John Deere rider mower
 

I live in Meredith.

I have a new JD mower w/snow blower attachment. Because it's new, the blower has never been attached. It's my understanding that the "first" attachment requires certain parts mountings, aside from what would later become the regular re-mounting routine.

I have a Cyclone leaf bagging system connected right now. Of course, there's always a close call between when the yard cleaning ends and the snow blowing begins.

I know the folks who can do the mowing deck/snow blower changeover are more than busy when the time comes. My problem is finding someone local who- A- knows what they are doing/B- Won't take 2 weeks to make the change for me.
If they're good enough to do it on site- excellent! If not, pick and return would be required.

Does someone you'd recommend exist around here? Idea of cost?

My thanks for helpful replies.

YouTube might be your friend. Did you buy the JD from a dealer or box store?
No manual with either the tractor or blower?

I used to convert a Kubota from “summer mowing to winter blowing” and the first time was a bit of puzzle that I had to figure out with the manuals on the garage floor with me. Some swearing and sweating and bloodied knuckles and I got it done. It was easier the following season.

I might add that getting any service oriented work done in a timely manner these days is difficult at best.

Thanks for the reply.
Yes- bought from the dealer in Ossipee. And, yes, a manual came with the mower (don't see anything about attaching the blower). They are pretty much equidistant to the Concord dealer from Meredith. I would expect that both would be inundated (not timely) with this type of service- which, as you've stated, is part of the problem.
Unfortunatley, for me, I'm not the most mechanical person in the world.
Yup- may be a YouTube experience is at hand.

Still looking for a solution.

The dealer in Ossipee will probably come out and do it for you if you can't figure it out. WE have our machines serviced here and if they need repair they will come out too. They did get sold and we were in the middle of a repair when that occurred and it took a while to get doe because of the changeover. I don't know if they have gotten better or not. But before the sale they were always great.

John Deere change over
 

I can strongly agree with tis about the Ossipee location. They have been sold, but the same staff is still working at Ossipee. Since you bought the unit there, I would make them my first choice for the switch over from "blow" to "snow". I know they offer pick-up and drop-off, for a price, but I don't know if they do on-site service. My suggest - call them, explain your situation, and see what they can offer. You might even ask if you can watch them do it at their shop (and answer might be "no" for insurance reasons). You are right about the thin line between seasons, but I would look into changing over sooner than later. A few leaves left unpicked up would not be as bad as not being able to deal with an early snowstorm.

Merry Christmas!

Yes, they service ours every year on site. There might be an instance where they can't fix it on site and then of course they will have to haul it there.

If you bought it in Ossippee I would expect them to provide the service for you. If they don’t I wouldn’t set foot there again. YouTube is often incredibly helpful as mentioned above.

You should have received a separate manual for the snow blower. Call the dealer in Ossipee, and give them the model number for your blower and mower. This info should be on file since you purchased it there.

With the manual in hand, it is not very difficult to install.

You also should have received a manual for the mower deck which, on my model, needs to be removed before installing the snow blower.

Yes, I did get a separate manual for the blower.
Have you done this before? Do you need any special tools- or just the usual wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers type thing? Does it need lifting?
Doing this myself, and then being in the middle of winter makes me feel a bit like Groucho, who once said,"Why would I want to join a club that would have me as a member?".

Google what ever manual you do not have you can probably print it online. Agree about calling the dealer sooner rather than later. How about independent repair places? I know in Moultonborough there's a guy Mark Richter small engine repair he may do the switch over for you if you call and explain your situation, I know nothing about this person or business. Pickup/delivery will be a pretty penny but it is what it is.

I have done it before. You don't need any specialized tools to attach the blower, and you don't need to lift the machine. For my machine, I have an attachable frame to the tractor in order to mount the blower. Also, there are hydraulic lines, and a driveshaft from the blower to the front power takeoff of the tractor.

Lay out all your parts, and read along with the manual to get a better understanding. Also, as previously stated, check for an online video. They can be very helpful in your situation.

Go on John Deere.com. Search for product manuals and you should find what you need. Use the serial Number maybe to find the proper manual. The manuals came with my lawn tractor and attaching the snow blower was not difficult. The only thing was the attaching rod could not be installed until the wheels were turned to the right.

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I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic