New X749 on the way

[jenkinsph]

After several months of researching mowers I finally decided on a new X749. Dealer says it will take about 2 weeks to get it in. I ordered it with the 3pt hitch, HDAP tires, 540 pto, mulcher kit and 48" deck. I will use this with a DR chipper 3pt, drop seeder spiker aerator, lawn cart and spin spreader I have now. Plan to buy a pine needle rake and small landscape rake to use in the wooded areas. Will build a small 3pt harrow and 4ft landplane to smooth out areas for lawns. Thinking about building a double roller packer 48" width for newly seeded lawns.

I have a Howard tiller (HR4?) 4 tine 66" that my dealer thinks the mower can handle, this will suffice until I can get a 647 tiller. I am not convinced the X749 can handle the Howard tiller but since I have it were going to find out.

I am trying to keep the width down to a minimum about 48 inches so that I can manuever in trees but in general will use this to help in putting in new lawns. This new machine hopefully will fit where the larger ones can't go.

 

[doall]

great new tool. Good looking dog you have there.

 

[jenkinsph]

doall,
Thanks, Joey pictured is a rescue from LA CA. found him on the Internet after hours of searching, he is half Husky and half Chow. He was in a no kill shelter for 3 1/2 years till he found me. He was well worth the 1000 mile drive to get him and has been a great companion. He doesn't let many people in the yard.:laughing:

 

[arrabil]

Sweet!

I need just that but with the 62" deck.

 

[jenkinsph]

Sweet!

I need just that but with the 62" deck.

If I had purchased the X475 instead of an L130 I wouldn't have had to upgrade. I have searched for X4XX machines in my locale to no avail. So decided to go to the top of the pile.

 

[KB9UDE]

Hey Steve
Good luck with your x749. I know I love my x720 for mowing.
I have mixed feelings about running your tiller with this machine. I think the 647 would be a much better match for you. I have a JD665 (65") tiller that i tried to run on my previous 2320 and it did not perform well at all. Hopefully it was just the soil type I was in here. Not sure you will be happy with the results but I have been known to be wrong. :laughing:
Let us know how it works out!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gator6x4]

I have a Howard tiller (HR4?) 4 tine 66" that my dealer thinks the mower can handle, this will suffice until I can get a 647 tiller. I am not convinced the X749 can handle the Howard tiller but since I have it were going to find out.

I personally would not try this. I have a X495 basically the same unit as the X749. I do not think it would pick the sixty six inch tiller I own up. I have serious doubts about it being able to maintain tine rotation in hard soil with the horsepower available at the PTO. I have stalled a fifty horsepower tractor in hard soil with my sixty six inch tiller.

A good video to view on cutting PTO shafts for use with three point implements can be found here. http://www.everything-attachments.com/Videos/library/ptoshaft.html. I would recommend viewing to prevent having a PTO shaft to long and damaging the rear end.

 

[jenkinsph]

Guys,
The Howard tiller is a smaller diameter rotor than the Deere's 647 through 681 models which will till about seven inches deep. The Howard four tine unit works about four inches deep. At any rate I expect to get a new tiller next year after selling off the 820 and some implements laying around.

If I had my preferences I would have a 681 for the 4520 and a 647 for the 749. I will be in good shape though with the 673 and 647 for the most part.


Gator, the soil I deal with is sandy clay and is easy to till for the most part, my 820 with 31 hp loafs along with the 66" tiller. Again this is a stop gap measure and may not be needed, I can buy the 647 if needed for a larger project right away. I do have a slip clutch on the Howard tiller.

 

[arrabil]

I have searched for X4XX machines in my local to no avail. So decided to go to the top of the pile.

Top of the pile is good. My dealer wanted to give me $3250 trade-in on an X479 for my X475. I was like, yeah right. Which is probably why you saw so few older Xs around.

 

[ccsial]

You will love the 749. I have a 748 and it's been great.

I doubt it would handle the tiller though. I have a Howard 60" rotovator J and it bogs down my 1910 at times. It is also very heavy. Maybe yours is much smaller.

 

[jenkinsph]

You will love the 749. I have a 748 and it's been great.

I doubt it would handle the tiller though. I have a Howard 60" rotovator J and it bogs down my 1910 at times. It is also very heavy. Maybe yours is much smaller.

I went out to the ranch and looked at it today it is larger than I remembered. Doesn't till near as deep as my 673 unit does, so I guess I will be in the market for a 48" tiller right away. Howard does have several models in different duty levels, the one I have is a light duty.

I will be busy this winter in my new shop building up some custom implements for both tractors.

 

[jenkinsph]

My Deere dealer called this morning to let me know the X749 arrived along with all the accesories. He then let me know that the hood suffered some cosmetic damage during shipment, he is ordering up a new hood for me. I must be jinxed as the same thing happened to my 110 tlb which had a large scratch on the hood too.

Good to know the mower is in considering some of the delays I have been reading about here.

 

[AKfish]

Steve,

Congrats on your new machine! Like to see some action pics... with the tiller, of course.

AKfish

 

[om21braz]

I suspect you'll really like that new X series. With all the capability that machine has, I've thought about going from a ztr back to one of those. Speed is'nt everything.

 

[jenkinsph]

Well I am to pick it up Friday morning, the hood damage is minor I am told. So I can use it while waiting for the replacement hood to come in. Also ordered a Pine straw rake from Ted at Everything attachments. Seems to be a nice guy to deal with too. Can't wait to try this out, have lots of pine needles to rake.

 

[jenkinsph]

I suspect you'll really like that new X series. With all the capability that machine has, I've thought about going from a ztr back to one of those. Speed is'nt everything.

Yeah, I like the ztr's but think the X749 is more usable for my needs. Should be a great fill in for the small spaces I work.



AKfish, I am waiting to see what I need first, might get a snowblower first and then a new 647 tiller for spring.

 

[jenkinsph]

Well I brought the new mower home and tried it out for about a half an hour before darkness set in. So far everything seems to work well on it but still need to add the 3pt hitch and pto kits later next week. This thing doesn't bog down at all and does climb the steepest bank I have with ease. I also picked up a 1060 landscape rake to go with the pine straw rake. Here is one picture I was able to take tonight, will post more pics in a few days.


SOMEBODY PEED ON THE REAR TIRE WHILE I WAS GETTING THE CAMERA.:laughing:

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

SOMEBODY PEED ON THE REAR TIRE WHILE I WAS GETTING THE CAMERA.:laughing:

Must be a Kioti fan...

 

[mjncad]

That's a vast improvement over your old L-130.

 

[jenkinsph]

That's a vast improvement over your old L-130.

No joke, the L130 is supposed to go to Durango, we will see.
Worked there for the better part of two weeks on the Animas river with the 110tlb and my rock bucket. The whole area was a rockpile with a light layer of dust over it.