john deere x 500

pittfan924 · May 4, 2012

Wondering about the john deere x 500 anybody use it on a hilly slope salesman says it can do the job, I am a little nervous about it. I also want to get the bagger and snow thrower.

rekees4300 · May 4, 2012

The salesman speaks the truth. Recommend the X500 highly. It's an awesome mower that climbs hills like a Billy Goat! Be sure to get the knobby rear tires. I think they are referred to as type CDAP? No opinion on the bagger or snow thrower since I don't have those.

Ledgemere Farm · May 4, 2012

HDAP (Heavy-Duty All-Purpose).

get wheel weights too. You wont be sorry. x-500 is the entry level GARDEN tractor series and has differential lock, which you will want. Dont be tempted by anything less.

sparc · May 4, 2012

The 47" snowblower for the x500 series is awesome! I am so glad I got mine when I did, just in time for those big snows we had back in 2010/11. We got hit pretty good for this part of the country with 70+ inches of snow that winter. In comparison barely a flurry this past winter, i never even started it up. Wife says I mounted/dismounted the snowblower for nothing. I said I'd rather do that three times than shovel our drive even once.

The Powerflow bagger system is good too. I think they could have done a little better on the bag design and how they sit in the frame. A lot of grass accumulates at the top that you have to clear away by hand or the bag will not seat in the frame properly after you empty it. I never had that problem on my previous JD mower.

There is a difference in the weight of the machine over smaller series lawn mowers like the LA1xx series. Depending on your lawn you may see ruts develop if you run in the same mowing pattern too often. I alternate between four patterns to avoid this, but I've always done it with whatever size mower I had.

pittfan924 · May 6, 2012

Thanks so much for the help, I was back to the dealer and they want what I thought was a lot of money for the hdap tires instead of just switching them for free, it narrows the cost of the 500 and the 530 anybody think I should go for the 530, I know it has power steering and hydro lift, other than that is it the same tractor?

Eric Barney · May 6, 2012

I bought the X540. For the hydraulics, and more importantly, the water cooled engine. The steering is great, and the engine is even better! It is very quiet.

rekees4300 · May 6, 2012

pittfan924 said:
I know it has power steering and hydro lift, other than that is it the same tractor?

The JD website has the specs for both models. On the X500 the steering is very easy even though the tractor with 54" deck weighs around 800 lbs. The deck lift on the X500 uses a foot pedal on the left side. It's also easy to use. There's something to be said for simplicity. If a part doesn't exist then it will never break. Hard to believe the dealer would charge for the HDAP tires. Maybe time to talk to a different dealer?

JohnDeere Lawn Tractors Select Series X500 JohnDeere.com

Scooby074 · May 6, 2012

I had a x540. Hydraulics are awesome and worth the added money. Liquid cooled is great too.

The diff lock cant be beat. I mowed a 20*+ slope with no issues.

Very good mower. Better than my BX for sure. Fast, quiet and smooth.

WilliamBos · May 6, 2012

Had an x500 loaner for a few weeks, biggest dissappointment was how they guzzle the gas! They are thirsty, expecially when worked. Other than that, nice mower.

Eric Barney · May 6, 2012

The hydraulic steering is interesting in that there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel, and the steering linkage. That is why 'tilt wheel' is only on the models with the hydraulic steering.
The liquid cooled engine is slightly less displacement, and is the same HP as it's air cooled cousin. It seems logical that the L/C engine may get better fuel mileage. No doubt that the L/C engine will last longer..

The only reported issue relating to reliability with these X5 series tractors seems to be the PTO clutches. They are the same on all the X5's, so that won't factor in your decision.

Daddyman · May 7, 2012

I use my X500 to clear trails on my small Texas hill country ranch, which is very steep and rocky. It goes over just about everything. When the wheels spin, I lock the differential. If I am pulling a load like my ABI Gravel Rascal and it still spins, I put weights on front or back. I'm still not comfortable going across a slope of over 15 per cent, though, with a mower.

pittfan924 · May 9, 2012

Waiting till June to see if the x500 goes back on special right now it is the x534. Thanks for your feedback, I will post a pic when I get it.

Eric Barney · May 9, 2012

My X540 was $400 off. Not a big deal, but financing through JD yielded suprisingly low interest. It was less than 1/2 of the rate that my credit union could give. Right around 4%! I did put around 1/3 down though.

Hope you get one soon. I am enjoying using my X540 very much.

pittfan924 · Jun 4, 2012

Anybody know what happened to the x520, dealer said it was discontinued.

Eric Barney · Jun 4, 2012

Helping the neighbors with their yard today, I got stuck in a pit of sand. Pushed the diff lock, and Wow! The X540 leaped right out of the pit!

malichi1999 · Oct 4, 2012

I recently bought an X500 and really like it. I am new to using a heavier duty garden tractor. Can anyone help me determine the best attachment for leveling out some low spots in an existing lawn? Some of the areas are relatively large around 15x15 ft and need to come up 2 to 3 inches and have established grass. Others are smaller and deeper. What attachment would be good for this or is too small to bother with an attachment and do it by hand? Thanks.

Gator6x4 · Oct 4, 2012

malichi1999 said:
I recently bought an X500 and really like it. I am new to using a heavier duty garden tractor. Can anyone help me determine the best attachment for leveling out some low spots in an existing lawn? Some of the areas are relatively large around 15x15 ft and need to come up 2 to 3 inches and have established grass. Others are smaller and deeper. What attachment would be good for this or is too small to bother with an attachment and do it by hand? Thanks.

My suggestion would be to purchase a dump truck load of top soil, hire someone with a front end loader to move and distribute the top soil, rake and seed. If you have access to top soil, hire someone to move and distribute.

Scooby074 · Oct 4, 2012

There isnt a magic attachment to level ground. A shovel and a dump trailer are your friends.

About the only other thing I would suggest would be a drag to pull behind your tractor to finish grade once the topsoil is placed. It can be home made. Just some chainlink fence and a piece of 8x8 wood or I beam if you want to get fancy.