Which X-series (if any)?

[ArkCivEngr]

After doing some chicken-scratch (that's Arkansas hillbilly lingo for calculatious /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) I've discovered that I can trade in my GX335 for an X-series garden tractor with little additional pain-in-the-wallet. I mow a bit over 5 acres and I think the 62" deck will help knock my mowing time down considerably. The next question would be, which one? Each seems to have its own merits, although I'm a bit leery of the X485--electronic fuel injection appears to be a "bell and whistle" item that might prove troublesome down the road. Or is that fear unfounded? Seems like I read somewhere that the fuel injected X485 would get much better fuel economy than the X475 with the carbuerator. And am I right in assuming the diesel in the X495 will get better fuel economy than the other two? I'm also inclined to think the diesel will far outlast the gas engines.

Any experience/info/insight with any of these machines would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JDFANATIC]

Ark,

If it were me, I would gravitate towards the X595 diesel -- but wait, what if you could get the same power in a sub-CUT, gaining hydraulic capacity, frame, greater loader capacity, rear PTO without additional kits, and a CAT-1 3PH (yes I know it's limited, but only as to lift height)? And what if I were to tell you that this would come in an more economic package, and when the time came to sell or trade it, it would hold its value better! Fastforward to the 21st century; the 2210 is here!

With 5 acres, immediately the 62C MMM comes to mind. BTW, I'm NOT knocking the X, it IS an awesome tractor, but there are some practical realities you should consider. They are very similar to the ones that brought me from a 755 to a 425 and now to a 2210. Don't let history repeat itself! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[BarryinMN]

I have a JD 455 (X series predecessor) Bought used in '02 with 20 hours on it.

Contrasting to old mower a JD 140 46" deck the fuel consumption was ~ 2 gal & 4 hours mow time. From 1970 to 2002. 1 engine rebuild in late 90's.

Newer diesel 60" deck, fuel: fill in May & refill in Aug. Mow time dropped to 1-1.5 hours. Trimming is easier because the deck sticks out from the wheels further.

I put a used cat 0 3 pt on it & with attachments does all my yard work & minor road patching.

 

[ArkCivEngr]

The X will be mostly for mowing and light/medium hauling with an 18 cart. I'm still planning on getting a 990 later this year for my grading, driveway, and logging work. I looked at a 2210 early on in my search process, but I don't think it'll handle some of the bigger chores I have in mind. Besides that, I plan on getting the 8B hoe with my 990, and up until just recently (as seen in another post), a hoe wasn't available for the 2210.

Belive me, I've thought about this a million different ways /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif, and there's just no way I can do everything wih a 2210. Besides, isn't it better to have 2 pieces of equipment than just one? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JDFANATIC]

Ark,

I'm not sure how to respond to this. Your original subject line referenced the X-series. Now you're into the x90 series and talking about a whole new set of variables. What exactly is it that you're looking for? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[ctc1111]

The x90 series are great tractors for grading and what not i used to have a 790. But the thing i don't like about it is its a manual tranny. If your doing a lot of loader work were your going back and forth all the time especially snow removal like we do here in northeast mass, you'll be replacing the clutch every year or two which can get costly.

I had invoices wrote up for both the X595 and the 2210. The X595 was more than the 2210 (on both the invoices i had front blade, weights, FEL, Cab, ect..) The 2210 just seemed like a lot more tractor for less money, so i went with the 2210. If i were you i would minimize it to one tractor and look into the 4xxx series it would probibly in the long run be cheaper to get one tractor that can do it all than get two that both have limited abilities.

Good Luck!
Collin Corso

2005 JD2210 FEL, 54 Front Blade, Loaded Turfs, Ballast Box

 

[BarryinMN]

Sounds like he wants a faster lawnmower & TLB.

I had 30 yards of class 5 gravel dropped to level out in front of barn. My lawnmower with a 72" rake would have taken all day to drag it out. Added a TLB & it took a total of 2 hours.

TLB is old 60 hp but same concept.

 

[jcmseven]

ACE,
If you are looking to trade to an X series, go with the x595/495 over the others. The diesel is superior in performance and economy to the gasoline engines, and will last much longer also. I had a 485 before my 595 (I no longer own either -went to a 4310). I can tell you there is a huge difference in performance, especially if you choose the larger mowing deck. I think it would be well worth the extra money to go diesel and 4wd if you can. With regard to posts about the 2210, to me, it is the best tractor for the money John Deere offers. It will do exactly what the 595 will do, but no more, unless you get the loader, where there is a substantial difference. I have several times in this forum recommended the 2210 over the 595, even though I owned a 595. In your particular case though, it seems large volume mowing is your primary task. In that case, the 595, if close in price, would be a bit better choice. I have used both, and found in that specific instance the 595 was slightly smoother, rode better and seemed slightly more responsive than did the 2210. This is a minor difference, but may be noticable after several times on the machine. Finally, I have an interesting point: prior to my purchase of the 485, I had a top of the line ZTR with a 60" deck. I regularly mow for my elderly parents, and have timed myself with various machines on their 3.5 acres over the years. The 595 with a 62" deck mowed the same acreage within 8 minutes of the ZTR, and the cut was better! And, you can do so many other things with it! I assume the 2210 would be equally productive. Just food for thought.

John M.

 

[ArkCivEngr]

Fanatic,

Sorry about the confusion. I'm supposed to confuse people at my place of work, not on here. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The reason for two machines is two separate, and rather large, tasks. I do a lot of mowing, and as I clear and clean up more areas around here (20 acres), that mowing task will only get bigger. But the logging and grading work will require more muscle, hence the need for the 990. As another poster here has mentioned, I have looked into the possibility of something like a 4310 to do both jobs, but several things held me back from that: 1, I'm not convinced the mid-mount mower decks on those mid-size CUTs can give me the same cut as a garden tractor. 2, I would have to have industrial tires as a balance between heavier work and mowing, and I'm sure that industrial tires won't give me the traction I need for dirt/logging work. 3, the electronics on those 4000-ten series give me the shivers. I know, a lot of people have sung their praises, but everytime I look at one, all I see is a bunch of wires hanging all over the place, and I can't help but think that it will lead to problems. 4, lighter duties such as sweeping clippings, hauling firewood, mulch, and shrubs just seems to be more suited to a garden tractor.

Clear as mud? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[RalphVa]

Diesel compared to carbureted gas is 50% more efficient. Fuel injection on a gas engine increases fuel efficiency around 35-40%.

This is based on lots of data that we engineers accumulated on our own vehicles back in the last 1970s and early 1980s. Gas engine economy was 30 mpg-ton. Diesel was 45 mpg-ton. Currently, my fuel-injected, computer-controlled, gas-engined vehicles are getting 40-43 mpg-ton. Haven't seen enough data on computer-controlled diesel vehicles to compute the numbers. Think the thermodynamic effects of diesel vs. gas are about 20%: e.g. heavier diesel fuel with more Btu/gallon and cooler exhaust due to higher compression ratio. So, if both engines were injected and computer-controlled, guess this is the advantages for diesel.

Ralph