JohnnyRebKY
New member
After spending a week with my used John Deere X340 I've developed a high opinion of it already. Bought it from original owner with 128 hours on it for 2700 bucks.
First of all its a heck of a machine. I love the big 25HP Kawasaki engine. Smooth as silk and starts easily. Not cold collared at all. I had a cub cadet for awhile with a 24hp Kohler Courage that was a powerfull engine. But it was cold collared as heck and loud. Just sitting for 20 mins would call for choking it again to start. The Kawasaki will start at a idle with a little choke and start the rest of the day at idle speed and no choke once it warmed up. Also the Kawasaki is much quieter and noticeably smoother. It mowed down some foot tall grass without even flinching. Heck of a engine!
The tractor and mower....what can I say, it's pure John Deere. Built well and flawless. Easily above the box store D series tractors at a glance. I considered a D170 from Home Depot for awhile but after straddling this X340 their was no comparison. ( sorry not knocking the D series but you get what you pay for). Different people have different needs. I live on a rugged 5 acres in Kentucky and needed a well built machine to handle the job. The D series I would have bent the wheel axles in 2 weeks. Of course I could have went for a 5 or 700 series tractor but I saw no need for the extra features. I have a farm tractor for heavy duty pulling and ground engaging. If I hadn't I would have given the X700s a closer look. But for mowing and pulling a cart around with sticks and dirt I see no less than 20 years of service from my JD. For the job it's intended for and it's size class it simply can't be beat IMO. Of course I can't deny I would love to have a 700 series but can't justify the cost for the job. If I needed a mower and a front end loader then it would be different. Besides I don't feel short cut by not buying a higher model. To me it was just more features to worry about fixing and a little larger scale. The 340 is a bare knuckles riding tractor that's built right and has little to go wrong. Right now I just need a mower and the X340 is above and beyond any other riding mower I looked at in its class.
Other features...I'm 6'2 and 230 pounds and I'm very comfortable on it. The seat feels good and more than enough leg room. The controls are easily laid out and function perfectly. Power steering? Heck no, this mower doesn't need it. Effortless steering that's tight and responsive at the lightest of touch. It has the feel and ride of a premium machine. The traction is also far better than the box store cub I had. It mows my steep hill with no spinning or sliding at all. The cub was sliding down the hill even with brake applied and was getting dangerouse. The JD handles it like a pro.
Anyhow just wanted to write this for other potential X340 buyers. They quit making the X340 now so if you can snag a used one for cheap like I did you won't regret. I think they quit the X340 to move the 25hp to a higher class. All the 300 series are 22hp now. I guess it was cutting into x500 sales because of the HP and deck size. Just my theory though. If anyone knows do tell
One bad thing though....I'm 29 years old and its hard to imagine I will still be mowing on this mower when I'm 50:confused2: my dad had a 1980 JD 116 for 19 years and a GT235 for 13 years now. Time sure flies!
First of all its a heck of a machine. I love the big 25HP Kawasaki engine. Smooth as silk and starts easily. Not cold collared at all. I had a cub cadet for awhile with a 24hp Kohler Courage that was a powerfull engine. But it was cold collared as heck and loud. Just sitting for 20 mins would call for choking it again to start. The Kawasaki will start at a idle with a little choke and start the rest of the day at idle speed and no choke once it warmed up. Also the Kawasaki is much quieter and noticeably smoother. It mowed down some foot tall grass without even flinching. Heck of a engine!
The tractor and mower....what can I say, it's pure John Deere. Built well and flawless. Easily above the box store D series tractors at a glance. I considered a D170 from Home Depot for awhile but after straddling this X340 their was no comparison. ( sorry not knocking the D series but you get what you pay for). Different people have different needs. I live on a rugged 5 acres in Kentucky and needed a well built machine to handle the job. The D series I would have bent the wheel axles in 2 weeks. Of course I could have went for a 5 or 700 series tractor but I saw no need for the extra features. I have a farm tractor for heavy duty pulling and ground engaging. If I hadn't I would have given the X700s a closer look. But for mowing and pulling a cart around with sticks and dirt I see no less than 20 years of service from my JD. For the job it's intended for and it's size class it simply can't be beat IMO. Of course I can't deny I would love to have a 700 series but can't justify the cost for the job. If I needed a mower and a front end loader then it would be different. Besides I don't feel short cut by not buying a higher model. To me it was just more features to worry about fixing and a little larger scale. The 340 is a bare knuckles riding tractor that's built right and has little to go wrong. Right now I just need a mower and the X340 is above and beyond any other riding mower I looked at in its class.
Other features...I'm 6'2 and 230 pounds and I'm very comfortable on it. The seat feels good and more than enough leg room. The controls are easily laid out and function perfectly. Power steering? Heck no, this mower doesn't need it. Effortless steering that's tight and responsive at the lightest of touch. It has the feel and ride of a premium machine. The traction is also far better than the box store cub I had. It mows my steep hill with no spinning or sliding at all. The cub was sliding down the hill even with brake applied and was getting dangerouse. The JD handles it like a pro.
Anyhow just wanted to write this for other potential X340 buyers. They quit making the X340 now so if you can snag a used one for cheap like I did you won't regret. I think they quit the X340 to move the 25hp to a higher class. All the 300 series are 22hp now. I guess it was cutting into x500 sales because of the HP and deck size. Just my theory though. If anyone knows do tell
One bad thing though....I'm 29 years old and its hard to imagine I will still be mowing on this mower when I'm 50:confused2: my dad had a 1980 JD 116 for 19 years and a GT235 for 13 years now. Time sure flies!
