons) which will give the operator many hours of usage before he needs to refill it.

Wet disc brakes are used to control the speed of the John Deere LX279 lawn mower, which offer fantastic stopping abilities. The total weight of this machine comes to 222 kg (490 lbs). Most people are more than happy with the JD LX279 as their lawnmower. It certainly is not the most powerful machine made by John Deere to cut your lawn, but it is fairly flexible thanks to the fact that many different mower decks can be attached to it (it’s compatible with 38, 42, 44 and 48 inch mower decks). This is not forgetting other attachments like front blades and thatchers. If you do own a John Deere LX279 lawnmower, please leave a review below, letting others know what they should expect if they buy one.

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9 Reviews of the “John Deere LX279”

  1. John says:

    The unit came to me 3rd-hand, though the original buyer was my brother in law; and the second owner is a colleague – so I’ve known this machine since new.

    The machine has 540 hours on it, currently – which I don’t consider to be that crazy.

    The good:

    It starts right up, runs smooth and quiet, and does a fine job cutting grass. It does, however smoke a good bit on startup. I think I’ve read that Kawis are known for this – but the 921V on my Gravely zero-turn doesn’t.

    The fundamental mechanicals of the machine are quite solid. The hyro trans is doing right, the steering gear is as tight as new, the levers, pedals, chassis and deck are going great. Really no complaints about the core mechanicals. This machine cost $5k back in the early 2000s – which was big effin money – this was a premium machine and it should be good to go for 2000 hours or better, given some love and care…

    The bad:

    It’s absolutely unforgivable JD put plastic bodywork on this premium machine. The plastic hood get’s brittle and cracks like crazy. I currently have it all stitched-together with “hot staples”, but bottom line is this machine should have steel bodywork. No excuses. JD has slapped us ALL in the face with this plastic stuff. I get they need to cut corners and cheapen it up for the $1500 Lowes machines – but this thing was $5k new…back in 2001!!!! No excuses, this is JD spitting in our faces.

    Additionally – this machine fell victim to the dreaded PTO clutch bolt failure. It happened the first time to the original owner; just out of warranty. The bolt actually broke off in the crankshaft. He “rigged” it by installing a new (but much shorter) bolt that only engaged 4 or 5 threads in the crank – leaving the rest of the original bolt in the crank…

    Well, with 525 hours on the machine – that “rigged” solution failed again, resulting in two chunks of broken bolts in the crank and a wallowed-out keyway… Hence the machine came to me.

    As found, the machine had a good engine, cracked up bodywork, no PTO clutch, a broken bolt in the crank, rotted-out seat bumpers and a seat cushion that’d popped out/off it’s base.

    I added some material to the crank with my TIG, filed the keyway back into shape, fitted a new PTO clutch, made a drilling guide/fixture to drill out the broken bolt from the crank, hot-stapled the hood back together, glued the seat back into its base and installed new seat bumpers…

    …this is repair work the JD dealer refused to do. They said it was an obsolete machine and were unwilling/unable to repair it. Their suggestion was to buy a new one. I hate we now live in that world.

    So I repaired it myself and put it back into service. It’s a good machine. I can forgive JD for the PTO clutch bolt failure – stuff happens – but the plastic bodywork is 100% unforgivable. I see I can buy an all new upper/lower hood on Amazon for about $300; plus another $50 for decals. I’ll probably do it because the rest of the machine is in really good shape – and it likely has another 1000 hours to give.

    Overall – for $2500 I’d say this was a good buy, but $5k is just ludicrous. JD has lost their dang mind. I don’t reckon it’s gotten any better since 2001.

    Year of Manufacture: 2001
    Pros: Mechanicals are solid. The liquid-cooled Kawi runs smooth and fairly quiet though it smokes at startup.
    Cons: Plastic bodywork is a joke.
    Dreaded PTO bolt issue.
    Attachments: 48″ mower deck
    Modifications: Keeping it alive

  2. Matthew says:

    Overall it’s not a bad machine, it definitely has some quirks. Honestly, for the money I think you’re better off buying a exmark mower. The pro models, not the ones that they sell at Lowes’s and Home Depot. It’s going to cost more, but in the long run it’s definitely worth it. You buy these cheap big box lawnmowers eventually your gonna run into all kinds of mechanical problems.

    Year of Manufacture: 2000
    Pros: Nice machine
    Cons: Apparently some over educated mechanical engineer felt like it was his personal crusade to incorporate a whole wheel barrel full of safety features. I agree that safety is important, however when it prevents you from getting the job done in a timely manner, then it becomes a annoyance. Oh and do not jumpstart these lawnmowers, if you’re battery is dead, then take the battery cables off and then put a battery charger on it or go buy a new one. Because if you do charge it with the cables on then you will run the risk of frying the electronics on this machine. Also do not let the electronics get wet. If you do, then most likely you are going to be spending money to replace them. Especially the electronic control module. Or the safety interlock switch. I’ve read that other people have had Repeated Issues with the LX279. And then other people have said oh mine has ran perfectly fine for 1500 hours. I suppose it’s hit or miss. Just be cognizant before you decide to purchase this particular machine. Also I’ve always been a huge fan of Kawasaki motors, apparently this particular engine has had some mechanical issues, like smoking when you first start it up. Keep that in mind as well
    Attachments: None, just the mower deck
    Modifications: None

  3. Mike Johnson says:

    Complete piece of crap. I will never buy John Deere again. Nothing but problems!!!

    Year of Manufacture: 2000
    Pros: Nothing
    Cons: Everything
    Attachments: 48” deck
    Modifications: None

  4. Allan says:

    I’ve tried to give my honest opinion of this product and it seems easier to come up with gripes than praise when critiquing a product. In general, I enjoy my JD LX-279. There are weeks when I look forward to cutting the lawn.

    Year of Manufacture: 2003
    Pros: This is my second John Deere lawn tractor. The first lasted 12 years and mechanical issues led me to purchase this heavier duty model. After 210 hours of relatively trouble-free use over the last 10 years, it continues to stand up all the bumps and bangs that come from mowing my yard.

    Another ‘pros’ include the smooth running water-cooled Kawasaki V-twin engine. It comes with a sealed pressurized crankcase that assures proper oil distribution throughout the engine regardless of the terrain.

    Other pros include the hydro-static transmission, headlights, and cruise control.

    Cons: It was a bit troubling to learn the Kawasaki liquid cooled engine was one of the models that had been overstated and it doesn’t have much torque to spare when engaging the 48″ mower deck. I must add that once engaged, that mower deck runs very smoothly. The first time I fired it up I felt like I was riding a jet engine.

    Recently I’ve had to replace rotten rubber fuel lines and the engine has begun smoking at initial start-up. I’ll be looking into that problem but it acts other engines I’ve had that burn up their valve seals and allow oil drainage from the heads into the cylinder when turned off. Even so, apart from the embarrassment of a blue cloud of smoke, the problem causes no real harm.

    I’m also a bit disappointed in the mower deck. It doesn’t cut as evenly as I’d like, did not disperse the clippings well before I installed the mulching kit. For that matter, the mulching kit doesn’t do a great job with dispersal of the mulched grass.

    I get that the plastic trim helps improve the tractor’s appearance, but sooner or later they’re going to bump into something and good-bye plastic fascia! A steel bumper would work better.

    Finally, I’ll echo Brian’s sentiment that the machine is too safe. It is just inconvenient to have to set the parking brake every time I get off the tractor to move something or gather debris.

    Attachments: 48″ Edge mower deck with add-on mulching kit
    JD 18 cubic foot steel dump cart
    Modifications: Mulching kit
    Official John Deere ‘Owners’ hat

  5. darrell says:

    13 years and approx. 600 hrs with no regrets. 4400.00 was twice the money @ the time however it is Many times more the machine.

    Year of Manufacture: 1
    Pros: After years of Murray and Craftsman,I bought a Real lawn tractor. 13 years of use and only part replaced was voltage regulator during second year of warranty.Very smooth and quiet. With 42″ Freedom Deck mowing 1.25 acres, lawn always looks great. VERY HIGH QUALITY MACHINE!!
    Cons: Transaxle had slight growl when @ full speed. John Deere only recommended only their fluid of which the viscosity is not disclosed. After talking to transaxle manuf., I changed fluid to 5w 50w synthetic.They indicated the OEM fluid was to thin. Trans now smooth and quiet again. 100+ hrs since fluid upgrade.
    Attachments: 42″ freedom deck. 42″ sweeper, cart.
    Modifications: hour meter.

  6. don motz says:

    How many ways can you say BAD!!!

    Year of Manufacture: 1999
    Pros: It taught me to love Honda’s
    Cons: Besides still owning it, it smoked from the time it was new, the plastic hood cracked in the middle, and the bolt broke off that holds the pto on trashing the pto, and snapping up in the crank..all by 300 hrs..ONE BIG MONEY PIT!!.

    • Charles says:

      I had the exact same problems as Don Motz. The pto bolt fell out not long after the warranty expired and the local dealer didn’t help any. That ended up in several trips to two different dealers over the next few years, until they figured it out. The cup holder fell off. The seat came unglued from the base about the same time as all the plastic became brittle and started to fall apart. I would not rule out a John Deere for my next mower but I will be looking at all the other brands. I’m looking for the most reliable mower out there and one that is easy to work on. Yea, I know, good luck with that.

      Year of Manufacture: 401

  7. Brian says:

    This is a solid piece of equipment made in the USA. I am the second owner of my machine and it has approx. 300 hours. It runs just as smooth if not smoother than my neighbor’s brand new Craftsman. I did a lot of shopping around (as you are doing by reading these reviews) and compared the newer Deeres to the older models. My price range in 2010 was $1,500-2,000 and the new upper end Deeres were out of my range. The mowers in my range were the Home Depot and Lowes models and these are not build the same. The decks feel weak, the pedals and mechanical all do not have the quality of the older Lx279.

    In the end I would purchase a used LX279 over any newer mower in the $1,500-2,000 range any day of the week. These mowers are better built and with good care I feel this mower will last a good long time.

    Year of Manufacture: 2003
    Pros: 1) Built like a tank
    2) Quiet running liquid cooled engine.
    3) Powers through my 1.5 acre yard (Slopes vary 10degs to 30degs).
    4) Cruise control

    I am like David above, I have no regrets and want a bigger one. The only issue is this one has to break first and I do not think that will happen anytime in the near future.

    Cons: I knocked down the safety to 4 out of 5 because it’s TOO SAFE. I know this contradicts the safety but it’s the only fault this mower has. Hit the reverse pedal and the blades disengage. Leave the seat without putting the mower in park, engine stops. It is only a small flaw of annoyance but I had to mention it.

    I have to get off my mower constantly to move objects my dog places in my path. I guess if I did not have such an annoying dog I would be less annoyed with the safety features of the mower.

    Attachments: Dump Cart

  8. david demaine says:

    Love it. runs great. Tranny is awesome.

    Year of Manufacture: 2003
    Pros: Cant say enough about this tractor. No problems, liquid cooled runs sooo quiet…..the cup holder is just a plus.. Seriously, for garden tractors, only JD will do. Owned Sears crap, what a waste of money.

    I want a bigger one now, must be a guy thing. lol.

    No regrets.
    david

    Cons: none
    Attachments: dont own any

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