JD X360 Expertise Needed

I just bought a 2009 John Deere X360 with the Kawasaki 22hp v twin engine and k58H trans. with hydraulic deck lift, tilt/power steering, electric blade engagement and the Edge Extra 48" deck. It had 62 hours on it (now has 64) and looks brand new top to bottom (it was stored away). I have some questions and need JD experience and expertise to answer them:

1. Should I only use JD engine oil? Is JD engine oil full synthetic? Or should I use another engine oil that is full synthetic or not full synthetic?

2. Should I use only JD trans. fluid? Or is there a better trans/hydraulic fluid I should use?

3. Should I use only JD air, fuel, engine and trans. filters? Or are there other brands I should use?

4. Got this mower for my yard but was wondering if after a 2 acre field has been cut with a brush hog, can a X360 cut the field on a regular basis without wearing it out and beating it up?

5. Has anyone made the two (2) bar front guard fit on the front of a X360? Or are my only options the single bar or full face guard?

6. How are the anti-scalp wheels "rotatable"? My wheels will not swivel.

7. Any tips or tricks I should be aware of?

Thanks for your comments.

Blade Runner said:

I just bought a 2009 John Deere X360 with the Kawasaki 22hp v twin engine and k58H trans. with hydraulic deck lift, tilt/power steering, electric blade engagement and the Edge Extra 48" deck. It had 62 hours on it (now has 64) and looks brand new top to bottom (it was stored away). I have some questions and need JD experience and expertise to answer them:

1. Should I only use JD engine oil? Is JD engine oil full synthetic? Or should I use another engine oil that is full synthetic or not full synthetic?

2. Should I use only JD trans. fluid? Or is there a better trans/hydraulic fluid I should use?

3. Should I use only JD air, fuel, engine and trans. filters? Or are there other brands I should use?

4. Got this mower for my yard but was wondering if after a 2 acre field has been cut with a brush hog, can a X360 cut the field on a regular basis without wearing it out and beating it up?

5. Has anyone made the two (2) bar front guard fit on the front of a X360? Or are my only options the single bar or full face guard?

6. How are the anti-scalp wheels "rotatable"? My wheels will not swivel.

7. Any tips or tricks I should be aware of?

Thanks for your comments.

Click to expand...

1. You should use a air cooled small engine oil 30 weight in summer and 10w 30 in winter. You do not need or will it do anything for you to use synthetic oil. With that being said I use what my truck uses Full synthetic Valvoline racing oil. I like it so I use it. By the way, John Deere does not make oil they have someone else make it and slap their name on it.

2. Tuff Torq Tuff Tech drive fluid

3. You should buy the ones that are made for your equipment by the OEM, not John Deere unless you like paying more for the same thing.

4. Mowing a field with a finish mower is going to beat the crap out of you but I believe the Deere will be fine.

5. No idea.

6. Wheels roll so all you can do is rotate them front to back if they are the same wheels all the way around. If they are not then you just run them till they need replacing and replace them.

7. Clean with air, not water. Water does rust many things and mower decks are one of its favorites.

Thank you for your comments. It really helps. Yes, after I mowed with it the first time, I washed it. I used my air compressor hose gun to dry it off all over. I also found some grass clipping under the seat pan above the trans. So I blew those out as well. Thanks again!

one more question.....

I want to install a fuel line on/off valve before the fuel filter. I want to be able to run all the gas out of the carburetor and change fuel filters easier.

If I put the fuel on/off valve before the fuel pump (between gas tank and fuel pump), can the fuel pump get damaged running dry? My last mower was gravity fed, so no issue. Can I put the fuel on/off valve BEFORE the fuel pump and fuel filter (between gas tank and fuel filter) or should I place it AFTER the fuel pump (between the fuel pump and carburetor)?

Blade Runner said:

one more question.....

I want to install a fuel line on/off valve before the fuel filter. I want to be able to run all the gas out of the carburetor and change fuel filters easier.

If I put the fuel on/off valve before the fuel pump (between gas tank and fuel pump), can the fuel pump get damaged running dry? My last mower was gravity fed, so no issue. Can I put the fuel on/off valve BEFORE the fuel pump and fuel filter (between gas tank and fuel filter) or should I place it AFTER the fuel pump (between the fuel pump and carburetor)?

Click to expand...

I don't think the pump can be damaged like that..... Empty your tank then run the carb dry to winterize it.......

Fuel does not lubricate or cool the fuel pump so you can put it before it if you like.

Tips; Do not slam hood. Close carefully. It is expensive to replace and easy to break. Do not store in direct sunlight if possible. If you love it wax it. Will protect it and come cleaner with air compresser.

Thanks for both comments. I worked on other peoples mowers as a kid. Will enjoy spending winter prepping it for spring. First mower with replaceable oil and trans filters. Growing up, only people with money had these kind of mowers. I think my late father would be impressed (except for Kaw. brand engine as he was a Briggs man). LOL!

Still odd to me that a high end mower would have a fragile plastic hood. Noticed pulling hood open seems too hard on it as well.

Hope everyone is having a great mowing season. Before mowing season started, I changed all the fluids and filters. It was nice being able to change the transmission fluid and filter (K58H). It had the mulching kit installed in the deck. I removed the huge curved plastic kit out of the deck but left the mulching blades on.

So far, I have put about 15 hours on the new to me X360 (had 62 hours on it when I bought it). Love the OEM mulching blades. I mow at one click higher than 1.5 inches. Yard looks like a putting green. Really. Yet, I also started mowing part of field next to house (has not been mowed in 3 years). Mowed it as high as I could with regular blades. Then I mowed it in 3 inch and then 2.5 inch. It looks like a carpet ..... a brown carpet, but a carpet. LOL! Engine did not bog down at all but the thick grass and rough terrain made for a rough ride. Going to have a bush hog go over rest of fields before using x360 on them.

Yesterday, I had hood raised up while jacking up the front to clean under the deck. The hood fell shut and broke off the lower part of hood extensions that clip to deck....on both sides at same spot!?! Instead of trying to glue the ends back on I may try to grind the broken edges and shape it to look like all the other hoods.

I also just removed the upper clip tabs for hood as top of hood where you pull up on hood is getting cracks from clip tension. I unscrewed star head screws, removed clip tabs and put screws back in to keep dash in place. It was easy to do and now hood opens easily.

Had 2 questions:

1. I accidentally pulled one of the spark plug connector off the spark plug wire. I fixed it and it works well. However, can the spark plug wires be unplugged from the coils or do you have to buy new coils to change the spark plug wires?

2. Was adjusting anti scalp wheels since I mow low. As I was adjusting the height, I noticed the rear anti scalp wheel behind deck chute, is not parallel to the deck. It is off a little even with normal play in wheels. The misaligned wheel and the front two use a regular L shaped and round metal tube with height adjustment holes. The front 2 anti scalp wheels are parallel to the deck. The other rear wheel uses a tube that is thinner and shaped differently and it is parallel to the deck. Therefore, the misaligned wheel can not be switched with the other rear wheel. The bracket that holds the L shaped tube connected to the non parallel wheel, is parallel to the frame. The misaligned wheel itself has little wear in the center wheel hole.

The pins that go through top of bracket welded to frame and height adjustment holes in L shaped tubes attached to wheels are positioned in same location for parallel wheels. The pin for the non parallel wheel is in a slightly different position???????

Should the anti scalp wheel behind the deck chute be perfectly parallel to the deck like the other 3?

Thanks for any comments. Ok