Help with choosing new rider mower

[Oaktree]

Like the title said, I'm in the market for a new rider mower. Currently have an old Ariens that my father bought back in the mid 90s and I kind of inherited a few years ago. It still runs, but it's got issues...steering is really sloppy, I've had to re-weld one of the mower deck hangers a couple times now, and a few other assorted problems. Plus it's a bit of a gas hog.

I've narrowed down my choices to either a JD X-300 series and a Husqvarna TS242SD. I'm leaning a bit toward the JD, but the nearest dealer's an hour or so away, several places much closer carry the Husq. Any experiences or advice that would tip the scales one way or another (or maybe another brand I haven't thus far considered)? Also, from what the salesman told me the only difference between the JD X330 and the X350 is that the 330 has a B&S engine while the 350 has a Kawasaki. Is the Kawasaki worth the extra $200?

Roughly 1.5 acre lawn, hilly and rough so I need something that'll stand up to that kind of terrain.

 

[oldnslo]

The Kawasaki engines are very good engines so wouldn’t hesitate at $200 difference. The X500 series Deere have a heavier duty transaxle vs X300 series and have far less reports of transmission problems but are also more expensive.

Not sure on Husqvarna but believe have same or similar transaxle as the X330 or X350.

 

[anomad]

I got a lightly used Husky for my sister last year, don't know the model number, but it has a 42 inch deck and a little 17 horsepower Kawasaki. It is fantastic. It is dealer stuff, not box store stuff. My neighbor works at the equipment dealer for it in town - key factor in my decision making. It has an automatically locking rear differential and handles our mountainside mowed areas just fine. We're just knocking the weeds down. No manicured yards here. I mow a little more than you, so we have other options too.

Have you thought about a rear finish mower for your little Kioti listed in your profile? A 6 foot rear finish mower behind my little Kubota is my favorite mowing rig.

 

[dadohead]

Roughly 1.5 acre lawn, hilly and rough so I need something that'll stand up to that kind of terrain.

Focus on the transaxle, not the engine. The transaxle sets the duty cycle on these machines.

I'm a retired JD engineer and worked on these products. The tractors you are looking at have K46 transaxles. As soon as you stated "hilly and rough"... it was clear: bump up to the K58 (engine doesn't matter). The K58 has a 1" axle and an internal charge pump that keeps the efficiency high in the main piston pump/motor. A X380 is more money but it will hold up to your conditions. The K58 has a much higher service life and the new "deep" decks are AWESOME cutters! Hope this helps.

 

[Oaktree]

Have you thought about a rear finish mower for your little Kioti listed in your profile? A 6 foot rear finish mower behind my little Kubota is my favorite mowing rig.

Not sure I'd call my LK3054 "little" (though I guess compared to an AG tractor it is). Way too many places it wouldn't fit...anything wider than a 42" isn't gonna fit in some of the places I have to go. Not looking for more places to hand mow!

Don't want to give my wife any ideas with a finish mower. We have some open field just beyond what I mow as lawn that I'll bushhog a couple times a year to keep the brush down. She complains about how ratty it looks afterwards, keep trying to tell her it's a bushhog, not a finish mower.

Focus on the transaxle, not the engine. The transaxle sets the duty cycle on these machines.

I'm a retired JD engineer and worked on these products. The tractors you are looking at have K46 transaxles. As soon as you stated "hilly and rough"... it was clear: bump up to the K58 (engine doesn't matter). The K58 has a 1" axle and an internal charge pump that keeps the efficiency high in the main piston pump/motor. A X380 is more money but it will hold up to your conditions. The K58 has a much higher service life and the new "deep" decks are AWESOME cutters! Hope this helps.

Am I safe in assuming the X370 is the 42" equivalent of the 380? Quite the price leap from the 350!

I'm 75, so I don't need another mower that'll last 30 years. Just looking for a good quality one that isn't overkill and won't break the bank. I'll take a look at those, but the price scares me off a bit.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm 75, so I don't need another mower that'll last 30 years.

There's that Oaktree optimism!

I'm going to be the old man who really shouldn't be mowing anymore, but everyone is afraid to tell him to stop.

 

[dadohead]

Am I safe in assuming the X370 is the 42" equivalent of the 380? Quite the price leap from the 350!

From memory, the X370 has a K57. A "tweener". It has the final drive of a K46 (3/4" axle / 20" rear tires) with the charge pump of the K58. It has external hydraulics! The X370 is a lawn tractor with power steering / power lift for super low effort inputs. The internal charge pump really boosts the efficiency / life of the transmission too. It would be a good choice as well if you just mow (no ground engagement).

 

[JeepHead]

Not sure I'd call my LK3054 "little" (though I guess compared to an AG tractor it is). Way too many places it wouldn't fit...anything wider than a 42" isn't gonna fit in some of the places I have to go. Not looking for more places to hand mow!

Don't want to give my wife any ideas with a finish mower. We have some open field just beyond what I mow as lawn that I'll bushhog a couple times a year to keep the brush down. She complains about how ratty it looks afterwards, keep trying to tell her it's a bushhog, not a finish mower.

Am I safe in assuming the X370 is the 42" equivalent of the 380? Quite the price leap from the 350!

I'm 75, so I don't need another mower that'll last 30 years. Just looking for a good quality one that isn't overkill and won't break the bank. I'll take a look at those, but the price scares me off a bit.

The 370 has the K57 while the 380 has the K58 that he talks about above.

IHT Transaxle series K (K46, K57, K58, K62, K66, K72)｜Hydraulic Equipments,Transmissions and Marine Gears｜Products｜Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.

This is the introduction of IHT Transaxle series K (K46, K57, K58, K62, K66, K72).In the field of gears, hydraulic equipments, transmissions, marine gears and mashine tools ,Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. tries to solve the problems of our customers globally.

www.kanzaki.co.jp

 

[hslogger]

Like the title said, I'm in the market for a new rider mower. Currently have an old Ariens that my father bought back in the mid 90s and I kind of inherited a few years ago. It still runs, but it's got issues...steering is really sloppy, I've had to re-weld one of the mower deck hangers a couple times now, and a few other assorted problems. Plus it's a bit of a gas hog.

I've narrowed down my choices to either a JD X-300 series and a Husqvarna TS242SD. I'm leaning a bit toward the JD, but the nearest dealer's an hour or so away, several places much closer carry the Husq. Any experiences or advice that would tip the scales one way or another (or maybe another brand I haven't thus far considered)? Also, from what the salesman told me the only difference between the JD X330 and the X350 is that the 330 has a B&S engine while the 350 has a Kawasaki. Is the Kawasaki worth the extra $200?

Roughly 1.5 acre lawn, hilly and rough so I need something that'll stand up to that kind of terrain.

I don't have hilly, ie steep ground to mow. I have rolling fields and orchard that I use my X370 on for mowing close to my electric fences in pastures. This is my first NEW Deere mower after having three used ones. I sprung close to 5K for it. This mower has 110 hours on it. Power steering and hydraulic deck lift are just great. The mower gets a work out in the spring with wet ground and it has worked well. I have replaced one tower and one idler. I can't complain a bit about the performance.All of the five Kawasaki i engines I have experience with are flat out terrific. I do not have a bagger. I would buy this machine again

 

[rogbn]

The nice thing about the x370 is that the transmission is serviceable. Have 90 hours on mine and love it - except that Kawasaki engine is a gas hog for sure.

 

[rgr33]

I decided about 20 years ago to start spoiling myself when buying things that I intend to use regularly, and will make life better for me.

Every item I have bought with that in mind, autos, z turn, tractors, shop tools etc, has really improved daily life for me, no regrets

 

[Oaktree]

The nice thing about the x370 is that the transmission is serviceable. Have 90 hours on mine and love it - except that Kawasaki engine is a gas hog for sure.

I'll check that one out next time I'm near a dealer, is a little more than I was looking to spend.
A 42" deck is about as wide as will fit in some of the places I have to mow, no way would I get a 48 there.

Gotta say though, don't think I've EVER had a transaxle problem with any mower I've ever had, even the box store ones. Frame or other structural stuff has been more of a failure point for me.

One thing I didn't like about the JDs was that adjusting the cutting height seemed to be overly complicated, not really something you could easily do on the fly.

I decided about 20 years ago to start spoiling myself when buying things that I intend to use regularly, and will make life better for me.

Every item I have bought with that in mind, autos, z turn, tractors, shop tools etc, has really improved daily life for me, no regrets

I'm having a hard time adjusting to that, I've always been quite frugal and it's not easy to change. My current car & truck were "only" 5 years old when I bought them, which to me is like buying new. Typically I'll get something 10-ish years old. So I'm getting there!

There's that Oaktree optimism!

I'm going to be the old man who really shouldn't be mowing anymore, but everyone is afraid to tell him to stop.

Just being realistic. To the best of my knowledge, no man on either side of my family has ever made it to 85. My father was the closest at 84. Not counting accidents, etc. the range seems to be 78-83. Brother didn't even make it to 65.

 

[dadohead]

Gotta say though, don't think I've EVER had a transaxle problem with any mower I've ever had, even the box store ones. Frame or other structural stuff has been more of a failure point for me.

Inside JD, we call the Select Series "Common Platform" because every model shares the same mainframe. Different rear hitch plates are bolted on which change the wheelbase. The X5 hitchplates accept the K72 transaxle and are massive. I seriously doubt you will have structural issues! Their duty cycle includes 30 hrs of moldboard plowing!

The biggest driver for transaxle life is machine weight and tire size. Mass tractors will often mate a K46 with 22" (or larger) rear tires making them appear more capable than they are. This greatly lowers transaxle life.

If you had a flat yard and only mowed, a X350 would be fine. If you had a sore shoulder or wanted to run a snowblower (higher lift and steering efforts), a X370 with PS/PL would be wonderful. Add in hills and want to pull loads or push snow: think X380. Maybe find a used one?

One thing I didn't like about the JDs was that adjusting the cutting height seemed to be overly complicated, not really something you could easily do on the fly.

Leveling a deck is one of the most important things to do to optimize cut quality. My dad and FIL said the same thing as you though. ;<) They found it wasn't complicated once I went through it with them. It also calibrates the deck to the deck height knob: you set 3" height-of-cut you  get 3" HOC! Make the dealer show you how it's done.... several times! I do it once a year when I prepare the machine in the Spring. Hope this helps! Randy

 

[WinterDeere]

Not sure how Deere does it now, but mine is just a knob you turn to the desired height, marked in 0.5 inch increments and with detents roughly every 0.25 inch. Step on deck lift pedal to take some weight off the height adjustment, turn the knob to desired height, ease foot off pedal. Done!

 

[dadohead]

Not sure how Deere does it now, but mine is just a knob you turn to the desired height, marked in 0.5 inch increments and with detents roughly every 0.25 inch. Step on deck lift pedal to take some weight off the height adjustment, turn the knob to desired height, ease foot off pedal. Done!

Yep... that's how HOC is still set. The deck leveling proceedure, however, levels the deck AND correlates it to the knob setting. Some users may not care but being dead-on is important in countries like UK that routinely mow at 1.5". There, being off 1/2" matters!

I have to pay extra attention when leveling my old GX deck to keep it calibrated to the HOC knob. The new mowers do it for you.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yep... that's how HOC is still set. The deck leveling proceedure, however, levels the deck AND correlates it to the knob setting. Some users may not care but being dead-on is important in countries like UK that routinely mow at 1.5". There, being off 1/2" matters!

Got it. I have checked mine a half-dozen times in the 15 years I've owned it, even bought a special guage for measuring height under each of the three blades, and it has never needed adjustment. Kinda makes me feel like I wasted money on the tool.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Avoid the Husqvarna, it doesn't really have a frame.

 

[dadohead]

Got it. I have checked mine a half-dozen times in the 15 years I've owned it, even bought a special guage for measuring height under each of the three blades, and it has never needed adjustment. Kinda makes me feel like I wasted money on the tool.

The yellow blade height gage? That's what I use. Honda made a nice gage too. Most years I have to tweak the linkage on the GX to get it perfect.

 

[JasperFrank]

What ever you get in your rocky and hilly areas, get something with a Limited Slip Differential, or a Differential Lock. I like my Cub Cadet, XT2 LX42, ... I would like it much better, with a manual locking diff. Just say'en......

 

[tacticalturnip]

What ever you get in your rocky and hilly areas, get something with a Limited Slip Differential, or a Differential Lock. I like my Cub Cadet, XT2 LX42, ... I would like it much better, with a manual locking diff. Just say'en......

The top-end XT2 has a differential lock, and sometimes I wonder if that's where I should have gone, lol.