Chuck, I am not sure I follow. Are you potentially interested in a 500 series for personal use?? I might have missed that. I suppose my point on those machines is that the X500 series is a good machine that is not too much more tractor than the X300 series. The advantages one gets is about 100# of power unit weight, a bit more hp with a liquid cooled option in the 540 and HDAP tires and a differential lock. For ground engagement, the diff lock and bigger tires would help some, but having used both machines, the cockpit and mowing performance between the higher end 300's (320 and 360) and the 500's is pretty small. The 700 series machines offer a much heavier frame, heavier duty Kansaki transaxle with diff lock, dual stalk hydraulics, bigger tires, fuel injection option in both gas and diesel, four wheel drive option, and much better seat and operator station, higher travel speeds, heavier duty axles and PTO, and automotive headlights and taillights. They are expensive machines but the 740 I just bought cost me exactly $2000 more out the door than an X540 with equivalent mower. Amortized over a 60 month lifespan (just an arbitrary number) that equates to about $30/month, not including a better resale, especially on higher hour units or diesels. They also are not as expensive as the 2305 unless one goes with the X748 or 749, which would be similarly priced but would have similar capabilities and better functionality in some things such as snow removal and mowing. At that point, one must consider whether he needs a mower mainly or wants something to operate a small loader, and whether having the Cadillac level machine of one class is equivalent to an entry level compact. From your original post I got the impression you might be looking for a mower, but felt the 500 series might not fit your needs well. I am not against the 500 series as they are nice enough, but I believe personally JD did not do enough to separate them from a 300 series machine for the additional cost they charge. There are some items to think of though (in general):
1. Generally, and in my area as an example, the 700 series offer better resale. The 500 series would offer about the same RV as the 300 series.
2. The 700 series machines have predominantly Quick Tach attachments which are not inclusive in the 500's in the event the buyer wanted to operate some other attachments.
3. The 700 series gas engines have both a liquid cooled and fuel injected option, offering both better economy and longevity. My dad's new 740 gets better fuel economy than his X360 did (not saying a lot because both Kawasaki's use a good bit of fuel); hour for hour, and more job for job.
4. The 700 series operator station is much larger and more intuitive than the 500 series. They are a true pleasure to use.
5. The 700 series will not fit into the back of an average pickup without significant contortion (need the trailer), where the 500 series will.
6. The pricing on both models has remained quite flat over the past three years, and is expected to next year as well.
Hope this helps. I am not trying to talk you into a larger machine than you would want, but I do feel the consideration of the 700 if you are in the market for JD is reasonable. Otherwise the X360 is a sweet little tractor for mowing, and just under $5K.
John M
