Sold my Exmark, looking for a riding mower.

[cruzenmike]

So, I sold my 2019 Radius E this past week. I had a couple of reasons for doing it, mostly because I was spending $130 a month (financed) just to cut my lawn, and also because the machine is good for only one thing Ever since I moved to the country I have had a dream of owning a Kubota BX23S with a mid mount mower. But, my wife and my wallet do not share the same dream. For the time being I am cutting my entire yard, which is approximately 1 acre, with a 21" mower. I am not at work due to COVID-19 so time is not an issue, but I know that this cannot be a long term solution with returning to work soon, having 2 kids and other obligations. Now, this where things get difficult. I can certainly afford the $6000 for a good riding mower/garden tractor, but in doing so I would likely hurt my chances of getting the Kubota down the road so I am tempted to be a bit more conservative. The fact that a mower deck for the BX costs only $2000 is what keeps me from having both a ZTR and the BX. It makes perfect sense to me to have just one machine for all that I need on my property, and trust me when I say that I have plenty to do with a front end loader, backhoe and 3-point attachments in addition to the mower. So for the time being, the only option is to get a riding mower that is under $3000 and hope that in a year or so I have retained some of the resale value, enough to eventually sell and upgrade to that Kubota I want.

Here is what I am looking at and why: I have also included a thing or two which I don't like about them.

- John Deere X330/X350 ($2699-2999 on sale): Very well built, longest warranty and highest resale value at it's price point. I have absolutely no issues having the Briggs engine, but would take the Kawasaki if it is quieter and if it will help the resale. I do not care much for the differences between the 42" and 48" deck designs and would not want to have to get a blower for the 48" deck.

- Cub Cadet XT2 LX 46 FAB ($2499 on sale): Decent warranty, effortless steering, fabricated deck, EFI engine, less expensive bagger than Deere. I had an issue with the cut quality on an LX42 I bought last year, but it was a stamped deck and was warped from the factory. My hope is that the thicker, fabricated deck would be less problematic. While EFI of this type in a consumer mower is not tried and true, I have no hesitation since the warranty would cover it as long as I own it.

- Husqvarna TS248G/XD ($2999-3099): Widest cut, 3 blade deck doesn't require powered assist for bagger, automatic diff lock or ground engaging hydrostatic. I have issues with the quality of these machines. They are some of the highest failure rates in the industry and despite the added benefit of better transmissions, beefier components or larger engines, it is for nothing if the machine is more likely to break down.

This is certainly not an all inclusive list as I have also considered slightly better mowers by all 3 manufactures, but if I am to stay within budget I must draw a line somewhere. I would certainly consider something less expensive if someone could make a good point for it and if their own experience has been good. I do appreciate the upgrades and improvements found in more expensive machines, but do not believe in spending more for something than what it is "worth." Lastly, I will not buy anything used. I have gone down that road many times and have NEVER had good luck.

I would like to hear from anyone who has these exact models so that I can figure out what I would like to get.

Thank you.

Mike

 

[gotomow]

I have the JD X350 and I love it. It does everything well. I am cutting on almost an acre and I have a well manicured front lawn and some good and bad areas out back. When I bought mine I think the incentives on the X350 were better than the X330 so it just made sense to get the x350. I tested the E100 series and S240 and the chassis on the 300 series made for a much better experience as far as vibration and steering. I didn't notice much difference between the engine performance on the Briggs and Kawasaki engines and I would not rate the Kawasaki quieter than the Briggs. The Accel deep deck mulches, side discharges and bags perfectly. I think that JD's have excellent resale value also.

 

[cruzenmike]

I have the JD X350 and I love it. It does everything well. I am cutting on almost an acre and I have a well manicured front lawn and some good and bad areas out back. When I bought mine I think the incentives on the X350 were better than the X330 so it just made sense to get the x350. I tested the E100 series and S240 and the chassis on the 300 series made for a much better experience as far as vibration and steering. I didn't notice much difference between the engine performance on the Briggs and Kawasaki engines and I would not rate the Kawasaki quieter than the Briggs. The Accel deep deck mulches, side discharges and bags perfectly. I think that JD's have excellent resale value also.

Thank you for your feedback. My only issue with the X300 series is that I have some rather uneven parts on my lawn and could benefit from the additional anti-scalp wheels on the larger decks. Besides, I think I have enough grass to justify the larger deck as well. The larger 48" and 54" decks require the power assist bagger. I also like the idea of a more durable transmission. I know that this is getting me out of the price range that I am looking at, but it becomes ever more confusing when the upgrade into a Deere with a K58 trans puts me over $4000 when I can have either a K58, K62 in a Cub Cadet or even a K66 in a Husqvarna for about $3500. As soon as things open up here in Michigan I think I am going to have to do some test driving as see what I like most.

 

[gotomow]

The X380 gets you out of the K46 although I thought you were moving on to Kubota. The X380 also comes with power steering. Not sure if the 48" deck requires power assist bagger. I'd check with your dealer. The 42" deck with the bagging blades vacuums up EVERYTHING. I'm talking pine needles, small leaves and dirt. Yes dirt if you have a patchy area like me that was a former garden area that I didn't get enough grass seed down it does bag some dirt.
It depends what you are trying to accomplish. If you want a nice rider for a year or two then you can't beat the JD's.
If you are going to hang on to this machine for the long haul then take a look at the 500 series JD's. Cub and Husky can't come close to the quality of JD.

 

[cruzenmike]

The X380 gets you out of the K46 although I thought you were moving on to Kubota. The X380 also comes with power steering. Not sure if the 48" deck requires power assist bagger. I'd check with your dealer. The 42" deck with the bagging blades vacuums up EVERYTHING. I'm talking pine needles, small leaves and dirt. Yes dirt if you have a patchy area like me that was a former garden area that I didn't get enough grass seed down it does bag some dirt.
It depends what you are trying to accomplish. If you want a nice rider for a year or two then you can't beat the JD's.
If you are going to hang on to this machine for the long haul then take a look at the 500 series JD's. Cub and Husky can't come close to the quality of JD.

I looked through John Deere's literature and the 48" and larger AccelDeep decks require the blower. They get away with not needing a blower on the E series somehow, but I am sure it is a trade-off in performance versus cost on an entry level line of mowers. You do not get power steering in the X380, rather you have to go up to the X390 for an additional $1000. Same goes for the X370 with has power steering and costs about $1000 more than the X350. These two models benefit from serviceable hydrostatics (changeable filter and fill-able fluid reservoir).

i just don't think that the X380 is in my budget if I hope to get that Kubota one day. I will have to do some more digging.

 

[Richandtd]

Go on Facebook and join one of the john Deere garden tractor forums lots of people there have lots of information on used John Deere riding mowers and you will probably find one for sale there in Michigan there also. Then when you can get the oth one you want you will not loose a dime when you sell your used Deere

 

[cruzenmike]

Go on Facebook and join one of the john Deere garden tractor forums lots of people there have lots of information on used John Deere riding mowers and you will probably find one for sale there in Michigan there also. Then when you can get the oth one you want you will not loose a dime when you sell your used Deere

Not a bad idea, except for that I do not participate in any social media, nor will I join just to get on their market. I got off when my mom and my aunts got on 8 years ago.

I do realize that the John Deere is the most practical decision from the standpoint of losing the least amount of value of a set period of time, but it is too hard to compare specs and cost when some of those specs actually matter (speaking new equipment of course). I have another post where I found what I thought was a decent used mower at a decent price, but I am finding that I am just not made for buying used.

 

[Richandtd]

Understand and good for you and enjoy what ever mower you get.

 

[cruzenmike]

I think I have it all figured out. Due to COVID-19 related wage losses I am holding off on buying anything new at this time. My wife has offered to help mow our acre of grass with the 21" Honda. We have taken turns mowing different parts of the yard and have been able to get two complete mowings in this week. This system is working well and we both enjoy the exercise that we are getting. Like I may have said before this cannot be a long term solution, so.....

Eventually the plan is to buy something once my wages are restored back to 100% of what they were pre-COVID. #1 on my list is the Kubota BX. I have spent the past 3 years buying and selling 6 mowers or so, never being satisfied and if I can swing it I think that the BX would finally get me to where I want to be. If for some unforeseen reason I cannot get the BX, my second choice is the John Deere X390. Why this model specifically? While I do not necessarily need or want the power steering or deck lift, I want the K58 trans and 48" deck, and in this model the transmission is serviceable with a replaceable filter and fillable fluid reservoir. While he capabilities of the X390 will fall FAR short of the Kubota BX, it would still offer a handful of attachments that can be of use on my property and if after a few years circumstances change, it will be more desirable and have a higher resale value. I had considered a Simplicity Broadmoor as opposed to the X390 but I would really have to dig deeper once the time to purchase comes.

Fingers now crossed that I don't have to wait too long to get one of these beauties in my garage!!

 

[gotomow]

I like your plan. The heavy spring mowing season is winding up and unless you get more rain than usual your mowing frequency should lessen.