New Owner - Limited Distribution Husq. GT48DXLS Garden Tractor

[HusqGT48DXLS]

Hello,

After several months of dedicated searching, I finally found a great garden tractor at a bargain price. It is the 2017 Husqvarna GT48DXLS, Kawasaki FR730 V-Twin 24 Hp engine, Tuff Torq K66 Electronic Locking Differential and newly designed 48" "Clear-Cut" 10 gauge fabricated deck at $2999.99 (dealer base $2489.96). John Deere's X500 series is the nearest competitor with a similar configuration (FS730 Kawasaki engine, K66 manual locking differential and new stamped 11 gauge deck design). The John Deere is priced at $5999.99. The best part is that the newly designed "Clear-Cut" deck does not require a blower motor on the discharge which saves another $500. I honestly could not believe the price when I stumbled upon it several weeks ago.

The tractor is so new that customer service at Husqvarna did not have any technical specifications available until I started asking detailed questions. Husqvarna was able to provide the operator and repair manuals to confirm all of the specifications prior to placing the order. For now, it seems the east coast high volume dealers have a few in stock. The tractor is configured with highly desirable components as an incentive for dealers when they place the regular spring orders. I ordered a tractor from the east coast with free freight shipping to the west coast, and I am looking forward to putting it to good use.

I sold my 12 year old John Deere L118 which suffered from a lesser quality Tuff Torq transmission. I had to rebuild the transmission twice due to operation on a sloped yard (~6 degrees). I hope to have a review posted in a few weeks.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Just bought a 20" walk behind Husqvarna with a Honda engine for $250. Local dealer, More for the money than any other I saw. I think Husqvarna is trying to buy their way into the market.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

You may be right. I know the old fabricated garden tractor deck suffered from poor cut quality. The dealer who sold it stated that the limited production tractors are available in the spring order only. The model will not be available later in the year after the current inventory is sold. I saw your walk behind in Lowe's this evening with the Honda engine. For information purposes, I learned that the "D" in the model name implies it is a "dealer exclusive". It probably explains why I had so much trouble getting details on the model.

 

[plowhog]

I own one of these. I took delivery on a GT48DXLS about a week ago. It's a beast! The force of discharge out the side is so strong it is almost unbelievable. Mine has a 24hp Kawasaki engine, and I found that full throttle is nowhere close to being needed. I mowed at about 2/3 throttle and that offered plenty of power. It also has an electric locking rear differential.

 

[dslanec]

I think I will be owning this same mower this week. I am heading to my dealer tomorrow so see it in person. It is between this and a cub cadet x2 GX54". The K-66 trans might be the deciding factor with its locking diff. It is also $300.00 cheaper.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

Technical details are available at Chainsaws, lawn mowers & tractors, zero turns, leaf blowers, trimmers, snow blowers. Search for GT48DXLS. The Operators Manual and Parts Manual have been posted to the website within the past few days. The triple bagger part number is 582559601. The bagger part number is not available online right now.

 

[dslanec]

Is there a mulch kit for this deck?

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

Is there a mulch kit for this deck?

Yes, I believe the part number is 965894003. Universal Outdoor Accessories Attachments Mulch kit The part number does not cross reference on parts websites and Husqvarna is not descriptive enough. I would call first to verify if you are in the market.

 

[dslanec]

I will ask while I am at the dealer today. I was under the impression that the updated 48" deck only has 2 blades. That kit shows 3. But I am clearly not sure. I agree some things are hard to figure out with Husky.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Is there a mulch kit for this deck?

I'm pretty certain there are 3 blades on this mower. But regarding the mulch kit, I have one on my GTH52. And, although it does mulch very well, it is restrictive when mowing tall weeds. For lawns, it's great; for 'yards and fields' - not so great.

 

[dslanec]

Yes, I believe the part number is 965894003. Universal Outdoor Accessories Attachments Mulch kit The part number does not cross reference on parts websites and Husqvarna is not descriptive enough. I would call first to verify if you are in the market.

Yes that was the correct number for the 48" fabricated deck. I will have to order it as they only had the 48" non fabricated deck kit in stock. I also got the full line 2017 accessory catalog as they just received them today! I now own the GT48DXLS mower. I have 5 acres to mow with only 1 acre of groomed grass. That is all I will be mowing with this. I have a 60" mower on my compact tractor to handle the rougher stuff. And now the wife will mow too as she didn't like driving the bigger tractor. My wife bought me a cart for it last week for my upcoming birthday. It is a cub cadet one because I thought that's the mower I was going to get. Oh well it might not match but it'll work just fine. Here are a few pics. Thanks for the info gentleman.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

You should double check the mulch kit part number. My local dealer called the regional rep and obtained a price of $90 for the mulch kit. Unfortunately, he did not provide the part number for verification. A dealer on the east coast is selling # 965894003 for $179.95 which is the lowest price that I can find online. The price difference tells me something may be wrong either the original part number or my dealer information. Also, the original part number requires a semi-permanent modification to the lower end of the mower deck.

 

[dslanec]

Here is a pic from the catalog I got today. It shows that part number. I haven't ordered it yet or priced it out. I was afraid it would be the kit that required installing the baffles under the deck. I wonder if removing the baffles from the deck was part of how they improved them and came up with the "clean cut" deck?

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

View attachment 503860
Here is a pic from the catalog I got today. It shows that part number. I haven't ordered it yet or priced it out. I was afraid it would be the kit that required installing the baffles under the deck. I wonder if removing the baffles from the deck was part of how they improved them and came up with the "clean cut" deck?

After a closer inspection, I am still not 100% convinced of the part number. The first line says: For: 42" Fabricated LS tractor decks (2 blade) - DXLS. The second to last line says: For: 48" Fabricated LS tractor decks (it excludes the addition of - DXLS shown next to the 42" 2-blade deck). I will call Husqvarna tomorrow.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

View attachment 503860
Here is a pic from the catalog I got today. It shows that part number. I haven't ordered it yet or priced it out. I was afraid it would be the kit that required installing the baffles under the deck. I wonder if removing the baffles from the deck was part of how they improved them and came up with the "clean cut" deck?

After a closer inspection, I am still not 100% convinced of the part number. The first line says: For: 42" Fabricated LS tractor decks (2 blade) - DXLS. The second to last line says: For: 48" Fabricated LS tractor decks (it excludes the addition of - DXLS show under the 42" 2-blade deck). I will call Husqvarna tomorrow.

 

[dslanec]

Please post whatever you find out.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

Confirmed with Husqvanra Customer Support 1-800-487-5951
Muclh Kit # 965894003

 

[dslanec]

I ordered mine today from my local dealer. Will be here next week sometime.

 

[dslanec]

Does anyone have an idea for a aftermarket seat cover? Husqvarna's will not work with arm rests. I also need to find one for my compact tractor but that seat is a bit bigger.

 

[HusqGT48DXLS]

My new mower finally arrived. I have not mowed the grass due to rain, but here are some initial observations and pictures.

1. The mower deck is extremely loud when running at full throttle compared to my old John Deere L118.
2. A few design or build issues:
a. The seat does not adjust back far enough.
b. The mower deck adjustment lever should have been installed on the right side. The 48" deck and extra long chute make it difficult to get on from the right side. The lever and seat arm rest make it challenging to get on from the left side unless the mower height is 3" or greater. The handle catches my leg in any lower setting.
c. The steering wheel is rotated about 45 degrees with the wheels straight.
d. Front and rear wheels inflated to 35 psi. Front max is 14 psi. Rear max is 10 psi.
3. The mower deck was not adjusted properly at the factory. The cut height was 3 3/4" on the 3" setting. The adjustment nuts are fully backed off at the end of the threaded rod to reach the correct cut height.
4. Shipping issue: The right side foot rest was damaged in shipping due to poor packaging. The chute was held up with a rubber band inside the crate with the top edge resting on the foot pedal edge (see picture). The bouncing in shipment gouged and removed several inches of paint. A simple foam insert would have prevented this issue.

ON EDIT: I had a chance to mow the lawn today. It cuts better than my John Deere so it looks like the new "Clear-Cut" deck has solved the major complaint about poor cut quality of the old fabricated decks. I mowed wet grass and it worked great without any clumping. In the Pacific Northwest, we do not have the luxury of waiting until the grass is dry to mow. The 48" deck will take some time to get accustomed to after using a 42" deck for years. I do have to turn the steering wheel considerably more than my John Deere for the same turns.