Strengths powerful engine, good ride, tight turning, good cut quality. heavy duty deck.

Weaknesses belt drive. fuel line loses prime. if it sits a couple weeks it has to turn over a lot to start. my dad also has a la175 and doesnt have this issue. had to replace drive belt at only 50 hrs and cost $300 - belts are not warrantied. deck idler pulley frame cracked and broke. battery also goes dead on mine if it sits a few weeks, replaced a couple, then got a trickle charger and keep it plugged in.

Overall even with my problems, i still like the mower and would recommend it. have had it 6 years, has 210 hrs on it. I mow my home (about half an acre) and my office (about 1 1/2 acres). i expect it will easily last 10 or 15 years.

Strengths None

Weaknesses Front bu,per fell off in second use. Weak, will not pull up any incline. Stops pulling when hot. Transmission in the 175 is a sealed transmission and prone to failure. Replacement cost is $1200. John Deere will not replace these defective transmissions unless you pay for it.

Overall The 175 is a rip off! JD may make good stuff but this one is not it.

Strengths I bought a JD LA-175 four years ago. I maintain 2 actres with it, including the first "Clearing" which was brutal on my brand new mower. I change the oil/filter every year in June and grease all the fittings, especially the 3 spindles, and I have done NOTHING but use it week after week. I am in Florida so we mow the grass year round. I have replaced the battery once 3 months ago.

Weaknesses I can not find any.

Overall I was reluctant to spend $3000 on a lawn tractor, but I looked at it as an investment. It has absolutely paid off. Now keep in mind, I blow the mower off anfter EVERY use and it is kept in a garage. It's all about maintainance........

Strengths It starts and runs fine until the mower belt breaks

Weaknesses The 54" mower deck has a manufacturing defect that allows the belt to rub against the deck supports. This causes the belt to fail prematurely. JD will NOT fix under warranty as they claim it will not wear out within the warranty period. If you buy this mower, buy a couple spare belts at $100/each because you will need them.

Overall Biatch when the last spare belt breaks with your lawn half done.

Strengths I mow a very difficult yard with rough steep slopes and sharp turns. This mower has taken everything I can give it without a complaint. It makes my old Murray 42"x 14.5hp look silly in comparison! Our local Deere dealer sets these up for Lowes and I can get any accessories from them for the same price Lowes gets. (Shop your local businesses when you can!)

Weaknesses None.....after starting my 3rd mowing season, I think that says it all.

Overall For the steep hills on my property, I made my own tire chains from a semi truck for extra traction. I no added weights at all and this thing just gears down and eats the hills. In my opinion it gives great fuel economy, too.

Strengths Plenty of power, heavier gauge deck than on most other mowers in the same category and price range, 4 anti-scalping wheels vs. 2 on others, quiet, good mowing quality, tight turning radius, large gas tank means no stopping to fill up every couple of hours,

Weaknesses After using it for a year mowing three very rough acres, sometimes twice a week, I can honestly say I haven't found any true weaknesses. Only time will tell how well it will hold up.

Overall At first, I was skeptical. After all, Lowes selling John Deere mowers? I didn't think it was a real John Deere, but I bought it anyway as it had a much heavier deck on it than the 54" Husqvarna sitting next to it. When I got it home, the battery was dead. So the next day I took the battery to my local John Deere dealership for a warrantly exchange. Guess what, sitting in their showroom was a line of "LA" series lawn tractors, identical to the ones at Lowes. When I asked them about it, they said they are infact real John Deere mowers produced in one of their factories as their entry level mower. I'm assuming replacing the old STX line.

Strengths Powerful 26 HP engine, Extremely quiet for so much power, smooth hydrostatic engegement - no jerking when moving from forward to reverse... even on hills! comfortable steering wheel and seating position. Easy to steer with little input.

Weaknesses I have found no weakness yet. I have 8hrs on the hour meter mowing somewhat hilly terrain. You will need to double check the deck levelness when before you mow the first time. I had to adjust mine ~3/4" on 2 corners to bring it in nice and level.

Overall Great value, use the mower for what it was intended for(cutting grass, not plowing the back 40) service it as scheduled and you will be rewarded with many years of grass cutting happiness.

Strengths Great power, runs smooth and handles the hills well.

Weaknesses The deck needed to be leveled for a nice even cut but other than that this machine is the best I have had in my 66 years.

Overall

Strengths Strong engine, easy handling, even cut, electric pto, deck wash port.

Weaknesses None so far

Overall This is the best mower I have ever owned. Every weekend I mow a 5 acre lot that is rough, un-even, and usually atleast partially wet. I haven't found anything this mower cannot handle. The 3 blade deck cuts very evenly even when turning on slopes. The 26 hp Briggs and Straton has lots of torque and can easily handle the big deck. The turning radius is so tight that there's no need to spend thousands more on a ZTR. This mower takes the work out of mowing. I gladly recommend buying any of the 100 series JD mowers, they are great.