JD X304 VS CUB CADET 2542

treed · Apr 27, 2006

I would say backing of a cart with AWS might be a challenge. If you get a test drive from your dealer, maybe he will also let you "practice" backing a cart. Myself, that wouldn't be a factor in my decision. The X304 with it's AWS would get my grass mowed, I'm assuming, quicker than the Cub. If you were planning to handle ground engaging equipment, then I would go with a GT.

jj1 · Apr 27, 2006

Thanks "ALL" for your help. I just brought home the Cub GT2542. The main reason I did this was for the extra weight of the machine and for its (IMHO) heavy duty transsmission. Also the shaft drive was an added bonus. As I said I only mow 3/4 of an acre but I have another acre and 1/4 that I might want to clear. There is a nice waterfall on my property that maybe someday I would like to clear a little of that land and build a cabana on. I think the Cub might have some ground engaging equipment in it's future as treet put it. Bottom line is for my situation I could grow into the Cub but the deer x304 I think I would have grown out of. Now if I would have moved up to the deer 500 series or found a used AWS 400 model, that may have been a different story /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Hard · Apr 27, 2006

Well you could have really grown into a Cub 5000 series /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Enjoy your new tractor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

jj1 · May 14, 2006

Well.. I had made a deal on the Cub....Even brought it home. But it turns out that the Cub on hills was MUCH to unstable. Why you ask? Center of gravity. Operator sits to high in the air. The Cub dealer took the mower back as I did not even cut a bade of grass with it. A VERY good dealer I might add! The Cub looked great on paper but the x304 Deere AWS was the ticket for my situation. Much lower to the ground. Also a little wider. Don't get me wrong you get a good bang for the buck with the cub (and built like a tank) but the Deere was the right tool for the job! As other people have stated, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!! Lesson learned...

Lend27 · Mar 15, 2008

I just went through the same decision making process. I got a lot of info by reading this thread.
My yard is sloped also and I researched both the Cub 2542 and the JD X304.
I saw that Consumer Reports rated the X304 as best on sloped and hilly yards.

I was lucky that my local dealer sells both Cub and JD.
He offered to let me try out both machines. He delivered them and we put them both through all the paces.

I also felt much more stable and secure on the X304. It was no contest. The Cub felt more prone to tipping on the more severe slopes.
The JD felt stable.

So I bought the X304. They delivered it this am.

Thanks for all the help. It got a lot of good info here.

Len in NC

LBrown59 · Mar 16, 2008

jj1 said:
Thanks guys for the info.
Is there anyone who owns one of these machines that can give me a thumbs up or down?

The JD 300 series are lawn tractors.
The CC 2500 series are garden tractors.

You need to move on up to the JD 500 series to get something comparable to a CC 2500 series.

I have a CC GT2554 That I like real well but I'm selling It because I replaced it with a new BX1500.
I wanted to move up from the garden tractor to a Sub-Compact.

LBrown59 · Mar 17, 2008

jj1 said:
1*I think the Cub might have some ground engaging equipment in it's future as treet put it.
2*The deer x304 I think I would have grown out of.

Well.. I had made a deal on the Cub....Even brought it home.
3*But it turns out that the Cub on hills was MUCH to unstable.
4*but the Deere was the right tool for the job!
~~~~~~~~~

~~~
1*How are you going do what you said in #1 with the 304 lawn tractor?
2*And when you grow out of the 304 what then?
3*That's strange Seeing as how my CC GT2554 has excellent stability on hills in fact that's why I have it for mowing my slopes.
Yep very strange indeed.
4*Until you grow out of it as you stated in #2.

LBrown59 · Mar 17, 2008

Lend27 said:
I just went through the same decision making process. I got a lot of info by reading this thread.
My yard is sloped also and I researched both the Cub 2542 and the JD X304.
1*I saw that Consumer Reports rated the X304 as best on sloped and hilly yards.

I was lucky that my local dealer sells both Cub and JD.
He offered to let me try out both machines. He delivered them and we put them both through all the paces.

2**I also felt much more stable and secure on the X304. It was no contest. The Cub felt more prone to tipping on the more severe slopes.
The JD felt stable.

So I bought the X304. They delivered it this am.

Thanks for all the help. It got a lot of good info here.

Len in NC

1*This don't really tell me much because it's an apples to oranges test.

2*Like I said you did an apples to oranges test .

There is nothing wrong with the stability of the CC 2500 series.
I bought my GT2554 specifically for mowing my slopes and it does it quite well with no stability issues what so ever.

== L B ==
PS
To come to an accurate reliable meaningful conclusion the comparison must be between 2 garden tractors or 2 lawn tractors.
In yours JJ1s and RDs the comparison is between a lawn tractor and a garden tractor thus causing the misleading or meaningless conclusions.
In my experience over the years I've found that in general:
lawn tractors to feel more stable than garden tractors-garden tractors to feel more stable than sub/compacts -sub/compacts to feel more stable than compacts and compacts to feel more stable than utility tractors.

plastikosmd · Mar 17, 2008

nice, i want a 304 myself...someday.....

Lend27 · Mar 17, 2008

Hey LBrown59.......... lighten up.
No one is belittleing the 2542......it's a nice machine. Just didnt perform as well as the X304 on my slopes. Don't take it personal.

"Lighten up Eugene" !

Len in NC