Never had a Deere lawn tractor. Looking at the 370 and 580. Anybody have pros/cons about these lawn tractors? Thanks in advance.
Robert
BassCatSC
Never had a Deere lawn tractor. Looking at the 370 and 580. Anybody have pros/cons about these lawn tractors? Thanks in advance.
Robert
BassCatSC
I own 3 John Deeres, all older ones and they are great. My neighbor has 2 of the X models. His oldest is newer than any on my 3. He has had nothing but problems with the older deck to the point he bought the same exact model in a newer one. No problems with the newer one but its only a year old.
I’ve had two JD lawn tractors, a 425 and now an X730. The first one lasted 18 years mowing my fairly rugged 3 acres, but nickeled and dimed me at the end (I wish it had been nickels and dimes). The new one (had 1 year) has been great so far. My best advice: get more tractor than you think you need, in terms of size and power. Not so much in terms of mowing deck, as (unless you are mowing a table top) there are places you can get into with a smaller deck as opposed to larger. The heavier the frame and more horsepower, the better they hold up. The mowing deck is also the least expensive part of the equation, something it took me too long to realize.
John Clark — Findlay, Ohio
The biggest con is the price! That green paint is expensive.
I would definitely check to see how much more mower/power/size you could get with a different brand just to be sure. Most of the small John Deere stuff is made under contract by foreign companies, so you're not truly getting a John Deere.
I have 1 1/2 acre of grass and pay $30 a week to have it cut that's my advice.
I have an '86 Deere 318 and its flawless. It cuts and plows with the greatest of ease.
This '86 replaced my '74 140 that did its jobs just great but the engine got tired and I wanted power steering this time.
John Deere makes all their mowers. Tractors are different, but mowers are made in TN or WI.
War Eagle Blackhawk 2170 - Suzuki 150, MG Xi5
Lowrance HDS 7" & 9" - Twin Talon 12' Anchors
I have the water cooled x540 that's now 4 years old and it sees occassionally garden use as well as mowing 2 acres every week. It's been great so far. Yes it's expensive but so are the other brands when comparing similar models. It also handles pulling my 20 ft Skeeter out of the garage twice a week.
Just remember that the tractor's at the dealership and the tractors at the hardware store SHOULD NOT have the same name on them. They shouldn't even be painted the same color.
When I bought my John Deere X360, I told the dealer I wanted to mow my lawn, not farm it!
I have had it 5 years. I have had to put some money back into it but I work it hard.
I plan on using it for a few more years.
Truth.Originally Posted by Skeeterbait
You might want to look into that again. Pretty sure MTD makes all the non-commerical John Deere stuff. I believe AYP is in the mix there as well.
JD makes JD mowers, MTD doesn't. The box store and dealer mowers are made to the same specs, except there are some models sold exclusively from the dealers and a couple are box store exclusives. My son's good friend is the lawn mower guy for a large JD dealership. They have to assemble the ztr's for Lowes in our area, not sure about the riders. The mowers sell for the same price, so I would buy from the dealer. My cousin-in-law? hauled loads from MTD in Ohio, said he never saw a JD.
War Eagle Blackhawk 2170 - Suzuki 150, MG Xi5
Lowrance HDS 7" & 9" - Twin Talon 12' Anchors
I had an older all metal one. Couldn't break it.
Got a newer plastic one (it's old now). It's never made it a day of mowing without breaking down. NEVER.
I think the new secret color is "A-Rig"..........
Maybe it's changed in recent years.
I just never saw any added value with the John Deere lawn tractors for what extra you pay. The older ones were worth it, but not the newer ones.
My box store L100 is kicking pretty good, it has a tuff life.
Might want to look at a Craftsman GT series. I looked at all the different brands and went with Craftsman 24 hp 50"cut GT. Been using it to cut 5 acres since 97. Done nothing but service it once a year. Runs like the day I brought it home.
"Being a winner is more than getting a first place trophy, it is acting like the effort was an honor and the trophy is just a decoration."
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him"
I have a X730 as well, and couldn't imagine needing anymore machine. FWIW all of the X series are built in the Horicon Wi factory, while the lesser mowers are built in the Tn plant.
JD Lawn Tractors are MTD made. The X series and lawn and garden tractors are made by Deere.
Unless you are a budget buyer, your money would be much better spent buying a good brand of zero turn mower. Even the consumer models cut twice as fast as lawn tractors--leaving more time for fishin'.
I am going to retire my Toro ZTR shortly and get a Gravely 52 inch. Ariens is another bargain with its fully welded deck. Prices have dropped and quality improved in recent years.
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