JD X584 4 wheel turn for 20 degree incline

[CinderSchnauzer]

Wow Cinder- that is a heck of a slope- the Craftsman is not in same class as a x500 series,although it has Diff lock, it is really a lawn tractor, not a garden tractor. The JD has much more torque , bigger tires, wider stance. But having said that, not sure how it would handle your slope, I would be nervous on certain parts of that slope even with a X739

I am well aware the Craftsman was not an X5xx series. It was not one of their entry level models. It had 25 hp and wide turf tires and it did the job for 7 years without mechanical issues. If you read what I posted you will see "wheel spin" with TURF TIRES was the problem - not lack of torque or lack of HP. The JD X5xx cited by the OP has AWS but was still only 2WD / Diff Lock. My point was that at some time Turf Tires will spin and or allow side slip - depending on degree of slope and dampness of the grass.

As for the X739, I explained there is only about half of the slope where I will sideways. Aside from any concerns about tipping, when I sit to the upside of the hill (fender) to counter balance, there comes a point where the seat safety mechanism shuts off the PTO because enough weight is not on the center of the seat. I could disconnect or bypass the mechanism, but chose not to do that.

Driving straight up, even at the steepest part, turning 180 degrees and driving straight down is no problem at all. It's like the X739 is on tracks and so far, I have not felt near a tip over.

Given my experience, to date, If I had to chose between AWS / Turf Tires or AWD / HDAP tires, the choice for my needs would be AWD. The AWS feature is great for maneuverability and maybe for the OP's property that would be a good choice and wheelspin might not be a problem on his smaller sloped area.

It's a balance between Needs / Wants / Budget. In my case, "Wants" probably exceeded "Needs". With a small down payment 0% finance plus a decent discount from MSRP, my choice was to send JD Finance a few $$$ every month for 60 months. I don't really miss the $$$ each month, so in many ways, it was like getting a free Lawn Tractor. As a ++ DW likes to drive it around the yard, in part because there are no diesel fumes as it would have been with a X748.

 

[Smoothas]

I am well aware the Craftsman was not an X5xx series. It was not one of their entry level models. It had 25 hp and wide turf tires and it did the job for 7 years without mechanical issues. If you read what I posted you will see "wheel spin" with TURF TIRES was the problem - not lack of torque or lack of HP. The JD X5xx cited by the OP has AWS but was still only 2WD / Diff Lock. My point was that at some time Turf Tires will spin and or allow side slip - depending on degree of slope and dampness of the grass.

As for the X739, I explained there is only about half of the slope where I will sideways. Aside from any concerns about tipping, when I sit to the upside of the hill (fender) to counter balance, there comes a point where the seat safety mechanism shuts off the PTO because enough weight is not on the center of the seat. I could disconnect or bypass the mechanism, but chose not to do that.

Driving straight up, even at the steepest part, turning 180 degrees and driving straight down is no problem at all. It's like the X739 is on tracks and so far, I have not felt near a tip over.

Given my experience, to date, If I had to chose between AWS / Turf Tires or AWD / HDAP tires, the choice for my needs would be AWD. The AWS feature is great for maneuverability and maybe for the OP's property that would be a good choice and wheelspin might not be a problem on his smaller sloped area.

It's a balance between Needs / Wants / Budget. In my case, "Wants" probably exceeded "Needs". With a small down payment 0% finance plus a decent discount from MSRP, my choice was to send JD Finance a few $$$ every month for 60 months. I don't really miss the $$$ each month, so in many ways, it was like getting a free Lawn Tractor. As a ++ DW likes to drive it around the yard, in part because there are no diesel fumes as it would have been with a X748.

HP has nothing to do with this- the craftsman had a K46 tranny and 20 inch back tires-to be exact- 20x10x8, the Craftsman delivers 2.7 HP to the tires - not enough to "hold" the slope. I dont want to get too technical here- larger wider tires- more grip. Wider stance- more grip not disagreeing with you on X738- its a great machine- but a Craftsman has zero comparison to a X500 series. Your Slope has 5 times worse than the OP - so I'm not even sure what you are arguing about

 

[kevin37b]

Not sure he was arguing about anything . What book you been reading ?

 

[Xfaxman]

20% is a 5 to 1 slope . 5 ft of run with a 1 ft rise . That tractor will handle that easy . -------------------------------, Kevin .

This is true, but the OP said 20 degrees, not 20%.

20 Degrees is a 36.4% slope.

11.3 degrees is a 20% slope.

 

[beenthere]

There is a big difference... just sayin... good chart Xfaxman. Will help those that don't realize the difference.

 

[kevin37b]

Ooops!

 

[jenkinsph]

Would not be too concerned about having differential lock to drive up steep slopes. I would be more concerned with driving down the same slopes in 2wd.

An x739 and x749 can easily drive up and down a 30 degree slope. I have not tried it beyond that as I would be concerned about the engine oil in operation.

Leaves and pine needles are easy to blow down steep slopes with a back pack blower so not a lot of reason to bother with a tractor for this.