Lawn mower ignition key. Are All John Deer Lawn Mowers Keys The Same? Plus Tips to Keep It Safe

12th August 2023

Are All John Deer Lawn Mowers Keys The Same? [Plus Tips to Keep It Safe]

John Deere is one of the most popular farm equipment manufacturers out there. The American company is also known for making some of the best lawn mowers on the market.

These models include the S100, S200, and X300 Series. However, when it comes to starting the machine, are all John Deere lawnmower keys the same?

John Deere lawn mowers used to have unique ignition keys back in the day. Today, the company has been using the same universal lawn mower key for all its models for over three decades.

If you want to learn more about John Deere lawn mower keys and whether they’re truly universal, keep reading this article!

This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

How to rewire a riding mower and simplify it.

Are John Deere Lawn Mower Keys Universal?

When an item is universal, it means that it can be used throughout most or all of the similar items within a specific niche.

For example, when it comes to John Deere, the company made unique keys for their lawn mower in the early days.

Soon after, it adopted a universal key strategy to make it easier for owners to use the same key across various lawn and farm equipment.

Since then, the universal key model has seen little to no changes, with the current one being used in John Deere lawn mowers since 1992.

Remember that these universal keys are used for lawn mower models only but not the John Deere tractors.

What Are the Brands of Ride-on Lawn Mowers That Use a Universal Key?

John Deere isn’t the only brand of lawn mowers that adopted the universal key strategy. While not all brands of lawn mowers will have the same type of universal key, most of them have a universal model for their own models.

In addition to that, several brands of ride-on lawnmowers still share a similar key that can start almost all of their models. However, John Deere isn’t one of these brands, which include:

Craftsman
Coleman
Electrolux
Bobcat
Galion
Kohler
Baraga
Terramite
Wolf
Delta
Cole Hersee
JD
Hinkel
Drott
Massey Ferguson
Castel
Mantis
JLG
Skyjack

Do Push Lawn Mowers Also Use a Universal Key?

The concept of using universal keys is only common in riding lawn mowers because they’re generally large and heavy, so they’re pretty difficult to steal.

However, push lawn mowers are lighter and smaller, so they’re much easier to steal, so they don’t use a universal key.

Instead, push lawn mowers will use a unique key, and if you want to get a replacement for that key, you’ll need to go to the nearest lawn mowers dealer to request a new copy.

What Happens When Your John Deere Key Doesn’t Start the Lawn Mower?

If you use the proper key to start a John Deere lawn mower and it still doesn’t start, there’s a good chance that the problem is either due to a dead battery or a faulty ignition switch.

How to Jump Start a Dead Battery

In the case of the ignition switch, you can easily buy a replacement ignition switch and replace the faulty one in your machine.

First, you need to test the switch and make sure that it’s malfunctioning, which you can do by using a voltmeter and following the steps in this guide.

If the lawn mower ignition switch is functional, there’s a good chance that your battery is dead. Luckily, you can jump start it the same way as a car as long as the lawn mower uses the same voltage as the car’s battery.

How to Replace a Faulty Switch

This brief tutorial shows you how to replace the ignition switch in John Deere L100, but the same ignition switch and steps can be applied to replace the switch in a wide variety of John Deere lawn mowers.

How Can You Use a John Deere Lawn Mower If You Lost the Keys?

If you happen to lose the key to your John Deere lawn mower and you want to use your machine, here are some of the most popular methods to solve your problem:

The No Keys Method

If the machine is functional because you don’t have your keys on you, you can start the machine on the spot through hotwiring without using any keys.

Hotwiring is also an emergency solution if your ignition switch is malfunctioning, but you need to use the lawn mower.

Using a Spare John Deere Key

Since John Deere keys are universal, you can easily use just about any lawn mower key to start yours as long as the ignition switch is working. In that case, you can grab an original John Deere lawn mower key as a spare key.

Using a Universal Lawn Mower Key Set

Since many lawn mower models and brands use the same key to start the machine, almost all lawn mowers out there can be operated through a handful of keys.

Luckily, there are plenty of key sets that already contain many of these keys, such as the WAH LIN key set with 10 keys that can start various lawn mower brands, including John Deere.

How to Protect Your John Deere Lawn Mower from Theft

Since most ride-on lawn mowers use the same universal key to ignite the engine, many owners are concerned that the machines are prone to theft.

However, by following some simple security tips, you’ll be able to protect your John Deere lawn mower from theft. Here are some of the most valuable ones:

Keep Your Lawn Mower Secure in a Shed

Keep your lawn mower out of sight and hidden in a secure shed. This won’t only protect the machine from easier theft, but you’ll also protect the machine from the elements of weather and extend its years of service!

Secure the Lawn Mower with a Unique Padlock

If you’re frustrated about the universal key design but still want to keep your lawn mower outside, you can always use a set of chains and a robust padlock with a unique key to protect your lawn mower from theft.

The only drawback to this method is that you’ll need to chain the lawn mower every time you need it and keep two different keys to operate the machine.

After buying your lawn mower, make sure that you keep your mower’s paperwork in a secure place because it’ll contain important information about the machine, such as its serial number.

You can also walk the extra mile and brand your machine by etching your name and contact details on the machine.

Install a GPS Tracker on Your Machine

Keep a small GPS tracker on your lawn mower and other outdoor machinery to track it if it’s ever stolen. Make sure to hide the tracker inside so that thieves can detect it and throw it away.

Improve the Outdoor Security System Around Your Property

Lastly, always make sure to ramp up your outdoor security by using motion-activated lights, cameras, and motion sensors with alarms in your yard. These tools are the perfect deterrents to thieves and criminals!

Conclusion

There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through everything you need to know about John Deere lawn mower keys and whether they’re all the same.

As you can see, not only John Deere but almost all ride-on lawn mowers out there made in the last 20 years have a universal key.

Luckily, by following the previously mentioned tips, you’ll be able to protect your it from theft!

Can A John Deere Zero Turn Mower Pull A Trailer?
Why Do John Deere Seats Crack?
Can You Push Start A Riding Lawn Mower?
Why Does John Deere Use Yanmar Engines?

Legal

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About Us

I love working in the yard and coming up with projects around the house. In addition, I am blogger. I’ve decided to start this blog to share stuff I learn about yard work, or any projects that are house related. These days I blog about everything related to anything pertaining to the outside of the home. Everything in this blog should be used for educational purposes only.

YardTroop.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Privacy Policy

Are All John Deer Lawn Mowers Keys The Same? [Plus Tips to Keep It Safe]

John Deere is one of the most popular farm equipment manufacturers out there. The American company is also known for making some of the best lawn mowers on the market.

These models include the S100, S200, and X300 Series. However, when it comes to starting the machine, are all John Deere lawnmower keys the same?

John Deere lawn mowers used to have unique ignition keys back in the day. Today, the company has been using the same universal lawn mower key for all its models for over three decades.

If you want to learn more about John Deere lawn mower keys and whether they’re truly universal, keep reading this article!

This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Are John Deere Lawn Mower Keys Universal?

When an item is universal, it means that it can be used throughout most or all of the similar items within a specific niche.

For example, when it comes to John Deere, the company made unique keys for their lawn mower in the early days.

Soon after, it adopted a universal key strategy to make it easier for owners to use the same key across various lawn and farm equipment.

Since then, the universal key model has seen little to no changes, with the current one being used in John Deere lawn mowers since 1992.

Remember that these universal keys are used for lawn mower models only but not the John Deere tractors.

What Are the Brands of Ride-on Lawn Mowers That Use a Universal Key?

How to Replace Key Switch on John Deere Riding Lawn Mower

In addition to that, several brands of ride-on lawnmowers still share a similar key that can start almost all of their models. However, John Deere isn’t one of these brands, which include:

Craftsman
Coleman
Electrolux
Bobcat
Galion
Kohler
Baraga
Terramite
Wolf
Delta
Cole Hersee
JD
Hinkel
Drott
Massey Ferguson
Castel
Mantis
JLG
Skyjack

Do Push Lawn Mowers Also Use a Universal Key?

The concept of using universal keys is only common in riding lawn mowers because they’re generally large and heavy, so they’re pretty difficult to steal.

However, push lawn mowers are lighter and smaller, so they’re much easier to steal, so they don’t use a universal key.

Instead, push lawn mowers will use a unique key, and if you want to get a replacement for that key, you’ll need to go to the nearest lawn mowers dealer to request a new copy.

What Happens When Your John Deere Key Doesn’t Start the Lawn Mower?

If you use the proper key to start a John Deere lawn mower and it still doesn’t start, there’s a good chance that the problem is either due to a dead battery or a faulty ignition switch.

How to Jump Start a Dead Battery

In the case of the ignition switch, you can easily buy a replacement ignition switch and replace the faulty one in your machine.

First, you need to test the switch and make sure that it’s malfunctioning, which you can do by using a voltmeter and following the steps in this guide.

If the lawn mower ignition switch is functional, there’s a good chance that your battery is dead. Luckily, you can jump start it the same way as a car as long as the lawn mower uses the same voltage as the car’s battery.

How to Replace a Faulty Switch

This brief tutorial shows you how to replace the ignition switch in John Deere L100, but the same ignition switch and steps can be applied to replace the switch in a wide variety of John Deere lawn mowers.

How Can You Use a John Deere Lawn Mower If You Lost the Keys?

If you happen to lose the key to your John Deere lawn mower and you want to use your machine, here are some of the most popular methods to solve your problem:

The No Keys Method

If the machine is functional because you don’t have your keys on you, you can start the machine on the spot through hotwiring without using any keys.

Hotwiring is also an emergency solution if your ignition switch is malfunctioning, but you need to use the lawn mower.

Using a Spare John Deere Key

Since John Deere keys are universal, you can easily use just about any lawn mower key to start yours as long as the ignition switch is working. In that case, you can grab an original John Deere lawn mower key as a spare key.

Using a Universal Lawn Mower Key Set

Since many lawn mower models and brands use the same key to start the machine, almost all lawn mowers out there can be operated through a handful of keys.

Luckily, there are plenty of key sets that already contain many of these keys, such as the WAH LIN key set with 10 keys that can start various lawn mower brands, including John Deere.

How to Protect Your John Deere Lawn Mower from Theft

Since most ride-on lawn mowers use the same universal key to ignite the engine, many owners are concerned that the machines are prone to theft.

However, by following some simple security tips, you’ll be able to protect your John Deere lawn mower from theft. Here are some of the most valuable ones:

Keep Your Lawn Mower Secure in a Shed

Secure the Lawn Mower with a Unique Padlock

If you’re frustrated about the universal key design but still want to keep your lawn mower outside, you can always use a set of chains and a robust padlock with a unique key to protect your lawn mower from theft.

The only drawback to this method is that you’ll need to chain the lawn mower every time you need it and keep two different keys to operate the machine.

After buying your lawn mower, make sure that you keep your mower’s paperwork in a secure place because it’ll contain important information about the machine, such as its serial number.

You can also walk the extra mile and brand your machine by etching your name and contact details on the machine.

Install a GPS Tracker on Your Machine

Keep a small GPS tracker on your lawn mower and other outdoor machinery to track it if it’s ever stolen. Make sure to hide the tracker inside so that thieves can detect it and throw it away.

Improve the Outdoor Security System Around Your Property

Conclusion

There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through everything you need to know about John Deere lawn mower keys and whether they’re all the same.

As you can see, not only John Deere but almost all ride-on lawn mowers out there made in the last 20 years have a universal key.

Luckily, by following the previously mentioned tips, you’ll be able to protect your it from theft!

Can A John Deere Zero Turn Mower Pull A Trailer?
Why Do John Deere Seats Crack?
Can You Push Start A Riding Lawn Mower?
Why Does John Deere Use Yanmar Engines?

Legal

About Us

Are riding lawnmower keys universal?

In this post, I will discuss the universality of lawnmower keys.

Are riding lawnmower keys universal?

Yes, most riding lawnmower keys are universal.

Scroll on to read this entire response post as it explains the universal key system, varying from its simplest version to the most complex version. After reading and understanding this system, you will be able to draw conclusions on your riding lawnmower. I will also answer your frequently asked questions.

1 What if I lose my key?
2 How do riding lawnmower keys work?
3 How to protect your riding lawnmower from theft?
4 Frequently Asked Questions?

4.1 1. Where should I store my riding lawnmower?
4.2 2. Does a universal key fit a craftsman model 917.203810?
4.3 3. Will a universal key fit a 2006 MTD yard machine?
4.4 4. Will a universal key fit a Troy Bilt automatic bronco riding lawnmower?
4.5 5. Will a universal key fit a 2019 Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2 zero turn?
4.6 6. Will a universal key work on Husqvarna push lawnmower?
4.7 7. Will a universal key work for a John Deere 855 tractor?
4.8 8. Will a universal key fit 2050 John Deere tractor?
4.9 9. Does a universal key work for ATV?
4.10 10. What if a universal key does not start my riding lawnmower?
4.11 11. Which manufacturers produce a lock that opens up using a universal key?
4.12 12. Which brands of riding lawnmowers share a universal key?
4.13 13. What is the cost of Arnold Universal ignition key and how long does it take to ship?
4.14 14. Which models share a single universal key?
4.15 15. Are gravely mower keys universal

What if I lose my key?

Don’t panic, most riding lawnmowers use the same key. Just remember to buy a big bunch of keys from your local hardware store. If you have more than one riding lawnmower then a single key can be used to start all of them.

Luckily, losing the key to your riding lawnmower is not nearly as bad as losing the keys to your car or bike. You will still be able to mow the grass the next day because most riding lawnmower keys are universal. There are many more places than the dealership to get a replacement key.

Universal keys are not just used for riding lawnmowers, alone, but they have multiple uses. Most busy institutions are not willing to let their staff members carry bulky bunches of keys around. To restrict access based on a staff member’s duties and responsibilities, within the office, they provide them with a universal key, which will allow for different levels of restricted entry.

Will a universal key work for a John Deere 855 tractor?

No, a universal key will not fit the John Deere 855 series tractor.

Will a universal key fit 2050 John Deere tractor?

No, a universal key will only fit riding lawnmowers, not tractors.

Does a universal key work for ATV?

No, the Arnold universal ignition key design and intended purpose is to fit riding lawnmowers only. ATVs and their ignition keys vary greatly. So, the Arnold universal ignition key will most likely not work with your ATV’s ignition system.

What if a universal key does not start my riding lawnmower?

First of all, don’t force the universal key. If your key inserts but does not turn and your lock has not been used for a very long period of time you must apply some penetrating fluid to your lock and wriggle your key from one side to the other. This will help you ignite your riding lawnmower.

Which manufacturers produce a lock that opens up using a universal key?

A universal key opens up locks by the following manufacturers: Castel Garden, Cub Cadet, Contax, Ford, Husquvarna, Honda, Indak, John Deere, Jacobsen, Kubota, Lawnflite, Lincoln, MTD, Mahindra, Murray, Mountfield, Oregon, Polaris, Stens, Snapper, Skytrak, Sears, Scat Trak, Scag, Sabre Scott, Toro, Tafe, Vermeer and West wood. You can find lawn mower keys here.

Which brands of riding lawnmowers share a universal key?

The brands of riding lawnmowers that share a universal key are as follows: Baraga, Bobcat, Case, Castel, Cole Hersee, Coleman, Craftsman, Delta, Dresser, Drott, Electrolux, Galion, Garden, Genie, Hinkel, JD, JLG, Kohler, Mantis, Massey Ferguson, Simplicity, Skyjack, Snoopy Key, Terramite and Wolf. You can find lawn mower keys here.

What is the cost of Arnold Universal ignition key and how long does it take to ship?

An Arnould Universal ignition key costs around 5. You can one here.

Which models share a single universal key?

All L models share a single universal key and all Zero-turn ZD/ZG riding lawn mowers share a single universal key. Most of the B series except for the B26 use the same universal key. A key for B2400 can also start L5740. G2160 and BX2230 share the same universal key as the RTV 900s, the newer B series have a different key than the old Bs and the very old ones use another. Most of the Ls models share the same universal key. The RTV-1100 ignition and cab keys belong to the M series and the cab keys are the exact same one that is used on most RV compartment doors (CH751). Some of the upper-end Kubota blank keys used on the heavy equipment but the tumbler pin profile is different so that is why some can be cut and do not use just a stamped key. Indak keys are used on around half the riding lawn mowers with the rest usually being a Delta ignition switch. Kubota F2680E, BX25, F2880, and RTV1140 all use the same universal key. L5030 key works on all B series. You can find lawn mower keys here.

Are gravely mower keys universal

A replacement key for a Gravely lawnmower will fit almost all models. You can purchase a Gravely Zero-Turn Mower Key on the graverly.com site that will fit on most Gravely ZT, ZT X, and several Ariens Edge, Ikon X, and Zoom models. It is possible that you have to trim the rubber that sits around the key for a perfect fit.

Final remarks

To conclude this response post, I would say YES, riding lawnmower keys are universal. A universal key makes the task of mowing your grass a lot easier, as you can save lots of time in case of losing your riding lawnmower keys. You don’t have to rush to your local locksmith or dealer in case of misplacement, simply borrow your neighbor’s riding lawnmower keys or use your old bunch and get the work done right away.

Lawn mower ignition key

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Sources:

https://yardtroop.com/are-all-john-deer-lawn-mowers-keys-the-same/
https://yardtroop.com/are-all-john-deer-lawn-mowers-keys-the-same/
https://www.gardentoolexpert.com/are-riding-lawnmower-keys-universal/
https://lawnmowerpartsonline.ie/categories/key-switch

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