Happy to have found this site...At the end of the month I’ll be moving my family back to my childhood home on our small farm.
I have been looking at new and used John Deere’s the X330 and X350.
It’s main purpose will be mowing, roughly an acre but I’d like the also pull cart mulch. For reference my dad mowed the property for 20 years with his JD STX38.
Really looking for something tha is gonna last me as long as his did.
Also wanted to add I’ve found two GT235 for sale used locally for around $1600. But not knowing much about these tractors would love to hear from board members
Even though they all look like tractors, the key thing to understand is the difference between a "riding lawn mower" and a "lawn and garden tractor". The least-expensive models are riding mowers, and the higher models are lawn and garden tractors. The big distinction is the transmission. Riding mowers have a trans that's good enough for mowing on flat yards, and as you move up the price scale, the trans is stronger to make the machine more capable of mowing hills/inclines regularly, pulling stuff around, and even using ground-engaging equipment (at the top end of the spectrum).
When you're looking at new models, you want to buy as much tractor as you can for increased capability. For example, in the X300 line, the models that have power steering have a transmission that's a step up from the one in the X300's that don't have power steering, and it also gives you the ability to change the trans fluid easily. ("Easily" meaning there's a drain plug underneath, so you don't have to remove it from the tractor to do it.) And of course power steering is a very nice feature I didn't know I needed until I got it! The X330 is kind of a strange combination of some of the X300 series features but without the Kawasaki engine. For that reason, I'd start looking from the X350 up. For an acre, a bigger mowing deck will save a little time. The 48" deck has more anti-scalp wheels than the 42" deck, and that's handy not only for helping mow evenly but also when it comes time to pull the deck out of the machine for service.
There are lots of folks here who can speak to the capabilities of the tractors you've mentioned and discuss the best options on the used market. The advantage of going with used is that you'll get a more capable tractor (maybe in the range of a new X500 or better) for a lower purchase cost.
What is your budget? Obviously you are considering used machines so I will toss this out there, take a look at a good used GX345 or an X485. If I were on any kind of farm I would want some "extra capability" with my machines. Even a 318, 322, or a 420 (older machines) would be about cost of the ones you are looking at and will give you way more capability.
That second one is probably a scam. The text makes no real sense for the mower. If you scoured CL I bet you'll find the pictures in several ads. We get it a lot of it out here.
Thanks....I should also mention I’ll be doing zero farming-plowing, ect.
I would like to have the ability to put snow blade on. To clear driveway.
Looking at older machines is tough- not sure what to look for other than low hours. Or what models are good models. Looks to keep it less than 3500, cost of a new X350.
3500 is a good budget. Are you mechanically inclined? If so, being as you want to move snow, I'd suggest looking into the 345/gx345 and used x5 series like the x530 or x540. They are all garden tractors that will comfortably mow and clear snow without ever having to worry about damaging the machine.
Something like this will do the job. Not alot of good deals this time of year looking for used garden tractors, but the JD265 will do a nice job for you.
I know this won't be a popular opinion, however I think you would be well served by a higher-end 100 series (E170/180) or S240. You've got mostly flat property, and unless the one hill is particularly steep I don't see it being too much of a problem. The K46 gets a bum rap from people on here, but for basic residential mowing the 100 series really are good machines. Keep the transaxle clear of debris, keep it at wide-open throttle, and don't treat it like a garden tractor and it should last you a good while. I loved my D160, which is a precursor to the current E170. When I moved to a new property that I knew was too much I decided to upgrade to a garden tractor, and now a woman not far from here has it.
Also, snowblowers are actually easier on these light machines than plowing is, so maybe you might want to look into one? We're REALLY good at spending other peoples money. :ROF
For mowing one acre with few hills and obstacles, you'd be fine with an X3__ series. If you have a long driveway, you might want to consider looking for a used X5__ series for plowing or blowing snow.
I bought a used GX345 and am very satisfied with it. IIRC, I paid $2600
It came with a 54" deck, but I swapped a guy for a 48" which is handier for me to get around and between trees and fence.
I kept looking for a model that had the differential lock, and this one had it. But not all 345s do.
That feature is definitely a plus, as there's some sloped areas next to a utility box where it's difficult to get in and out of when mowing.
And of course when using the snowblower, it really helps too. You may want to consider that if you intend on pushing snow.
And buy a set of chains for it, if it doesn't come with them. Consider some weights too.
The GX345 has PS and hydraulic lift.
The PS in those series of JD tractors is hydro-static; meaning the wheel often does not come back to the same position after a turn.
Even straight ahead steering corrections can be off a little.......the steering wheel "drifts"
Not a big deal, but takes a little getting used to. I don't know if there's any fine adjustment to make it better.
Craigslist is one of those things that's like a cell phone. If there's a responsible party using it, you'll be fine. If it's an incompetent boob, you'll be in trouble. That 2nd CL ad didn't look right. A front mount mower?? Alright then, where were the pictures for what was described?
Why does the original poster limit himself to John Deere?
If you want to pay cash, or go into debt matters, too. I'd recommend cheap over debt.
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