In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Looking at new "rider" lawnmowers...chime in!

Discussion in 'Chainsaws and Power Equipment' started by Lousyweather, Jul 9, 2015.

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  1. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    yea, got a loader on the Kubota......
     
    Lousyweather, Jul 12, 2015
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  2. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    Um, I am not qualified to give advice on wife. I only been married 4 years. Asked her to date me over 20 years ago. She said NO.. I kept asking over years got same answer.. She had to go away and I watched her dogs and fed them bacon every day. When dogs wouldn't leave she had to come visit them so we started dating.. Got married shortly after. My best and only advice is get someone you can live with and enjoy spending time with. Sounds corny but I daydream sometimes of us sitting on porch being old watching grandkids play in yard. I have made A LOT of mistakes in my life My wife is the best choice I have made..
     
    Canadian border VT, Jul 12, 2015
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  3. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    Keep an eye out anyways. What DOES happen is models go on clearance (usually a nice rebate etc.) in the late summer/fall in anticipation of new models rolling out in the spring. And the X3 series has been around since 2006. Who knows? Maybe this is the year?

    I would cruise down to your local dealer and put the bug in their ear that you are in the market and looking for a deal. You never know, they may get something in that's used but pristine. It happens, there are guys that take care of their lawn tractors like classic cars and like to trade up every so often. Also they may get a unit that got traded for a bigger machine under the JD Promise policy. (30 days, not happy, trade up, no problem.).
     
    MasterMech, Jul 12, 2015
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  4. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    youre a diabolical evil genius! :sir:
     
    Lousyweather, Jul 12, 2015
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  5. Lousyweather

    Lousyweather

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    copy that. I think the local guy is getting tired of me.........
     
    Lousyweather, Jul 12, 2015
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  6. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    If it's a 1st year production unit (MY2006) then it's even better than all the other X304s. 1st year X304's got a nicer front bracket on the deck, adjustable gage wheels on the 42" mower deck (they adjust with a pin instead of having to unbolt them), and they share the same (K58?) transmission the X320/324 have. X304s built after 2006 have the K46 transmission.

    Deere introduced the X3/X5/X7 series machines to Dealers in the late fall of 2005. The next year they told us they were implementing a few "take-aways" to maintain price points and dealer margin. :picard::doh:

    You guys that have X500s ever notice that you have a different hood than the other X5xx machines? One of the downgrades was they used the X300 series hood (biggest visual difference other than minor shape changes is the lack of black mesh in the air intakes) from 2007 onward.
     
    MasterMech, Jul 12, 2015
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  7. mike bayerl

    mike bayerl

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    Interesting? I got mine middle of 2007, so it probably is the "newer" model. Sounds like a used MY 2006 3XX would be the ticket.
     
    mike bayerl, Jul 12, 2015
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  8. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    ...one that thinks your (loader)tractor's sexy...:thumbs:
     
    brenndatomu, Jul 12, 2015
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  9. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    I WISH, if I was it wouldn't have taken 20 years:D

    Get one that likes to Split and Stack too! My wife does.. Or rather likes it done so house stays 80 with blizzard outside watching glass front Woodstove burn with a glass of wine and tablet.. read December to March minimum:thumbs:

    but back to mowers...:whistle:
     
    Canadian border VT, Jul 12, 2015
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  10. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    Does the front mower deck bracket have pins and hair clips to secure it or is it all spring loaded captive pins?

    The 304 was a slow mover at first (as we're all of the 4-wheel steer units) so it's entirely possible you have the X304 "Super".
     
    MasterMech, Jul 12, 2015
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  11. mike bayerl

    mike bayerl

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    Is this what you are talking about?
    [​IMG]
     
    mike bayerl, Jul 12, 2015
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  12. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    Yeeeup. That's the newer style bracket.
     
    MasterMech, Jul 12, 2015
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  13. mike bayerl

    mike bayerl

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    Thx. Been good to me so far. Bagger chute is pretty lame. Very easy to plug up. We eventually took it off, put on a mulcher blade and a pull behind sweeper. Kind of defeats the extra maneuverability of the 4-wheel steering.
     
    mike bayerl, Jul 12, 2015
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  14. bassJAM

    bassJAM

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    I actually lucked out with a leftover from the year before, I bought my mower in May of 2013 when my Kubota front deck died on the first mow of the season. The dealer was pretty small and actually specialized in Bobcats, but they had a handful of Dixie Chopper ZTRs and they wanted to get rid of their 2012 stock to sell the new 2013's. I mow about 1.5 acres with tons of trees, and with my 60" Kubota front deck it took me just over an hour. Now with a 50" ztr I can get done in 45 minutes. I don't think I could do a riding mower, the speed and maneuverability of a ZTR (or walk behind) is so much better. But I despise mowing, so anything to keep me off a mower is worth the extra cost to me.
     
    bassJAM, Jul 13, 2015
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  15. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    I have a 1995 model MTD that is still going strong. ...Well minus the electrical system that the previous owner had torn apart and destroyed and the hood that came loose on him and melted so he pulled it off. A weak deck that bends on every contact with a root that I have reinforced with extra still where needed.

    I got it free. Was even in that class action lawnmower suit ...I signed up and think I got a check for like $20!!
     
    clemsonfor, Jul 13, 2015
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  16. savemoney

    savemoney

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    then you are getting your value from your investment!
     
    savemoney, Jul 13, 2015
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  17. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    Why do I remember in the back of my mind somewhere something about Deere having trouble with the fitment of bagger chutes on X300 series 42" decks? dammed if I can remember what the fix was too. If you get it fitting tight to the deck, what blades were on it originally? The factory "3 in 1" or medium lift blades will plug a bagger chute in all but ideal conditions. AM137329 is a set of high lift bagging blades (that don't always come with the bagger!) that should bag just fine unless you are trying to mow in wet or very thick conditions.

    I'm a fan of mulching myself (but it ain't for everybody) and run an LT180/48" with a mulch kit. I have no clippings on the lawn and my thatch layer has thinned out quite a bit since I switched to mulching. The secret to my success? Raise the cut height. Here in the northeast, most lawns do really well with a cut height of 2.5" minimum. Any less and it's too prone to drying out early in the summertime. And that's actual cut height (measured at the blade) rather than what the machine setting is at. I mow my lawn at 2.75"-3" and I've been known to miss a mowing or two. Still have no trouble with clippings.

    Regardless of whether you are mulching, bagging, or discharging, you will save fuel (works the machine less), water (lawn grows deeper roots and shades the soil surface better), time (not having to rake/bag/double cut etc.), and have a healthier lawn just by raising the cut height 1/2". Plus your blades stay sharper longer and that itself pays dividends in lawn health as well.
     
    MasterMech, Jul 13, 2015
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  18. mike bayerl

    mike bayerl

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    We had high lift blades and it still plugged up regularly. It's o.k. We started out with about 1 acre of lawn 7 years ago and wife has steadily reduced that to closer to 1/2. She loves gardens. We actually wind up using the push mower more than the rider now days. Rider is more for hauling garden supplies, chicken feed, firewood and sweep/mulching leaves in the fall.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2015
    mike bayerl, Jul 13, 2015
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  19. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    I end up with huge piles of grass all over cause we often dont get it cut but once every 3-5 weeks. We probably cut 2-2.5" maybe. Id have to measure...maybe shorter. I am not a "lawn guy" so I dont really care. If its green I am pretty happy. I do have a nice stand of st augustine in the back. Done pretty good this year. This last time the bahaia stalks and stuff were 18" or so and the st augustine was 6+" in the back and some of that bahaia grass was 10-12". End up with like enough to bale hay!
     
    clemsonfor, Jul 13, 2015
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  20. bassJAM

    bassJAM

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    The clippings is a another unsung benefit of a ztr mower. With all the rain we've been getting lately, even when I mow every week the grass in the front yard is 6-7" high so it clumps really bad. I'm not a lawn guy either (I kind of like the clover in the back yard that grows slow and never gets much about 3") but I don't want the clumps out there. But with the ztr I can raise the deck 1/4" and run over everything again at max speed in about 15 minutes and the clumps are gone.
     
    bassJAM, Jul 14, 2015
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