Comparison Husqvarna GT48DXLS Compared to John Deere

[s219]

Maybe options is the wrong word -- it's really how each one is configured as a model. They all have the same identical frame and platform that all the GTs share. Different models have different configuration for engine, transmission, differential, deck, etc. That's what sets them apart, but otherwise they are the same exact machine. For example GT52XLS and GT48DXLS differ by transmission, differential, and deck width but are otherwise identical.

 

[Teachu2]

Now we're on the same page. I did not check every single Husqvarna model, as I was only interested in the 48" deck, but the GT48DXLS was the only model I found with a manual locking differential. To most people, that's not a big deal. To me, it was a minimum requirement - that or 4wd. I preferred the manual locker so that I could use it as needed, and release it quickly to shorten turning radius. For me, this is the unique model in their lineup that meets my needs - so it is special to me.

Husqvarna makes a broad range of riding mowers: LTA, YT, YTA, YTH, LGT, GT, and probably LGBT. Decks from 42-54". Engines from Briggs, Kohler, and Kawasaki. Transaxles from plastic garbage to some of TuffTorq's better stuff. My dealer just started with them this spring and has already sold a couple dozen units. The only problem one was a plastic transaxle - which the dealer believes will not be continued next model year. All that model shares with mine is the paint color.

The YT48DXLS vs the GT48DXLS is an interesting comparison - different hp, frame, differential, and tires/wheels, but only $200 difference in MSRP. It's all in the details.

As broad a range of riding mowers as Husqvarna makes, there's bound to be some that stink like melted plastic. I admire Deere in that regard - even their box store price-point models generally survive the warranty period and are adequate for flat lawns.

 

[coobie]

YAWN.Is this debate still going on?

 

[FLS1216]

Please note that the GT48DXLS has a completely redesigned deck called ClearCut that is superior to the deck on the GT52XLS.

 

[s219]

Please note that the GT48DXLS has a completely redesigned deck called ClearCut that is superior to the deck on the GT52XLS.

The ClearCut deck has been on several of their mower models for a while now. I know the YT42DXLS and YT48DXLS got it last year.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

YAWN.Is this debate still going on?

Lmfao I was thinking the same thing, after me and dingleberry had our "disagreement" I figured that was sufficient.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I really really don't want to but I will add it anyway.

Parts availability for these Husqvarna mowers go much longer than 5-7 years as others have posted.

My Husqvarna was made in 2005 and I have been able to order any part I want with a click of a button off Amazon, I can still get any part I want at a really cheap price, mainly because Husqvarna made so many from the same interchangeable parts.

I will have easily available parts for another 5 years at least. So more like 15-20 years on parts.

So I can come to the same conclusion on this battle as I did a year ago it seems, JD makes a better garden tractor for tillage and Husqvarna makes a better mower up to the x590. Case closed.

 

[plowhog]

Corporate shills at work. Defend the brand even if it bloats a lawn mower thread to 60+ posts. Writing "Husqvarna makes a better mower up to the x590" may be true, but it is certainly new bait that attracts them.

Husqvarna has a strong, positive brand. So cheapen their image and call them a "Husky" instead. That conveniently confuses the strong brand with "Huskee," another mower manufacturer of much lower quality. Remember the claim that the plastic headlights will fog faster on a Husky? Well, is that even true? How would an end user Deere owner know or believe that? And was that a Huskee whose headlight fogged? Or a Husqvarna?

An objective reader of this thread can determine the Husqvarna GT48DXLS and Deere X380 are reasonably equivalent, albeit different in some areas of course. But it's surely hard to defend why the X380 is bumping up into being twice the price of the Husqvarna using similar engines and transaxles, and with the Husqvarna also having the locking differential which the X380 lacks. Add a rear bagger, bumper, etc. to equip the two machines equally, and the Deere is nearly double the price. With that being very difficult to justify, then claim the Husqvarna only compares to the more lowly 100 series mowers.

My personal favorite in this thread came from TeachU (I think.) Responding to descriptions of the John Deere bumper-to-bumper warranty, he pointed out the X380 has no front bumper. LOL. Has to be added at extra cost? So if you don't buy the second bumper is the bumper-to-bumper warranty no good? LOL.

From Wikipedia: "A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with the person or organization. Shills can carry out their operations in the areas of media, journalism, marketing, confidence games, or other business areas. A shill may also act to discredit opponents or critics of the person or organization in which they have a vested interest through character assassination or other means.

In most uses, shill refers to someone who purposely gives onlookers, participants or "marks" the impression of an enthusiastic customer independent of the seller, marketer or con artist, for whom they are secretly working."

Personally, I prefer the term "stooge." But I am being polite, referring instead to the shills. :laughing:

 

[Teachu2]

I doubt anyone here is an employee of either company in any way, shape, or form. I understand brand loyalty, especially when it costs big bucks. I have had excellent service for many years from Toyota cars and light trucks, and have been bitten every time I've bought a different brand. For MY uses, Toyotas have been great. If I needed to tow a 32' toyhauler, probably not so great. But when I decided to get a commuter car, everything I looked at was measured against a Corolla. The Mazda 3 was more fun to drive, but I had confidence that I'd get 300k miles out of the Corolla - and intend to. Didn't even consider the KIA or Hyundai, and wretched at the thought of the Nissan Sentra. Hondas don't fit me.

To each his own. The guy who spent $60k on his 2017 4x4 Silverado HATES it when I pull him out with my 2007 Tundra...

 

[s219]

Corporate shills at work. Defend the brand even if it bloats a lawn mower thread to 60+ posts. Writing "Husqvarna makes a better mower up to the x590" may be true, but it is certainly new bait that attracts them.

Husqvarna has a strong, positive brand. So cheapen their image and call them a "Husky" instead. That conveniently confuses the strong brand with "Huskee," another mower manufacturer of much lower quality. Remember the claim that the plastic headlights will fog faster on a Husky? Well, is that even true? How would an end user Deere owner know or believe that? And was that a Huskee whose headlight fogged? Or a Husqvarna?

This from the guy who didn't know the Husky nickname from the Huskee brand in another thread a couple months ago? And now you're lecturing? Do I need to quote that to show how unstable your footing is here?

I have owned several pro Husky saws over the years, and currently own a 562XP, in addition to a Stihl 461, Echo 400, and Echo 501. That 562XP is a great saw, probably the best 60cc saw out there. Everybody running Husqvarna saws around here calls them Husky, A) because that's the way it's always been, and B) because most of these farmer/logger types probably can't spell or pronounce Husqvarna. It's just the way it is, and has been happening long before you showed up and bought your Husky riding mower and it became the center of the universe. Get over it. Anybody with a brain can tell Husky products apart from the relatively unknown Huskee brand sold at Tractor Supply.

Let me also say that even though Husky makes some great pro saws, they also make some mediocre mid-range saws and some extremely crappy consumer saws. Some of the really crappy ones are rebranded Poulans (or vice versa). I am pointing this out to show that it's possible for someone to acknowledge that Husky makes great products and not so great products. I think if you had more experience in this area, you would not be nearly so brand-sensitive. I own a lot of different brands, and see good/bad products from all of them. Love Kubota compact tractors, but their riding mowers are overpriced and sub-par. Love Deere compact tractors and X series mowers, but wouldn't touch their 100 series models at any price. Love Husky's pro products but their consumer products are just not consistently good or remarkable.

 

[plowhog]

The guy who spent $60k on his 2017 4x4 Silverado HATES it when I pull him out with my 2007 Tundra...

Yes, everything is relative. My former motor home held up traffic, only able to hold about 35mph climbing I-80 at Donner Summit. 6-7% grade, climbing above 7,000 ft. Floored. My current motorhome has a Cummins ISX engine, 913 cubic inches in a six cylinder diesel. 600hp. 1,850 ft/lbs of torque. No more speed restrictions. Smooth sailing while getting 2mpg going uphill!!

Every forum, even small ones, get visits from corporate shills and paid posters. Even forums much smaller than this attract them. Due to the size and participation of this forum, with the potential ability to influence sales with positive stories, they are most certainly here.

My (former) company had people devoted to doing this. That was in the software industry, nothing to do with tractors. We employed about 2,000 people at the time I left. Compare that to major tractor manufacturers who employ more than 50,000 worldwide. I'd guess a Director or VP on the marketing side would be criticized or removed if they did not do such activity. It's an easy way to positively influence sales and positively influence the corporate brand. Basic corporate business any more. I'm surprised I don't see *more* evidence of it here.

btw, shills work hard to blend in and hide. Discovery kills credibility. Multiple user accounts, posting only "boring" things to build up credibility at first, connecting through a VPN to hide the true IP address, cooperation between multiple shills who compliment each other's insight, and on and on. Every shill will deny being one. So there is always cat-and-mouse to identify them. But once you identify the characteristics, they are easy to spot.

Shills are not all bad. They have access to lots of corporate facts and opposition research. So you can pick up some detail not available elsewhere, while wading through the biased information being pushed out.

 

[Teachu2]

I understand the concept and the practice - but the execution in this instance is not up to employable standards, nor do they include facts or research. A shill would present a much more solid argument based on facts and figures, not rumors and emotion.

They might, however, be paid posters, but even that's doubtful. I believe they are rabid owners, vigorously defending the purchase that they have made against all challenges, real and imagined. It's also common on gun forums.

I'm happy for everyone who owns the proper tool to meet their needs, regardless of price or paint color. Your former motor home might have been perfect for the guy who wanted to store it at Pismo and only move it from the storage area to the camping spot or gas station.

 

[airbiscuit]

Here's what I've learned so far:

• The Husqvarna GT48DXLS and John Deere 380 have different features but are arguably equivalent in many ways (each with different strengths and weaknesses however)
• Husqvarna GT48DXLS owners are happy with their purchase, and really like the value and the differential lock
• John Deere 380 owners really like their units, and defend all the extra $$$$ they spent
• Everyone seems to agree that the John Deere X5xx and X7xx lawn tractors are excellent, in a class of their own, and spendy
• Apparently is is worth over $1,000 to have quick change adjustment to mower deck wheels that most of us seldom touch.

The adjustment on the GT deck is absolutely nothing like the adjustment on the Deere, and the pictures I posted show that very clearly. Here's how you set the height of the wheels on the Husky:

Technically, a lot of mower decks "adjust" like that. With tools. Crapola. Here are the Deere wheels, which can be adjusted on the fly without tools:

 

[s219]

Apparently is is worth over $1,000 to have quick change adjustment to mower deck wheels that most of us seldom touch.

I appreciate the attempt at humor, but when I was shopping last year, the X380 ended up costing a mere $300 over the then-best Husky GT52XLS. For that $300 I saw a lot of nice touches and advantages on the Deere beyond those deck wheels (which you would adjust if you had dramatically different cutting heights to accommodate, as I do):

* Stouter frame and rear hitch area. I have long lamented that modern yard tractors are cheesily built compared to decades ago, so this matters to me and was a big bonus for Deere.
* Much nicer seat on the Deere -- night and day difference
* Deere has a an LCD instrument panel with diagnostics/etc
* cruise control easier to operate (button on dash versus lever on Husky)
* Deere has an actual electronic fuel gauge on dash (Husky has view window on the tank to see fuel level through translucent tank wall)
* Dial adjust for deck height with 1/4" resolution (retains position when deck raised to stow position)
* At the time, Deere Accel Deep deck was far superior in every way
* Deere deck much easier to remove/attach and can roll out from under tractor sideways (i.e., the deck wheels turn 90deg)
* on-the-fly mulch control door to easily switch mowing modes
* 4-year/300-hour warranty on Deere versus 3-year on Husky
* lower/wider rear footprint on Deere

Some of that stuff falls into the "nice to have" category, but other stuff absolutely costs more money and I think you get what you pay for. For $300 it was a no brainer. Even for $1000 you are getting value, if that stuff matters to you. Overall, I just got the impression that whoever designed the Deere made an effort to add valuable features and nice touches all the way around with this new 2016 model.

What was better about the Husky GT52:
*included a front brush guard versus Deere's minimal (though stouter) bumper
*included armrests on seat
*slightly larger diameter tires (may be a + or -)

Differences to the 2017 GT48:
* GT48 has a diff lock not on GT52 or X380
* GT48 (and YT42, YT48) has better deck than GT52 which is much closer to Deere for cut quality/performance

Overall, I got the impression that this is the same Husky design that has been around since 2013, underpinning the Husky GT and Sears Pro GT models, with different configuration and better deck. The GT48 is among the best optioned Husky model when you look at the engine, transmission/diff, and deck its configured with.

 

[Teachu2]

I appreciate the attempt at humor, but when I was shopping last year, the X380 ended up costing a mere $300 over the then-best Husky GT52XLS. For that $300 I saw a lot of nice touches and advantages on the Deere beyond those deck wheels (which you would adjust if you had dramatically different cutting heights to accommodate, as I do):

* Stouter frame and rear hitch area. I have long lamented that modern yard tractors are cheesily built compared to decades ago, so this matters to me and was a big bonus for Deere.
* Much nicer seat on the Deere -- night and day difference
* Deere has a an LCD instrument panel with diagnostics/etc
* cruise control easier to operate (button on dash versus lever on Husky)
* Deere has an actual electronic fuel gauge on dash (Husky has view window on the tank to see fuel level through translucent tank wall)
* Dial adjust for deck height with 1/4" resolution (retains position when deck raised to stow position)
* At the time, Deere Accel Deep deck was far superior in every way
* Deere deck much easier to remove/attach and can roll out from under tractor sideways (i.e., the deck wheels turn 90deg)
* on-the-fly mulch control door to easily switch mowing modes
* 4-year/300-hour warranty on Deere versus 3-year on Husky
* lower/wider rear footprint on Deere

Some of that stuff falls into the "nice to have" category, but other stuff absolutely costs more money and I think you get what you pay for. For $300 it was a no brainer. Even for $1000 you are getting value, if that stuff matters to you. Overall, I just got the impression that whoever designed the Deere made an effort to add valuable features and nice touches all the way around with this new 2016 model.

What was better about the Husky GT52:
*included a front brush guard versus Deere's minimal (though stouter) bumper
*included armrests on seat
*slightly larger diameter tires (may be a + or -)

Differences to the 2017 GT48:
* GT48 has a diff lock not on GT52 or X380
* GT48 (and YT42, YT48) has better deck than GT52 which is much closer to Deere for cut quality/performance

Overall, I got the impression that this is the same Husky design that has been around since 2013, underpinning the Husky GT and Sears Pro GT models, with different configuration and better deck. The GT48 is among the best optioned Husky model when you look at the engine, transmission/diff, and deck its configured with.

I agree with your summation, and wish to add a bit. One of the nicest features I've run across on the GT48 is the dual fuel valve - like older motorcycles, it has a "reserve". Two pick-ups at different heights. If I'm not paying attention to fuel level, it will flame out. Flip the seat forward, flip the fuel valve, and start it back up. Enough fuel to get back to base and then some.

The operator-controlled locking differential was a big thing in my application. The x380 is a superb lawn mower, without a doubt. If I had a gently sloping lawn where precise cutting height was a requirement, the x380 might well be in my tool shed. I don't have that lawn. I've got a small flat lawn (too small for a rider) surrounded by over an acre of hillside covered by native grass, weeds, and light brush. Much of it is steep, some very steep. For this application, the x570/590 was truly the minimum Deere. The GT48 was the only Husqvarna. The Deere would certainly do the job, and even been superior to the GT48, but the GT48 is more than adequate in this application. It's particular configuration is up to the task. Had the Deere that was up to the task been $1000 more, I probably would have paid the 33% premium and gotten the best - but not for twice as much.

 

[17 Oaks]

I have yet to see a compelling case for a JD, yet the HGT48 seems to fit my bill by being a mower and not another backhoe (already have one on my JD). NEED locking rear axle due to steep hills and the ground is rough, very rough so feel the fabbed mower deck is a must. Transitioning to mowing from just rough ground and using a BillyGoat to mow with, approx 4+ acres.

 

[FLS1216]

Seriously dude??? relax on the comparisons. the GT might be fine for you-- but it does not compare to X-380 Nobody that knows anything thinks the deck on Husky and X380 are equal. Its not even close. I highly doubt you have ever seen a X380 or X570 in person. I hope your husky lasts you longer than your last Husky. If you enjoy buying a new tractor every 4 or 5 years a husqvarna is a fine choice!!

Seriously dude!!! I spent a considerable amount of time at the John Deere dealer. Yes,I did look CLOSELY at both the X380 and the X570! The GT48DXLS fits my needs just fine. In case you haven't noticed the Husqvarna deck has been redesigned. It's called the ClearCut deck. This one's my "keeper". It should last a good 15-20 years or more no more hours than I put on one(less than 20 hrs/yr). I spent many hours researching mowers and ACTUALLY looking at them in person. The GT48DXLS with its level of equipment was the best value for me.

 

[17 Oaks]

Seriously dude!!! I spent a considerable amount of time at the John Deere dealer. Yes,I did look CLOSELY at both the X380 and the X570! The GT48DXLS fits my needs just fine. In case you haven't noticed the Husqvarna deck has been redesigned. It's called the ClearCut deck. This one's my "keeper". It should last a good 15-20 years or more no more hours than I put on one(less than 20 hrs/yr). I spent many hours researching mowers and ACTUALLY looking at them in person. The GT48DXLS with its level of equipment was the best value for me.

I am kinda where you are at on that...380, has a stouter frame and a real fuel gage, got to be more, lot more IMO. Since I have no intention of buying a snow plow here in S Tx, and I got a backhoe and FEL already.

Would like to buy into JD, I own one but its either 4wd or rear axle locker and 4wd in JD take the money into the low teen$ vs $3k large, advantage Husq in my book. Like I said, read every post on here and am still looking for a compelling advantage over the GT48D.

 

[airbiscuit]

Like I said, read every post on here and am still looking for a compelling advantage over the GT48D.

Exertion
* cruise control easier to operate (button on dash versus lever on Husky)

 

[17 Oaks]

Exertion
* cruise control easier to operate (button on dash versus lever on Husky)

LOL, FLAT LANDER! I could not use cruise control under any circumstances down here in the Texas "Hill Country": "The region is notable for its karst topography and tall rugged hills of limestone or granite.[1] Many of the hills rise to a height of 400-500 feet above the surrounding plains and valleys, with Packsaddle Mountain rising to a height of 800 feet above the Llano River in Kingsland.[2] The Hill Country also includes the Llano Uplift and the second-largest granite dome in the United States, Enchanted Rock. The terrain throughout the region is punctuated by a thin layer of topsoil and a large number of exposed rocks and boulders, making the region very dry and prone to flash flooding." Texas Hill Country - Wikipedia


Mowing is a both hands on the wheel and dodging, weaving, and going in out of locked axle, this is rugged terrain.

This is what I mow with now, one MEAN machine, goes forward, goes backward, want to turn then its power steering, STRONG ARM power steering and you are moving 355 lbs...arms feel like rubber at the end of a afternoon...