New Owner - Limited Distribution Husq. GT48DXLS Garden Tractor

[Teachu2]

I've got ~90 hours on it. We have lots of oak trees, too. The slopes of my property pretty much require a locking differential, and I prefer a manually-activated one. The GT48DXLS has that, as does the TS248D. I think I would have needed the x590 to get that in a Deere.

The anti-scalp wheels work. The deck has a center roller on the front. If you run them into boulders or stumps at high speed, the brackets will bend - but they can be bent back. The Deere design looks easier to adjust, but I'm concerned about the long, skinny shafts with holes drilled in them. If I were concerned with the performance of the factory wheels, I'd buy some heavy-duty casters and a piece of angle iron and make a set of my own - or just make skids. I can do a lot of customizing for $3000....

I have only seen pictures of the Deere x3xx, x5xx and x7xx mowers - the local dealer doesn't stock them. Here's what I mow with this - I don't have a picture handy of the steep parts.

 

[Stripe]

Thanks for the fast and detailed responses. That helps confirm my research, and put to rest some online complaints I found. The Deere X570 is a great machine, but I just can't justify double the price for mowing and pulling a cart, or seeder, sweeper, cyclone on small acreage. Since I will also have a SCUT or CUT for heavy work or attachments.

I found a new GT48DXLS. There may be some dealers that have a couple left. Not everyone knew about them, and even some dealers may not know about the upgraded locking K66, Kawasaki, and new deck. Check around, they are out there. I used Google. I saw a post (here at TBN?) very recently (April) about another buyer finding one. It was in the East. He said it had been left out however, and seemed a little weathered. I think he bought the TS348 instead. If you can't find one, The 2018 TS348D (or XD) seems like a comparable model, for just a couple hundred $ more. Not sure if the 48D or 48XD is the one you want - I think the XD. The TS348 can be had with the Kawi, K66 w/electric locker, and ClearCut deck. Maybe a better seat too.

 

[Stripe]

I would also like a report on the Gorilla Cart, or other tow behind poly cart. I like the metal Husky pivot dump cart, but it seems to have issues (heavier, noisy, more $, less load capacity, can get dented & rust, tailgate can be a pain, pivot feature is limited on the weight it can handle). The shape might be more useful than poly though, and the volume is larger.

I like the Gorilla Cart since I can also use it as a wheelbarrow. I have wheelbarrows, but they are a pain. Maybe converting them to two wheels would help, but I'd rather have a tow-behind. I may replace the pin hitch with a ball hitch (or other solution) to reduce noise.

 

[hacker pschorr]

The 2018 TS348D (or XD) seems like a comparable model, for just a couple hundred $ more. Not sure if the 48D or 48XD is the one you want - I think the XD. The TS348 can be had with the Kawi, K66 w/electric locker, and ClearCut deck. Maybe a better seat too.

Husqvarna has a TS348D listed under the TS348 and lists it wth a Kawi & K66. I wanted one of these only to find out it was never actually produced, doesn't exist. The TS348 is a Kohler with K46.....
The next option is the TS348XD as you stated for a few hundred more.

After some phone calls I was told about the GT48DXLS, my dealer said the warehouse had a couple if I wanted one. I found this thread & decided that was the tractor for me, picked up on Saturday, delivered to the dealer still in the crate. Yes it also has the paint damage from the discharge chute, thanks to this forum I was aware of this issue. The dealer was really concerned about it before I shared with him I was expecting that.

The delay in obtaining my new tractor meant my lawn was heavily over grown when I attacked it on Sunday. This wasn't a problem for my new unit, easily plowed through even the highest grass and powered up my steeper hills thanks to the locking diff (I did have to use it a couple of times).

I doubt there are many left, just wanted to confirm there are still a few floating around for anyone looking for a great deal on a new tractor.


Can anyone confirm what the part number is for the mulch kit for the GT48DXLS??

 

[Rock Crawler]

My local Husqvarna dealer is getting in this week 10 of the TS354DX or XD units with the Kawasaki engine, K66 electric locking axle and fabricated deck. He said that the earlier run off them came through with Briggs and Stratton engines, but that this time they will be built as the website shows with the Kawasaki.

I'm SERIOUSLY thinking that one of those 10 is going to move to my house.

 

[Teachu2]

Can anyone confirm what the part number is for the mulch kit for the GT48DXLS??

582559901, ~$60, comes with the plug and a set of blades. Take the bolts to the hardware store and buy nylock nuts - you'll need them!

 

[hacker pschorr]

582559901, ~$60, comes with the plug and a set of blades. Take the bolts to the hardware store and buy nylock nuts - you'll need them!

Thank you.
When I picked up my mower the plug was attached (with the regular chute) so I figured it was the mulch kit. When I got home it occurred to me I didn't get a set of blades, either the mulch ones or the standard ones. I wanted to make sure I had my information correct before calling the dealer back.

Yup, I forgot to grab my standard blades when I loaded up. They were sitting there in the shop area with all the other stuff I bought, my fault.

 

[Teachu2]

Thank you.
When I picked up my mower the plug was attached (with the regular chute) so I figured it was the mulch kit. When I got home it occurred to me I didn't get a set of blades, either the mulch ones or the standard ones. I wanted to make sure I had my information correct before calling the dealer back.

Yup, I forgot to grab my standard blades when I loaded up. They were sitting there in the shop area with all the other stuff I bought, my fault.

If they installed a mulch plug, why did they leave the chute on? The mulch plug fills in the chute opening in the deck. Leaving the chute just makes the deck wider.

 

[hacker pschorr]

If they installed a mulch plug, why did they leave the chute on? The mulch plug fills in the chute opening in the deck. Leaving the chute just makes the deck wider.

They wanted to show me where the scratches came from on the mower from how they were packaged in the crate.

 

[TMR]

Been off thread for awhile...one year on the Husq. GT48DXLS. Lots of thought service...rough field with lots of weeds and mow when quite deep...kind of like haying. Also on the edges I tend to abuse a bit and use as a brush mower on moderate bushes. It has handled the abuse pretty well. 15 hours total to dat. really happy with the clipping distributing power...amazing. I do miss my 42" prior mower as I have lots of trees etc to work around...not the mowers fault. A bit noisy and uncomfortable...mostly due to terrain and me being 70 YO.

One major "issue" that mat lead me to look for a replacement. I have been stuck a half a dozen times when mowing one of my trails...partly due to two very wet years we are having and some marginal trail drainage...with clay soil. I also believe that the problem is exacerbated by not having much clearance from the ground when the deck is at full lift? The locking rear diff is fantastic...unless the deck is hung up on the ground...which it seems to do very easily. You don't get a second chance to get out...even with the locking read diff. Fortunately I also have a Polaris Ranger which makes the "recovery" quite easy.

Anyone else experience less that desired deck clearance...from the ground? Never had this with my 42"...maybe the rear chains helped? BTW...I have been advised the rear clearance is two slim to add rear chains?...anyone add chains? The chains would either drive me out...or just perhaps dig me in further. The wet spots are not pervasive and if you could power through you would probably be OK.. Long-term I will need a bit of trail engineering and perhaps some winter bulldozer work to both clear the trail sides and ditch it a bit.

Any experience on this mower with rear chains? Thanks...TMR