54'' deck on X700 series.

[arlen4720]

I have a 62C on my X748. I've put 970 hours on it in 6 years (maybe 7). It cuts very good. I mow 7 acres with it. I'm sure the HC or 7 iron would be better, but I have NO complaints.
It's good that you have such a nice machine. When I was 25...I had other things on my mind. I'm glad that you at least have your priorities straight.

[JDTank]

I have a 62C on my X748. I've put 970 hours on it in 6 years (maybe 7). It cuts very good. I mow 7 acres with it. I'm sure the HC or 7 iron would be better, but I have NO complaints.
It's good that you have such a nice machine. When I was 25...I had other things on my mind. I'm glad that you at least have your priorities straight.

I've never been a party/drinking type. You could fill a shot glass with alcohol and that is probably equal to the amount I have had in my entire life. I am not religious or anything like that, I was just raised by very hard working parents who rubbed off on me. When others in high school were partying and doing drugs (90% of them still are) I was working, making money, living on my own, and buying all of my own stuff.

I have a 2011 Chevy Silverado truck I bought new, and my X740, plus a garage full of tools. I have things to show for the money I have spent. I make early payments when I can, and my goal is to not finance anything in my 30's. At that point, the wife to be and I will likely have a child, AKA, dad's helper/tractor greaser!

[engine29]

Have an X475 w/ 54, no problem.

[Dashe]

JDTank, You will love your 54C cut as you are riding on top of that X740. These machines are fantastic. These decks have been around for over 10 years and I have yet to hear of one rusting out or failing. In my opinion the guage of the metal of deck after a point doesn't matter (is a 6iron better than a 7iron) as much as the design of the deck. The 7iron and the new HC decks have more cutting capacity and maybe resulting in a better cut but my lawn wouldn't look any better with a better cut. I think I will spend the extra money on getting a better lawn. It is tough to mow crap grass and make it look good, you know what I mean. Have fun with your new tractor and enjoy every minute of seat time.

[Grateful11]

I have a 54C on my 2012 x720 and I think that the deck provides a great looking job. If I am mowing with the mulching kit installed tall, wet grass, it will clump up but that should be expected and I shouldn't be mowing tall wet grass. I would dare to say, that after a day, I bet you couldn't tell if the lawn was cut by a 54C or a 7iron. There is always something newer and better, but my 54C deck has been great in its first season of mowing.

Same here. Our 54C does a great job.

[Carl Bert]

You're 25 years old with the best lawn and garden tractor money can buy. What are you worried about? You have a John deere with a 54" deck that has been around for many years without any complaints. Enjoy your tractor and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that IF you ever grow that "golf coarse" quality lawn and you do want to switch to a 7 iron deck, you can. More than I can say with my X595, I don't even have that option. Stop worrying and enjoy your tractor.

[JDTank]

You're 25 years old with the best lawn and garden tractor money can buy. What are you worried about? You have a John deere with a 54" deck that has been around for many years without any complaints. Enjoy your tractor and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that IF you ever grow that "golf coarse" quality lawn and you do want to switch to a 7 iron deck, you can. More than I can say with my X595, I don't even have that option. Stop worrying and enjoy your tractor.

Your absolutely right!

I cut grass with the machine for the first time today, and I was actually very impressed. The grass was thick and damp, and it didn't clump, and I am using the OEM blades too. The discharge distance was amazing, it was shooting grass 6 to 8 feet away. The old 42'' Craftsman I was using before just kind of "belched" the grass out of the chute.

I really have to get used to the dimensions of this tractor. This machine scalps in spots my Craftsman didn't, because it is a much longer frame. The greater the distance between the front and rear wheels, the more a machine will scalp on a hump. I definitely think I had my anti-scalp wheels set too high, as I did scalp a few areas. I had them set so they were half an inch below the deck, but as you can see from the pictures, I don't think that was near enough. Tomorrow I am going to lower them 2 more spots so the wheels sit about 1 to 1.5 inches below the deck.

I have put 5 hours on the tractor now and only used half a tank of fuel. Basically at that rate, it works out to slightly over 2 liters per hour.

[Gittyup]

You are probably just cutting your grass too short. With these bigger decks, a longer cut works best. The gauge wheels should just kiss the ground, barely rolling, if at all, on flat ground. If you set them too low they can leave gouge marks on certain terrain variances and while turning.

[North585]

I have a X748 and both a 62C and a 54C (kept from my sold X585). Both have always cut well and no issues. I'm not sure the 62 cuts any better than the 54. The 62 has a mulch kit (as did the 54). If I'm cutting more than 6" off the grass and it's wet it does clump....but I'm sure most decks would. I now use the 54 as a rough cut and it works excellent for that too.

[Oldoak]

"The gauger wheels should just kiss the ground, barely rolling, if at all, on flat ground."

Now that is how I set my mower deck gage wheels. Set your mower height first using the mechanical stop. Then adjust your deck gage wheels in relationship to the ground, not the mower deck.

If you feel the mower deck is still scalping too much, I believe deere sells an anti scallop roller that attach駸 on the front in the center of some decks as an option. Some decks comes with them, others it is an optional item.

For those looking for the healthiest and nicest lawn, I have always understood not to cut more than 1/3 of the height of the grass when ever it is mowed. Though I find that is almost impossible to do in early Spring due to the wet weather conditions and the rapid growth rate of the grass. Now my three acre orchard is a different matter. That doesn't get mowed as often and I always cut off more than what is left standing.

I have no doubt, you will find what best suits your needs after a couple of mowings.