Technical > Home Improvement > Garden Tractors: Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, John Deere.. Others?

reply to Draiman

Re: Garden Tractors: Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, John Deere.. Others?

reply to SwedishRider

reply to SwedishRider
Well I'm apparently in the minority, but I would highly recommend a Simplicity tractor.

I have used various models for many years, and they are excellent machines that are well-built and produce a beautifully manicured look to your yard. My first was a Sovereign, then two different Landlord DLX models. I['d like to make another move up now that I am mowing much more yard where we live now, and for sure it will be another Simplicity, perhaps a Legacy if I can swing it.

»www.simplicitymfg.com/products/y···gacy-xl/

reply to nunya

reply to SwedishRider

reply to nunya

reply to mattmag
I would second the Simplicity, You don't have to go to the Legacy. A broodmoor or regent would handle mowing fine. »www.simplicitymfg.com/products/l···ractors/

Also watch the Snapper mowers, made by Simplicity, plus the I think the Professional series Craftsmen is currently a Simplicity. So depending on dealer choices you could have some options.

reply to eagleknight

reply to Fronkman
I think the largest mower Honda makes is 21". The OP mentioned "acres" of land, and it appears he is trying to escape from a small mower.
There are some commercial brands that do use Honda engines.

As far as the dangers of power equipment: any piece of power equipment in the wrong hands can be injurious or deadly. People get too comfortable and do stupid things.
--
...because I care.

reply to SwedishRider
Well, did my homework and my shopping, and here's how it played out:

John Deere: The X500 and X300 series are great tractors, especially the X500. But I wasn't blown away honestly. I thought they were well built and riding on the X500 seemed very solid and the unit had plenty of power, but total with tax for the X500 was north of $6K, and I just can't justify that kind of money. When reviewing it after all options were on the table, I just thought it was too much money for not enough machine (for both the X300 and X500). Sorry John Deere fans...

Cub Cadet: Interesting side story in a moment... But both the Series 2000 and Series 1000 felt kinda chintzy to me. Fit and finish was also an issue, as some of the body panels didn't seem to line up correctly. And the series 2000 tractors started at over $4K... with no mower deck. That was $600-$800 more on top of the tractor's price, putting it slightly behind the John Deere. Needless to say, that was a no.
As a sidenote here, one of the dealers I went to was a Cub Cadet repair shop but not a Cub dealer. He told me to stay away from Cub Cadet like the plague- he said the units have been made by MTD now (for about a decade, as was mentioned in this thread I think) and they've been getting less and less reliable. He said the Kohler engines used in them are really bad as of late and have been giving them a lot of business with warranty work. He even took me in the back and sure enough... there was a line of virtually new Cub Cadet tractors all being worked on. So, I decided that I'd stay away from them at almost any price.

Runner-up: I went to a Husqvarna dealer to try out the YTH24V48LS, which is a yard tractor that has the locking differential. It is a really nice tractor for the money. It felt solid, was very responsive, and cut my test patch of grass well. I had read that the drivetrain in them has been problematic, especially for extensive hill use. It uses the Tuff Torq K46 with the locking differential. Upon researching it, it appears failure prone as the weak link in this tractor lineup. And the differential only locks internally when the tractor senses slippage at the wheels, so the operator can't control it. Plus the rear end in it looked kinda chintzy and the rear wheels were comparably small. For what it's worth, the sales rep said that their warranty work on those tractors has been minimal (but I obviously can't confirm that myself). For flatter land use, I think it would be a solid choice, but I passed on this model as I just didn't think it looked beefy enough. I was impressed, but not blown away.

Winner: Right next to the YTH machine was the GTH27V48LS (the sister to the GTH24V52LS). The difference between the sister models is that the display model had the Briggs & Stratton 27hp engine, and the one I wanted to test has the Kawasaki 24hp engine. This tractor felt solid and heavy with very large rear wheels, a fabricated mowing deck, and just a pretty mean look about it. It has a Hydro-Gear drivetrain, which is limited-slip, but the rear end looks really beefy and even though it doesn't have the locking differential, the weight on the much larger wheels gives it plenty of bite. Research indicates that the Hydro-Gear is a very reliable unit... much more so than the K46. When I test drove it, it could REALLY move too with plenty of power to spare. I took it up and down the fairly steep test area with the blades engaged, and it was the most responsive of all the tractors I tested even though it had far more weight than most (or maybe all!?!). Since it's their garden tractor model, it is rated for all the attachments including the ground engaging ones. I was very impressed. I didn't bite on the spot, but I kinda knew this was the one.

I went and had a cold soda, looked over all the options, and chose the GTH with the Kawasaki engine. It seemed to be the sweet spot of value amongst features, capabilities and price. The Briggs seems to be a solid option too, but my research and word of mouth from others points to the Kawasaki as the better engine for a bit more than the Briggs. And the dealer is local to me and has been in business a long time. I've used their shop from time to time and have always gotten good work and good service. All in all, homework done and selection made... now it's time to get to work and cut the grass..

reply to SwedishRider
at those prices you can get one of these instead :
»www.robotshop.com/lawnbott-lb355···ess.html

it covers two acres. just set and forget.

reply to SwedishRider
It sounds like your dealer had an old YTH24V48LS. The locking differential is operator control per Husqvarna's website.

"Hydrostatic transmission with locking differential
Features a hydrostatic transmission that produces a smooth, variable forward and reverse speed and a pedal operated locking rear differential for increased traction while cutting on slopes or wet grass."

»www.husqvarna.com/us/products/ga···24v48ls/

Does that GTH have a locking differential?

reply to SwedishRider

Go with the Kawasaki. They are presumed to be better engines.
I have the zero turn Cub Cadet RZT 54" with Kawasaki engine.. love it.

Thanks for the advice. I can't find anyone who has argued for the Briggs, so I'll hurry up and wait for my tractor with the Kawasaki.

Nothing wrong with a Briggs at all. I've never owned anything else, and they are a reliable workhorse in the mowing world.

My JD I bought from a JD last year has a 2 cylinder 22 hp Briggs engine instead of the Kohler I'm used to on JD Mowers. So far no complaints.