John Deere has been making farm and residential tractors for many years. They recently changed their primary line of residential mowers and tractors, the 100 series. At the top of this new line is the LA150, an impressive lawn tractor.

Deere designs its own engine for this and many other of its models, then has them manufactured by Briggs & Stratton. The 26-hp engine in the LA150 is a two-cylinder 725cc version with sufficient power for mowing and tougher yard and garden jobs. The hydrostatic (automatic) transmission is identical to that found in most other lawn and garden tractors. It has cruise control, too.

The LA150 frame is of 12-gauge steel, which is adequate but not as heavy as is found on other lawn tractors in the same price range. The front bumper is standard. The adjustable seat is relatively comfortable for shorter rides. The fuel level is easy to visually read from the driver's seat.

The 54-inch mowing deck is among the widest available in residential lawn tractors. It's sized right for big lawns up to about 3 acres (120,000 square feet) that don't require nimble turns. The LA150 wastes about 18 inches of cutting when turning around. We think the cut from three belt-driven blades is very good due, in part, to the deck design that lifts grass for even cutting. Blades are engaged and disengaged with a handy electric PTO switch. An optional rear bagger and a mulching kit are available for those who prefer to collect or shred their grass.

Can it do more than cut the grass? Yes, it can. In fact, this Deere offers a variety of yard and garden attachments, including spreaders, sprayers, aerators, thatchers, lawn rollers, snow blowers, snow blades and similar tools. There's also an optional canopy to protect the driver from the sun's rays.

Overall, the John Deere LA150 is an adequate lawn tractor that cuts a few corners to stay competitively priced. However, it does offer more lawn and yard attachments than most other brands. The LA150 is worth considering.


Pros: Widely available, strong engine, popular features
Cons: Not as solidly built as some others, migrating machine policy