60" 7 iron vs 54" or 62" deck on 700 series

[KennedyDiesel]

We have thick, wet heavy grass that I have been mowing fo rthe past 16+ years with my 455 and 54" deck. I've grown to really hate the cut of this deck. Always ran the discharge performance blades aka high lift. Considering a new 74x unit. From the sounds of it the 60" 7 iron deck is supposed to be the hot ticket.

So I'm the kind of guy who likes high performance toys. Never had 4wd, but maybe I need it. Never had 4ws but maybe I need it. Problem is it looks like th 60" deck does not fit the 4ws models. Wondering if this is a major issue or if it is something that could be rigged to work?

 

[JDTank]

We have thick, wet heavy grass that I have been mowing fo rthe past 16+ years with my 455 and 54" deck. I've grown to really hate the cut of this deck. Always ran the discharge performance blades aka high lift. Considering a new 74x unit. From the sounds of it the 60" 7 iron deck is supposed to be the hot ticket.

So I'm the kind of guy who likes high performance toys. Never had 4wd, but maybe I need it. Never had 4ws but maybe I need it. Problem is it looks like th 60" deck does not fit the 4ws models. Wondering if this is a major issue or if it is something that could be rigged to work?

In your case, the 7 iron is exactly what you need. I have heard many people say they could cut there grass, wet, right after a rain, and it does not clump with the 7 iron deck. The discharge capabilities are amazing. Here is a good thread comparing the regular yellow decks to a 7 iron. Specifically look at the photos that show difference in cut quality and discharge quality.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=208653

In my opinion, 4 Wheel Steering is not worth it. It adds more moving parts and I haven't heard of this yet, but once all that linkage gets sloppy, your tractor might be all over the place and have a hard time holding a straight line once it has some wear on it. Also, it is true, you cannot use the 7 Iron deck with a 4WS tractor. That alone would make me exclude a 4WS tractor from my search. The reason for this is the 7 iron is much larger than the yellow decks, there just isn't room for those rear wheels to turn. To my knowledge, there is no way to modify a 7 Iron to work on a 4WS tractor, if there was, someone here would have already done it.

As far as 4WD goes, what is your terrain like? What kind of tasks will you be doing with it? If you can get by with 2WD, the John Deere X740, you can save yourself $1,600 which is a fair chunk of change considering how incredibly pricey these X700 series machines are.

 

[XSKIER]

Welcome back JDTank. How is that 7-iron of yours cutting? Would you care compare it to your previous mower?

 

[JDTank]

Welcome back JDTank. How is that 7-iron of yours cutting? Would you care compare it to your previous mower?

Thanks, good to be back!

I've had my X748 now for months and it was great while I was able to use it! I had a good local job at an equipment dealer and I was laid off without notice and they eliminated my position, so now I am back on the road trucking. The few days I do get home I spend with the family. I haven't even started my X748 in over a month now. Since we live on property my in-laws own, they cut all the grass with there old Craftsman, I don't let anyone use my Deere.

I have nothing to compare it to really. I was using my in-laws 12 year old Craftsman before I bought this, so it isn't even in the same galaxy as this John Deere haha.

I think the X748 is THEE best garden tractor in existence today, that's all I can say!

 

[jenkinsph]

We have thick, wet heavy grass that I have been mowing fo rthe past 16+ years with my 455 and 54" deck. I've grown to really hate the cut of this deck. Always ran the discharge performance blades aka high lift. Considering a new 74x unit. From the sounds of it the 60" 7 iron deck is supposed to be the hot ticket.

So I'm the kind of guy who likes high performance toys. Never had 4wd, but maybe I need it. Never had 4ws but maybe I need it. Problem is it looks like th 60" deck does not fit the 4ws models. Wondering if this is a major issue or if it is something that could be rigged to work?

You have to decide which is more important for you individual case, 4ws which turns quite a bit tighter especially if you are turning up steep hills or the better 7 iron deck with more space and clearance to reduce clogging.

As for all the crap about the complexity of the 4ws setup I say "look at one" it is simple and straight forward. Haven't had any problems with my x749 so far.

 

[Agent Blue]

I have the 60" green deck on a 4110. It does a good job mowing on my six acre lawn. I wouldn't buy a tractor without four wheel drive. Its like having twice the traction and with the loader it is a must. Works well on hills in the ice / snow season as well.
Kennedy Diesel; I am a bit of a high performance buff myself. I kept the GTOs and Corvettes, one of which is a 66 427 / 425 coupe. They just don't build them like they use to.

 

[Hostaman]

I love the 4WS, I used to spend a lot of time running over lawn that was already mowed due to so many tight turns. Mowing time is much shorter.

The "drive over" feature of the 7Iron is awesome although I have had no reason to remove the deck yet. When I do I will miss not having that.

I am mulching for the first time ever. Used to bag due to living in the South and dealing with fescue fungus in the heat of the summer. The JD mulching cuts the droppings up much finer so I'm hoping that will help.

 

[mfreund]

When you decide on which deck to get, order a set of Gator blades. It will be the best money you ever spent.

 

[KennedyDiesel]

Dealer has a 748 with 900hrs and the 60" deck. I feel bad about using a new machine as a demo so I have him bringing this one to try. A friend has a 62" deck with the gator blades and also recommended them.

So the next step is to find a 4ws unit and demo it on our lawn. Plenty of grass and wet as of late. .8" Sunday night and another .75" last night. Wet over the weekend as well.

My 3720 handles the 4x4 duty. Mty 455 with bar tires hasn't really left me wanting 4x4 except maybe in winter, but it's blower use is quite limited. I just spot blow the walk between buildings and over to the LP tanks a couple times a season. The bar tires w/o chains manage this well enough.

 

[JDTank]

When you decide on which deck to get, order a set of Gator blades. It will be the best money you ever spent.

Agreed 100%