New X300 owner

[Axeman]

Just picked it up a couple of days ago and really like it. I had a Craftsman GT before till it caught fire a few months ago and burned to the ground. The JD seems pretty well made. There's a lot of palstic on it but then there was a lot of plastic on the Craftsman as well. (It shot black smoke up into the sky as it burned) The cut quality of the JD is much better than the GT ever was, even when it was new. The turn radius has the GT beaten hands down. It is also noticeably quieter running. Also, it takes up a lot less space in my shed.

I bought this tractor with a little trepidation after having just bought a MF GC2300 a while back. The Maschio finish mower that I bought just didn't cut as well as I had hoped it would and that was probably because I had been used to the GT before. It would be great for mowing pastures and fields and such but it just didn't do it for me. I'll probably take the loss and try to sell the Maschio. The JD seems to be about as fast and it certainly can cut closer to the retaining walls, bushes, deck and other obstacles that I have to mow around.

I would certainly recommend this mower to anyone who is willing to spend that much $$ for it (which I was obviously) The 0 down, 0 interest and 0 payments for one year certainly helped my decision. Now I just need to be sure I have it payed off before the year runs out and before the interest kicks in.

 

[CATMAN]

Axeman; Did you get the 42" mulching deck? If you did, did you happen to look underneath the deck after mowing to see how much moist grass was stuck to the underside of the deck, if any? I, too, am interested in this JD model. Do you feel it is quiet enough running to operate without ear plugs/muffs? Thanks, enjoy your new machine.

 

[Gittyup]

I'd stay away from the mulching kit, especially with your climate. Grass needs to be real dry to be effective and you have to cut more often. It'll clog up easily, even if you use slip plate.

I'm in Maryland. I took mine off (425, 54" deck) after one season. Cut quality is much better with standard blades and discharge.

 

[Axeman]

Axeman; Did you get the 42" mulching deck? If you did, did you happen to look underneath the deck after mowing to see how much moist grass was stuck to the underside of the deck, if any? I, too, am interested in this JD model. Do you feel it is quiet enough running to operate without ear plugs/muffs? Thanks, enjoy your new machine.

Actually, I got the mulching kit but they didn't have one in stock the day I got the mower so I took it home and mowed without it. It mowed beautifully using the sidedischarge but my wife has alwasy complained about the grass lines. I had my 14 year old daughter go out and rake up the clippings on the side of the house that we can see from our kitchen but the big back yard (over an acre) I just left like I always have. It's been really dry here over the past week or so and would be a perfect time for mulching.

The engine is very quiet (compared to my old Craftsman GT) and you could easily run it without ear protection.

 

[Keef]

Congratuations on your JD. I wanted that one as well, but could not afford it. Ended up with the JD LA135 which I also love. Since my lot size is under an acre it should be ok. I mulch at the end of the day when the grass is dry. Not sure if I want to put the hose on my deck and clean underneath. Does the water cause the blades to get dull? My older mower does not get grass caught up underneath so I am assuming it would be the same with my newer mower.

 

[steveky]

I've been looking at those also. Drove one about a month ago, love that Kawasaki engine, very quiet and smooth. Also looked at the Kubota T2080, liked the mulching deck on the Kubota, very simple design. The Kubota was about $700 higher...but I'm still using my 28" high vac snapper. The best thing about the snapper is the Honda engine...the rest I'm very disappointed with. Anyway congratulations on your new machine.

Steve