Calling all GT25xx owners

kejace · May 29, 2009

REPOSTED FROM "Buying/Pricing/Comparisons"
Sorry for the Noob mistake.

All,

Please help me not buy a Deere X324.

I am pretty sold on the 2500 Cub, but my dealer can't tell me the "circle of uncut grass" that one would get with this unit, with any of the different size decks.

The Deere X324 has a 9" uncut circle because it has 4 wheel steering. I know Cub can't match that (except with the i-series, which has horrible quality reviews). The Cub 1000 series has a 12" uncut circle. But can't find out that poop on the GT2500's.

After looking at all 4 models (i, 1000, 2500 and x300) I am convinced the GT2500 is the best made. However, my whole impetus for getting a new machine was a MUCH quicker mow time, and a tight radius is key to this.

Can anyone with a GT2500 measure the uncut circle size?

And does anyone have anything to say about buying a GT2500?

The Deere dealer (naturally) had negative things to say about shaft drive - namely that it robs the engine of about 5 hp. Is this true?

Thanks for all help,

KJ in NJ

1991 Cub 1315
Cyclone Rake
Snapper 21" Push
Echo Leaf blower
Homelite String Trimmer
Craftsman 16" Chain Saw

CCinCT · May 30, 2009

kejace said:
Can anyone with a GT2500 measure the uncut circle size?

Sorry, I can't do that until Sunday. But it won't come close to the X324. If I had to guess, I'd say my 2544 leaves about a 16" uncut circle. The larger the deck, the less that number will be.

And does anyone have anything to say about buying a GT2500?

If your task is just to mow, and you aren't dealing with lots of hills, I'd say go with the X324. It's a great mower and was designed to be just that from the ground up. The 2500 is a GT, with mowing as an "can also do..." task. Don't get me wrong, it's a great tractor. But it's not a fair comparison to compare a dedicated mower (X324) to a multi-tasking GT (2500).

The Deere dealer (naturally) had negative things to say about shaft drive - namely that it robs the engine of about 5 hp. Is this true?

That's a new one. I'm guessing he didn't bother to go into the technical reasons for that, probably because he wasn't able to think up something quick enough. But basically that is BS. Technically there is some extra energy required to rotate the shaft and associated hardware beyond what a belt-drive system might need. But it would be negligible. Besides, belts can slip under load, and you might not even realize it's happening.[/QUOTE]

As much as I love my 2544 and all 2500's, it's not the right tractor for everyone. If mowing is your primary need, look at a zero-turn. If you need light duty pulling, then the X300's are a good choice. The i1000's are also a good choice, but you seem to have ruled them out. If you think plowing or other heavier duty chores are in your future, then going with a GT like the 2500 is the right move. In the end, you need to try them and see what "feels" right to you. And make sure your dealer is competent. I'd be leary of any dealer that bad mouths other brands.

savageactor7 · May 30, 2009

KJ if the "circle of uncut grass" is that important I would also recommend a zero turn....esp if it's only grass cutting you'll be doing.

We've always used our GT's to pull wagons of wood, plow snow etc so they do double duty here. Good move going through a dealer ...the initial set up of these beasts are very important. And you won't get that at a BB store.

EuropaChris · May 30, 2009

I estimate my '05 2544 leaves at least a 24" circle of uncut grass if you just go around in a circle. It's no better and no worse than any other "normal" lawn or garden tractor I've driven over the past 30 years. I find it handles very well and turns tighter than I expected for such a large machine, along with the hydro drive with foot pedals, I really don't regret not buying a ZTR machine, and it's nice to also be able to pull aerators, wagons, spreaders, etc.

Shaft drive is more efficient than belt - PERIOD. A solid shaft drive without u-joints is essentially 100% efficient. A belt drive will ALWAYS have losses due to slippage, friction, and the simple act of flexing the belt around the pulley as rubber is not perfectly elastic. Vee belts are the worst for losses, serpentine (multi-rib) belts are much better, and cog belts like on my Buell (or a Harley) are best (and strongest).

Now, whether the shaft is better on a Cub is debatable. Unless you're pulling a weight sled or a plow, you are only using a fraction of the engine horsepower to drive the tractor, compared with MUCH more power going to the deck for mowing. Therefore, a belt drive isn't really a bad thing if engineered "correctly". And, with the horizontal shaft on the 2500 series, that requires extra pulleys and belt "bends" to get the power to the deck, which adds extra losses. I'd actually rather have a belt drive trans and a shaft drive deck, or shafts for both like the 3000 series (even though it has a short belt to drop the engine crank pulley line down to the deck shaft line - at least it's a straight belt).

Lastly, I have had no real issues with mine so far at 140 hours except the headlight sockets fell apart, so I added my own custom setup - looks a little "farmer-tech", but works far better than the stock ones ever did. I'll have to post a pic. Yes, there are quite a few "MTD-isms" where they cut design or quality a bit too far, but overall it's a very solid machine for a LOT less than a comparable JD.

Chris

LBrown59 · May 30, 2009

kejace said:
REPOSTED FROM "Buying/Pricing/Comparisons"
Sorry for the Noob mistake.

All,

Please help me not buy a Deere X324.

I am pretty sold on the 2500 Cub, but my dealer can't tell me the "circle of uncut grass" that one would get with this unit, with any of the different size decks.

The Deere X324 has a 9" uncut circle because it has 4 wheel steering. I know Cub can't match that (except with the i-series, which has horrible quality reviews). The Cub 1000 series has a 12" uncut circle. But can't find out that poop on the GT2500's.

After looking at all 4 models (i, 1000, 2500 and x300) I am convinced the GT2500 is the best made. However, my whole impetus for getting a new machine was a MUCH quicker mow time, and a tight radius is key to this.

Can anyone with a GT2500 measure the uncut circle size?

And does anyone have anything to say about buying a GT2500?

The Deere dealer (naturally) had negative things to say about shaft drive - namely that it robs the engine of about 5 hp. Is this true?

Thanks for all help,

KJ in NJ

1991 Cub 1315
Cyclone Rake
Snapper 21" Push
Echo Leaf blower
Homelite String Trimmer
Craftsman 16" Chain Saw

To get a comparable JD to A CC 2500 series you have to go with a JDx700 series.

JTKub · May 30, 2009

KJ, if mowing is all you need to do and do it as quickly as possible, skip the 2500 series all together and get a Z-Force ZTR. Fully fab'd steel deck, fast ground speed, serviceable hydros, etc.. I do love my 2544, but these days for about the same price, IMO, a Z-Force 44" is where it's at. Check my post here: http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=82879

Joel

kejace · May 30, 2009

Thanks to all for the input.

Regarding a Zero Turn, I have ruled this out because in the fall I tow around a "Cyclone Rake" leaf vacuum. A lot. It is different than other systems in that it does not pivot - it is hitched to the frame at two points and then has caster-style wheels under the load. With my 1315 it really throws me around when full, and you can feel the stress it puts on the frame. It is this same reason that I am afraid of the 1000 series, and intrigued by the 2500.

However, during the summer, it is all about mowing speed. The wife wants me to spend less time mowing (possibly squeeze it in an evening) or move to a smaller property. This justifies the upgrade, but want to make sure I will get the results. Maneuverability is key because I have about 40 trees on my acre, plus the other typical obstructions; flower beds, deck, swingsets, etc.

I know the i-series or other zero turn will kick butt in mowing speed. The 1000 series with it's 12" uncut circle (or Deere with 9" uncut) will also be great spinning around the trees. But I concerned about my leaf pickup activities with these lighter machines.

I was thinking of the 2554, and hoping the large deck would provide similar results.

Anybody have a 2554?

Thanks again for the sage advice,

KJ in NJ

savageactor7 · May 31, 2009

kejace just for conversations sake. I can see how cutting around all those trees could be time consuming.

Here we cut a lot of grass but NEVER ever cut it all at once...but we do cut for a short time daily, even wet grass.

I think you'd be surprised how any mower would do a satisfactory job if you just cut a different section of grass for 15- 20 min a day.

When you get into the routine it'll look like a golf course and the drudge factor is gone too. GC's cut different sections every day...but it all looks good. Just something to think about.

JTKub · May 31, 2009

KJ, you've probably discovered this by now, but you're going to have to relax your requirements a bit my friend. You want; 1) Heavy towing ability, 2) Super fast ground speed, 3) Very high maneuverability.

Any of the 1K series machines won't do #1 without eventually trashing something.

2K machines are not #2 or #3, nor are you going to lace a 54" deck through trees easily.

With the incentives available today, you should look at an all wheel steer, JD X535. I bet you could get one for way less than the JD $7300 MSRP and it's got everything you need.