Joined Team Green

[Scooby074]

Joined team green yesterday with my first purchase of a Deere product, an X540

Ive been needing to replace a 20+ yr old Craftsman, thats been a very good machine, but parts are becoming very hard to get.

Over the last year, ive been researching, first thinking about a x324 then i was thinking about a cub 2554. I knew i wouldnt have a current , MTD or AYP so that ruled out alot of machines.

Then i purchased a new property with very steep yards, so i wanted differential lock. This meant x500 series as cub doesnt have it.

This particular machine was a trade in at a Kubota dealer, and they were very eager to get it off their lot. I made them a low ball offer, that i honestly thought they'd refuse, but they took it and i couldnt be happier.:thumbsup:

In the first few mowings, ive shaved over an hour off,(from 3 to 1h45m) which is great.

Coming from an old manual trans craftsman, i didnt understand the benefits of hydrostatic. Being able to slow for the turns, then accelerate for the straights is a real time saver.

I didnt think id like the hydraulic steering or mower lift, but after using it, id never have a machine without it, makes mowing truely effortless.

All and all, so fer its been great, just over 114 hrs on it.Im waiting to hear on its maintenance history, but i expect to have to do the 100 hr service. Any ideas on the cost of parts for that? Any tips?

Here's a few pics of the new girlfriend

 

[Artesia Aggie]

Congratulations. I have a 30 year old JD 317 garden tractor that has been unstoppable! Besides maintenance items I have replaced a starter and two spindles on the mower deck.

The spindles were my fault, tried to use it as a rough cut mower and found a few things that a mower deck isn't supposed to cut:confused2:

Nice thing is the dealer still has parts!

 

[om21braz]

That's a nice machine! If you can be sure the 50 hr. service was done, you can get by with a oil change/check air filter/fuel filter. etc. If not, I would err on the safe side and do a complete service - cost approx. $100.00 plus oil and hydro fluid. Check your manual or the web for engine specifics as it seems one engine takes 2.1 qts. and another 2.4qts. Don't spend all your time mowing LOL!

 

[AKfish]

Very, very nice machine. Congrats! Sure like that H20 cooling... engine will outlast the both of us!

AKfish

 

[Scooby074]

Thanks all.

So far its been great. love this machine. I wanted a machine that would last 20 years + like my old Cman, and i think i found it.

Hydro and hydraulic steer and lift has proved better than i first thought.

Bought the parts for the 100 hr service today. $134 :confused2::confused2: They sure are some proud of those filters $38 for the air / pre filter...lol. ( I know in the real world 38 for a filter isnt that much at all, just kinda funny)

Owners manual didnt come with my machine unfortunately, and deeres site is less than user friendly for manuals (why dont they just have a PDF download for the entire manual instead of just individual web pages for each section, i dont know)

Id love to find a shop manual for this machine as its way more complicated than a traditional lawn mower. Ive searched most of the usual download sites but no luck. Deere has one but its well over $100. If anyone has a link id love to have it.

 

[mjncad]

Here is Deere's technical publications site. John Deere Technical Information Bookstore - Home Page

You should be able to get the manual in hardcopy or CD. Go CD as it's usually half the cost of hardcopy, and you can print out what you need and replace torn/greasy pages at will.

 

[Scooby074]

Thanks.

The manual i need is TM2309. $55 for CD, $110 for paper.

Call me old skool, but i prefer paper.

 

[YesDeere]

Just ordered the cd for my 4310 and it was $75. Well worth it. Had a secretary at work print it off and bind it for me. It's nice and like someone else said you can replace the pages with to many greasy fingerprints as needed. After I had it printed the wife tells me I couldve taken it to kinkos and had it done in a spiral instead of three ring. Color too for schematics.

 

[mjncad]

Thanks.

The manual i need is TM2309. $55 for CD, $110 for paper.

Call me old skool, but i prefer paper.

Nothing wrong with old school; but half the cost for a CD with the manual in PDF format that I can print out as often as required makes the CD the way to go. I have it on my computer, and I printed out a copy to keep in the garage.

 

[Scooby074]

Nothing wrong with old school; but half the cost for a CD with the manual in PDF format that I can print out as often as required makes the CD the way to go. I have it on my computer, and I printed out a copy to keep in the garage.

Oh yeah, i agree, digital is good, plus you can always make copies. Cheaper is better. Unfortunately i dont have a secretary to do my bookmaking, Thats the part i dont like

For the price of these machines, everything from a x300 up to the largest tractors, really should come with the shop manual, but thats just a dream Actual cost of that CD would be something like $0.30

 

[mjncad]

Oh yeah, i agree, digital is good, plus you can always make copies. Cheaper is better. Unfortunately i dont have a secretary to do my bookmaking, Thats the part i dont like

For the price of these machines, everything from a x300 up to the largest tractors, really should come with the shop manual, but thats just a dream Actual cost of that CD would be something like $0.30

I can just hear every Deere dealer's service department screaming bloody murder if a shop manual was included with each machine.

I have a three-hole punch that I used for my 600+ page shop manual that I put in a 3-ring binder. I just punched out about 30-pages at a time. If you don't have one, take it to FedMex Kinko's and have them drill it with their 3-hole drill. That's what I had done with my bound owner's manual and it wasn't at all expensive. They can also do spiral binding; but I don't know what that costs.

 

[Scooby074]

I can just hear every Deere dealer's service department screaming bloody murder if a shop manual was included with each machine.

I have a three-hole punch that I used for my 600+ page shop manual that I put in a 3-ring binder. I just punched out about 30-pages at a time. If you don't have one, take it to FedMex Kinko's and have them drill it with their 3-hole drill. That's what I had done with my bound owner's manual and it wasn't at all expensive. They can also do spiral binding; but I don't know what that costs.

oh they'd definitely scream. I know it'll never happen, just nice if it did

 

[RoyJackson]

Team Green

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

 

[Scooby074]

Team Green

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

sure does:thumbsup: much better than "Team Gray" of the old Craftsman

 

[Retired Iron Peddler]

Thanks all.


Id love to find a shop manual for this machine as its way more complicated than a traditional lawn mower.

If you lawn tractor is a reliable as my 11 year old JD345 has been, you won't need a shop manual.

Bill

 

[z45123]

They have it here for under twenty bucks

John Deere X5 X52 X53 X534 X54 Tractor Service Technical Manual T – Outdoor Tractor Manuals