John Deere Surprise

[Giles]

I have worked on many JD chainsaws and all were top quality saws, made by Echo and Efco.
Not the case today. I always considered JD products to be quality until I took a non running John Deere 300CS in on trade for a Stihl MS290.
It is nothing more then a Plastic Homelite 300!
Basically a throwaway tool that I should have checked closer.
Owner said he bought it new from a JD dealer in 1999 and paid $405.00 ??
Oh--it has an adjustable automatic chain oiler that is inaccessible without removing the engine from the housing!

 

[CountryBoy19]

This is not surprising...

The innovation and leading edge that John Deere used to provide (all with quality at a reasonable price-point) is pretty much gone. I've had experience with this in their large agricultural stuff which is still made by them. I wouldn't touch anything that they make let alone the things they don't make and simply just put their name on without a great deal of evidence that suggests it is good quality.

 

[EJP1234]

When recently tractor shopping for a CUT, I was almost in laughter at the cheapness of the 3032E series tractors compared to the competitors, that were much cheaper... In the 30hp class, there is nothing superior about the JD's compared to any of the other major manufacturer's.... infact, the only tractors I would push to the side for the JD would be the china tractors like TYM...

It had aluminum crank case versus steel.... this isn't good since I'm using it as a real tractor and will be almost "abusing" it... It was all plastic.. If I recall it was the lightest by far... it had the smallest wheel base.. it had a lower lift capacity... it did not accept a tlb...

When looking at spec's, cost, it was obvious, JD was a name only, because a true tractor it was not.

 

[dougand3]

If a tool says John Deere, it has to cost more - that's the law. An example:
A $75 Echo 550 EVL is worth $250 with yellow paint.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I have a John Deere lawn mower. A nice one with the V-twin Kawi engine that is liquid cooled. Too bad Kawi didn't make the rest of the mower.

 

[Giles]

I traded for this JD without really looking at it. Didn't allow very much and wouldn't have even took it on trade had I checked it. I have worked on enough chainsaws that I knew when I removed it from the hard case it was in, that it was a Yellow Homelite!
Could kick myself for not looking first.
I might add that I ground a half circle to the lower cylinder fins to be able to adjust the oiler.
What a PIS! !
Hardest chainsaw I have ever tried to tune. There is a 1/16 to 1/8 turn to make a difference in four stroking in the cut or not!
But, I will have to saw, it pulls the 18" bar very good.