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Durable Engine, Transmission and Deck

Hello everyone!

Its been awhile since my last visit. My used but new to me, $550 Poulan Pro 300EX Briggs 18.5 hp with a 42" deck, has served well these past 7 years mowing 2 acres, 8 months of a year. The Briggs I/C 18.5 engine is still running strong (besides regular maintenance I have only adjusted valve lash twice, to solve hard starts). However, as we started mowing the field around the yard 4 years ago, the deck has taken a beating (might install a new deck). Next year, it will be a field mower only. Therefore, we are searching for another used riding mower for the 2 acre yard only.

We want a mower with a reliable engine and transmission with a durable mowing deck and a gas pedal. We prefer 2 blades 46" decks for less moving parts and shorter deck lenght strength, but would take a 3 blade 48" + lenght deck. Our budget is a maximum of $1,000.

I seek this forums expertise. Help me choose a used mower. Now at the end of this years mowing season, I am searching for a used but reliable riding mower. Here is what I have found so far:

1. John Deere X320 - Kawasaki 22 hp engine with 260 hours on meter with a 54" deck and a Tuff Torq K58 transmission. "Looks" good except for 2 small tears in seat. They are asking $1200. I think I can get it for $900 to $1000. I like the reputation for reliability and durability of this "higher grade" mower, the gas pedal and the low price. My only concerns are the high hour use, 3 blades instead of 2, long fuel line of gas tank behind the seat and I am not familiar with Kawasaki mower engines. I also do not know what is considered below, normal and high hours of use for the X320.

2. Other riding mowers with durable engines, transmissions and decks?

For my $1,000 or less budget, are there any other used riding mowers I should consider? Thanks for your experience and assistance. I look forward to your comments.:smile:

NOTE: I was considering a Husqvarna YTH22V46 with only 29 hours for $800, but I dont wish to take a chance of having the overheating issue of the Tuff Torq K46 trans. As well as, the Intek engine is not as reliable as the I/C nor Vanguard.

Performed research on this and other sites. I have filtered many choices down to two (2) mowers I can buy right now. Which one would you choose?

1. John Deere X320 - 260 hours on meter with a 54" deck. "Looks" good except for 2 small tears in seat and hood has some sun fading. Dont know the age yet, but it has the older grill. Owner says he has records of regular maintenance performed. I can get it for $1000. OR

2. John Deere X320 - 358 hours on meter with 48" deck. "Looks" good except for 2 small tears in seat and no sun fading. It is a 2006 model and has same grill as one above. Owner says he has records of regular maintenance performed. I can get it for $950.

I like both. No.1 has less hours but No. 2 looks better. I also do not know which deck has proven to perform better with this mower. I know the 54" deck was a option later. However, Tractor Data.com does not even indicate a 54" deck. I do plan to buy one of them by this weekend. Which one would you buy?

Number 1
No idea on the life of the Kawasaki engines that are installed although they seem to last a long time.

Thank you for your comments. I chose No. 1. I have to rent a trailer to bring it home. Does anyone know the outside total lenght of the JD X320 54" deck?

The 48" deck would have put a lot less strain on the engine.
But you are buying a used mower so the first question is "why are they selling it"
Upgrading to a newer mower usually means the old mower was giving me so much grief we had to replace it
Next you look at the yards
100 hours on a lawn that would wear out a mountain goat is 300 hours on a lawn that you could practice putting on.

owner maintained = nothing
Some think that changing the oil & filters is all you need to do.
Washing means nothing as does sun fading.
I once bought a motorcycle with a funny cross paint job on the both sides of the tank which was not exactly the same each side.
It was nothing more than where the summer sun shone through the six square pane window.

Yes. I agree. Sometimes people sell a headache. Sometimes they sell a good mower in the off season for less, because they need the cash. Found a very nice 2015 X320 still under warranty and with less than 60 hrs on it for $1950. The owner knows if he would sell it next spring, he can get over $3,000 easily, but he needs cash now. But, I am too cheap to spend that kind of money. haha!.....eh.

Going to inspect it for engine and trans leaks and ask to operate it to see if engine, trans. and blades/deck operate correctly. If he will not let me operate it, no deal.

And don't let the price differential between USA & Oz distort things.
We pay 50% more for ride ons down here in USA $ then convert to Aust $
JD parts are the cheapest original parts because of volume efficiencies.
JD piggy back the lawn & garden division on the agricultural division.
This meansJDmowers are cheaper here comparred to other mowers than they are in the USa.
Also it makes JD parts a lot cheaper.
Original JD belts retail for the same price as I buy OEM after market belts, ditto for pulleys & blades.

Because we get more UV than any country on the planet JD plastic parts take a beating so be careful opening hoods.
When you get the mower home remove the catches that hold the hood down, unless you have a very bumpy yard they are not needed & cause hoods to break.
Hoods are very expensive.

Anything in those series JD's for under $ 2000 is a steal.
Kawasaki parts are very expensive, again it is a logistics thing, too few parts moving through the main warehouse which is in Melbourne

Thanks for comments. I was just being funny as sometimes I feel I live in the land of Oz as in the Wizard of Oz. haha!.....eh. Actually, I was born, raised, work and have lived all my life in the center of the U.S.A. These great deals and others, are all in the center of the U.S.A. As soon as I finish the deal, I will be more specific. hehe!

So, with everything eles similar, as to the choice of a X320 with 260 hours and a 54" deck and a X320 with 358 hours but a 48" deck, the lower hours is more important than a 48" deck that stresses the engine less than the 54" deck?

There is an interesting back story to this deal. I will share it after I complete the deal.

A 6x6 trailer is smallest you could use.

Thats what I needed to know. Thanks.

Decided to hold off on the deal for the X320. I really want a serviceable transmission. True, you can use a pump, but you never remove most of the fluid and forget a filter change. You can tap some drain plugs but still no filter change.

So, I am going to search for a used mower with the K71 or higher trans. Maybe a JD GT or GX model. I now understand regular trans fluid and filter change can equate to longer life AND consistent max power to the wheels. Prices should only get lower the closer to Winter. Thanks for comments. I will continue to update this thread.

If you want a tranny with filters & drain plug then you will have to pay a lot more that you are thinking about, like about $ 3000 minimum.
Servicable trannies were only fitted to high end commercial GARDEN TRACTORS

The Bolens I mentioned before has an Eaton with filter as does the early 2000 & 3000 Cubs but all of those tractors are no longer supported.
If you want to go to ZTR's then all of the Great Danes have servicable trannies and there is a limited support for them.

I found a low hour JD GX335 I can get for $1500 and I found a low hour JD GT 245 for $1,250. Both have the K71 trans. Those trans have drain plugs and replaceable filters (at least the GX 335 also has a trans dip stick and reservoir as well). My concern is will I be able to find parts in 5 to 10 years, since they are already 14 to 15 years old in this era of throw away mowers.

K71 is not in production anymore. It is the K72 now. Found out the K66 has an optional external filter you can purchase.

Thanks for info. The JD GX 335 sold before I could buy it. I also decided against the JD X320s.

Also, the backstory to the X320 I almost bought, is a sad one. I was trying to call the owner to let him know I decided against that model, because of the lack of a fully serviceable trans. However, his number had been disconnected. Found out it was a tree arbor/lawn care shop going out of business.

However, I now know what mower I will buy.....the JD X360. It has the K58H trans. Its designed for regular maintenance of fluid and filter changes. It also has a Kaw 22hp engine with a 48" deck combo, that I prefer. Well, I really would prefer a reliable Briggs 24 hp with a 2 blade 46" deck with a serviceable transmission, but thats not going to happen. haha!......eh.

Trying to a make deal right now on several I have found so far.

Deals to consider so far include:

1. JD X360 with 62 hours. Looks brand new, but the deck pulley covers are missing. $2400. I like it alot, but agonizing over spending that much. Yet, its the nicest, lowest hour and lowest priced with those low hours I have found so far.....and its within driving distance.

2. JD X360 with 234 hours. Hood is cracked. Some rust underneath. Idles rough. $650. Its 400 miles away. Sales guy said if it was him, he would not make the drive for it! haha!....eh. Shipping would cost as much as mower. Not getting it.

Search continues.

Leaning toward buying the JD X360 with 62 hours. But, I also just found a 2014 JD X500 for $2500. Owner is going to send pic of hour meter. ......But whats odd is the X360 has power steering and hydraulic deck lift, but the more expensive X500 does not? But the X500 has a larger engine and better transmission.....and both have the same frame? If it has low hours, I will have a difficult choice to make.

Does anyone know how to determine if a 10 year old JD X360 really has only 62 hours?????? About to buy it.

The only way is to trust that they did not bypass or replace the hour meter.

Yesterday, I drove over two hours to a used farm equipment shop to inspect and possibly buy the 2009 JD X360 with 62 hours.

Back story
A shop worker that had brought the mower to the shop from the owner, told me it was owned by a wealthy local. The owner had a lawn service mow his estate, but owned several high end mowers including the JD and a high end Kubota mower. I saw the Kubota and it looked brand new. The owner was moving and sold all his lawn equipment to the shop. Supposedly, the owner liked to play with these mowers. He was supposedly the same way with cars.

Inspection
First, I checked the hour meter component. Underneath, everything was very dusty and had mega spiderwebs. The hour meter and plug in cable seemed just as dusty as everything eles. That was good. At least the owner nor the shop had changed it nor unplugged it recently. Then I inspected the entire mower. It looked brand new underneath with very little wear. There were spiderwebs everywhere and very dusty. Every thing looked new including the plastic hood and frame paint. The seat is known to crack after about a year or two of regular use. It was not cracked. The engine oil looked new and I could tell the oil filter had been changed. The gas in tank did not smell bad.

Only concerns, include the tire "hairs"
were mostly gone (10 year old tires?) and the anti scalp wheels had a rough surface like he drove it over a hard surface. Although all the surfaces looked new, the steering wheel center cap looked faded.

Startup
It started right up but would not stay running and gas was leaking from carb. A shop worker said it had sat for at least a year. We all concluded the gas was old and "varnished" the carburetor. The shop drained the gas tank and removed the carb. and cleaned it and soaked it in varnish remover for about an hour. I request only 100% gas (no ethanol) be put back in tank.

Test Drive
It started up and continued to run. I had never operated a mower like this. I operated it from 62.4 hours to 62.8 hours in their lot. It ran smooth and very quiet. Everything worked well. I got a kick out of the hydraulic deck lift and the pedals. It was like a slow go cart with a mower. LOL! Infact, if I knew a mower could be so fun, I would have had a version of this type of mower, years ago.

Did I buy it?
I bought it. Tax included, I paid $2400. Over double my original $1,000 budget. But, it was the lowest hour mower of this type with these features at that low of a price, I could find within driving distance (actually it was the best deal I could find in the U.S., using craigslist.com, searchtempest.com, tractorhouse.com, fastline.com, equipmentfinder.com, machinerypete.com, ebay.com and checking JD dealership inventories). Tractordata.com is our reference friend.

Besides the low hours, and the tilt wheel, power steering, push button hydraulic deck lift, brake/forward/reverse pedals, cruise control, and push button blade engagement, I really like the fact that the K58H transmission is designed to change the fluid and filter (a regular K58 trans. is not designed to change fluid and filter). The fact that the X360 is built on the same heavy duty frame as the X500 series is an added bonus.

We found the deck pulley covers in the shop. It also came with a mulching blade kit, but no manual. No brush guard (too close to house guard). Going to download the manual and buy a brush guard.

We have one or two more mowings for the season. Got to prep it. Now for the first time on a riding mower, I get to change the air filter, fuel filter, engine oil and engine oil filter AND the transmission fluid AND transmission filter! Love it!

I will change all the fluids and filters and sparkplugs, before next Spring.....but I had to try it out and mow the yard this evening. I took out the mulching block but kept the mulching blades bolted on. I filled up the tank with 100% gas (no ethanol).

PROS
Reduced mowing time by at least 1/6th (mowed in 2 and 1/2 hours what use to take at least 3 hours). Based on that, we will put approximately 40 hours on mower per year (400 hours per decade). We are in our late 40s, so we should not need another mower until our 70s!?! Haha!

The hydraulic deck button is very handy to raise and lower deck when approaching driveway edge or raised tree roots. The decks highest setting is higher than any other mower I have used. First deck to cut grass smoothly in turns. The steering is effortless. I kept oversteering at first because it was so easy. Forward and reverse pedals are awesome. Lights work well. 22 hp V twin Kaw engine does not bog down in thick clipping piles like the 18.5 Briggs did. Mower runs smooth and quieter than any previous mower.

The cut? ......WOW. Seriously, the lawn is so smooth it looks like a golf putting green. Really. Our lawn has not looked this good since we used a Snapper rear engine rider (single blade). I wish I had a mower like this years ago, but glad we have one now. Next spring will be fun!

CONS
The first couple times it would backfire after turning the key off. The last couple times of turning it off, it stopped backfiring. Wish dash was illuminated for night mowing. Would forget to keep upward pressure on blade engagement button when in reverse. With it turned off and the trans. valve handle pulled out you can freely move the mower, but without hydraulics you can't steer it???

Wish the hood was metal. Do not see a fuel line on/off valve. I will install one so I can run all the gas out of the carburetor (and change fuel filters easier). I also wish I could get a gas cap with a gauge in it like my last tractor had. However, I dont think the design of the tank will allow it?

Owner of used $2500 JD X500 finally got back to me and now I know why it took so long. It has 1,019 hours on it (he said he changed oil and filter regularly but never changed trans. fluid and filter!?!). Glad I did not wait on it and got my 62 hour $2400 X360 instead. Speaking of ....

I thoroughly washed the X360 after mowing the lawn. I now strongly believe it did have only 62 hours on it as untouched meter read. What I thought was light wear, was mostly heavy dust. After washing it, all painted surfaces look new. There were only a few very light scratches on plastic hood (I buffed out scratches with scratch remover). However, can't explain rough textured anti-scalp wheels on the "Extra Edge" deck.

I think the engine oil filter was changed after 8 hour break in period and greased. Cant tell if trans. oil and filter were changed after 50 hour break in period but I will change all fluids and filters before next use anyways. I think I can now say that I got one heck of a deal on a nearly new high end riding mower!

Hope this site is still going strong when I need another mower in 15 to 20 years! LOL! :wink:

NOTE: Found best deal from a used farm equipment business on tractorhouse.com. Private owners on any site, wanted more for mowers even with medium to high hours. If I wanted a mower like this with low or no hours and could not find one or did not have the cash, I would finance it during a lawn mower shops or dealerships winter sale. Good luck!