There is a lot of power in a name. And John Deere is a name that has been around for a long time. John Deere that is responsible for the company that sells lawnmowers today, grew up as a blacksmith and, in 1837, invented a “self-scouring” steel plow, that day’s equivalent of the Johne Deere mower.
Part of the expense is simply the name John Deere. The other reason is simply the technology of the day, which includes a high-quality motor, attachment compatibility, controls, cutting capability, variety, and last but not least, performance.
All of these things make for an expensive mower. The more ease of use you get out of a high-tech piece of equipment and the more longevity, the higher the price tag that comes with it.
The least expensive is the John Deere push mower, while the most expensive is the zero-turn mower.
What You Will Get With A John Deere Mower
When you get past the name brand, which always carries with it a base price, you get down to the meat and potatoes of what makes a Johne Deere mower so expensive in the first place.
Push Mowers
That’s just the thing. Did you Google it? We will save you some time and just let you know that John Deere doesn’t manufacture push mowers nearly as much as in the past. You can still find them because you can find just about anything if you search far and wide enough, but the push mower is just not Johne Deere’s thing.
They do manufacture some nice push mowers at the commercial level. However, if you looked at one from a distance, you would probably assume that it is a zero-turn mower because they share many similarities in terms of aesthetics.
For instance, we will use one of the lowest-tier commercial push mowers and talk about the John Deere W36M. It starts at the low price of $6,154.00 (sarcasm) and is so loaded with features that we could probably do an entire article on this one alone.
When you order one, you even have the option of “building your own,” which is really just a colorful term for picking out which features you want to blow $6k on. There’s no denying the fact that it’s an excellent push mower, hence the price tag.
Then there is the John Deere W48M, which is really the same mower, but larger and larger usually means that you can fit a lot more features onto it. Both push mowers are gigantic, but the term “push” is rather loosely defined here.
These are mowers that you walk behind while they do all the work. And, the best part is they will do a lot of work. For instance, the following are the species you will find on the W48M:
- 14.5hp V-twin engine with a 3,600rpm operating speed
- Flyweight all-speed governor
- Two, ZT-2800, Hydro-Gear transmissions
- Self-propelling hydrostatic drive system
- 18,800fpm blade tip speed
- Semi-pneumatic caster wheels
- 24-month warranty
- 5.4 US gallon fuel tank
- Fabricated floating mower deck
The John Deere W36M is pretty much the same thing, except that it’s a little bit smaller.
John Deere Riding Lawnmower
John Deere calls that “lawn tractors,” but it amounts to the same thing. This one has the more traditional look that is universally recognized and the kind of mower aesthetics that everyone was used to before the zero-turn mower came onto the scene.
John Deere manufactures these riding lawnmowers in 5 different series.
- 100 Series: Comes with seven different models ranging from $1,999.00 to $3,199.00
- 200 Series: Three available models priced at $2,699.00 to $3,199.00
- X300 Select Series: There are thirteen models in this series and the lowest priced option is $3,399.00 with the highest at $6,799.00
- X500 Select Series: The bottom of the barrel price for one of these is going to cost you a cool $6,799.00 while going with the top model in this series will run you $8,699.00
- X700 Series: Last but not least is the X700 series with a bottom-price model at $12,189.00 and the top of the pile X758, playing king of the mountain at $15,464.00
Going with a John Deere riding lawnmower means that you’re going to shell out anywhere between $2k and $15.5k, and that’s relatively expensive, depending on what kind of cash you are carrying around.
It all boils down to several things: The name John Deere, Powerful and robust engines, smooth operation and handling, loads of features, blade speed, 4-year warranties, and longevity.
When you put together a quality lawnmower, you can demand a higher price point, especially when considering what the market can bear right now, John Deere lawnmowers remain popular, and people are buying them at these price points.
Zero-Turn Mowers
No matter the name behind the lawnmower, the zero-turn has quickly become one of the more popular lawnmowing options on the market. John Deere’s zero-turn offerings are smaller but no less robust than any of the lawnmowers featured above.
John Deere’s bottom-of-the-barrel offering, the Z335E ZTrak commands $2,799, while the highest-priced zero-turn lawnmower in John Deere’s stock will run you $3,599.00. When it comes to John Deere zero-turn mowers, the price disparity from lowest to highest is nowhere near the price disparity with the riding mowers.
That could be a factor that goes into the ultimate price model (who can say?). Still, it’s certainly a noticeable difference over the gigantic leaps in price that you will find with the John Deere selection of riding lawnmowers.
What’s in a Name?
As it turns out, an awful lot goes into a name, including price points. But, as we have mentioned above, a lot of the expense that goes into John Deere mowers comes down to name recognition alone.
John Deere is rapidly approaching a two-century milestone in terms of how long the company has been around, and you don’t stick around for two centuries unless there is incredible value on offer.
The market is currently saturated with lawnmowers, yet the John Deere brand is still highly coveted. People want to own the big, green lawnmower because it is so universally recognizable, by color alone, that the neighbors don’t even need to see the name, John Deere.
John Deere tractors and lawnmowers were built to last, and last they will. Not only that, but John Deere offers a pretty extensive warranty on their mowers. When you factor in all of the moving parts and features these mowers have, a nearly incalculable number, then a 4-year warranty starts to really stand out.
John Deere lawnmowers are robust, dependable, and long-lasting. While that may not sound exciting in a day and age when WiFi and smartphones can run just about anything, it still holds a lot of power and prestige in the public perception, which justifies the price.
Conclusion
John Deere lawnmowers are expensive mowers, but they aren’t priced high on a whim. The name carries a lot of swagger with it, enough to command the will of someone’s hand reaching into their back pocket for their wallet.
John Deere has been around for nearly two centuries, and they haven’t survived this long because they sell cheap, disposable lawnmowers.
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