I know this has probably been asked before. I tend to favor John Deere, but justifying the price tag is hard. Also looking for input on newer features. I mow around 3 acres with some steep hills that I don't think a zero turn would hang on.
So my 1987 JD 185 Hydro through the drive belt again last night and this time it ripped of the wiring to the blade PTO. I also notice the frame was cracked, which I assume is the reason for shredding so many drive belts lately. So now I am shopping for a new mower a bit sooner than I had planned.
I am pretty much down to the JD X380 with a 54" stamped deck and the Cub Cadet xt2 gx50 with a 50" fabricated deck. Both come with a 23hp Kawasaki engine and k58 trans axle, so I feel like the drive line doesn't factor into the decision. I don't really know if stamped or fabricated deck is better, seems like the both have their strong points.
One thing I really don't care for is the FastAttach blades on the CC. Seems like the simple bolt on blades worked fine for years, but maybe it is a nice feature for some.
The CC is about $1,300 cheaper than the JD. Also the JD would't get here until Nov. 5th at the earliest, so ill have to figure something out for the last few mows of the year.
So my 1987 JD 185 Hydro through the drive belt again last night and this time it ripped of the wiring to the blade PTO. I also notice the frame was cracked, which I assume is the reason for shredding so many drive belts lately. So now I am shopping for a new mower a bit sooner than I had planned.
I am pretty much down to the JD X380 with a 54" stamped deck and the Cub Cadet xt2 gx50 with a 50" fabricated deck. Both come with a 23hp Kawasaki engine and k58 trans axle, so I feel like the drive line doesn't factor into the decision. I don't really know if stamped or fabricated deck is better, seems like the both have their strong points.
One thing I really don't care for is the FastAttach blades on the CC. Seems like the simple bolt on blades worked fine for years, but maybe it is a nice feature for some.
The CC is about $1,300 cheaper than the JD. Also the JD would't get here until Nov. 5th at the earliest, so ill have to figure something out for the last few mows of the year.