Teachu2
Platinum Member
A huge THANK YOU to all the folks who posted about this model. For the last three years, we have lived on five acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills, with some steep slopes and lots of oak trees. We have about half an acre of "lawn", the rest is native grasses and weeds. About two acres of that is sloped to the point that it was difficult to impossible to mow with our Deere L130, and the trees and rocks limited our Kioti tractor severely, so it got cut with weedwackers. This consumed a great deal of time and energy, so we started looking for a riding mower that could handle the terrain.
We eliminated all the box stores' wares. The closest city is Bakersfield, which has several established tractor dealers but lawn/garden tractors were limited to Kubota, Deere, and Sears. Kubota lacked an acceptable model, and Sears is too much of a crapshoot to gamble on. We'd nearly resigned ourselves to paying for a Deere X570 when the threads started popping up on the GT48DXLS. The local Husqvarna dealers listed on the website are chainsaw shops, with zero interest in selling a mower. My local lawnmower repair shop was briefly listed as a dealer on the website, but then wasn't - and I'd never seen a new mower on their tiny sales floor. I called them, and was told "We're GOING to be a dealer, soon" so I asked them to have the new owner call me regarding getting one of these. No call back, and the rumors about this model were flying about: "They are a special run, and not available in a CA version", "They were a special run, and are sold out", and "They don't exist". I finally located one at a dealer in Reno (8 hours each way), and was ready to buy it, when the local lawnmower guy called me and set the record straight - new model, available in CA version, in stock in the Nevada warehouse - and he'd been formally approved as a dealer that morning. Four business days later, it was prepped and delivered (late yesterday). First new mower they've ever sold - they'll remember me.
I spent a couple hours today attacking the slopes. This machine impressed and amazed me. It is, in my case, a perfect match. It climbs like a goat - the locking differential is far better than I'd even hoped. It's insanely nimble, allowing me to mow around trees with ease. It's very stable, and a joy to drive. It backs up with authority. It seems to be tough as nails - I was NOT gentle with it. The (standard) brushguard is a great feature, and got tested against brush, trees, and boulders. The mowing deck it outstanding - throws heavy 10-12" grass about 10', zero clogs. Seems like it will hold up to impacts well.
At this initial outing, I'm extremely happy. It meets my needs and exceeds my expectations, at half the price of the Deere, with a dealer who wants my business. Without the excellent information posted here by TBN members, I never would have known about this outstanding value. Thank you all! :thumbsup:
We eliminated all the box stores' wares. The closest city is Bakersfield, which has several established tractor dealers but lawn/garden tractors were limited to Kubota, Deere, and Sears. Kubota lacked an acceptable model, and Sears is too much of a crapshoot to gamble on. We'd nearly resigned ourselves to paying for a Deere X570 when the threads started popping up on the GT48DXLS. The local Husqvarna dealers listed on the website are chainsaw shops, with zero interest in selling a mower. My local lawnmower repair shop was briefly listed as a dealer on the website, but then wasn't - and I'd never seen a new mower on their tiny sales floor. I called them, and was told "We're GOING to be a dealer, soon" so I asked them to have the new owner call me regarding getting one of these. No call back, and the rumors about this model were flying about: "They are a special run, and not available in a CA version", "They were a special run, and are sold out", and "They don't exist". I finally located one at a dealer in Reno (8 hours each way), and was ready to buy it, when the local lawnmower guy called me and set the record straight - new model, available in CA version, in stock in the Nevada warehouse - and he'd been formally approved as a dealer that morning. Four business days later, it was prepped and delivered (late yesterday). First new mower they've ever sold - they'll remember me.
I spent a couple hours today attacking the slopes. This machine impressed and amazed me. It is, in my case, a perfect match. It climbs like a goat - the locking differential is far better than I'd even hoped. It's insanely nimble, allowing me to mow around trees with ease. It's very stable, and a joy to drive. It backs up with authority. It seems to be tough as nails - I was NOT gentle with it. The (standard) brushguard is a great feature, and got tested against brush, trees, and boulders. The mowing deck it outstanding - throws heavy 10-12" grass about 10', zero clogs. Seems like it will hold up to impacts well.
At this initial outing, I'm extremely happy. It meets my needs and exceeds my expectations, at half the price of the Deere, with a dealer who wants my business. Without the excellent information posted here by TBN members, I never would have known about this outstanding value. Thank you all! :thumbsup:
