Cub Cadet XT2 / John Deere X350

I am narrowing my search down for my first riding mower. I believe I have narrowed it to the Cub Cadet XT2-LX42 / John Deere X350 42”. I visited a Cub Cadet dealer today and also a JD dealer. I feel like these mowers are very comparable. I like the price of the Cub Cadet, almost $1000 less. I also like the 4 anti-scalping wheels on the Cub Cadet deck. The JD X350 is also very nice, I have read a lot of good reviews on the Kawasaki Engine in the JD and I am not as familiar with the Kohler Engine in the Cub Cadet. Both mowers have the K46 transmission. Would love to here feedback from anyone! Would like to purchase within the next week or two.

Have you looked at the JD S240?

The XT2 is a decent upgrade over the XT1 series but I wouldn't say it is better than the X350. The engine on the XT2 may be more HP but the Kawasaki in the X350 is going to be quieter, smoother and more fuel efficient. The deck on the X350 is going to perform better. I have owned an older cub cadet and a newer one and the most recent version of the signature series deck on the Cub Cadets is not that great. The AccelDeep deck is deep and has a smooth top with little to no obstructions for clippings before they come out. Also the X350 has a mulch on demand mode. The Cub Cadet does have better steering in my opinion (lighter). The John Deere also comes with a longer warranty when you are in the signature series (4yrs instead of 3). The lack of anti-scalp wheels on the back side of the Deere will only be an issue if you have an extremely un-level lawn or if you are cutting the grass low. The K46 transmissions in the two mowers are not necessary the same. Some versions of the K46 use steel-cut gears and are more robust; I believe the Deere to have a "better" version of the k46 than the Cub Cadet.

I am not at all a John Deere fan, and I have owned Cub Cadets that mowed beautifully and ones that have gave me nothing but problems (same mower actually), but at the end of the day, John Deere just makes a better machine when considering your two options. If you were shopping the Deere E series against the XT1 I would say Cub Cadet all the way. If you were shopping X300 series to XT3 series I would also vote for the Cub Cadet.

Thanks for a all the great info, I bought the John Deere X350 this afternoon. I am picking the mower up tomorrow afternoon as soon as I pick up my Son (10 years old) from school, I think he is more excited than I am. I got the mulch on demand kit installed. This mower is probably more than I will need but I feel like it will serve me well for years to come.

rlpickering13 said:

Thanks for a all the great info, I bought the John Deere X350 this afternoon. I am picking the mower up tomorrow afternoon as soon as I pick up my Son (10 years old) from school, I think he is more excited than I am. I got the mulch on demand kit installed. This mower is probably more than I will need but I feel like it will serve me well for years to come.

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Awesome choice, let us know how much you love it!

cruzenmike said:

The K46 transmissions in the two mowers are not necessary the same. Some versions of the K46 use steel-cut gears and are more robust; I believe the Deere to have a "better" version of the k46 than the Cub Cadet.

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I don't believe this is correct. There is only one K46. They don't make variants of it. The K46 in the Cub XT1/XT2 is the same as the K46 in the JD (S240/X350).. and the same as others offering it as well, like the Simplicity Regent.

Check it out: https://www.tufftorq.com/product/k46/

dmenn said:

I don't believe this is correct. There is only one K46. They don't make variants of it. The K46 in the Cub XT1/XT2 is the same as the K46 in the JD (S240/X350).. and the same as others offering it as well, like the Simplicity Regent.

Check it out: https://www.tufftorq.com/product/k46/

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Yes, the site you are linking to shows two different gear ratios, but the parts listing for the K46 show more than 50 different variants/models.

https://www.tufftorqservices.com/instance1/servlet/WebDispatcher?mode=comnet&nextMode=&nextURL=

Search the Catalog Shop from the link below and type in "k46" and see all of the different variants.

For example, the John Deere X350 uses a K46BR. The Cub Cadet XT-2 42" used a K46DM. A side-by-side comparison of the parts lists for just these two transmissions shows differences in the axle shafts, pump shafts, final pinon gear and some bolts. While these differences may be only to make the hydrostatic fit/work in the x350, they are still differences none-the-less. The transmission on the Cub Cadet may very well have the same "durability" as far as the internals, but the different gear ratios between them will equate to differences in torque. It is the ease of creating torque that will help one last longer than the other.

Used the X350 today to cut my yard and wow! The power and the feel of this mower is great. It is exactly what I wanted and I am very happy!

rlpickering13 said:

Used the X350 today to cut my yard and wow! The power and the feel of this mower is great. It is exactly what I wanted and I am very happy!

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That is good to hear! I have said it many times before that I am not a Deere fan, mostly because I do think that they are overpriced and over-hyped but more and more I am starting to believe that they do make the best mowers in the premium class (x300/x500).

Maybe post some pictures of the cut?

cruzenmike said:

Yes, the site you are linking to shows two different gear ratios, but the parts listing for the K46 show more than 50 different variants/models.

https://www.tufftorqservices.com/instance1/servlet/WebDispatcher?mode=comnet&nextMode=&nextURL=

Search the Catalog Shop from the link below and type in "k46" and see all of the different variants.

For example, the John Deere X350 uses a K46BR. The Cub Cadet XT-2 42" used a K46DM. A side-by-side comparison of the parts lists for just these two transmissions shows differences in the axle shafts, pump shafts, final pinon gear and some bolts. While these differences may be only to make the hydrostatic fit/work in the x350, they are still differences none-the-less. The transmission on the Cub Cadet may very well have the same "durability" as far as the internals, but the different gear ratios between them will equate to differences in torque. It is the ease of creating torque that will help one last longer than the other.

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rlpickering13 - Sorry I hijacked your thread about K46 transmissions. When I was considering a lawn tractor, the X350 was at the top. Real nice machine!

Cruzenmike - Thanks for the clarification on the K46's. However, I don't understand why you would say the JD K46 is better than the CC K46. While they may have minor differences like you said, they all have the same gear internals. Per the web-site, the K46 transmission is "Heat-treated Powder Metal" for gears.