John Deere X series lawn tractor

[Smoothas]

Peace!!

 

[Smoothas]

Let's take a few steps back here, I will admit that it sounds like I was challenging the question of the Kawasaki motor, I will also admit I don't know any specs on the engine they use in there 300 and 500 series line other than its air cooled and says Vtwin Kawasaki and looks physically like a B&S. I didn't mean to put the motor down so I will retract that comment.

As for competing with the x3xx series and x5xx series, first off I will say I feel this is a pointless argument because I'm not saying husky is better, I'm saying I wouldn't gain much speed from mowing, enough to justify the price diff on the Deere's from what I currently have in my garage. I would gain a actual garden tractor with JD but that's besides the point on this particular point.

The mower I have is GT2454T which has a 24hp air cooled vtwin B&S, 54in deck, runs 5.5mph forward and 3.0mph in reverse.

Cast axles and everything is grease-able which really surprised me, pulleys on the deck ext. it has an electronic PTO switch and I don't have to pull up on the PTO switch every time I put it in reverse when I'm mowing. I even have a cup holder .

Edit: after a bit of research it would be comparable to a x390 but isn't far behind the lower x500 series.

Listen I am sure your husky fits your needs and you are happy with it, and in the end thats what is important- but just for future reference- your husky does not compete with any X500 tractor the X500 has a K72- true garden tranny- top of the line Kawasaki Commercial grade engine . Other than they both mow grass your husky does not compare to X390- X390 much heavier frame, better engine, hydraulic lift, Power steering and serviceable transaxle. Your husky is more in line with a D170 series tractor. And again not brand bashing here, just a simple matter of education

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I dropped chains today, my Monster Husky Garden tractor vs my little 4320 and the Husky won! It's such a beast. Lol, it cuts grass significantly faster also. Lmfao!!


Disclaimer: I don't have any type of cutter on the 4320

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Listen I am sure your husky fits your needs and you are happy with it, and in the end thats what is important- but just for future reference- your husky does not compete with any X500 tractor the X500 has a K72- true garden tranny- top of the line Kawasaki Commercial grade engine . Other than they both mow grass your husky does not compare to X390- X390 much heavier frame, better engine, hydraulic lift, Power steering and serviceable transaxle. Your husky is more in line with a D170 series tractor. And again not brand bashing here, just a simple matter of education

First off I will say your correct that my husky is closer to the D170 than it is a x500. So we can move on from that.

But your argument is one that I hear a lot in the world of garden tractors which brings me to a few questions.

1. You say that the 500 series has a top of the line commercial engine, my question is compared to let's say my B&S how is it better? How many more hours is it rated for ext? More torq?

2. The frame is heavier built, that's great but I have never twisted a frame on a mower before, I don't engage the ground with my tractor ext, I don't see how that's relevant on a mower.

3. You say the tranny is heavier built again on a lawn mower I don't see how a heavy tranny comes into play, if you were dragging large trailers or a plough, yes a heavier tranny would last longer. But most people who buy a garden tractor aren't ploughing and disking a garden with them, there pulling a cart and cutting grass.

In my mind all equipment has a expiration date, motors, trannies ext don't last forever, I get that. those are nice features a sales man pointed out on a sale. But I fail to see under normal mowing conditions where they are better.

 

[Smoothas]

I dropped chains today, my Monster Husky Garden tractor vs my little 4320 and the Husky won! It's such a beast. Lol, it cuts grass significantly faster also.
View attachment 503545

LOL..

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

LOL..

I'm glad you got a kick out of that lol, honestly if the 4320 was in neutral there's freaking no way my husky would budge it, 5300lbs to move without deff lock, a big garden tractor prob would, I bet my dads 445 would, it deff would stand the front end up trying.

 

[Smoothas]

First off I will say your correct that my husky is closer to the D170 than it is a x500. So we can move on from that.

But your argument is one that I hear a lot in the world of garden tractors which brings me to a few questions.

1. You say that the 500 series has a top of the line commercial engine, my question is compared to let's say my B&S how is it better? How many more hours is it rated for ext? More torq?

2. The frame is heavier built, that's great but I have never twisted a frame on a mower before, I don't engage the ground with my tractor ext, I don't see how that's relevant on a mower.

3. You say the tranny is heavier built again on a lawn mower I don't see how a heavy tranny comes into play, if you were dragging large trailers or a plough, yes a heavier tranny would last longer. But most people who buy a garden tractor aren't ploughing and disking a garden with them, there pulling a cart and cutting grass.

In my mind all equipment has a expiration date, motors, trannies ext don't last forever, I get that. those are nice features a sales man pointed out on a sale. But I fail to see under normal mowing conditions where they are better.

Good questions- I'll be happy to answer them. Briggs is a fine engine, but not in class of Kawasaki- Deere uses Briggs in its entry level tractors ( like the D170) What you are basically asking the difference between a lawn or what is sometimes called a yard tractor and a garden tractor. The Lawn tractor might be fine for you- but that doesn’t mean it’s in same class as a garden tractor. Think of a Ford ranger and a F250- both will get you were you are going- but far different capabilities. Just because you don’t need a Garden tractor to Till the garden, plow the snow, climb challenging terrain and hills, pull carts full of firewood or dirt, doesn’t mean other people don’t need that- That’s one of many reasons why you can buy a 2K lawn mower—or a 13K X7xx or Simplicity legacy series garden tractor. The 2k lawn tractor will cut grass the same as the X7xx series tractor, but doesn’t have the latter’s capabilities to handle more difficult terrain or handle other garden tractor work. Normally the higher end garden tractors you get hydraulics ( much better than electric PTO) power steering, more comfortable seat, easier to add accessories etc Hope that helps!!!

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Good questions- I'll be happy to answer them. Briggs is a fine engine, but not in class of Kawasaki- Deere uses Briggs in its entry level tractors ( like the D170) What you are basically asking the difference between a lawn or what is sometimes called a yard tractor and a garden tractor. The Lawn tractor might be fine for you- but that doesn’t mean it’s in same class as a garden tractor. Think of a Ford ranger and a F250- both will get you were you are going- but far different capabilities. Just because you don’t need a Garden tractor to Till the garden, plow the snow, climb challenging terrain and hills, pull carts full of firewood or dirt, doesn’t mean other people don’t need that- That’s one of many reasons why you can buy a 2K lawn mower—or a 13K X7xx or Simplicity legacy series garden tractor. The 2k lawn tractor will cut grass the same as the X7xx series tractor, but doesn’t have the latter’s capabilities to handle more difficult terrain or handle other garden tractor work. Normally the higher end garden tractors you get hydraulics ( much better than electric PTO) power steering, more comfortable seat, easier to add accessories etc Hope that helps!!!

Lol not really, I know what a garden tractor can do and what there capable of vs a lawn mower. I'm more after the facts, data ext.

Put a 24hp kholer, 24hp B&S and a 24h Kawasaki vtwin under the same torture test, I would like to see the torq values of each engine are and how they handle the load, there all rated at 24hp, saying the Kawasaki engine is commercial quality is just a label, all 3 are the same HP in this test, all 3 are air cooled ext. I feel there selling the name more than the engine. All are good for around 1000 hours with proper maintenance ext.

Same torture test on the trans, rear end ext.

The way I see it, for the price I could replace for example my husky 2 or 3 times with a brand new one in order to equal the value of some of the other tractors. That would have to make that Kawasaki motor 2 to 3 times better and last 2-3 times longer than the Briggs or kholer and I don't feel it can do that. Not the air cooled one anyway.

As far as pushing snow, if I fitted a blade on my husky and pushed snow I don't feel it would be very good, I would have to fit it with chains and weights but that's the same with all tractors that don't have pos traction. Which I believe pos traction doesn't come into play until the X500 series?

I can say all day that one tractor is better than the other but I would compare with data, not just sales labels.

I absolutely agree that the garden tractors JD is putting out is a good product I would like to have one in my garage but I would like to know how much better they really are.

 

[Smoothas]

You are killing me-- OK-- lets start with engines..Have some homework for you, I want you to look how Kawasaki rates their HP and power output and compare it to Briggs- I want you to price a 24HP--Briggs and then a 24 HP kawi..report back to me when you know the difference and why the kawi costs more. Tell me if Torque and HP are same across, the output spectrum on both motors.. when you learn that grasshopper you will be on your way to discovering why the Kawi is considered a superior engine. No skimming--I'm going to ask you a few surprise 'pop" questions

Not all Briggs are bad ( in fact bad wording on my part- none of them are bad- but some are better than others, some manufacturers have Briggs make engines to their specifications ) but anyway low end Briggs are relatively inexpensive - no sense putting a 2000 hour engine in a lawn tractor that is expected to live 300-1000 hours-- Capisce?

 

[Kish318420]

I have to agree with smoothas on the points of what a tractor is built to do. Lawns/Yards vs Garden (ground engagement) vs SCUT vs CUT vs Big Boys. I remember the old saying the proper tool for the proper job or some such thing. My neighbors have had problems with their lawn tractors, can't pull a cart full of anything in their heavy lawns, they have replaced their equipment 3 to 4 to one in the 30 years I had my 318 and it's equipment (2 stage blower, tiller, sprayer, core aerator, thatcher, yard rake, cart, powerflo collection system). They have finally contracted out the mowing to commercial yard cutters who don't walk the yard to pick up trash or limbs/branches and leave huge holes from spinning on a wheel with the zero turns. Simple adage - size of job determines size of equipment needed for job almost the same as the previous adage. All I hear is a lot of complaining from them. I kept telling them "you get what you pay for and how you well maintain it". So we all have our opinions, you have yours, I have mine. Let's just agree to disagree on this issue of "what I need to do the job at my house"!