54 inch deck vs 60 inch 7 iron

JDTank · Feb 1, 2013

I am working on a deal for one of the last X740 machines around, but I need to choose a deck.

I know the 7 Iron is an amazing deck, but I am wondering if it is too wide for my yard. I have a good amount of dips and bumps in my yard. I am worried that when I go over bumps, the deck will not cut the grass in the hole, but it will also leave marks on the grass from the edge of the deck riding up.

What is the cut like on the 54 inch decks? I am considering just sticking with the 54 inch deck for it's light weight, and the $30 per month lower payment. It seems some people love the yellow decks and some hate them.

I have about 1.5 to 2 acres of finish mowing, 6 months of the year, once a week.

I was also thinking maybe I could upgrade my deck in a few years to the new decks coming out on the new x700 series machines. They have autoconnect on them. To me, the new series looks like John Deere has started to cheap out on things, which is why I am trying to snag a 2012 model while some are left.

Thanks!

RonS · Feb 2, 2013

I just went through the same purchase (X740) a couple of months ago and I ended up with a 60D. Having said that, I had a 54" Edge deck on my X540 and it did a good job. The 60D does a better job in that the clippings are finer and the lawn has a smoother look. And my lawn has some of the issues that you mention.

I am not so sure that you can "upgrade" to the new decks. I am fairly certain that the auto-connect feature at the very least would not work. Also, even if the deck would fit it would likely be quite pricey and you would be stuck trying to sell a used deck. Just food for thought.

With respect to purchasing a '12 instead of a '13 I had the same concerns that you mentioned. I know that the '12s are bullet proof. Not so sure of the '13s. And I like the look of the 12's better. Hence my decision.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

jenkinsph · Feb 3, 2013

My suggestion considering how much you have to mow is to go with the widest deck that will fit in your yard. Consider what ever it takes to smooth your lawn area up whether it involves tilling blading or adding some top dressing to smooth out the holes. You will be ahead of the game. If you fix it now it should be nice by mid summer. A 740 is a nice mower and I think you will be pleased with it.

JDTank · Feb 3, 2013

jenkinsph said:
My suggestion considering how much you have to mow is to go with the widest deck that will fit in your yard. Consider what ever it takes to smooth your lawn area up whether it involves tilling blading or adding some top dressing to smooth out the holes. You will be ahead of the game. If you fix it now it should be nice by mid summer. A 740 is a nice mower and I think you will be pleased with it.

I ended up choosing the 54 inch deck. In the end, I really had no choice. The 54 inch deck fits between 90% of my trees, and gate/fence openings. The 60 inch fits through maybe 10%. If I have to push mow every area I miss because I can't get to it with the GT, that adds a lot of time and frustration to my day. I figure what I am going to do is stick with the 54 inch for now, and when the new HC 54 inch comes out this summer, hopefully it will mount up to this X740.

I also decided on the X740 over the X748. Besides my bumpy yard, my entire property is flat. 6 months of the year it rains here and I don't want to be outside anyways, so to pay for AWD and not even use the machine 6 months of the year, just seems crazy. Overall I ended up with a MUCH lower payment than my 748SE I had for only 2 months last year. This is much more affordable so I feel more comfortable. I am not usually one to buy something unless it is fully loaded, but sometimes, you just have to go with what you can afford, and make the best of it.

With all the discounts right now, I came out pretty good. I even swindled the SE package out of the salesman for $500 extra. The seat, fenders, and brush guard, installed, for $500. I thought that was pretty good? I hear that SE seat is that much alone.

jenkinsph · Feb 3, 2013

JD,
I am going to try to find time to build a screed box to put top dressing out. Something like this might help you smooth out your lawn areas. Plan on making it adjustable to put out from 0 to 1" of screened top dressing, best to use when the lawn is dormant over winter. As long as you put out a thin layer each year the grass will grow thru when it warms up.

Dashe · Feb 4, 2013

JD,
I have a x720 with the 54C deck and I love it. I use the mulching kit with it and it work fine for me. I like a nice looking lawn but after a day's growth, I don't think you can tell the difference between the cut from a 54 in and the 60 in. I couldn't justify the extra cost of the 60D. I leave my deck on for most of the mowing season, so auto-connect doesn't appeal to me.

Deere Dude · Feb 4, 2013

JDTank said:
I ended up choosing the 54 inch deck. In the end, I really had no choice. The 54 inch deck fits between 90% of my trees, and gate/fence openings. The 60 inch fits through maybe 10%.

Why not cut the trees down that are to close for the 60" to fit between. It sounds like there are to many trees if they are that close.

I have a 62" and went with a 54" for one summer just for the fun of it when I got a good deal on a tractor with a 54", and never again. It took forever to cut grass. I understand it is only 8" narrower, but the extra time used was ticking me off.

JDTank · Feb 4, 2013

Deere Dude said:
Why not cut the trees down that are to close for the 60" to fit between. It sounds like there are to many trees if they are that close.

I have a 62" and went with a 54" for one summer just for the fun of it when I got a good deal on a tractor with a 54", and never again. It took forever to cut grass. I understand it is only 8" narrower, but the extra time used was ticking me off.

With a machine this nice, I really don't mind the extra seat time. I am coming from using an old Craftsman with a 42 inch deck, so a 54 inch is still a nice gain over what I am used to. I had a strict budget I had to adhere to this time around, so I chose the diesel engine over AWD in a gas model, and I also opted to stay with the 54 inch deck. This allowed me to gain the machine I want at a payment I am comfortable with.

Overall, I figure it is better to make some compromises, and still get a lot of what you want, versus holding out for possibly never getting what you want.

Carl Bert · Feb 4, 2013

JDTank said:
Overall I ended up with a MUCH lower payment than my 748SE I had for only 2 months last year. This is much more affordable so I feel more comfortable.

I'm a little confused, you traded in an X748 that was two months old for a new X740 and you wound up with lower payments?

JDTank · Feb 5, 2013

Carl Bert said:
I'm a little confused, you traded in an X748 that was two months old for a new X740 and you wound up with lower payments?

No, did not trade in.

Long story short, I bit off more than I could chew last year, and bought an X748SE with a 7 iron deck. Needless to say, it was a hefty bill. After MUCH convincing, I talked my in-laws into buying it off of me, because they needed a new garden tractor anyways. They have a lot more money than I do, so they paid out the owing balance, basically new price, I only made 2 payments.

Now, I am in better shape, and things in my life are turning around and improving. My grass cutting seat time is my time to just think, and clear my head, without it, I go nuts. Hence, the X740. With the discounts on the last of the X7 series before the redesign, I came out with a payment $107 a month lower than before. The X740 has no PTO, or 3 pt, and obviously it is 2WD. I did however manage to get the SE package thrown into the deal. I don't need AWD anyways, the diesel engine and SE package mean a lot more to me than AWD does, considering all of my property is flat as flat can be.

My biggest problem is I won't buy something unless it is absolutely fully loaded with every option. This compromise on a 2WD has taught me a great lesson. Compromise does not always mean you lose what you want, you just get less.