I know what you mean but other than the cost of $120 the rear wheels have to come off on a X584 then there are two brackets that need to be moved and I don't know if that will mess up the way it steers. So for at least the first year I will go without. Thanks
X300 / X500 bagging options
- Thread starter kolyur
- Start date
I know what you mean but other than the cost of $120 the rear wheels have to come off on a X584 then there are two brackets that need to be moved and I don't know if that will mess up the way it steers. So for at least the first year I will go without. Thanks
sparc
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I have a x534 with a 48" deck which I bought in 2010. I also bought at that time the 47" snow blower, a pair of 42# suitcase weights, and the 7 bu. power flow bagger. My x534 now has close to 150 hours with no problems to date and all regular service completed by me.
I love the power steering and deck lift. I wish there was a little more range in the lift for raising the snowblower. I've adjusted the lift a couple times and can't seem to get it more than 4 inches off the ground. I would like to have a little more clearance, say 6 inches, but other than that the 47" blower is the best. I was considering a walk behind at the time but the 47 was about the same price and one less motor to maintain. Mount/dismount only takes a couple minutes. Get the tire chains. I did when I ordered the mower and snowblower and the first winter I thought "I don't need no stinking tire chains" but then it turned out I did and I was glad they were in the garage in the box. I slipped them on and a huge difference. Two winters later I dumped the chains in favor of the Terra-grips because the chains tend to mark up you concrete and asphalt. The terra-grips have been working great the past two winters. If I had it to do over I would have ordered the Terra-grips from the get go for my situation. I like the AWS when snowblowing as I feel it puts the thrust in the desired direction of travel in contrast to front steering only where you are trying to redirect the thrust by turning the front wheels.
Be sure to get the weights (looking back I should have got four), you need them to counterbalance the snowblower and get some traction, your fat arse alone will not be enough, my 215# surely isn't.
The power flow bagger works very well, never had a problem unless my cuttings were a little too long and damp/wet, then when the bags get full the grass will tend to clog in the chute due to reduced velocity but that's an operator error not the fault of the machine.
Every time I get on the machine I want to disable that darn reverse switch, and then I think better of it.
It is a PITA yes but you get used to it, or maybe tolerate is a better word to describe it.
I keep thinking of all the people I see mowing with the deflector chute tied back and all the clippings flying out of the mower along with whatever else the blade might come in contact with and launch my way. I believe defeating a safety feature is just crazy.
I can picture myself on the witness stand having to explain why I believed I knew better than the couple dozen engineers who designed and tested the thing. Inadvertently injuring someone or even myself by disabling the reverse switch would fall into the same category as defeating the deflector chute and sending a rock across the street to hit someone in the head or smash the windshield of a passing car causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. And yes I have removed the labels off my mattress.
At any rate you did not mention if you considered the x534 but looking at the specs I don't see much difference between it and the x584.
If I were doing it over again I would chose the x5 series over the x3 and would have to look at the x584 which I don't believe was available in 2010. I would also get the bigger deck as I don't have any restrictions in my yard that would require the 48" deck. At the time I thought the 48" deck was more than enough coming from the 38" deck on my 1999 Sabre. The wider deck would give more side cutting capacity to reach under shrubs and such.
I love the power steering and deck lift. I wish there was a little more range in the lift for raising the snowblower. I've adjusted the lift a couple times and can't seem to get it more than 4 inches off the ground. I would like to have a little more clearance, say 6 inches, but other than that the 47" blower is the best. I was considering a walk behind at the time but the 47 was about the same price and one less motor to maintain. Mount/dismount only takes a couple minutes. Get the tire chains. I did when I ordered the mower and snowblower and the first winter I thought "I don't need no stinking tire chains" but then it turned out I did and I was glad they were in the garage in the box. I slipped them on and a huge difference. Two winters later I dumped the chains in favor of the Terra-grips because the chains tend to mark up you concrete and asphalt. The terra-grips have been working great the past two winters. If I had it to do over I would have ordered the Terra-grips from the get go for my situation. I like the AWS when snowblowing as I feel it puts the thrust in the desired direction of travel in contrast to front steering only where you are trying to redirect the thrust by turning the front wheels.
Be sure to get the weights (looking back I should have got four), you need them to counterbalance the snowblower and get some traction, your fat arse alone will not be enough, my 215# surely isn't.
The power flow bagger works very well, never had a problem unless my cuttings were a little too long and damp/wet, then when the bags get full the grass will tend to clog in the chute due to reduced velocity but that's an operator error not the fault of the machine.
Every time I get on the machine I want to disable that darn reverse switch, and then I think better of it.
It is a PITA yes but you get used to it, or maybe tolerate is a better word to describe it.
I keep thinking of all the people I see mowing with the deflector chute tied back and all the clippings flying out of the mower along with whatever else the blade might come in contact with and launch my way. I believe defeating a safety feature is just crazy.
I can picture myself on the witness stand having to explain why I believed I knew better than the couple dozen engineers who designed and tested the thing. Inadvertently injuring someone or even myself by disabling the reverse switch would fall into the same category as defeating the deflector chute and sending a rock across the street to hit someone in the head or smash the windshield of a passing car causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. And yes I have removed the labels off my mattress.
At any rate you did not mention if you considered the x534 but looking at the specs I don't see much difference between it and the x584.
If I were doing it over again I would chose the x5 series over the x3 and would have to look at the x584 which I don't believe was available in 2010. I would also get the bigger deck as I don't have any restrictions in my yard that would require the 48" deck. At the time I thought the 48" deck was more than enough coming from the 38" deck on my 1999 Sabre. The wider deck would give more side cutting capacity to reach under shrubs and such.
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sparc
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Don't know about the x584 but on my x534 I did not have to remove the rear wheels. Both the chains or the Terra-grips can be installed with the wheels on the tractor, very easy. I will suggest that you get the O-ring tensioners as they work great to keep the chains or Terra-grips snug on the tire.
On the x534 when using tire chains there is a stop on each side that has to be repositioned so that tight turns will not allow the chains (or Terra-grips) to contact the frame. It's two small bolts on each side and only takes a couple minutes to do. I have never put them back in the Spring when removing the snowblower as I don't miss the very slight increase in turn radius.
Hi Sparc thanks for the information as far as the Terra grips I had them on my X360 and they work great but are a pain to install. You mentioned ( O-rings ) can you tell me what that is or do you have a part number. You also mentioned the lift on your 47" snowblower wasn't a high enough lift and that is another improvement in 2016 now the blower is at least 6-7 inches off the ground. Deere has made a lot of improvements over all with this new tractor. As far as the X584 the owners manual suggest that the steering bracket has to be moved to stop the rear wheels from hitting the frame. I will update in the fall once I start getting the machine for winter use. FYI I will be installing the Terra grips on my machine LOL..
sparc
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Hey Gearz, the O-ring chain tensioners I found on Amazon I believe. They are made from ~1/4" round neoprene and about 8" in diameter. Mine came with four hooks to secure them to the chains. Some people use bungee cords to do the same thing. but these O-rings I think work better and provide a lot more tension.
Search Amazon for
Security Chain Company QG20030 Quik Grip Small Tire Traction Chain Rubber Tightener
Less than $10 for a pair of them IIRC.
Yes, I had to do the same on my x534 with the steering travel limit stops. I never moved them back as I said as I didn't notice much lose in turning radius.
Enjoy your new machine, I have not been disappointed with mine after 5 years.
Search Amazon for
Security Chain Company QG20030 Quik Grip Small Tire Traction Chain Rubber Tightener
Less than $10 for a pair of them IIRC.
Yes, I had to do the same on my x534 with the steering travel limit stops. I never moved them back as I said as I didn't notice much lose in turning radius.
Enjoy your new machine, I have not been disappointed with mine after 5 years.
Hi Sparc thank you for taking the time to post this message/picture and useful information. I found the security chain tighteners on Amazon and will definitely order them. I really like my new tractor and hope it's my last one.
Take care
Take care
Took delivery of my X394 back in April. What a great machine! I have about 30 hours on it so far and very few complaints. I still have a slight nagging feeling that I should have gone with the x500, but honestly the 394 has done everything I've asked it to do without breaking a sweat. One of my worries was that I would have slippage on the hill but this has not been a problem whatsoever, even when the ground was wet. I purchased the MC519 cart along with it, mainly for leaf pickup in the Fall. I ended up buying the 7 bushel bagger later on, as I found that the cart reduced maneuverability a bit with the all wheel steering. Speaking of AWS, I'm so glad I got this feature and I don't think I'd buy another tractor without it. Swinging around trees and sharp corners is a breeze. The power steering is great too, but I find the hydraulic deck lift to be unnecessary and even cumbersome at times (like when you're trying to level the deck--you have to have the engine running to raise it). I agree with deathtoblackberries comment about the hydrostatic in reverse--it's like hitting a brick wall when you let off the pedal. (I'm wondering--do the x500 models have this issue also?) I recently purchased a pull-behind dethatcher and aerator so I'll be doing my first non-mowing work this week in preparation for overseeding. Thanks to everyone for your comments on my thread.
Hi Kolyur I was also on the fence weather to get a X394 or X584. I have a few reasons for picking the X584 and one was that I use the tractor year round and I have owned a LX280,X324,X360 and currently X584 so I have compared them all. The X360 had a hard time when I was using the plow blade or "44 snowblower up any slight incline so the differential lock was a huge factor. I wanted AWS and all of the new features of the 2016 model had to offer. I am also a big guy and they changed the seating angle so it drives more like a car which makes my disability easier to deal with. The transmission on the X584 does not seem to have the issue of the X394 in reverse but it is much noisier than the X360. I need the power deck lift because I have a knee replacement so it is necessary and again if you plow with it this feature is awesome. I think that everyone's needs are specific to that person so if the X394 fits your needs then you made the correct choice IMO.
The X394 is an excellent lawn tractor, in fact one of, if not the best lawn tractors you can buy. The hydraulic lift isn’t a big deal for mowing - in fact can be inconvenient at times. But it is really nice if you use any implements- for instance a snow blower that is constantly being lifted/lowered. Good luck on your 394- I’m sure it will provide years of trouble free use for you!!
tk tom
Gold Member
I really like the hydraulic lift while mowing, makes it easy to pop the deck up and down when I know there is an object up ahead. I'd prefer that over a hand or foot lift that I've used on other tractors or zero turns.