Frustrated W/ JD Dealership

[kiotiken]

What do you feel I was exaggerating? Do you circle the trees at 12mph?

Nope, I was just saying you might be exaggerating how poorly they do in wet conditions. There's no denying they don't deal with slippy wet muddy conditions very well, I got to close to my creek last night and had to haul it out with the tractor. That was my mistake though and you don't generally mow the lawn when it's wet.
I do approach trees at 12mph and if it were possible, I'd go around them that fast too! I'm just saying a ztr will approach an obstacle very quickly and can decelerate and maneuver around it faster than anything else and be back on it's way.

Ferris makes a very good ztr and is much better than the average lower cost ztr's too. I like ztr's too but like everything else have their own flaws just as the lawn and garden tractors do.

I love my Ferris, but if I could have only one machine, would that be the one? No, not unless I was only looking for something to cut the grass. I now see the OP talking about light ground engagement, and that take a ztr out of the picture.

 

[jenkinsph]

Nope, I was just saying you might be exaggerating how poorly they do in wet conditions. There's no denying they don't deal with slippy wet muddy conditions very well, I got to close to my creek last night and had to haul it out with the tractor. That was my mistake though and you don't generally mow the lawn when it's wet.
I do approach trees at 12mph and if it were possible, I'd go around them that fast too! I'm just saying a ztr will approach an obstacle very quickly and can decelerate and maneuver around it faster than anything else and be back on it's way.



I love my Ferris, but if I could have only one machine, would that be the one? No, not unless I was only looking for something to cut the grass. I now see the OP talking about light ground engagement, and that take a ztr out of the picture.

Well just bear in mind that Louisiana can be very wet at times and the grass will need to be mowed when it is wet occasionally. Where I live now in the "Desert southwest" a ztr would be ideal to mow with, but I am one of the few who has enough lawn to have any type of riding mower.

The 1 series and the x748 and x749 are good choices in the Deere lineup if you need to do some ground engaging tasks and mowing on a small property. There are alot of other brands of riding mowers and SCUT's that should be good too with what appears to be good specs. I have used the BX's and the Deere's but haven't put my hands on the others so can't comment on them.

 

[rekees4300]

I'm going to ask the JD dealer if he will stock a 500 and a 700 just to see.

Your request is marketing 101. You shouldn't have to buy a mower without trying it first. If the JD dealer says "no" then tell him to kiss your grass!

 

[kb2520]

Your request is marketing 101. You shouldn't have to buy a mower without trying it first. If the JD dealer says "no" then tell him to kiss your grass!

I completely agree.

 

[mbrun]

For as much as I like my x500, a good local dealer for service after the sale is perhaps more important. If you have your own trailer and can drive a hour or two to get to a good JD dealer to pickup a new tractor, great. If you don't have the trailer for that, then consider alternate sources locally. Cub, Simplicity, Kubota. Heck I would even consider the top end craftsman that is currently out there. Oh, wait minute, I said local dealer for service after the sale. Sorry.

In all seriousness, if I could not find a good local dealer that stocked and sold a product I wanted, I would consider the top end craftsman, and would probably purchase the extended in home service package. I know the service techs may not be the best, but if they can't get it right they will replace whole tractor sooner than deere ever would. The top end sears does have a good tranny (k71 I believe) almost same specs as x500's k72. Knowing that the tractor is a simplicity beneath the paint makes me feel better about it.

Hope you find a solution.

 

[Mistyridgefarm]

I can understand the OP's frustration. ZTR's are the current flavor for the average homeowner. So, easy sales for lazy salesmen. Yes, they are faster on your average suburban lawn. However, they are not better for the rural field turned into lawn! Hills, soft conditions, rough ground are no match for the right lawn tractor. Before I get slammed by the ZTR fans, I've run both. The ZTR has its niche and excels there, but a good tractor will do it all, and almost as fast. The 8 versus 12 mph is a false metric. What is the average speed when you consider the time getting it unstuck? Or having to push mow those wet or steep areas? If your mowing doesn't have these situations, then I agree the ZTR might be the way to go.

I would suggest talking to your local dealer but ask for the manager. They should be able to help you rather than the typical inexperienced sales person at the desk. Also, used to live in Ms and still have good friends in LA. The Sunshine dealerships seem to be pretty good and stock a fair range of equipment. There should be one within an hour or so in south louisiana.

I wouldn't worry that your local dealer would not be able to service the machine. The sales guys out front are mostly idiots. The people that know the products are the parts and service department. It has been years since I found a salesman who knew the JD line anywhere as well as I did, what is worst, fewer still have ever used the products they are selling. However, most of the service guys have been pretty dependable.

Might I also suggest a machine finder search. I've had better luck there than just calling the dealers. Don't give up, and good luck on the hunt. BTW, the color of the machine won't change the problems you are experiencing. It is very hard to find sales people that really give two cents whether you buy or not.

 

[XSKIER]

Simplicity prestige AWD is a nice lawn tractor too. You might be able to find one at a little less money than the Deere X728. One thousand series is not really all that nice for close quarters, the wheel base is too long and your snout takes room to swing no matter how tight it may turn.