Will JD switch to fuel injection?

[JDTank]

Does anyone know if John Deere plans to switch to fuel injection on there gas powered riding mowers?

When I was looking over a brochure at the dealership the other day for the X700 series, I found it funny that the X700 series gas powered machines are fuel injected, but not the X500 series. The X500 series uses a big enough engine to easily put a FI system on it, so I don't understand why all these makers are sticking with inefficient carburetors.

Not only would you get better power, but much better fuel economy as well. I honestly think there scared it would kill the X720/X728 sales. Heck, there was a guy in the dealership same time as me who wanted a X540, but he moved up to the X720 because of fuel injection, no problems with starting and maintaining a carb'd engine.

I mean honestly, it's 2012, the word carburetor should be deleted from the dictionary, never mind ACTUALLY USED on an engine!

 

[Yellowfever440]

I don't know if Kawasaki makes a fuel injected air cooled motor at all.

 

[beenthere]

I think yellowfever440 is right.

I have water-cooled Kawasaki engines in my 445 and X485, and both are fuel injected.
I also have the 425 Kawasaki non-fuel injected, and can honestly say the carb'd 425 has much better fuel economy than the 445 and both had the same 54" deck and same mowing acres and conditions. No problems with the carburetors in the 425's that I've had, and still have one (re-bought one used for dedicated MC519 leaf and grass collection).

Just that the 445 and X485 are simpler to start without needing to choke.

A fuel injection engine is more money, and apparently Deere feels there are buyers that don't want to spend the extra money.

And using a choke is no problem whatsoever. Just need to know when to use it and when to leave it alone.

 

[JDTank]

There's still no denying that FI is more efficient. Sure, a choke isn't a problem, but with fuel injection, you hit the key and go.

I think for what they ask for the X540 it should be a fuel injected engine, since it is liquid cooled, it stands all the more reason to be FI.

A machine dedicated to leaf pickup eh? Yea, I just might pick up a X540 dedicated to bagging and leaf collection, use the new X748SE to discharge. During the fall the X748SE is to heavy for the water soaked lawn.

 

[RickB]

Deere is going to use whatever system their OEM gas engine supplier puts on their engine. It's not like Deee builds the engines or demands unique designs.

 

[TimberXX]

I like FI and want to see it everywhere.

People do like and engine they can work on, and a carb is the ticket.

I think any garden tractor over 6k should be FI.

 

[beenthere]

Deere is going to use whatever system their OEM gas engine supplier puts on their engine. It's not like Deee builds the engines or demands unique designs.

I don't think you know.
I'll take a guess that you haven't been around the engineers at Horicon plant? The engines are to Deere's specs and the Kawi's are darn good engines.

 

[mjncad]

Cost is the primary reason carbs are still being used. I suspect that will change when the Gummint starts getting real serious about fuel economy and emissions on the lower end of the HP spectrum.

Personally I hate carbs and would rather have fuel injection. I know Kohler makes fuel injected air cooled engines; but I have no idea what their cost is.

Kohler Engines: {0}: Series Landing: Engines PRO EFI

You might have to put PRO EFI after the link in your browser to get it to work.

 

[JDTank]

Cost is the primary reason carbs are still being used. I suspect that will change when the Gummint starts getting real serious about fuel economy and emissions on the lower end of the HP spectrum.

Personally I hate carbs and would rather have fuel injection. I know Kohler makes fuel injected air cooled engines; but I have no idea what their cost is.

Kohler Engines: {0}: Series Landing: Engines PRO EFI

You might have to put PRO EFI after the link in your browser to get it to work.

That's the same reason I figured, keep costs down.

The thing is though, like I said before, with all of the technology available, there simply is no reason to stick with carburetors. The benefits to fuel injection are endless, but even from a world view standpoint, we need to seriously drop our fuel consumption in this world. Think of the millions of riding mowers out there, now think if each one, or even half, were 25% more fuel efficient. Not to mention fuel injection burns much much cleaner.

In engines this small, these fuel injection systems are extremely simple. It reminds me of GM's fuel injected 350 engines in the late 80's and early 90's. Those systems were so simple, it was incredibly easy to work on even as a kid. The reliability was top notch. So in this case, even a home owner could work on a simple fuel injection system on a 2 cylinder engine.

I just hate the issues carburetors present. If you live in a climate where weather and pressures change drastically, your engine is constantly performing different. Engines with a carb have a sweet spot they are tuned to, and they cannot adjust there tuning on the fly to make up for temperature/pressure changes. One day it runs like a top with great power, next day it's a dog. Starting the engine cold means fiddling with the choke, and waiting for the engine to warm up before engaging the mower deck. Speaking of engaging the mower deck, on some tractors you have to fiddle with the choke at the same time you engage the blades to keep the engine from stalling. At least with fuel injection, the engine would adjust for a added load on the fly.

At the end of the day, this is why I skipped over the X540, and went straight to the diesel X748SE. Anyone considering a X540 should consider spending the extra $1,500 and jump into a X720 or something along those lines. At least you gain fuel injection, not to mention twice as much tractor.

All I can say is I hope fuel injection will become the norm in riding mowers in the next year or two. It's overdue already.