garchib
Gold Member
Anybody have any info on the quality of this unit ? I like the fact it has a Kawasaki engine. What is the MSRP on this baby ? Any help would be appreciated.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
New Holland Yard Tractors - MY17....
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Baucom
Gold Member
This unit is the same as a Toro 417xt or a GT420. As for the NH msrp, I don't know, but Toro has the msrp listed on their website as 4539 + deck. I have very ltd. experience with Toro/Wheel Horse products, as it is limited to using my grandfather's Toro 2xx-xx with a 14 hp Kohler and 44" deck probably 8-10 years ago. However, that mower served him quite well for several years, and is still being used to cut my uncle's yard. Based on this experience with Toro products, the build quality should be quite good. Toro is a manufacturer with a steller reputation for quality, along the lines of Cub Cadet, Simplicity, and even Deere. If the price was right I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of these NH clones.
As for Kawasaki engines, I love them. I haven't found any small gas engine, except possibly Honda, that runs as quiet and smooth as these little Kawasakis. The LC 20 hp unit on our 345 hasn't given us a second of trouble in over 4 yrs, and it has always had plenty of power to pull the 54" deck, even in tall, wet, grass.
If you check the price on that NH, I'd be interested to know how it compares to the price of an equivalent Toro.
As for Kawasaki engines, I love them. I haven't found any small gas engine, except possibly Honda, that runs as quiet and smooth as these little Kawasakis. The LC 20 hp unit on our 345 hasn't given us a second of trouble in over 4 yrs, and it has always had plenty of power to pull the 54" deck, even in tall, wet, grass.
If you check the price on that NH, I'd be interested to know how it compares to the price of an equivalent Toro.
Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( can't be too much of a markup in a $3000 lawn mower! )</font>
Probably right. My dealer was pricing mine at $200 under the $2899 MSRP on the website. I guess that's about 7% discount.
Probably right. My dealer was pricing mine at $200 under the $2899 MSRP on the website. I guess that's about 7% discount.
Joe1
Platinum Member
There must be a tremendous markup on these things. I just purchased a "left over" new 2004 Toro 417XT with .9 hrs on it. It was in the showroom mostly, with little time outside. The list per the website is $4,539.00 without a deck. He was asking $3,600.00. I was looking at a Husky GT2548 next to it and kept hemming and hawing. After going in several times, I ended getting the Toro for $3,200.00 (just under 30% off, and a price he offered, not me) plus $999.00 for the 48" deck. The dealer mentioned that the $3,600.00 was around his cost on the tractor.
It's 132 lbs heavier than a Husky/Craftsmen with a 54" deck. Not knocking Craftsmen or Husky, but the point is that the tractor is just much more heavilly built. The Kawasaki is pretty quite, but the deck with the mulching blades is really noisy. The 17 hp seems to have plenty of power for the deck, but it hasn't had to cut anything really long yet. It handles wet stuff pretty well.
When I would sit on the Husky and rock my 200 lbs back and forth, I could feel a fair amount of motion. On the Toro, there wasn't anything; it was rock solid. I don't know if it's because the Toro had a much flatter profile to the tires than the more rounded turfs on the Husky, or if the frame was just that much stiffer. It was the whole tractor rocking, not just the seat.
You really need to make sure that whatever you get that you fit comfortably and can reach everything. On the Husky, If I had the seat forward, I had a hard time getting my 5' 10" self on and off. With the seat to the rear, I got on fine, but I couldn't get the pedal all the way down without having to slide forward on the seat. That would mean: get on seat back, operate with seat forward, get off seat back. Fortunately it had a handy slide lever (unlike the Toro which has two big wing nuts under the seat for adjustment). Easy seat adjustment on the Toro isn't an issue since I set it for myself and I get on and off and reach everything without a problem. I hate the word ergonomics, but the ergonomics on the Toro are excellent, at least for my average size.
Before I bought it, I didn't think it would make much difference whether the hydrostat ran from foot control as on the Toro or the lever in the fender as on the Craftsman/Husky, but after using the Toro, I'm glad I got foot control. It takes a fair amount of effort to steer when stopped, and it would be tough to move the hand lever throttle and steer at the same time when starting out. The LX417 is now called the GT420 which has neither power steering nor power deck lift. The GT430 has a 19 hp Kawasaki, power deck lift and power steering but is quite a bit more expensive. The deck lift on the 417 takes a fair amount of effort to get it to rise. Any average male and most females can do it without a problem. The tilt wheel is also a nice feature and the cruise control maintains the speed perfectly. The mow in reverse key switch under the seat works easily and unless you shut the tractor off or disengage the electric PTO, the mow in reverse switch stays activated. Some people deactivate the mow in revers, but it is so easy to use, it isn't worth the effort. It holds 4 gallons of fuel and seems to burn around a gallon per hour or less, and it's only got 5 hrs on it. There isn't room on the dash for any more instruments other than the hour meter, so if you wanted a tach, or oil pressure gauge it would be a tight squeeze. A tach on this would not be necessary for me as I start it at half throttle and engage the deck at half throttle and mow wide open. Also, this engine DOES NOT BACKFIRE when shutting down. A super smooth powerplant.
Back to your original question. If you want the Toro/New Holland, I'd go for the one that had better dealer service and the best price. Kawasaki claims they will double the engine warranty if you use their oil exclusively. It's really expensive, but it makes for a cheap extended warranty. The dealer called and Kawasaki said they would honor it through the dealer.
Sorry for the long post, but it's a premium price for the tractor and you can get an AYP product with the same or larger deck and more HP for a lot less, so I thought I'd throw my input your way for whatever it's worth.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
It's 132 lbs heavier than a Husky/Craftsmen with a 54" deck. Not knocking Craftsmen or Husky, but the point is that the tractor is just much more heavilly built. The Kawasaki is pretty quite, but the deck with the mulching blades is really noisy. The 17 hp seems to have plenty of power for the deck, but it hasn't had to cut anything really long yet. It handles wet stuff pretty well.
When I would sit on the Husky and rock my 200 lbs back and forth, I could feel a fair amount of motion. On the Toro, there wasn't anything; it was rock solid. I don't know if it's because the Toro had a much flatter profile to the tires than the more rounded turfs on the Husky, or if the frame was just that much stiffer. It was the whole tractor rocking, not just the seat.
You really need to make sure that whatever you get that you fit comfortably and can reach everything. On the Husky, If I had the seat forward, I had a hard time getting my 5' 10" self on and off. With the seat to the rear, I got on fine, but I couldn't get the pedal all the way down without having to slide forward on the seat. That would mean: get on seat back, operate with seat forward, get off seat back. Fortunately it had a handy slide lever (unlike the Toro which has two big wing nuts under the seat for adjustment). Easy seat adjustment on the Toro isn't an issue since I set it for myself and I get on and off and reach everything without a problem. I hate the word ergonomics, but the ergonomics on the Toro are excellent, at least for my average size.
Before I bought it, I didn't think it would make much difference whether the hydrostat ran from foot control as on the Toro or the lever in the fender as on the Craftsman/Husky, but after using the Toro, I'm glad I got foot control. It takes a fair amount of effort to steer when stopped, and it would be tough to move the hand lever throttle and steer at the same time when starting out. The LX417 is now called the GT420 which has neither power steering nor power deck lift. The GT430 has a 19 hp Kawasaki, power deck lift and power steering but is quite a bit more expensive. The deck lift on the 417 takes a fair amount of effort to get it to rise. Any average male and most females can do it without a problem. The tilt wheel is also a nice feature and the cruise control maintains the speed perfectly. The mow in reverse key switch under the seat works easily and unless you shut the tractor off or disengage the electric PTO, the mow in reverse switch stays activated. Some people deactivate the mow in revers, but it is so easy to use, it isn't worth the effort. It holds 4 gallons of fuel and seems to burn around a gallon per hour or less, and it's only got 5 hrs on it. There isn't room on the dash for any more instruments other than the hour meter, so if you wanted a tach, or oil pressure gauge it would be a tight squeeze. A tach on this would not be necessary for me as I start it at half throttle and engage the deck at half throttle and mow wide open. Also, this engine DOES NOT BACKFIRE when shutting down. A super smooth powerplant.
Back to your original question. If you want the Toro/New Holland, I'd go for the one that had better dealer service and the best price. Kawasaki claims they will double the engine warranty if you use their oil exclusively. It's really expensive, but it makes for a cheap extended warranty. The dealer called and Kawasaki said they would honor it through the dealer.
Sorry for the long post, but it's a premium price for the tractor and you can get an AYP product with the same or larger deck and more HP for a lot less, so I thought I'd throw my input your way for whatever it's worth.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.