John0829
Platinum Member
I would avoid the Husqvarna, I bought on new and sold it less than a year later. It was a nice tractor but it had WAY to much frame flex to suit me plus it did not cut grass well at all.
Garden tractor reccomendations?
- Thread starter radnack
- Start date
Teachu2
Platinum Member
Bought a Husqvarna back in April, 2017. Another new GT48DXLS owner - Thanks to TBN
I have steep terrain with lots of emerging rocks. Also lots of trees, so I went with a 48" deck instead of the 54". This is my riding brush mower, used for reducing the fire danger on my five acres of mountain. My wife is the primary operator, and she seems to find rocks and stumps often. I will take over on the really steep stuff, and it hauls my 275 lbs up the mountain slopes with authority - often with the front wheels off the ground. I change the Gator G5 blades annually, and went to ag-style rear tires for traction. I use the locking diff often, and it's fantastic. We have lots of dust, so I blow out the air filter every couple of hours. The Kawasaki engine has been fantastic.
I had to buy a better jack (750 lb. Heavy Duty ATV/Mower High Lift Jack) to make it easy to lift this unit. The wife has knocked the mower deck off the mounts a few times, and destroyed a couple of blades. I get under it 2-4 times a year, and always check for damage. So far, the frame has held up fine. There is a bolt-on kit to reinforce the frame that I may buy, just for peace of mind - but so far, it's been great.
I don't tow trailers, push snow, or run a Johnny Bucket with it. I have used a harrow behind it, but find my Rhino better suited to that. I use it as an all-terrain mower, and it does a great job in that task. My next-door neighbor has a Deere 758 4wd diesel, and that works fine, too, but MSRP is $15,464.
I have steep terrain with lots of emerging rocks. Also lots of trees, so I went with a 48" deck instead of the 54". This is my riding brush mower, used for reducing the fire danger on my five acres of mountain. My wife is the primary operator, and she seems to find rocks and stumps often. I will take over on the really steep stuff, and it hauls my 275 lbs up the mountain slopes with authority - often with the front wheels off the ground. I change the Gator G5 blades annually, and went to ag-style rear tires for traction. I use the locking diff often, and it's fantastic. We have lots of dust, so I blow out the air filter every couple of hours. The Kawasaki engine has been fantastic.
I had to buy a better jack (750 lb. Heavy Duty ATV/Mower High Lift Jack) to make it easy to lift this unit. The wife has knocked the mower deck off the mounts a few times, and destroyed a couple of blades. I get under it 2-4 times a year, and always check for damage. So far, the frame has held up fine. There is a bolt-on kit to reinforce the frame that I may buy, just for peace of mind - but so far, it's been great.
I don't tow trailers, push snow, or run a Johnny Bucket with it. I have used a harrow behind it, but find my Rhino better suited to that. I use it as an all-terrain mower, and it does a great job in that task. My next-door neighbor has a Deere 758 4wd diesel, and that works fine, too, but MSRP is $15,464.
JasperFrank
Veteran Member
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- Nov 23, 2018
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- Tractor
- Ford 1220
Teaschu2 - "My wife is the primary operator, and she seems to find rocks and stumps often."
I love and respect my wife, but some how, even after many years, she will absolutely destroy a piece of equipment every time she wants to do any sort of mowing. I've thought often as to why, for some reason this is the case. I think it is cultural. Women can operate a machine just as well as men. Yet women of my generation, we are both over 60, were never given good mentoring in fields that were almost exclusively things men did. For instance, man will walk the field, and form a mental map of the hazards. This map is in his mind, as he is working and can communicate that to his son or daughter at a young age as to how they think about doing things. My wife doesn't make this map and hits the same things, over and over again. And we've walked the areas, and I've tried to instill that this is a good area, and this is a tricky area: Do the easy area first, and leave the harder parts for later.... when you've gotten use to the machine at the end of the day. She always goes to the tricky area first, and beats up the equipment so bad that I have to repair it for the larger, easy area.
This was because her Dad, never walked a field with her, and never said, "This is how you do it." After 20 years, I don't think anything will change.
We will die out.
I just hope the newer generations will embrace that sex based roles are not the same as they were 50 years ago.
I love and respect my wife, but some how, even after many years, she will absolutely destroy a piece of equipment every time she wants to do any sort of mowing. I've thought often as to why, for some reason this is the case. I think it is cultural. Women can operate a machine just as well as men. Yet women of my generation, we are both over 60, were never given good mentoring in fields that were almost exclusively things men did. For instance, man will walk the field, and form a mental map of the hazards. This map is in his mind, as he is working and can communicate that to his son or daughter at a young age as to how they think about doing things. My wife doesn't make this map and hits the same things, over and over again. And we've walked the areas, and I've tried to instill that this is a good area, and this is a tricky area: Do the easy area first, and leave the harder parts for later.... when you've gotten use to the machine at the end of the day. She always goes to the tricky area first, and beats up the equipment so bad that I have to repair it for the larger, easy area.
This was because her Dad, never walked a field with her, and never said, "This is how you do it." After 20 years, I don't think anything will change.
We will die out.
I just hope the newer generations will embrace that sex based roles are not the same as they were 50 years ago.
Teachu2
Platinum Member
I love and respect mine. too, but she likes to groom the forest to look like a park. After 33 years together, she also knows that I can fix anything. I love the fabricated deck on the mower - it's stout and easy to repair. When we bought the place, it included a Deere L120 - ran great, but the transaxle would overheat and die, and the stamped deck was the pits. This Husqvarna is in a different league.
LindenBruce
Gold Member
I was just looking at this very model online about an hour ago, the Husqvarna TS354XD. My GT2654 is getting long in the tooth at 13+ years old, but only 380 hours. The frame on my older unit flexes like mad. I have had to pull the engine once to reseal it. I have repaired the transaxle twice. I ask a lot out of this older machine and it dishes it out. But I just don't know how much longer she is going to last.
And with Commifornia banning small gas engines by the end of the decade, I want to get something that will out last me. I have been looking at the X700 series Deeres and the BX series Kubotas. But those units are in the 15-17k range. Ouch.
So, the TS354XD might be a great option. So you guys like them? B.
And with Commifornia banning small gas engines by the end of the decade, I want to get something that will out last me. I have been looking at the X700 series Deeres and the BX series Kubotas. But those units are in the 15-17k range. Ouch.
So, the TS354XD might be a great option. So you guys like them? B.
check
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2008
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- 4,002
- Tractor
- 2009 Kubota BX25
Great post, Jasper, and so true. Same thing with Map reading. I don’t know how many people I have heard comment that women are simply unable to read maps like men, as if somehow this was something we are born with.
I thought my daughter to used tools from a young age, and she even evaluates her boyfriends now on the basis of how “handy” they are up at the cottage.
Another problem is, no matter how much you teach your daughters traditional “boy“ things, when they grow up to be teenagers their female friends don’t know anything about it, and they also tend to lose interest.
plowhog
Elite Member
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- North. NV, North. CA
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- Massey 1710 / 1758, Ventrac 4500Y / TD9
Similar to Teachu2, my Husqvarna GT48DXLS has given excellent service and no problems. I use it but don't abuse it. Mowing lawn areas and light bush hogging in the pasture-- usually (but not always) following up after a full size rotary cutter has gone through.
JasperFrank
Veteran Member
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Teachu- " I love and respect mine. too, but she likes to groom the forest to look like a park."
This has been an on going, "battle of the minds" for us also. Sometimes I'll catch her attempting to take the lichens and mosses off the trees, or raking leaves in the middle of the 14 acre wood lot.
This has been an on going, "battle of the minds" for us also. Sometimes I'll catch her attempting to take the lichens and mosses off the trees, or raking leaves in the middle of the 14 acre wood lot.
Gem99ultra
Veteran Member
I'm on the fence about (my) Husqvarna right now. My GTH26V52LS 'appears' to have a transmission problem. It has the HydroGear transmission and has quit on me for the 2nd time in the last 6 months. First time seemed to be it needing a new transmission filter and new oil. Ran fine for about 6 hours after that, and then just recently - quit again. No forward nor reverse; purging did nothing.
This time I've sent it to a qualified repair shop. With only 275 hours on it, and at an original cost of $3200 10 years ago, I'm hoping for a cheap fix. Whatever the problem is this time is above my Husqvarna/HydroGear knowledge.
One fear is that 'if' the transmission has gone ga-plut, a new one runs about $800 or more - IF (big IF) I can even find one. At this point, I'm pretty much expecting to needing to buy another mower. If it comes to that, I think I'll be trying a different brand. Husqvarna ain't what they used to be, that's for sure.
This time I've sent it to a qualified repair shop. With only 275 hours on it, and at an original cost of $3200 10 years ago, I'm hoping for a cheap fix. Whatever the problem is this time is above my Husqvarna/HydroGear knowledge.
One fear is that 'if' the transmission has gone ga-plut, a new one runs about $800 or more - IF (big IF) I can even find one. At this point, I'm pretty much expecting to needing to buy another mower. If it comes to that, I think I'll be trying a different brand. Husqvarna ain't what they used to be, that's for sure.
LindenBruce
Gold Member
That prolly has the K46 transmission in it. You can upgrade to the K66 which is much better. I have broken two axles in my K46. Finally bought the harder steel axle from a supplier on ebay and it's been trouble free since. B.