John Deere JS Series
62 reviews
- Weekly
- ·
- Occasionally
Have no complaints. It’s been a workhorse – I’m amazed to read some of the negative reviews about js36. I bought one of the first imported and still have it today. Just did deck adjust arm change, drive belt (didn’t really need it) and drive cable after nearly 10 years. It’s been used weekly to maintain 1.5 acres of good lawn. Although like anything if give something love it will love you… Read more
back. I’d agree with wet grass pick up, it’s average due to blade design, but cuts through anything and give a great cut. It’s been a great machine at half the cost of a Honda.
Piece of crap – Doesn’t pick up the grass very well. Leaves rows of grass so you have to mow over and over to get a clean lawn. Mulching is no better. John Deere should be ashamed to sell these things they call mowers. My last JD product. Show details
In-depth reviews
Surprisingly decent mower for a commercial outfit – Unlike others who've had problems, I've been able to use this mower on a light-duty commercial scale for over 2 years. The big green John Deere has been the pride of the mower fleet. It's also taken a few hits from sticks and stumps, and I've never bent an engine shaft. Operator skill maybe? I find the engine power to be ample, great for mulching… Read more
medium growth lawns. Like others have said, the catching function is rubbish. It's fortunate for me that I have other mowers in my care that are able to catch grass if need be. I use this mower only for mulching and side discharge, and the cut quality is excellent. I've touched the blade up a few times with a dremel and it's one of the best cuts I've seen, consistently. I love the mow-mentum system. After assuming it wouldn't last, being driven by a intentionally slipping belt,, it has gone the distance. Being front wheel drive means it won't yank your arms off, any over application of power will just spin the wheels.
Long term the durability has been questionable. It's a design fault that the bearings on the front axle that apply power to the wheels through a pinion system are directly in the 'grass spray' path. Meaning that if you don't wipe or wash your mower after use, excess grass will accumulate on the bearing seals, and after a year or 2 of solid use, will corrode, seize and start spinning on the axle. I've overcome this by removing and replacing the bearings each year. However, the cups that the bearings press into are of poor quality, and are not holding the bearings securely. I feel like this may be it's second, and last, bearing replacement. After which, the mower will be useless or I will have to purchase the entire wheel assemblies to renew them - not economical. I have also removed the dead man bail, which stops the engine within 3 seconds of release, and fitted it with a simple microswitch. This makes it easier for me to manoevre the mower, as I don't have to ensure I'm clamping the bail to the top bar constantly. A great addition. Overall I'm glad I purchased this, I got it second hand with only limited use. It's large, but light, and until it wears out, I'd prefer to deal with the added maintenance of the bearings than deal with the heft of a Honda self propelled or the like.
Piece of Junk complete waste of money don't even bother buying this piece of garbage stick with Honda or Victa mowers – I had this John Deere JS38 Self Propelled Mower I bought it off EBAY I regretted this completely I had constant problems with this piece of garbage mower the height adjuster on my slopes on my rural property used to constanly drop the height engine brake system and no throttle control which I cannot stand it I had to constantly take piece of… Read more
garbage mower to my mower shop to get it fixed and I have had enough it came to my 23rd birthday I had enough of this piece of junk John Deere Self propelled mower and I decided to put a Honda HRU216 Buffalo Pro Mower on layby at my local mower shop where I buy all of my STIHL Victa and Honda and ATOM gardening equipment from never regretted this at all I got $200 in cash and I used it to put a Honda Self Propelled Mower on layby and I also forgot to mention I completely stripped down this piece of garbage John Deere JS38 Mower I removed the whole engine off completely I cut the drive and throttle cables with a pair of sidecutters I removed the whole entire gearbox from the axle I also cut down the axle that holds the gearbox into the rear axle with my angle grinder I also cut the engine crankshaft with my angle grinder as well I also removed the wheels off this piece of garbage John Deere mower I am so happy that this garbage John Deere JS Series Mowers are discontinued and not built anymore Thank God for That and I also removed the drive belt and I cut down the drive belt pulley that holds the belt into the engine with my angle grinder as well Thanks and please don't spend money on John Deere gardening tools as they are garbage and complete waste of money Juan
So very true, but there is a solution – Mine was the same, so it was sidelined for many months after finding the grass just wasn`t entering the catcher after the first pass. The machine has a solid bar cutter, unlike most mowers that have a disc. The cutter is what throws the grass into the catcher using the thrust generated by the inclined blades. The bar does not have this… Read more
function. I fixed mine by replacing the bar with a disc from a 20" Rover and fitting 4 blades to equal the 21" sweep of the bar. You`ll need to trim 3mm off the end of the slightly longer than standard blades and drill 2 locating holes to anchor and match those of the bar. Take the bar to your local mower shop and describe this and they may have a second hand disc to help out with the costs. I can supply you with the part numbers of the blades if you reply. This modification works a treat and worth every cent of the small outlay. This would also help to stop the problem of crankshaft bending as the solid bar is fixed whereas the disc blades move when a solid object is struck.
Positive reviews
Reliable – Bought in 2016, solid construction. I have a sloping block which can be awkward so decided on a self propelled model. Pretty easy to manoeuvre, it starts easily and mechanically has given me no troubles. It is easy to operate and I have never used the catcher, only used as a mulcher. 2 criticisms, the first is that I would like it to cut shorter… Read more
than it does. The second is when I first bought the mower, after use I would fold the handle up over the mower as I had always done with previous mowers, this snapped the clutch cable after about the third time. It got worse and I had to have this replaced ($60) and was told that the handle should be folded downwards for storage. It has been okay since. The front wheels which provide the drive are worn, as to be expected, pretty cheap to replace. The air filter does get dirty with dust easily in dry weather, oil is easy to change, chassis is solid and motor bulletproof.
Great lawnmower – I have had this lawnmower now for 7 years. We have a fairly large backyard . Between mowing the back and the front it takes roughly 50min....no stop. This lawnmower has performed exceptionally well. I could not be happier with the purchase. Would recommend. !!!! Show details
Best Mower ever – I have had this mower for five years, the plug failed at 4 mths, and have not had another problem with it, and I have a 1250 mtr block, does a lot of work and still starts first time every time, its quiet, and fuel efficient. Show details
Negative reviews
Confused with my own review! – I don't know what to say about the JS38. I bought 4 of them in 2013 as gifts and 2 of them are absolute TRASH. Those 2 have been religiously serviced and maintained and they cause "no start" problems, both warm AND cold. The other 3, have never been serviced, not even the air filter has been changed. As a matter of fact, on one of the mowers that… Read more
have never been serviced, there was very little oil on the end of the dipstick, and it's run flawlessly for 7 years now. Go figure! I wouldn't recommend this model.
All faff and frippery – I can't believe that a company with the noble provenance and experience of John Deere , can come up with such a piece of ill-designed and engineered junk. Grass catching efficiency is rubbish and the potential for bending the crankshaft is disturbing. What were they thinking? Never again. Show details
Bit of a dog – When catching grass shute clogs, appears to narrow When mulching leave a lot of grass on surface. Battery does not last long, When you hit something solid when mowing a shear pin breaks under the fly wheel and mower won't go, Show details
Recent reviews
Great value for money, just a few flaws – I have now had this mower for over 5 years. Still runs with no issues, I don’t use it as a stump grinder or rock chipper!! (People expect too much when they do this-from any mower!!) Have Never bent a shaft or sheared off the timing key under the flywheel. All I have done is replaced the battery about 2 years ago (it is a battery, expect it to… Read more
die!), and serviced it (myself) about 3 times now, been VERY reliable. My only flaw with this machine is, 1) Back chute gets clogged with wet/damp grass, my biggest gripe. 2) Corners of the catcher is getting holes in it (but this is more my fault for not looking after it properly). 3) The height adjustment bar from the rear to the front bends easily if you hit the front wheels too hard that the makes the deck sag at the front. 4) The blade is ok and lasts well, but it will tend to rip the grass as it’s quite thick, so maintenance of the blade is essentially required by keeping it sharp & balanced. 5) catcher is probably not the most efficient (even before the holes) as it stops collecting grass when about over half way. 6) Dead man bar, would love it gone but it’s there for a reason.
So yes I like it, has a few flaws like any other. But for its features and price I love it. If you want better then get a Honda for much more. Reason I liked it and still do, it’s electric start, self-propelled, 21” and what I like the most is how the self-propelled mech works as it goes faster when pushed harder. There is no other like this with all these features, so big win. But please note, it’s heavy so moving it around in smaller areas is cumbersome if you have little strength (wife hated it!), but large lawns is a breeze.
Very dissapointed – I have two John Deere ride ons, very happy. Been looking for a self propelled mower. I have been looking at a JS26. No disrespect, but after looking at all these complaints etc. I will go for a Honda. Sorry.
Find out how John Deere JS Series compares to other Petrol Lawn Mowers
Know better, choose better.
JS48 mower bent shaft – Excellent mower for first four hours then hit a stone and bent shaft. John Deere sales shop at Toowoomba said don't repair buy a new one! Where are replacement shafts savailable? Show details
Hands down the worst mower ever – This mower is terrible, the self prop function failed in no time, the rear wheels ceased as well. It doesn’t catch one blade of grass, the side chute discharge blocks, and the mulch function is terrible. For $750AUD it’s an overall poor performer. This isn’t just a negative review for the sake of it, ask anyone who owns this mower, it’s terrible.… Read more
I’m very disappointed, and I will never own JD anything again. Interesting to note my local store stopped selling the JD series. Buy a decent Honda that will last 20 years and be done with it.
Excellent workhorse, has not missed a beat, best lawnmower ever – The engine is powerful, not as noisy as others and I have had no mechanical problems in the 4 years I have owned it. I have used it on our large lawns, this is the first self propel one I have owned it took a little while to get used to operating it (it doesn't idle like others) but I can't imagine going back to push mower! I haven't really used… Read more
the grass catcher much as I like to mulch as I go, however it is quite easy to swap from one to the other and get around. It is heavy if you have to lift it but you don't notice when you are cutting the lawn with self propel, if anything it makes it more sturdy.
Will not start, NO petrol goes into the engine – Machine has been used altogether some 10 hours in a suburban garden. Already 2x to the dealer. Petrol enough, Lock on, spark ok, no petrol vapour going out of spark plug hole. Does not start hot at any time. Always uncertain if it will work just like 2 strokes. The mystery starting system does not work. Show details
Ok as long as as it hasnt rained in a week – I bought a JS36 3 years ago over a Masport or Honda basically because it had the added extra of being self propelled. Unfortunately the local seller failed to inform me that 1- the grass collecter would be useless as it doesnt collect anything 2- the actual style of blade is useless on wet grass. I used a 2 stroke 20 year old victa (when… Read more
tge js36 broke down) and it did twice the job this piece of crap did.
3- the side opening to push out clippings constantly gets blocked.
Dont let the brand name or so called features blind you.
This is a poor mower.
Never let me down – Never looked at JD range as always thought they were too expensive. Was surprised at the affordability of the JS28 and bought it without much thought. It has a wide 22 inch deck so makes light work of a residential sized yard. Its a heavy bulky mower and the self propelled function is absolutely necessary to maneuver it around. It starts 1st time… Read more
every time except when I ran it out of fuel. I didn't realise its a mulching mower when I bought it so it does not collect clippings very efficiently and I don't like the individual height adjustment for each wheel, would rather a single lever for all 4. Overall not a bad mower for the price.
Crap mower – I have had this mower for about 3 years and have gotten maybe 3 hours usage from it. The B&S engine is junk, will not start unless fresh from the mower shop. It invariably stops after the first wheezing start, then runs erattically at best & it does actually cut when it finally decides to run. This is undoubtedly the biggest piece of crap I ever blew good money on. Show details
Awesome machine – Best mower I’ve owned. Had it for 6 years now and only just changed blade for 1st time. Given 2 oil changes, original spark plug and original air filter. Mowed many different lawns and grass situations throughout QLD and NSW. Hit rocks, branches, kerbs and still going strong. Brilliant. Seen a mixture of reviews good and bad, but for me this is the best mower I’ve owned. Show details
Piece of crap – Do not buy this piece of junk returned it 3 times to the store after just 5th time of use for repairs then threw in the shed get yourself a Honda for half the price and reliability. Would not recommend this mower to anyone save your money and headaches get a Honda. Show details
Find out how John Deere JS Series compares to other Petrol Lawn Mowers
Know better, choose better.
CRAP!!! – My John deere Js 48 are the biggest crap i ever got.!!! When mowing it always block the grass on the outlet, you can just as well throw your grass catcher in the bin because the grass can't get in there. Poor design outlet way to small. Honda seems to be a much better design i am looking to buy one of them and throw this green piece of crap in the bin!!! Show details
Bent crank – Here in Australia there still for sale give away prices Customers mower less than 10 hours hit edging (cement) bent shalf no warranty Only access is to replace crankshalf at parts price $160.00 labour $180.00 stuck in hard spot knowing what caused the damage We have replaced One peice blade with 4 blade disc off a victa same cut width only now has a belly plate to allow rise over cement and stumps Craig.the.mower.guy@icloud.com Show details
Great mower – Great mower absolutely love it sharpened the blades and can mow in the wet now throws all the grass in the catcher was amazed at the difference in it with just sharpening them would recommend this mower to anyone after a cheap walk behind mower. Battery only lasted two years but starts one pull every time. Show details
Bent Crank also – I thought I had mistreated the mower when the crank bent, now reading the reviews it seems its a common problem! Crank Bent - I kept using the mower till it vibrated itself to death, first killed the muffler assembly, then the starter mechanism only good thing was the price. Show details
Bent Crank, Heavy duty but light weight crap – Mower has had reasonable use but many screws have vibrated loose, a Friday build. Crankshaft bent after a not so heavy hit. Not viable to repair. I have had mowers before that have tolerated much more abuse ! This seems to be a heavy duty mower but cheaply built. Expensive spares. Not a great mower Show details
Bent crank shaft – I bought this mower less than 1 year ago and have had trouble with the battery not holding charge from the start. I hit a stick today approx. 30mm round and 250mm long which feel from a tree above and was hidden in long grass. It turns out that I bent the crank shaft which means the mower is a throw away. I have had a couple of other mowers… Read more
including a honda and a victa which handled much worse treatment. Both were handed down to friends or family. I have been particularly careful with the john deere mower because of the concern with the crank. There's no doubt that the mower performs well in ideal conditions however it is lightly built and I would definitely buy something else.
Rubbish mower – Has never filled the catcher. At best, half full. Incredibly painful to stop every 5 metres. Does not mow low enough on a Santa Ana lawn. Battery lasted a few months. Bent crank hitting a small branch! John Deere should remove their label from such a crap product. Any decent reviews must be written by JD staff or by people who've never used another mower. Show details
As a lawnmower it makes a good slasher – Blade adjustment does not go low enough to maintain a fine couch lawn. Catcher only collects about half of what it cuts. Solid blade easily damaged by rocks or hard objects. Difficult to manoever in small spaces. Drive cable broke after only 2 months old. Lead acid battery only lasts for 12 months ,Lithium ion type solved this. Not happy, should have stuck with the old Victa !! Show details
Not recommended – Had this mower for 1 year. For its price it's not worth it, if lawn is at all slightly damp or long the grass builds up underneath and blocks the discharge point before the catcher is full, you then have to turn it off and clean out. The self drive is handy and always easy to start, but the plastic parts of the handle are very flimsy. Overall not very impressed with it. Show details
Great Lawnmower...but – I've had this lawnmower for about 3 1/2 years and so far it's great! Used only once. The 1st season...1 clog..no start. Required "John Deere Service"... My fault ! (I used no fuel stabilizer the first year and old fuel.) I know from what I read about this JS48 that there are customer problems with some....but so far ...I'm lucky with… Read more
mine!
My own opinions on keeping this "JS 48 John Deere" lawnmower working great and mine is still in new condition!
1. First thing I do is ..."inspect the whole lawn"... for anything that may damage my blade...walk up and down it....check for uneven terrain. (this should be done always for safety). Don't set the cutter too low in uneven and rough terrain. (can damage crank because of the high power engine). I know this is an odd situation...possibly by design this problem exists....just be careful like myself and there should be no problems. Grass has to be completely dry to cut...not even damp.. for.. " best".. JS48 performance.
2. You .."must" ..use "Fuel Stabilizer" ..every tank... and make sure one uses "High Octane"... ("Optional HO".. works great for me!). Even during the summer.. to eliminate "Carb Clogs." (This is especially so with this type of Carb used in the JS48.)
3. The "Air Filter" must be as clean as possible at all times.
4. .For Oil I use SAE 30 or 10W-30 "Synthetic Oil" only once a year. ( I like Valvoline little higher detergency ! ) (10W-30 Oil has the same "temp option" as SAE30 when using synthetic oil...10W-30 may smoke a bit more only at start-up only.) I change oil filter every other year...works for me fine....unless you're using it commercially. Use a "Bubble Dropper" when topping up oil to keep it exactly full on the dipstick line. (do not overfill)
5. Wash it down with water when cool and dry off thoroughly..especially clean underneath..then restart and run for 3-5 minutes to dry internally....don't forget to pull the "Mulcher Plug" out and clean that too. I know it says in the manual not to wet the lawn mower but I have not had a problem with this so far. The key is here is to "Dry It Off Thoroughly." with a cloth .....then running it. (Add a little Wax to the water to keep up the showroom shine!)
6. I store mine all year around in a cool dry place in my garage next to the warm wall of the house for winter and use a " John Deere Cover." (moisture proof place because wall gives off heat in winter...no rust anywhere (none) on the lawnmower).
7. For Spark Plug...use.. "Iridium or Platinum Equivalent".. and never have to replace a worn out spark plug again. (unless a defect develops in spark plug.) I think if one follows these procedures what can go wrong?.... unless there is a defective part on the lawnmower...in which there can be in some cases.
The JS48 cuts the lawn great and the traction up steep hills is a big plus! When using the... "Drive Gear"...Very little pushing is required but sometimes I like the exercise of not using the drive gear!
8. The "John Deere Batteries" for this lawn mower are "Not Reliable" for key starting...use "MOTOBATT MBTX4U" and your problems are over! ( I have found this from experience.)...Also keep the battery topped up!
One thing I do recommend is...."Ear Plugs" ..... because it's very loud.... other than that...... it's great!
"Good Luck".. with your JS 48 Lawnmower and hope that one may get many years from it !
Hello Again!...... Just a quick update starting the 2017 Lawnmower season ! My lawnmower is still in new condition after owning it almost 5 years up till now ....no rust...just like out of the box still....and it started great after changing the oil and filters...the "Mottobat Battery" is still working like new !...charging it only twice in a whole year???...that to me is fantastic ! One thing I have found is that when buying gas for it...I buy "premium fuel" add " injector cleaner" and "Stabil" in very small quantities and I have found that the gas is stabilized long enough for the Snow Blower for the winter ! I have not had to adjust anything yet... and... I'm averaging once a week use ...until the end of the season... I haven't had any problems yet... (fingers crossed!).... and it's still cutting the lawn great! If I have any problems in the future with the JS48....I'll post it....and good luck cutting your lawns!
Hello Again..... A quick update for the 2018 season with the JS48! The lawnmower is still in "new condition" with no problems at all....everything works! Underneath belt is tight and shows little wear.....cables tight and adjusted. Power wheel drive ...strong! Battery is still strong for starting with no problems. Oil level can go a whole summer with no addition of oil to the motor. I have noticed it is a little bit hard on gas though...and one must where "earplugs"...it's still too loud ! I have had people wondering where to get a "John Deere" lawnmower ...after looking at mine....but they are discontinued. One important thing to note.....I have had advice from a mechanic that said it is important to let any lawn mower warm up about 5 minutes for the oil to thicken to 30 grade...(JS48 using 10W-30)....if it is been used for cutting extra long grass or possible engine damage can result....just a tip....... I also do this if the temp outside is cool. I have just cut the other day a lawn with 30cm tall grass with no problem with the JS48...taking me about 21/2 hours to finish! The motor is powerful and strong...but one has to remember to let the mower do the cutting and don't force it with tall grass. If ..."John Deere"... is reading my review.....bring back the JS48 with a .."10 foot pound heavy duty redesigned gas efficient motor"..... and I think it would sell very well ! ...This would make it stand out in the push lawnmower category ! There are a lot of people up here in Canada asking where they can get a lawn mower like mine.....many thinking.. I just bought it .... and.... also there is compliments on the color combination of the lawn mower ! Again...still no problems and "Good Luck" to everyone cutting their grass for 2018! Hello Again! 2020.....Lawn Mower in new condition still running great....no problems yet! The only problem I am starting to see is the paint near the bottom of the lawn mower is starting to chip off very slightly.....very minor.. but I had bought John Deere "touch-up" paint to match and cover the tiny chipping off.....other than that....no problems at all....I think the major key here is how one stores their lawnmower....I think this is the key.... Prior to owning this John Deere Lawnmower I used to keep my lawnmowers in a shed on the property where they would have corrosion and rust after about 5 years of ownership and on those lawnmowers I had many problems.....with this John Deere I have been very lucky so far compared to what I have been reading about this model I have.....Good Luck for 2020 in grass cutting!
After 2020 from now on.... I will only post any reviews if I have any problems with the lawnmower!
Rubbish, rubbish and rubbish – Mower is 8 months old. List of faults so far...... 1. Spark plug died after 2nd use. Unable to start the mower until I replaced it. 2. Yellow hub caps fallen off. 3. Dead mans cable Shield disintegrated and had to replace the cable. Paid for part and fixed it myself as was told it would take a week to repair under warranty. Took 5 minutes to… Read more
replace!
4. Control lever just fell off. Nut must have come loose, never to be seen again.
5. 2 of the knobs on the handle have broken, Extremely brittle plastic.
6. Bent shaft after hitting a piece of wood. Blade not effected (Thought blade was supposed to bend instead of shaft. That's what the brochure said.). Hillbilly straightened it as cost of repair was going to be cost of new mower. (
7. Poor rear discharge if there is even the tiniest bit of moisture in the grass.
8. Side shoot blocks pretty quick if cutting anything of length. Even if I remove the shoot and use a bungee to hold back the cover it still blocks up.
9. Lots of spots under the deck to cause build up and stop the flow. Again, any moisture in the grass, you are screwed..
As a positive, I do like the colour. The tank was a good size and for a B&S motor, it was quieter than others I have had and reasonably fuel efficient.
What a ripper – Got the mower six months ago and I couldn't be happier. Handle a little bit on the flimsy side but seems to do the job. I was concerned about the front wheel drive but it works a treat. Starts first time ever time and is easy to pull. I have had many brand name lawn mowers including Honda but at this stage this is the best mower I have owned period.
Good for women – Compare to the one I have before its a God send it was easy-to-push, one pull and it was running didn't take long to do my lawn.
Extra Information
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Follow up. When i did this review i had just dropped the mower off at the local regional sellers… Read more