Cub Cadet XT3 GSX or Husqvarna TS354XD?

[Cub gt 2544=best]

So I think the reason they are weaker is because they are actually almost 1 mile per hour faster so that means they are torqued higher than the old 2500 series were slower with way more power. The 2500s were geared lower because they were made for real garden tractor work.

 

[Camdenst]

Hi guys… I’m bringing back an older thread because I am looking for my first tractor and was looking at both the husky and the cub cadet. It’s going to replace an old 1995 grasshopper ZTR. It has been a great hand me down, but I seem to be spending an hour so fixing something just to mow. I was curious why the baby Kubota wasn’t mentioned? Outside of the slightly higher price and the open diff, the T2290 seems like a very solid machine and get be had with the g730. I have looked at the simplicity like @Rock Crawler mentioned, but the prices seem to get real expensive quite quickly.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Cub gt 2544=best]

Cub cadet xt3 all day long the kubota gr and t series have tranny problems.

 

[Camdenst]

Thanks @Cub gt 2544=best

I still have some research to do, but I’m definitely torn between the xt3, husky ts 248 and the 2290. From what I’ve read the K66 and the G730 are both pretty stout boxes, or at least have a leg up on the K46 or hydro gear t3 HD. The main difference seems To be a trade off between frame/ build and a locking rear diff. Husky and kubota have more dealerships up here in CT which kinda takes me away from the XT3.

 

[Cub gt 2544=best]

Well the gr’s are a glorified lawn mower compared to the cub cadet xt3. And the t series just are cheaply made.

 

[Cub gt 2544=best]

Rock,
I've been looking at ts354 and I read it is a fast cut and has diff lock. Only reason I considered it was because of both features combined. I also want the FR Series engine over the Kohler. I also saw the price as $3400. + tax.

Kohler is way better than Kawasaki

 

[Cub gt 2544=best]

I have one of those old Craftsman steel/tin yard carts that I loaded (not over full at all) with split wood to simply drive around my house to restock the front porch. I hooked it to the Cub Cadet in the lower driveway and went across the back of the house and turned up hill along the side of the house to head towards the front. The transmission started whining and the HST pedal starting bucking and jerking and motion ceased. I backed down, unhooked, attached the old Craftsman/Husqvarna with the Hydro Gear G730 and pulled the trailer around front with no issues.

That was the nail in the coffin. I will never buy a Cub Cadet again in my life. It had to go and I didn't overly care if I lost my butt to make it gone.

Cub may have once built really nice machines, and I may have had a factory dud... But I did change HST fluid and filter at 48 hours and this lack of transmission performance was seen both prior to and after performing that maintenance. I'm going to go ahead and assume that Cub is all MTD trash today.

That’s surprising my cub cadet GT2544 can pull those carts full of tires wood bricks and even cars and boat trailer (with the boat on the trailer) that had some obvious transmission issues that the dealer needed to look at. Also I’m pretty sure the axle housing cast is made in China not the iron axle housing itself.