So I am doing my homework on purchasing a new rider, looking more for a buy once, cry once option. I will be mowing half an acre, pretty flat residential lot. Currently using a 20 year old Craftsman lawn tractor with a 24 hp Briggs v twin with hydrostatic transmission and 42" cut. 42" cut is as big as will go through the back gate. Want a tractor as I occasionally move wood around with a pull cart.
As I see it, here are the key differences between the two tractors:
JD has Kawasaki engine, the Cub has a Kohler 7000 series. Both seem highly regarded
JD has a stamped deck. Cub is fabricated. Advantage there goes to the Cub, if I'm not mistaken.
JD has a 4 year, 300 hour warranty. Cub is 3 year unlimited.
JD has electric PTO, Cub is manual. I strongly prefer electric
Both have the k46 hydrostat.
The Cub has a single support rod at the front of the deck. The John Deere has two. Seems a bit odd you would go to the trouble of putting a heavier fabricated deck on the Cub boasting about 11 gauge steel and then put half the supports on it on the front?
The Cub is about $800-$900 less. But I'm open to discussion about these or any other options. Thanks in advance for reading and any input!
#2
Craftsman Garage
With half an acre, you'll probably hit the 4 year mark before 300 hours, so the JD warranty takes the win there. Kawasaki is often regarded as the "gold standard" for the best air-cooled engines. I really love them. Manual PTO could have it's fair advantages only that there are less parts that could go bad. I wouldn't worry too much about the deck supports, JD most likely has 2 to prevent the stamped deck from flexing and to maintain a consistent deck height while mowing. The JD frame is also built heavier and better than the cub. I have a Kohler 7000 series, and had a Kawasaki FR691v (wish I hadn't sold it), and the 7000 series can be finicky to work on, and they are definitely not built as good as the Kawasaki. I say go with the John Deere.
