Frustrated W/ JD Dealership

[kb2520]

Keep us updated. I'll be interested to see how the rest of your search goes & what you decide to purchase.

 

[Crznrte66]

I know I'm small fry when it comes to buying a tractor, but I'm getting frustrated with the dealers in my area. I am looking at the x500 series or the 1 series SUB. I have physically been to three dealers. None of them had any x500 series in stock, and only one of them had a 1 series, and he didn't recommend it. He wanted to sell me a ZTR. I want to put my hands on an x500, 530, 540, and hopefully one of the x700 series and 1 series. I need to compare. I wrote JD headquarters and they graciously sent me a list of dealerships in the area, as if I did not know how to use their website already.

Anyone in Louisiana or East Texas know of a dealership that has these units in stock. I'm ready to give up and buy Walmart.

One of the initial considerations would be attachment capability. You would have to step up to the x700 series in order to have the capability to install a fel and then there are certain models within that series that you cannot install a fel on. Typically when you start factoring in the options that a 1 series has from the factory (rear pto, folding rops, loader hydraulics, 3 point hitch, etc.) vs. the diesel 700 series, it starts to narrow the price gap. If you were to add on 2 attachments to a 1 series there also is a $750 bonus through May (which will drop to $500 in June) If you didnt want to spring for a fel right now those attachments could be a mid mount deck (you can get with auto connect feature on 1 series subs) and box scraper for instance. Plus you can use the 0% installment financing option on compacts. The next factor of course being price. There are some models of garden tractors that offer 4wd and or 4wsteer if you are concerned with traction and maneuverability but they start getting up there. Just some thoughts.

 

[ctlguy]

I have hills and our area is wet alot. The dealer was pushing the ZTR even though I told him I thought it would be unstable on hills. Friends brought over a Cub Tank and it spun out on our hill on wet grass and I thought the lady was going to get killed.

My frustration is that I can't find a dealer who really knows the JD lawnmowers. When I ask a question, they grab a brochur and start reading. I've been in three dealerships.

I think I've found a dealership three hours away that appears to focus on the mowers. I'm going to call them to see what they have in stock. I wish I could buy from the local guys, but all we have local is Craftsman, Kubota & Cub.

I'm not spending $7,000 to get a Craftsman with rear diff lock. I'm not spending $7,000 for a Kubota 4wd with a 21 hp gas engine, and I don't want to spend $5,000 on a Cubota with diff lock. I really want a Deere, but am getting discouraged.

Deere dealership is 30 miles away. Cub guy is 5 miles away.

If you are looking to spend less than the amounts quoted above the x500 series is probably not your machine anyways. Start at about 6k and go up from there. 7k seems "thrify" for anything with 4wd, or are you just stating that is too much for their products? I think we have all been in a situation where a product we desired was not supported locally. In my case have always done what I could to educate myself and not rely on a what the salesman 2 towns over tells me. Good luck.

 

[cyleclayton]

If you are looking to spend less than the amounts quoted above the x500 series is probably not your machine anyways. Start at about 6k and go up from there. 7k seems "thrify" for anything with 4wd, or are you just stating that is too much for their products? I think we have all been in a situation where a product we desired was not supported locally. In my case have always done what I could to educate myself and not rely on a what the salesman 2 towns over tells me. Good luck.

I'm not looking to spend less than the amounts quoted. I really want the x500, because I can do the mowing and light ground engaging work I want to do with it. I'm just not sure which one, and then I'm worried about service. If I can't get my local dealer to sell me what I want, I wonder if I can get him to service what I buy.

And, in the back of my mind is the Kubota BX2360 with FEL & MMM for about $14,000. That's twice the price of the x500, but may be more machine than I need. I know it's more than I wanted to pay.

I know everything technically about all these machined. I just have a hard time buying anything I have never put my hands on.

I found a 2010 BX2360 with 75 hours and FEL on Craigslist this morning. It has been listed for 8 days. The seller said the tractor would be delivered for $5,100. That's an insane deal, but it is from an individual and whatever sounds too good to be true probably is. It's in Idaho. I'm in Louisiana.

 

[rekees4300]

I have hills and our area is wet alot.

Got an X500 on April 27. I've been very impressed with its stability on hills. Be sure to get knobby rear tires. Also referred to as HDAP. They will increase your traction considerably. My hills are 25 degrees and the X500 can handle those without even using the diff. lock!

 

[cyleclayton]

Got an X500 on April 27. I've been very impressed with its stability on hills. Be sure to get knobby rear tires. Also referred to as HDAP. They will increase your traction considerably. My hills are 25 degrees and the X500 can handle those without even using the diff. lock!

Thanks for the advice, it's consistent with what I've heard elsewhere. The hills are the main reason I'm looking at the x500. Thanks.

Just for grins, I sent a quote request to two Mahindra dealers in the area about a Max22 with FEL & MMM. Got quotes back within 30 minutes and was contacted by a regional rep in the same amount of time. Took Deere dealers 1 - 3 days to do the same.

I want a Deere, but am getting spooked by dealerships. May head back to my friends at the Kubot dealership. I also know the people at Mahindra now.

 

[jdbnh]

JD is getting to big for their brithces it seems sometimes. i have cusotmers that have been loyal Deere buyer for years and the past few years they have been switching colors for numerous reasons.......service is bad, parts expensive, dealers want to sell BIG iron and not really worried about the little guy as much any more......

 

[Ductape]

I found a 2010 BX2360 with 75 hours and FEL on Craigslist this morning. It has been listed for 8 days. The seller said the tractor would be delivered for $5,100. That's an insane deal, but it is from an individual and whatever sounds too good to be true probably is. It's in Idaho. I'm in Louisiana.

BEWARE ! This is a scam. Do not even email this person.

 

[jenkinsph]

Steve, I'll agree somewhat with what you say, ztr's are affected by wet conditions and I'd be lying if I said I'd never pulled it out with the tractor, but you're exaggerating the effects a little in my opinion. The only issues I ever have is in the ditches along the road, and on one side of my property, the lawn drops about 8 ft in the space of about 4 ft into the ditch. Those numbers may not be %100 accurate, just my guess, but I can still mow across that ditch when it's dry, I wouldn't go near it when the lawn is wet. On the other hand, I would only drive down than section with my lawn tractor and I could not drive back up it, wet or dry, and I wouldn't even think about doing it when it was wet.

My ztr (Ferris IS3000) has a significantly better suspension than a tractor (I don't know much, ok anything, about the x700 series) and will mow over uneven lawns very nicely. A big part of my lawn used to be a farmers field is not what you would call smooth now. Apart from being 4mph faster, 12mph vs 8mph is %50 faster, I disagree that's close at all. I also approach trees wide open. It becomes second nature and the mower is so nimble it will stop and turn almost instantly.

One final plus for a ztr, after a bit of a learning curve and you become comfortable, you'll never have so much fun cutting the lawn.

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

The x749 with all wheel steer, 4x4 and hdap tires will not get stuck as easily as a ztr. The x749 will not get stuck as easily as the 2wd lawn tractors either. My point seeing as Cycleclayton (OP) is from Louisana and being from NOLA myself was the point about wet conditions.

One of the problems is lots of people have never used a good lawn tractor and compare the new ztr's to their older underpowered low end lawn tractors. I have an L130 cheap lawn tractor and it takes a long time to cut a large area and is not any way near as manueverable as an x749 or a ztr.

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.

 

[cyleclayton]

Ran by the local Kubota dealerships (5 miles and 25 miles away) to sit on a BX23 or 26, and, guess what? No BX in stock, and ran down the road to JD to see a 1023e or 26, and again nada.

There is one of the new Cub Cadet subcompacts and a Yanmar sub about 1.5 hrs away and I can check out one of the diesel Kubota mowers by driving 3 hours.

Once again, I can buy any one of several hundred ZTRs or I am being severely tempted to consider the bid I got on a Mahindra max - 22 w/ fel n mmm, 15,900 and the 25 is $600 more.

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