Because my grandparents were farmers, driving and working on machinery is something that I learned at an early age. I can pretty much look at a component and figure out what needs to be done. In case of a break-glass emergency, I'll consult an owners, Hayes, or Chiton manual, which will usually give you about 75% of the information you need to do it properly. It wasn't until I was in my mid-20's that I really figured out that not everyone grew up around a pretty extensive set of power tools, benches, vices, and the like. I imagine that the percentage of people who can and do fix their own gear will continue to decrease as the digital age progresses. Since I wrote my 1-year review on the LA145, I've noticed that readers have searched my site for instruction on how to change oil and perform other basic maintenance tasks on John Deere riding lawn mowers. The other day, I received a marketing email from John Deere, that contained links to videos of how to perform some of these tasks. Included in the email, there were also links to help you buy the filters, belts, blades and other parts useful to perform these tasks. The activities include:
- Changing Air Filters
- Changing Oil and Oil Filters
- Mower Deck Maintenance
- Lubrication
- Removing and Attaching the Mower Deck (probably the most valuable)
Good luck. If you get in a jam, call your local John Deere center. The folks I have dealt with at Longs Peak Equipment, have always been super helpful.
Because the BWO hatch is coming on in the Front Range, the fly of the day is the Parachute Adams, with tying instructions provided by High Country Flies.
Tight Lines,
Dave
