A Dedicated Mower

[Jeff Lary]

Hello everyone my name is Jeff,
I have never posted in this forum I usually just read and make the occasional post in the Kubota Operating thread. I am thinking of buying a Cub Cadet to mow with mowing maybe 2.5 acres. I do it now with my 1995 Wheel Horse 12 hp 37" deck with a Kohler Magnum 12 engine. I use the WH in the winter for blowing snow I have a cab for it with lights and weight box. I am just getting tired of switching everything out in the spring and fall.

I wanted another WH but I have been looking at the new Cub Cadets the last couple days. My wife says don't buy some old thing just go get a new one ! So I wondered what you folks think about the new cadets. I have give some cursory looks to three models .
The XT-1... 18 HP 42" stamped steel deck..... $ 1,499.00

The. XT 1 22 HP 46" stamped steel deck and..... $1,699.00

The XT-1 24 HP with a 54" fabricated steel deck....$2,500.00

I have a stamped steel deck on the WH and over the last 22 years I have hit some tree roots and a rock or two and the molded deck has bent back inward in the front many times, not much but enough to let the blade hit it . I have pounded it out many times and it is fine but that is the molded deck experience I have had. I like the looks of the fabricated deck looks much more solid and strong. What is your opinions on these 3 mowers. Thanks for your time Jeff

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

The XT-1 series are sold at the big box stores. If you move up to a XT-2 you can buy it from a dealer and get dealer service. They are built heavier but I have no experience with the XT-1 durability. The fabricated deck is a much better deck and will not rust out like some stamped decks I have owned.

Bob B.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Thanks Bob as far as the deck goes that is my thought too.

 

[Jeff Lary]

well I thought I would wrap this up, today I went to a cub cadet dealership. I walked the selection with the owner and look at mainly the XT 2 AND XT3 models after I kind of decided that maybe I would go with the xt2 46 fabricated deck he said this to me. "I will tell you this it does not matter weather you buy a xt1....xt 2 or..xt3 in 10 to 12 years it will be junk" "These things are nice when new but will not hold up to long term use the engines will run a long time but the rest of it will fall apart around you" These are not going to be around for 22 years like your wheel horse if anyone says so they are lying to you"

This is the owner of a long standing dealership I just stood there looking at him. I said well I don't know about that they look pretty nice ? he said oh they are they just don't last. I told him I was impressed that the one I was looking at had grease fittings on the spindles, I said that's a good sign. He said " wrong that's fake that grease fitting just empty's into a hollow void the grease does not do a thing its just there to make you feel like your doing something good. Again I just looked at him,.. "he said it is true I don't lie to people if they ask me I tell them the truth" He said " the spindles have a sealed bearing at the top and the bottom, the grease you add does nothing. I thanked him and walked away.

 

[JRobyn]

Astounding! A dealer that is both honest and actually tells the truth! What other manufacturers does he sell? Buy one!

 

[Jeff Lary]

yea not sure but he does sell other things he really does not impress me. He just seems like,.. here it is want one? it is $3,000.00 ? nope don't want one? that's ok too? don't blame ya they all suck? I went to that shop yesterday but he was selling to another person . I hung around for 20 min he did not ever acknowledge I was even in the room. I had to go back today if I wanted to see an XT2 or XT3 as these " guess are not sold by the big box stores. But other than buying a small part for my RT 65 tiller I most likely will never go back. Strange dude really I have repeated this to several people today I guess my thought is why would a dealer tell you this about something he is trying to sell? Well I gotta get going I have to work on the interstate tonight take care ttl Jeff

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

That sounds like some dealer. Apparently he has a vendetta against Cub Cadet or he just doesn't want to sell mowers. My first Cub was a 1978 1450 with single cylinder Kohler engine, built by IH and it was still running at 1200 hours in 2004. The stamped steel 44 inch deck had rusted out once and was replaced with a new $400 shell and that one had just started to rust through. I traded it in for a 2004 3235 with 54 inch stamped deck but it was much heavier (260 pounds). It lasted 11 years and surprisingly still had the original battery when I traded it in. The 25HP Kohler twin blew a head gasket at 200+ hours apparently due to the head bolts not being torqued down. hey were barely more than finger tight. The hydraulic lift valve assembly developed a leak and was a $600 dealer repair. I got rid of it in 2015 when the PTO vacuum actuator started sticking and the engine front seal developed a severe leak (1 quart of oil mowing 1 acre). It had around 500 hours on it. I traded it in for an XT3-GSX with 54 inch fabricated deck, 25 HP Kohler and triple bagger. It was $6000 out the door but the 3235 was $7000 with same equipment. I read glowing reviews on the new XT series and so far I'm impressed although I only have 67 hours on it. The Electronic Power Steering is almost as easy as the 3235 hydraulic power steering and is rock solid (absolutely no play in the wheel). It has large tie rod ends that look like they will last a long time. The deck is heavy steel and is not "ground following" like the 3235 was. I have not cleaned the deck underside yet and do not use the pressure wash adapters. I think that is asking for spindle bearing problems and the dealer agreed with me. I don't know about the sealed bearings that the dealer mentioned - someone else said something similar but there are grease fittings on the front axle, both front wheels and king pins, 2 steering gear fittings, 4 deck wheel fittings and idler arm. I was skeptical about the plastic hood but it is heavy plastic and dirt doesn't adhere to it. I blow it off with an air hose. My brother bought an XT2 with the 46 inch deck from the same dealer and is happy with his so far.

Bob B.

 

[ning]

I've got a Sears DYS 4500 with a 54" deck that I've had for ... checking my emails, since 2008, and it's ridiculously strong so far.

I can literally mow through 30" grasses (not my preference, but I'm limited in time and we had too much rain this spring so everything grew really fast - of course if you mow taller than 10" or so you leave a bunch of grass behind with the mulching setup); I regularly use it to mulch small sticks (thanks, dog) and though I try to avoid them, there's the occasional rock that crops up before I manage to harvest them. There's still no dings on the deck.

Besides mowing everything, we also use it to pull a small trailer around typically loaded up with brush and tree slash. Looking for a proper trailer for my new real tractor so I don't have to make 15 trips per tree...

I did have to replace the spindles last year - I ascribe the failure to the fact that I did *zero* maintenance on the tractor until I finally got wise. They were pretty simple to replace ($60 shipped). Now that I replaced the rear tires with "ag" tires ($74 each), it climbs my hill just fine; I'd love it if it had a diff lock, but it doesn't.

I just mention this because this is probably the equivalent of the "box store" level. I bought it from an auto mechanic off of craigslist, apparently someone couldn't pay their car bill so they gave this to him in trade and I got a smashing good deal (I can't remember the price, but it was probably around $1200 or so) on it. But basically, you can get a lot done with this level of machine; I mow about 2.5ac regularly in the spring (ie, until things dry enough that the grass stops growing). I don't bag but mulch. It cuts everything up just great, except marsh grass which usually needs a second pass.

Don't rule out a cheaper mower if you can get a good deal on one.

 

[Jeff Lary]

I am happy to hear the cadets are working well for you. I kind of think the dealer was/ is nuts. I had heard there was a WH for sale about 10 miles from me so yesterday afternoon I went up. I bought it, it is a 2000 3-14-8 with mower deck. The tractor has169?hours by the original owner he has had a hip replaced and it is hard for him to swing his leg up to get on it. He bought a step through JD and is very tickled with that. $1,100.00 and he will deliver it today I think. My WH is a 1995 and has 757 hours on it I use it year round and I have had very good luck so far. SO that leads me to hope for the same from this one.

 

[Groo]

With today's crap fuel, I'd get an efi lawn toy if remotely possible. With CC it is an option.