Is there a bulletproof mower?

[JDTank]

Good day all.

I have made my final choice for a utility tractor, so all that is left is to decide on a riding mower. This seems to be harder then a tractor!

From what I have read, there are basically no riding mowers out there that offer long life, say 10 years, and reliability. I would prefer shaft driven over belt, but I have also heard horrible things about the Kubota GR series. None of the JD's are shaft driven under the 700 series. However, if you go THAT far, you'd might as well get a 2305 for cutting grass.

My top 2 choices right now are the X360 (power steering, gotta love it) and the X540. Now, it would seem to me, the X500 series is rather useless to step up to. You get just a bit more power, and bigger tires, a locking diff, and bobs your uncle fanny's your aunt, you have a overweight X300.

My needs are 2 acres of grass about twice a week. 90% flat ground, with one slope to negotiate. I want one that will last me 10 years, not some cheap SEARS special.

Now, my next question, bagging. What is the cats *** for bagging these days? I see JD has a cool looking "power flow cart" that drags behind. It would be very nice to only empty once for the entire 2 acres, and if it could be done from the seat.

As always, I appreciate everyone's wisdom and help!

 

[Deadman]

A John Deere LX series would last you longer than you'd imagine.
My LX279 is about 10 years old, and its like brand new as the day it was bought. Its just dirty, and scratched from the moron driver!

The LX series is their premium lawnmower, not the Home Depot JUNK mowers.

I bought the LX279 because of the LIQUID Cooled Kawi engine, but most all are air cooled now to cut cost.

 

[GGB]

Skip the bagger and use the savings to buy aa larger machine than you think you need. If you have time to mow twice a week, you'll very rarely need a bagger. A larger machine will further reduce the need for a bagger by cutting better to begin with......

Nothing is totally bullet proof, but it stands to reason that if you get a larger machine to begin with, you'll be putting less stress on it, which should help longevity.

If the grass gets taller, just raise the deck so you only cut 1/3 of the height of the grass. Your lawn will be the better for it!

Bagging takes valuable moisture and nutrients that short clippings would have provided.

GGB

 

[jcmseven]

JDTank, as you can imagine, there are about as many opinions here as folks on the forum. I think your logic is sound. I think you are very insightful in your assessment of the X360 v. the X500. I had an X 360 that bought for my dad about 1.5 years ago. I trade often and later upgraded his machine, but the 360 was a great mowing machine. It comes with a 48" deck, so 2 acres 2x weekly could get a little old unless you are retired or have the time to spend doing it. To do a good job, these machines can realistically mow about 1.25 acres per hour, so it likely would take you around 1.5 hours to mow each time. The 500 series would be NO faster doing this and only cost more money. JD makes a 320 which can be had with a 54" deck, but the PS on the 360 makes it worth not getting a 320. I believe functional lifespan on these machines in a homeowner setting is about the same (between the 360 and any 500 series machine).

You have enough grass to consider a ZTR. Since you have a tractor, a ZTR dedicated mower is an option for you. Even the small ZTRs are faster mowing than a tractor-style, but not by a huge amount. I am not enamoured with the ZTR concept, though I currently have one. I also think the less expensive ZTRs sometimes cut corners on the wheel motors, etc., to reach desired price points and since these are both propulsion and steering, that is a problem to me.

As for the 700 series, they are the bomb, but you pay for it. I love the Premium 700 series tractors from JD. They mow great, do multiple other tasks and are just sweet. If you can swing one of those for mowing you would never regret it. It is pretty easy to see why they cost more money; they are just better. I can tell you on the grass I mow, my old 595 was almost as fast as a 757 ZTR with a 60" deck. This would be different on less challenging terrain than I generally mow, but this alludes to the fact one can have his cake and eat it too. My advice is a 360 or 720, and not looking at the 500s at all.

John M

 

[jenkinsph]

JD,
Lots of choices in Deeres' lineup, the 360 might be a good one for two acres if it is open ground and does have the PS built in. The 340 with 25hp and a 54" mower is another good choice with manual steering.

I looked into the X500 series but it was alot more money than the X300 and still didn't have the features I was looking for.

I have recently decided to go with an X749 AWS, has all the features I want except the 7 iron deck. I can live with that one concession considering it does everything else I want. For mowing the lawn I think the X749 is a better choice than a 2305. The advantage of a 2305 is for people who need an 8 in 1 tool to do a little bit of everything. Since you will have a much larger utility tractor you should have the other jobs well covered.

 

[aczlan]

If you are going to use this JUST for mowing, look at a COMMERCIAL zeroturn (Exmark, Ferris, the Deere commercial line, etc). They will out-cut most lawnmowers and leave a better looking cut to boot. Most of them are good for ~2000 hours if well taken care of.

Aaron Z

 

[JDTank]

Honestly I dislike the ZT mowers. Gotta have a hood in front of me otherwise it just doesn't feel right.

I can get a 2305 for the same price I can get a X700 series for. A 2305 here with no loader is about $9,000, add in a mower, looking at $11,500. I know the X700 series here starts at close to $12,000 I think.

The problem with stepping up to the X700 series is I cannot force myself to spend over $5,000 on a riding mower. It is a riding lawn mower, not a full fledged tractor. It does one thing, cut grass. I MIGHT have the RARE need to slap a blade on the front of it to push an inch or 2 of snow off the driveway, other then that, it will never do anything other then cruise the lawn.

I feel if I am going to step up to a X700 series, I am better off with the 2305. It would last years upon years on grass cutting duties, and would support a hydraulic lift front blade or sweeping broom much easier then a X700 series would.

Basically it boils down to either a X300 series or go all out and get a 2305. The nice thing with the 2305 idea is that it is the closest thing to a bulletproof lawnmower one could get.

 

[Scooby074]

I got a x540.,

Great machine, liquid cool is nice. Tons of power. Big deck. Diff lock was the main reason i needed the 540. Steep yard.

The x360 is nice. Once you have hyd steer and lift you wont go back.

700's have a lot going for them, but as you say, 2305 is "more tractor" for less money (at least here, once you add 3pt and pto to a 700 4wd).

has the advantage over a cut in that it is more compact and lower to the ground which can be handy.

 

[Transit]

Why not a PTO driven finish mower?

 

[JDTank]

Please explain??

PTO driven finish mower, for what, a 2305??

 

[Eagleview]

Well , I know for a fact that a Rover with a Briggs and Stratton is not bullet proof . After an hour of pulling , it finally started and I locked it in my garage at full revs . Later that day I checked on it hoping it was blown up . It had vibrated across the floor and cut my garden hose up into nice Bong length pieces and ran out of fuel . I took it outside , pretty cranky by now and got it going again . Full revs in the middle of the yard it sat there with a smirk on it's face . That was until it got shot with my AK , that'l teach it .


So don't buy one of these coz their not bullet proof .

 

[jenkinsph]

Honestly I dislike the ZT mowers. Gotta have a hood in front of me otherwise it just doesn't feel right.

I can get a 2305 for the same price I can get a X700 series for. A 2305 here with no loader is about $9,000, add in a mower, looking at $11,500. I know the X700 series here starts at close to $12,000 I think.

The problem with stepping up to the X700 series is I cannot force myself to spend over $5,000 on a riding mower. It is a riding lawn mower, not a full fledged tractor. It does one thing, cut grass. I MIGHT have the RARE need to slap a blade on the front of it to push an inch or 2 of snow off the driveway, other then that, it will never do anything other then cruise the lawn.

I feel if I am going to step up to a X700 series, I am better off with the 2305. It would last years upon years on grass cutting duties, and would support a hydraulic lift front blade or sweeping broom much easier then a X700 series would.

Basically it boils down to either a X300 series or go all out and get a 2305. The nice thing with the 2305 idea is that it is the closest thing to a bulletproof lawnmower one could get.

If you are looking at $5000 and down as your budget I would stick with the X300 series models starting with the X320 and up. This is where the better K58 transmissions are used, below the X320 Deere uses the K46 tranny that doesn't hold up well.

I have recently spent alot of time researching the riding mowers and decided on the X749. I considered a 2305 and also thought about waiting for the two new models to come out. For my purposes the X749 blows away a 2305 for mowing and manuevering in tight places. For finish mowing the AWD will have less scuffing than the 2305 with MFWD engaged or not. The X749 has the right gearing for mowing whereas the 2305 has a low range that is too low and a high range that is too high. I am not knocking the 2305 but I wouldn't assume it is simply better than an X748 or X749 for mowing, it isn't.

The 2305 is an 8 in 1 tool, doesn't really excel at anything, but can be a reasonable choice for the weekend warrior with a variety of small jobs to do.

 

[Speedfreak]

I would take a more serious look into the ztr mowers. For the price of a tractor style JD mower that mower mows at 6 MPH with a 52 inch deck you can get a nice ztr with a 60 inch deck that will buzz the lawn off at 12 to 15 mph. I mow our 1.5 acres in under 20 minutes with my new super Z. It cost $4800 used and had only 120 hours. The mowing speed comparison isn't even on the same chart. I sold my used x300 to get this mower. 53 minutes was my best time with my x300

And with a powered bagger the large 11 bushel one (I think) they can hold a TON of grass. One little flip of the handle and the bagger drops its load. I had an older country clipper that done this but look into ferris or grass hopper of you have to remove your clippings on that much lawn. like this one.

 

[Dargo]

Honestly I dislike the ZT mowers. Gotta have a hood in front of me otherwise it just doesn't feel right.

I assume you plan to use it for more than just mowing? If not, the typical "lawn mower" is extremely poorly designed for mowing. A good friend of my grandfather was in charge of designing JD mowers way back when. He found that he had to design them for form rather than function for them to sell. People wanted something that 'looked' like a tractor even though such a design is clearly inferior for mowing.

I have tractors for tractor work and mowers for mowing work. My oldest is an 11 year old Grasshopper diesel front mount mower that now has over 2000 hours on it. Without any doubt, it will last at least another 2000 hours before any issues may begin to pop up. It mows more than twice as fast as a mower designed to look like a tractor and, since it's purpose built, is far more durable and does a far better job cutting.

If looks are more important to you than performance, that's most certainly your option. However, when you ask for a "bulletproof mower", I assumed that function was paramount. If that is the case, I'd have to say a front mount Grasshopper with diesel power. With proper maintenance and no blatant abuse, it will last longer than you likely will need it.

 

[jcmseven]

I agree for mowing the ZTR or front cut style is best. The only issue here is that our OP has a budget to consider that might put him in the range of the less durable ZTR's etc.. I have a JD 950 with the 31 hp Kawasaki engine. I really like it. I do not love using ZTR's as some may, but it is a really pleasant machine to operate, and does a great job at a brisk pace. I suspect it would also be a machine that would last thousands of hours with solid service.

John M

 

[doall]

There is a reason every lawn service in the country (almost) {just for legality},uses zero turn mowers. They are superior. Faster, better cut, last longer, and easier to use. If you like a tractor type lawn mower, by all means, buy it. But there is no comparison between the two, if you are looking from a productivity point. Nothing wrong with the old way at all. But if you use a commercial zero you will never go back.

 

[Alan L.]

I am also in the ZTR camp. Nothing wrong with feeling more comfortable with a hood out front, but its a machine and it has a job. If you like stopping and backing up alot, and lots of weed eating, and mowing at a snail's pace then a lawn "tractor" is the way to go!!!!

 

[jgrreed]

Only had my ZTR for a month now, and love it.

Seriously look at one, they're a fantastic 'one job' machine (mowing). You can get a brand new Deere 5 series ZTR for under 5K, or a used 7 series for about the same. My 737 has almost 2000 hours and runs great. It's not pretty, but very functional.

-Jer.

 

[chrisdvorak]

I have owned my x500 with powerflow bagger and 54 in cut for about 4 years it has just over 400 hours on it and I have never had any big problems with it. I cut 5 acres of grass once a week with it and pick up all leaves as well.

 

[Gittyup]

I agree with Steve, that the 2305 is not necessarily a better mower than an X700. The super tight turning AWS and no roll bar in the way on the X700 are huge advantages. And I think the same hydraulic blade, snowblower, and broom are the same on either series. Again the blade/blower with AWS is awesome because you can plow sideways and still have steering when that front end is lightened by the down pressure of the attachment.

I do understand that it's a lot of money for just a mower, and maybe not worth it just for that. Same is true of the 2305: alot of money and less maneuverable. However, if you use the X700 to plow snow (and it'll move very deep snows) and/or you want to pull heavy loads, then the X700 is a great way to go.

The 300/500 series are good tractors, and a way to save some cash while meeting your needs. But, if I wanted to save money, before buying a 300/500 series I'd look for a gently used 425/445/455. If you can find one in very good condition, it'll be like getting the X700 (sans 4WD) at less than the cost of a new 500 series.