How reliable are JD lawn tractors?

SageBrush · Aug 11, 2013

A K58 is for light duty mowing on mostly flat ground. For the money I like the JD X-Series lawn mowers compared to the box store stuff. If you have steep hills, you need at least a X540 or bigger. I mow steep stuff mostly with a L4330 Kubota and save my X360 for the mild areas around the house. The little X360 has been a great lawn mower for me, buts its designed for mowing mostly flat lawns. I don't mess with sealed transaxles anymore. My JD X360 has been reliable and still very smooth after cutting 1.5 acres a week.

For really steep mowing I would use a Grillo 107D or a BCS 853 with a flail mower. A two wheel tractor can act as a tough walk behind mower and then it can be used as a tiller also.

arlen4720 · Aug 13, 2013

I personally would not even consider anything but a John Deere mower. They are so reliable, and so good, that you will actually be frightened. They are so good, that you may actually feel guilty owning one.
Plus, they are a "chic magnet".
I know Kubotas are good too, but they are not as much of a chic magnet.

tractorshopper · Aug 13, 2013

My L118 ran rough for years and I always complained about it and had to run at half choke all the time until I started putting in non-ethanol gas. It now runs very well. I have 300+ hours on it and for a while was bushhogging my property with it until I finally bought a tractor. I am on my 3rd deck having bent them and broken some welds. While the hydrostat reverse sucks royal (barely moves anymore), it still runs fine in forward and I mow some pretty steep and rough stuff with it routinely that I would never take my tractor on. I just replaced one rear tire. The stupid plastic hood pops off sometimes and I have to put it back on, which is a pain when the spring clamps are hot and I'm not done mowing yet, but I haven't broken anything other than the decks.

Having said all that, when I need to buy a new lawn mower, I will surely try to buy a SCUT instead or a more solid garden tractor at least.

AlexMarshall · Aug 19, 2013

Deere lawn tractors are super reliable. In fact you can still see old lawn tractors from Deere being sold on various sites like tractorhouse and machinefinder just to name a few. You can find lawn tractors from the 70's being sold!

murphy1244 · Aug 19, 2013

arlen4720 said:
I personally would not even consider anything but a John Deere mower. They are so reliable, and so good, that you will actually be frightened. They are so good, that you may actually feel guilty owning one.
Plus, they are a "chic magnet".
I know Kubotas are good too, but they are not as much of a chic magnet.

A Ventrac is a Chic Magnet, they like the Mower up front.

arlen4720 · Aug 19, 2013

murphy1244 said:
A Ventrac is a Chic Magnet, they like the Mower up front.

**** it! Now you tell me! What color are they? (the mower...not the chicks:laughing

Voyager6 · Aug 25, 2013

SageBrush said:
A K58 is for light duty mowing on mostly flat ground.

I would agree IF you said K46. K58 has no issues with hills. It has 50 percent more torque, steel gears, and the K58H is serviceable. X300, X304 have K46, X310-X360 have K58. K58s do not wear out the way K46s do.

SageBrush said:
you need at least a X540 or bigger.

I'd like the source of this info. All X500 series have a K72 ground engaging transmission. Only powertrain differences are engine hp and cooling, hydraulics, and rear wheel steering (X534). Now the X530 and X540 have hdap rear tires, which might make them slightly more tractor-like.

DonaldS · Sep 9, 2013

..

Howdy
I've owned many "low end" 36" and 42" lawn tractors and many brands and mowed with larger lawn tractors. My John Deere L100 (2002 model no hour meter) was by far the most economical to operate. Mechanically it is still perfect. It’s easy on gas and doesn’t burn oil but developed an electrical safety switch problem I haven’t fixed yet.
So I’ll fix it later and sell it.
I spent countless hours studying what 42” ‘Weed Tractor’ to buy. I bought a JD D130. Now I find out it has a K-46 with a high failure rate. But glad I didn’t spend the extra $ for the X300 with a K-46.
Now when I get the L100 fixed I will not be selling it.
I seems one can’t find a new 42” with a good transaxle… Is this true?

Have a good one.. Don S..

jhonb · Sep 9, 2013

DonaldS said:
..

Howdy
I've owned many "low end" 36" and 42" lawn tractors and many brands and mowed with larger lawn tractors. My John Deere L100 (2002 model no hour meter) was by far the most economical to operate. Mechanically it is still perfect. It’s easy on gas and doesn’t burn oil but developed an electrical safety switch problem I haven’t fixed yet.
So I’ll fix it later and sell it.
I spent countless hours studying what 42” ‘Weed Tractor’ to buy. I bought a JD D130. Now I find out it has a K-46 with a high failure rate. But glad I didn’t spend the extra $ for the X300 with a K-46.
Now when I get the L100 fixed I will not be selling it.
I seems one can’t find a new 42” with a good transaxle… Is this true?

Have a good one.. Don S..

I like you found out about the poor performance from the K46 transmission after I bought mine But I am happy to report, My tractor has 7 seasons under it's belt and is is still going strong. I hope you have the same results.