John Deere X380 vs Husqvarna GT52XLS

[tk tom]

Tk tom, another post said you are a John Deere dealer. I'm curious if you believe the Deere 1 series degrades the Deere brand? You wrote: "The Deere 1 series is there for the people who just don't know any better, are blinded by green, or grew up absolutely dreaming about one day owning something that said John Deere on the side. Dollar for dollar they lose."

Since Deere promotes quality, reliability, and longevity of operation, isn't it contrary to push the 1 series at the big box stores? I know "why" it is done-- profits and market share, but do you believe problems in that lineup affect the reputation of other models? Or, does that strategy create a stream of business for the dealers? Sell a 1 series at a big box but serviced by local dealers, and when it eventually fails and goes in for service it gives the dealers a chance to upgrade the customer to a better model?

I don't know why any manufacturer really does anything other than there's a financial reason behind it. #1 is always the money. The last I knew, JD didn't even manufacture the D series themselves, they were coming out of a Briggs owned old Murray plant or something - not to say they're Murray mowers or anything other than a John Deere.... They have also used the throw-away Homelite trimmers rebranded as JD as well as other things. Most people don't do any research, they buy specifically on brand name equity - and Deere has a ton of it. Dollar for dollar I don't feel as though the D series riders give you the best option out there. Move into the X series and I don't think they can be beat. Just my opinion from a little town in Maine with only a decade of dedicated experience, there are many others out there been around a lot longer than I have.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I don't know why any manufacturer really does anything other than there's a financial reason behind it. #1 is always the money. The last I knew, JD didn't even manufacture the D series themselves, they were coming out of a Briggs owned old Murray plant or something - not to say they're Murray mowers or anything other than a John Deere.... They have also used the throw-away Homelite trimmers rebranded as JD as well as other things. Most people don't do any research, they buy specifically on brand name equity - and Deere has a ton of it. Dollar for dollar I don't feel as though the D series riders give you the best option out there. Move into the X series and I don't think they can be beat. Just my opinion from a little town in Maine with only a decade of dedicated experience, there are many others out there been around a lot longer than I have.

Yay we can start a new Deere debate lol.

Ok I have asked this question to EVERYONE that claims the JD X series is better than the competition dollar for dollar. What makes deere worth so much more?

X3 Select Series Lawn Tractor | X38, 54-in. Deck | John Deere US

$4700 plus tax.

Husqvarna Riding Lawn Mowers GT52XLS

$3400 plus tax.

 

[crazyal]

I didn't look at the X300 series but I opted for a one year old X500 because it looked to me that Deere thought out the design better. Don't get me wrong I liked the Husqvarna and it was on my list. But things like the anti scalp wheels are easy to adjust, the deck is simple to remove (this matters to me because I like to wash the grass off the deck a couple times a year), the frame seamed stronger (this is very subjective as you really can't tell very much at a dealer lot). That doesn't mean the Deere didn't have things I didn't like, like the plastic hood. I set myself a $4k limit and ended up with a low hour X500 that has more warranty left than Husqvarna gives you on a new mower. Would I spend $6k on a new X570 over a $3k Husqvarna, probably not as I think the X500 series is designed to do more than all I planned on doing, just mowing. But After mowing with it 3 times now I can say that it's a very capable machine, even on the steepest of hills on my property it climbs like a goat. I think the only way to answer the question, is the Deere worth the extra money, can only be answered 20 years from now. I see lots of 20 year old Deere mowers still running. Hopefully the Husqvarna riders will also be around.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I didn't look at the X300 series but I opted for a one year old X500 because it looked to me that Deere thought out the design better. Don't get me wrong I liked the Husqvarna and it was on my list. But things like the anti scalp wheels are easy to adjust, the deck is simple to remove (this matters to me because I like to wash the grass off the deck a couple times a year), the frame seamed stronger (this is very subjective as you really can't tell very much at a dealer lot). That doesn't mean the Deere didn't have things I didn't like, like the plastic hood. I set myself a $4k limit and ended up with a low hour X500 that has more warranty left than Husqvarna gives you on a new mower. Would I spend $6k on a new X570 over a $3k Husqvarna, probably not as I think the X500 series is designed to do more than all I planned on doing, just mowing. But After mowing with it 3 times now I can say that it's a very capable machine, even on the steepest of hills on my property it climbs like a goat. I think the only way to answer the question, is the Deere worth the extra money, can only be answered 20 years from now. I see lots of 20 year old Deere mowers still running. Hopefully the Husqvarna riders will also be around.

My deck takes less than 5 mins to remove, 5 pins, pull off some brackets and a tug and she's out, I pulled my deck to clean it out just today, I was getting a build up of grass and it was bothering me so I scraped it all off. I will say my decks metal is getting a bit thin in places lol

My GTH2454T is not a dealers model, it's a big box store version equipped with a lesser deck and trans. It still cuts good though. It handles hills ok, but was really only designed for 15% slopes, I push it far past that.


Also I have never scalped my yard, my deck has the horizontal plates it rides on top of the 5 wheels that I don't think are adjustable but have never needed to.

I would really like to have one of these newer Husqvarna's, mine is from the early 2000s, I wana say 2005. Has 247h on the clock now.

My review of my GT would be simplicity and everything I need in a mower with a few unwanted bells and whistles like a 12v outlet, what would I possibly want to charge while mowing? Same with cup holders, I have never had any luck having a beverage on a mower. I do love the o-sh*t handles on the rear fenders, there really nice on hills.

The only way Husqvarna can compete with the x5xx and x7xx JDs is price, JD has a better product in those lines but not twice as good in my opinion, I don't personally feel there x3xx series is any better as a mower.

I can't tell you how badly I want a x75x in my garage lol but my budget won't allow it and I surly can't justify it.

So I guess congrats on your purchase.

It makes no diff what the color is, if you don't take care of it, it won't last.

 

[crazyal]

Looks like your anti scalping wheels are adjustable but to adjust them you need to unbolt them. Looking at your picture the front (at least the outside ones) are set to the second lowest position while your rear ones are as high as they can go. The Husqvarna I was looking at three years ago, don't remember the model but it had a 48" fabricated deck (not the stamped steel) just didn't look as thought out. I'm not trying to bash it, I really like the idea of a welded, not stamped, deck. Years down the road it would be easy to repair the deck if spots rust out. But, and this is just my opinion based on what I saw while looking at them at the dealer, was that the deck was made to fit multiple models but each model must have been different so the deck seamed like it had multiple ways to attach it. Maybe they have changed now.

I can remove my Troy Built deck in about 5 minutes. I can do the X500 deck in about a minute (as I said I have no clue how easy it is for the deck to come off the X300 series) it really is that easy. The deck on my Troy built I can lift with one hand (box store special) while the X500 deck is a beast. Yet the Deere is so much easier to remove and install. Granted once it's out that weight makes moving it a little bit of a pain but that's the price you pay for thicker steel. As much as I hate to admit it I'm not always good about doing maintenance. For example I find greasing messy and finally broke down and bought a cordless grease gun because the lever gun I have was one of the things that deterred me from greasing as often as I should. The easier it it is, the quicker I can do it means the chances are more likely that I will. Like you said, you have to maintain them to get the full life out of them.

I looked at the X700 series and about the only thing that I kind of wanted was the spoke wheels (lol). It seamed nice but I was at a loss for what the point of it is. It seamed like a sub-compact tractor with a gas engine for a hefty price. I'm sure to someone else it would fit in perfect for what they need.

I had a neighbor who's father was getting old and hand moved in with him. His father had a box store Deere and was very proud of it. His father would mow most of the neighbor's yards because he loved to be on it. Once done mowing he would wash and wax it. I bet that thing got waxed 3 times a week. When I looked at it all I saw was a box store special with green paint, not that I would have ever said that to him. I wouldn't have paid a cent more than a red or blue one that had the same features. But to him it was the perfect machine. Each person sees things differently. I'm sure if he had the money his dream would have been an X700 series mower, I bet there are a lot of people like that out there. Unless I saw things to make the X380 stand out I would most likely have got a Husqvarna and saved some money.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Looks like your anti scalping wheels are adjustable but to adjust them you need to unbolt them. Looking at your picture the front (at least the outside ones) are set to the second lowest position while your rear ones are as high as they can go. The Husqvarna I was looking at three years ago, don't remember the model but it had a 48" fabricated deck (not the stamped steel) just didn't look as thought out. I'm not trying to bash it, I really like the idea of a welded, not stamped, deck. Years down the road it would be easy to repair the deck if spots rust out. But, and this is just my opinion based on what I saw while looking at them at the dealer, was that the deck was made to fit multiple models but each model must have been different so the deck seamed like it had multiple ways to attach it. Maybe they have changed now.

I can remove my Troy Built deck in about 5 minutes. I can do the X500 deck in about a minute (as I said I have no clue how easy it is for the deck to come off the X300 series) it really is that easy. The deck on my Troy built I can lift with one hand (box store special) while the X500 deck is a beast. Yet the Deere is so much easier to remove and install. Granted once it's out that weight makes moving it a little bit of a pain but that's the price you pay for thicker steel. As much as I hate to admit it I'm not always good about doing maintenance. For example I find greasing messy and finally broke down and bought a cordless grease gun because the lever gun I have was one of the things that deterred me from greasing as often as I should. The easier it it is, the quicker I can do it means the chances are more likely that I will. Like you said, you have to maintain them to get the full life out of them.

I looked at the X700 series and about the only thing that I kind of wanted was the spoke wheels (lol). It seamed nice but I was at a loss for what the point of it is. It seamed like a sub-compact tractor with a gas engine for a hefty price. I'm sure to someone else it would fit in perfect for what they need.

I had a neighbor who's father was getting old and hand moved in with him. His father had a box store Deere and was very proud of it. His father would mow most of the neighbor's yards because he loved to be on it. Once done mowing he would wash and wax it. I bet that thing got waxed 3 times a week. When I looked at it all I saw was a box store special with green paint, not that I would have ever said that to him. I wouldn't have paid a cent more than a red or blue one that had the same features. But to him it was the perfect machine. Each person sees things differently. I'm sure if he had the money his dream would have been an X700 series mower, I bet there are a lot of people like that out there. Unless I saw things to make the X380 stand out I would most likely have got a Husqvarna and saved some money.

As far as the Deere part goes, I remember growing up a neighbor bought his first JD, he used a old craftsman mower for years, he made a comment one day about it, something to the extent of finally having a deere.

like that was the point in his life that he could say he made something of himself, that's a bit of an exaggeration but that's how it felt being on the other side of the conversation as a kid, my dad had a Deere, most the neighbors on the street had Deere's and he finally got one lol. Green envy

I don't understand that part, if I see a guy riding a cheap Deere I think to myself, that guy over paid, I don't think "wow that guy is amazing because his mower is green and yellow, I wish I could be as fortunate and compete", that kind of thinking gets people in unneeded debt and financial struggle, keeping up with the joneses I think is the expression.

 

[Smoothas]

I don't know why any manufacturer really does anything other than there's a financial reason behind it. #1 is always the money. The last I knew, JD didn't even manufacture the D series themselves, they were coming out of a Briggs owned old Murray plant or something - not to say they're Murray mowers or anything other than a John Deere.... They have also used the throw-away Homelite trimmers rebranded as JD as well as other things. Most people don't do any research, they buy specifically on brand name equity - and Deere has a ton of it. Dollar for dollar I don't feel as though the D series riders give you the best option out there. Move into the X series and I don't think they can be beat. Just my opinion from a little town in Maine with only a decade of dedicated experience, there are many others out there been around a lot longer than I have.

TkTom- you stop by every couple weeks and take your shots at John Deere- and you info is almost always wrong. John Deere makes the D series in Greenfield Tenn—in fact makes hundreds of thousands of them a year. The D series are made to compete against lower end tractors like husqvarna and Cub Cadet- and they compete quite nicely as they are consistently rated the top lawn tractors by Consumer reports with input from 10 of thousands of users. Not only is the D series at or near the top of best lawn tractor every year by Consumer reports, their reliability numbers blows husqvarna away- Husky have a terrible reputation with close to 40% of all new units sold developing a problem within the first 4 years- compared to D series 17%- again not my opinion the opinion of thousands of people

 

[Smoothas]

As far as the Deere part goes, I remember growing up a neighbor bought his first JD, he used a old craftsman mower for years, he made a comment one day about it, something to the extent of finally having a deere.

like that was the point in his life that he could say he made something of himself, that's a bit of an exaggeration but that's how it felt being on the other side of the conversation as a kid, my dad had a Deere, most the neighbors on the street had Deere's and he finally got one lol. Green envy

I don't understand that part, if I see a guy riding a cheap Deere I think to myself, that guy over paid, I don't think "wow that guy is amazing because his mower is green and yellow, I wish I could be as fortunate and compete", that kind of thinking gets people in unneeded debt and financial struggle, keeping up with the joneses I think is the expression.

Maybe he is thinking he has the top rated lawn tractor by Consumer reports- maybe he thinks he has a tractor JD will support for years to come.., maybe he thinks he can move up in a few years either by selling or trading unit into one of the thousands of JD dealers across the country maybe he had a friend that bought a husky and it died in 3 years -- bottom line what the **** do you care what he thinks .. I can kind of see why you are broke.. hang in cowpoke someday you'll have a JD -- and then you'll know the feeling..LOL-- or maybe not buy yourself a new husky-- I feel you 'deserve" it ..LOL

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

TkTom- you stop by every couple weeks and take your shots at John Deere- and you info is almost always wrong. John Deere makes the D series in Greenfield Tenn—in fact makes hundreds of thousands of them a year. The D series are made to compete against lower end tractors like husqvarna and Cub Cadet- and they compete quite nicely as they are consistently rated the top lawn tractors by Consumer reports with input from 10 of thousands of users. Not only is the D series at or near the top of best lawn tractor every year by Consumer reports, their reliability numbers blows husqvarna away- Husky have a terrible reputation with close to 40% of all new units sold developing a problem within the first 4 years- compared to D series 17%- again not my opinion the opinion of thousands of people

You are correct that they are made in Tenn but there made by MTD, unless it has a X infront of its name it's made by MTD. Google it.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Maybe he is thinking he has the top rated lawn tractor by Consumer reports- maybe he thinks he has a tractor JD will support for years to come.., maybe he thinks he can move up in a few years either by selling or trading unit into one of the thousands of JD dealers across the country maybe he had a friend that bought a husky and it died in 3 years -- bottom line what the **** do you care what he thinks .. I can kind of see why you are broke.. hang in cowpoke someday you'll have a JD -- and then you'll know the feeling..LOL-- or maybe not buy yourself a new husky-- I feel you 'deserve" it ..LOL

Why all the sudden are you defending someone for buying a JD? I dont remember putting JD down. I don't remember saying anything negative about my old neighbor which btw I was 12 when he got a JD mower which he bought used, if your telling me that a JD mower is easier to get parts and support from than from Sears on a craftsman mower your seriously mistaken.

Lastly out of all that, why do you think I'm broke? If you really want to take personal jabs at people back it up. I would like to know how you got broke out of us talking about JD Green envy.