x320/x324 steering and deck height

[jinman]

I have decided to buy my brother either an x320 or x324 for his birthday. He has never been able to buy anything but the average $1000 mower and never owned an HST. After about 5 years, his cheaper mowers need some good/regular maintenance and he just can't do it due to severe handicaps. His current Huskee from TSC is DOA. I'm sure I could get it going, but I find keeping my mowers going is about all the mower work I want to do. I'll buy him a good quality JD and then have it serviced by the local dealer at least twice per year. Also, the x3xx mowers have a 4 year standard warranty and currently have a $500 discount and 12 months no interest if paid off in a year. I could pay cash for it, but I will not turn down free cash for a year.

But, to my question I go. How hard is the steering on the x320 and x324? Does the addition of AWS make the steering effort harder? Easier? How about the deck height adjustment with the right foot pedal? My brother wears a brace on his right knee and can't push with a lot of effort. I know that the JD specs say this is spring assisted, but how does it operate long-term?

I can check both these things when I go to the dealer for a test drive, but most JD dealers around here have gravel or paved lots. I wonder how the steering works in high grass and if the deck level can easily be adjusted on the fly with the pedal? I know my brother will love HST and being able to set cruise, but I don't want to make it harder on him to adjust deck height than mowers that have a hand lever instead.

I really not interested in other models of mowers, used mowers, etc., etc. I did consider a ZTR, but he just doesn't need the rough ride associated with them. I don't think I can afford that much for his birthday present anyhow.

 

[jc21]

I have a 2007 X320 and unless they've changed it, the lift pedal is on the left side of the tractor- the pedal on the right above the forward/reverse pedals is the brake. That may or may not be an issue- I find I almost never use the brake other than starting or parking the tractor and that includes a very steep hill on the walkout side of the basement. I have hip and knee replacements and had another surgery on my right knee last year- I had no issues operating the tractor other than lifting my leg up to pedal to start and park the tractor.

I don't find the lift pedal effort excessive and it is adjustable- there's a 13 mm nut at the front of the tractor to adjust spring tension for lighter or heavier implements such as the 44" snowblower. there's some leeway to lessen the effort; too much and the deck won't stay down. It's very easy to adjust the deck height- push the pedal to raise the deck, lock it, turn the dial (it's below your legs) to the height you want, lower the deck- done. I stop to do it- it takes but a few seconds ........... I like to pay attention where I'm going.

Steering effort is very low and kickback is minimal- I (nor my wife) see no need for power steering at all though I'd note the steering effort goes up significantly with the 44" snowblower on front- that's a lot of weight hanging out front. The turning radius is tight (16" iirc) and for me the four wheel steering was unneccessary and not worth the added cost. If your brother's property has a large number of individual trees or bushes that could be a different story. I don't know about the AWS steering effort. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "high grass" but I've mowed neglected areas of the "boulevard" near the house (6" to 8" or more) in two passes- steering effort changed little.

There's always the X360 with power steering and hydraulic lift if the steering and lift effort of the X320 is too much but I don't think that will be the case. My only real concern would be the brake pedal (it was mine) and it made me look at a lot of other brands but for me in the end it proved to be a non issue.

In almost four years and 400 hours I have three complaints.

1. No fuel gauge- unacceptable in this price range imho. Fuel level is checked by looking at the tank (it's translucent) from the rear and it's hard to see when it gets dirty which it does. You always seem to run out of gas when you are the farthest from the garage.

2. Dust in the headlights. The headlights aren't sealed well and dust gets in covering the bulbs and reflectors greatly lowering output. Not generally an issue mowing but I often snowblow at night- the loss of light is noticeable.

3. Seat upholstery- it developed wrinkles and creases which eventually cracked. JD replaced the seat under warranty (only 2 years when I bought mine) and the replacement seat has done the same thing.

When it's all said and done, if I were in the market again at the same price point, the X320 would still be my first choice- it's been one heck of a little workhorse.

 

[jinman]

Thanks jc21, for the detailed response. That's exactly the info I needed. I'm glad you corrected me about the location of the lift pedal. I thought it was odd being on the right side, so the left side makes much more sense. I think my brother can handle that brake pedal without a problem.

You mentioned the lack of a fuel gage. I know the tank is 3.3 gallons. I figured maybe 1/2 gallon per hour, so about 6 hours mow time on a tank. Have you kept up with that?

I'm also concerned about my brother hitting something or going high center on his blades. What concerns me is the electric PTO. On my LA145, the strap that holds the PTO broke. I truly don't remember hitting anything, but my wife also uses the mower. In any case, the PTO spun and ripped the wires loose. I felt like the PTO clutch should have been built to slip under shock loads without tearing itself apart. Perhaps that also is too much to ask for this level of mower. Anyhow, the PTO clutch on the JD website looks identical to mine in my LA145, so that might be an issue at some point.

You said your seat cracked. Do you keep the mower under a cover or in a shed? Did the seat cover split from just normal use? My seat on my LA145 is nearly as deluxe as the x320 seat, but it is perfect after 3 years. I'm surprised the quality of the seat is not as good on the x320.

Thanks again for the info. I'd buy him an x360, but I have been thinking of getting him a golf cart too and I couldn't afford both with the x360.

 

[jc21]

Not very scientific but I mow 2 1/2 acres on a tankful and when I finish there isn't much left........... 4 to 5 hours is probably more like it. The seat has me puzzled and a bit disappointed. The tractor is stored in an unheated attached garage with a concrete floor. I'm in the process of writing a letter to JD and hope they might "goodwill" the seat- a new one is $140+. I know a couple of people at the dealership fairly well (I trust what they say) and they indicated to me that it wasn't a common thing. I'm sure the fact that I'm a pretty big boy (285+) doesn't help. The rest of the tractor still looks great.

 

[littlemike]

I don't find the lift pedal effort excessive and it is adjustable

Agree. I did notice the pedal effort increased when the assist spring broke :laughing:, although even that wasn't too bad, but it's definitely just a light press on the

pedal when working normally.

I don't know about the AWS steering effort.

I have the X324, and the steering effort is light. After years of driving a 210 (which was an upper body workout), this almost feels like power steering! I don't feel the need for power steering, and the AWS makes it incredibly maneuverable. I can cut around 10" diameter trees (and I have a lot of trees). Not zero-turn-radius like Z-mowers, but I find myself able to go down narrow passages and make a sharp U-turn. It cuts mowing time dramatically.

In almost four years and 400 hours I have three complaints.

1. No fuel gauge- unacceptable in this price range imho. Fuel level is checked by looking at the tank (it's translucent) from the rear and it's hard to see when it gets dirty which it does. You always seem to run out of gas when you are the farthest from the garage.

2. Dust in the headlights. The headlights aren't sealed well and dust gets in covering the bulbs and reflectors greatly lowering output. Not generally an issue mowing but I often snowblow at night- the loss of light is noticeable.

3. Seat upholstery- it developed wrinkles and creases which eventually cracked. JD replaced the seat under warranty (only 2 years when I bought mine) and the replacement seat has done the same thing.

In six years and 200 hours, I have the same 3 complaints. Especially about running out of gas way out yonder. :laughing: But none about the transmission, cutting uphill, general build quality, etc. It did spit out a traction belt recently, but that might have been due to leafy debris around the various pulleys. Bottom line, I am getting my money's worth out of this machine.​

 

[littlemike]

I don't find the lift pedal effort excessive and it is adjustable

Agree. I did notice the pedal effort increased when the assist spring broke :laughing:, although even that wasn't too bad, but it's definitely just a light press on the

pedal when working normally.

I don't know about the AWS steering effort.

I have the X324, and the steering effort is light. After years of driving a 210 (which was an upper body workout), this almost feels like power steering! I don't feel the need for power steering, and the AWS makes it incredibly maneuverable. I can cut around 10" diameter trees (and I have a lot of trees). Not zero-turn-radius like Z-mowers, but I find myself able to go down narrow passages and make a sharp U-turn. It cuts mowing time dramatically.

In almost four years and 400 hours I have three complaints.

1. No fuel gauge- unacceptable in this price range imho. Fuel level is checked by looking at the tank (it's translucent) from the rear and it's hard to see when it gets dirty which it does. You always seem to run out of gas when you are the farthest from the garage.

2. Dust in the headlights. The headlights aren't sealed well and dust gets in covering the bulbs and reflectors greatly lowering output. Not generally an issue mowing but I often snowblow at night- the loss of light is noticeable.

3. Seat upholstery- it developed wrinkles and creases which eventually cracked. JD replaced the seat under warranty (only 2 years when I bought mine) and the replacement seat has done the same thing.

In six years and 200 hours, I have the same 3 complaints. But none about the transmission, cutting uphill, general build quality, etc. It did spit out a traction belt recently, but that might have been due to leafy debris around the various pulleys. And that belt, plus the aforementioned lift assist spring, are the only money I've had to spend on the machine. Bottom line, I am getting my money's worth out of this machine.​