Hi there, Greetings from Canada
Soon going to be a homeowner with 5 Acres of Land, almost half of that is grass. half is field as vegetable garden
Previous owners offered to sell their 16 years old Cub Cadet Zero turn mower(with bagger) and 5 year old Craftsman 2 stage snow blower. We politely declined to buy. We prefer that we put that money into something new or better design that will last us a long time.

Something about us and our needs
1) Never mowed lawn in our life. Never cleaned snow in our life.
2) Driveway is Gravel approx 100 feet.
3) Winter for us is 7 months. Snow can be heavy at times. I have seen snow becoming Ice on city sidewalks and roads. We reach -35 Degree Celsius in January.
4) We rejected previous owners items but got the idea what they were using. Our initial preference was JD Z530M zero turn and a 2 stage snow blower may be Ariens.
5) I do not want to bag anything - no grass, no leaves so I know that gator blades are way to go. Will mulch everything. Still not sure if I will need the JD mulching kit or not.
6) We were all set for the above configuration when something came to our mind. One - Will the push kind snow blower be under powered for heavy snow conditions? Two - When in city we have been used to walking snow trails and will like to create the same on our property . A rectangular trail of about 1800 feet total where 2 people can walk side by side
7) Point no 6 made us think on the Lawn mowing tractor. We have heard that it can be dual purpose. Mow lawn in summer, snow blower in winter. Question - How practical is it? Is exchanging mowing deck and snow blower **** of a job twice a year. I am lightly mechanical oriented. Not a super handyman.
8) Looked online options X570 seems nice but it has no power steering and hydraulic lift. X590 seems high side on budget but if it offers significant advantage. I can look into it. Will it be able to create the 1800 feet snow walking trail?

I will post some more aspects but I hope you guys can give me your point of view. I am open to all suggestions even something other than what I mentioned above. As I said I am newbie. Thanks in advance

I can answer point #7. A JD X570/580/590 can easily cut grass and blow snow in the winter. Change over from deck to blower is 15 to 20 minutes after you have done it once or twice. Nothing challenging at all. If you go for one of the aforementioned, try and push the budget to the X580/590 for the hydraulics. Once you have had power steering you never want to go back.
Are you planning on a vegetable garden? Think plow or tiller. A garden tractor may come in handy there if it is at all sizable.
Curious what you are planning with the snow walking trials. That may be a bit of a challenge with the equipment you are considering!

 

Thank you. If changing the mowing deck to snow blower can be done fairly easily, may be this is good news. Does it require jacking the tractor? Do I need to enter below the tractor? I have done some work on my car but never went under the car? If it requires accessing the underneath of the tractor, can some ramps kind of thing possible? Jacking the tractor can be tricky for the newbie like me.
We are moving into this life first time so we have no clue what we plan to do with that big a Vegetable Garden. A part of this we will definitely want to grow something, specially fresh produce in the summer months. It is a residential property so we can not do residential farming business. For that we need to take proper approvals which we do not intend to get into right away. By Garden tractor did you mean something like 1023E sort of thing. That is double the price of X590.
The previous original owner had 50 years of relationship with a neighbor who has a Real Tractor and he has been turning this property's soil once a while but I do not want to count on that. Plow and tiller that you mentioned - are those things not possible at all with something like X590 even if the quality of plow and tiller will be inferior?

In any case, our main focus is mowing grass and clearing snow at the moment. by buying X590 , I will not have to maintain two engines and X590 is a direct fuel injection , no chock etc and no need to do the seasonal parking of the equipment. Do these thing count as considering buying the tractor v/s a (zero turn + snow blower) combination?
By walking trail, I meant that in city there is a summer trail which city cleans to make a trail in the winter. My family will miss walking outdoors as our property is on a highway so I was thinking if I can make a small trail by cleaning snow on the parameter of my property, that can add some value to life. What do you guys think?

 

From what I have seen of Canadian snow snowshoe's maybe a better option than trying to clean a trail. Maybe even cross country skis. Garden tractors with snow blowers don't do well off a solid prepared surface.
You also may want to meet some of your neighbors and ask them these questions. They will have a better idea of what can be expected of snow fall.

 

Thanks Ariens93GT20. I do intend to meet and ask neighbors when I move there in Sep. I am trying to do my homework and doing some research. I now know for sure that the previous owner had a cub cadet RZT50 and a Craftsman dual stage snow thrower.
I read on some forums that keeping that duel combination can save efforts of switching the mower to the snow blower so I was trying to listen to some experiences of people who own X590 kind of thing.
Making a walking trail is last of my priority. I was just thinking ahead.
Immediate priority is
1) How to deal with Fall Leaves. I would have even put that low in priority but I heard that leaving leaves on grass will make grass bad. From get go I am trying to get into "Not Bagging"
2) Next priority is is preparing for 100 feet gravel drive way cleanup in winter.

 

An X590 seem to be on your wish list. It is considered a small garden tractor in that it can do ground engaging work. You could use it with a plough or tiller or both to tend your garden. Exactly what it is designed to do.

Regarding deck change and blower install. No tools, no jacks or crawling under the tractor. Deck removal involves two rear pins , front drawbar and PTO belt for removal and install. Blower is even easier....PTO belt, rod with pin, chute adjustment rod attach and rocker shaft rod attachment. 5 to 10 minutes max after you have done it a time or two.

As others have said a blower might not do well for the winter walkway. That being said many of us use our blowers to blow out an area of the yard if we have small dogs needing.......!

You in a snow belt?

 

Opinion here: I have both and will dedicate each to its best fit tasks

• Zero turns are for large lawns that need to be cut quickly. Mine is about 3.5 acres of hilly lawn with few obstacles. My CC ZT2 60" Zero Turn excels here.
• Tractors with mowers are slower to cover large lawns, but offer the added possibilities of plows, blowers, and a host of other yard maintenance equipment. I can use my X500 48" deck for close work around the house, for trailer hauling of wood, dirt, project tools, and anything else that will fit in the trailer. In fall it will serve to clean up wind rows of leaves that I will leave using the ZT. I'll use X500 plus the Cyclone Rake to collect, and dump the leaves. In winter, it will plow snow on the driveway.

Hope this is of some help in your decision process.

 

Depending on how large the area is to mow, and how much time you want to spend doing it, mulching may or may not be something you want to do, as typically you have to do it more often and go slower to mulch.

As for leaves, it depends on how many leaves you get, and what kind of leaves they are. I believe some types of leaves are bad for lawns, while with others, it's more just straight volume of leaves that completely cover the grass. Depending on your property, the leaves, and how fussy you are, you might just mow them all back towards the tree's (particularly if it's a forest area), or you might bag them, or you might mulch them.

In the winter, you can snowblow over grass (I've done it with a walkbehind blower), it takes more effort (the more uneven the ground, the more effort). And if you do it all winter, the grass gets damaged from being exposed to the air (depends on location/temps). There was a visible path that took maybe half the summer to recover when I did it.

 

just my .02, but I have less ground than you do and my preferred alternative would be a big zero turn and probably a 1 or 2 series deere w/ a loader for snow, garden, and general tractor stuff. I'd also invest in some snowshoes for your walking trail. Used tractors help defray the costs considerably over new

A cheaper-ish alternative is my current setup; a x500 that mows 1.5 acres of hilly but nicely manicured grass, leaf bagging in the fall, and is used for light duty snow cleanup in the winter with the 48" plow. I do the majority of snow removal with a truck mounted plow but the 2 stage blower should be fine on a driveway your size. Look for a used x530-540 or x580-590 series with a 54" deck minimum and blower. I see them on CL here in the Northeast all the time.

 

I have an assortment of options for handling mowing and snow. Be aware all you are going to be doing with a zero turn is mowing and maybe bagging leaves, that is what I use mine for mostly. Snow removal depends on how much you get and how important it is to deal with snow quickly. Having a tractor could handle all your problems but maybe not all efficiently. I especially like my self propelled snow blower for making trails between my barns (got this idea from my Amish neighbors, trails that is).

I could go on but the point I try to make is your needs will grow and change, you can do many things with a tractor, even a garden tractor.

 

Turn gauge wheels side ways, Lower You deck to the Ground, Remove Pins, drop front Bale(draft arms) ,Slide Belt off PTO Pulley slide deck to left or right 1st turn steering wheel left or right (if Hydraulic Power steering need to start tractor to turn wheel).

Mount snow Blower Lift arms to Mowing deck draft arms , Install front Hitch and attach to Blower Lift arms, drive Into Blower, Pick Up Blower with Tractor on board Lift, Slide Belt Onto electric PTO Pulley

Those are the Basic Instructions for Mounting a Blower On to a X500 series Tractor If You want to save a Little Money go with a X580

Another Option is a Cub Cadet S or SX Z Force zero turn. It has a Steering wheel and it will mow hills if You Have any. It Is Capable of using a 58inch Front snow Blade. With a Front Blade In snow country You Just have to Plan on removing snow off the Drive More often then You would with a Blower.

Here is another tractor to consider as well XT3 GSX - 14CD3LE-010 | Cub Cadet CA It will run up to a 60inch Mowing deck Has electronic Power steering. Has a Optional front Blade which is controlled By the On Board electric Lift. also Has a 3 stage Manual lift Blower as a Option and there our 2 aftermarket Blower Options as well a 44 or 48inch Electric lift Two stage Bercomac Blowers will out throw a Deere or Cub OEM Blower By several Feet https://bercomac.com/taxons/category/snowblower/snowblower-for-l-g-tractor . Blowers will even work On the Deere X500 series

Now I own several Garden tractors & 1 compact tractor The Cub Cadet XT3 GSX is one of them. GSX is Great for Mowing, snow removal and Garden work

If Your Primary Job is Mowing I do not recommend a Sub Compact or Compact tractor! I have a Mowing deck for My compact tractor. But any of My Garden tractor do a Better Job on My 3.9 acre Normal Home or My 17 acre vacation Property The Garden tractors Out perform them in the Mowing department. My compact tractors drive over deck sit on a shelf. I really only bought the deck for resale Valve as Compacts with a deck fetch more on trade in. In My area.

I use My compact mostly for snow work, Fork work, Backhoe work and some tilling. Mostly I use a X748(older version of a Deere X758) for Tilling, Loader and snow Blower work . I also use a Deere GX335 (older version of a X580) for Front Blade work(snow removal) and sleeve Hitch work

But really if Just Mowing and snow removal the Deere X500 series or a Cub Cadet XT3 GSX would Handle Your Intended uses

 

3 acres is a fair piece of property to mow. A widow I’ve helped has that much lawn. Some gets very wet, so the weight and size of the wheels are to be factored in. Just because a tractor is bigger and heavier doesn’t mean it will sink in more. Bigger tires distribute the weight over a larger surface area. They also give a smoother ride than smaller diameter tires. The widow was using a 42” Yardman “Lawn Tractor” and it took 6 hrs. Her lawn is very open, but has an area that is fairly rough. You either have to slow down or get shaken to death. I bought a low cost Husqvarna GTH27V52LS light duty garden tractor with a 52” fabricated deck (more robust and durable), did some slight repairs, and was able to cut the same lawn in 1.5 hrs with a much better ride, better cut, and less gas.

You also need to consider who else may NEED to use the equipment, their physical limitations due to stature, and slopes. I had that when searching for a tractor for mowing and snow removal on my son’s hilly lawn and long gravel driveway. Weight of a machine helps stability as well as a low center of gravity. I chose a John Deere X730 for my son’s family. Significantly more expensive than an X580/X590, but safety always comes first in all situations. His lawn and driveway look like this.

I’ve used my Scotts 42” mower with Cyclone Rake on this, but was careful where I went up and down. Gravel driveways require you to drive over the snow to pack down a solid base layer on which the skids of a snowblower can ride on. The wider the skids, the better they stay on top. And you need to set the skids so there’s at least a half inch of snow left behind so you don’t pick up too many stones.

Leaf removal can be done with a tractor mounted bagger, tow behind lawn sweeper, or a powered lawn vacuum. I move so many leaves that the right solution for me was a Cyclone Rake lawn vacuum. Something like this at my son’s.

Using a snowblower on a tractor takes extra clothing or a cab. Soft cabs are much cheaper, keep the snow off you for the most part, but are not as warm as a much more expensive hard cab.

Considering how much time you can allow for the task is a huge factor in your decision. Nobody wants to spend more than they have to, but time, health, ease of use, safety, and perhaps even resale all factor into the decision.

I have both a zero turn and a large garden tractor, but if it had to be one, it would be the tractor and if I had been more limited in the $$$ available, I would have chosen the X590. Other brands have similar machines to my X738, but each one has different things to consider. I have been very pleased with all the John Deere products I own, but I have also used other brands with good experiences.

 

Dan2cyldsel!, My gosh , is that really a Deere 440 gasoline two vertical cylinder crawler?
I was 15 in 1967 and learned how to rebuild an engine bigger than a lawn mower on one of those. Had a lot of fun running it too.
Yours looks really complete. Its a keeper!!

 

You bet it is, runs great and seems to be a low hour crawler. Turning brakes get a little sticky from sitting in the barn as I rarely get it out . BTW I was thirteen in 1967 and bought my first car two years later, a Pontiac Firebird sprint 67 that had an overhead cam six, actually took over payments for my older bother when I wasn't even legal to drive.

 

I used to mow 11 lawns, two were 2 acres, the rest one acre. I started with a JD 265 and it did everything well. Then I got a deal on a Snapper Pro 52" Walk Behind, 20 HP Kawaski Twin V. That thing was just so fast, and for me, easy to operated. Then I started mowing a friends 7 acre field with his 60" Land Pride Z Turn. Now, my Walk Behind was so easy to drive, I was using a stand on Velke, that I thought the Z Turn would be just like it, just sitting down. Wrong. The Walk behind was a dream going sideways on steep hills. The Z Turn wants to take off sliding sideways. Then the Walk Behind takes a little getting used to going up and down with a swale. When the mower starts to go up the other side of the swale, the Velke is still going down, so you wind up with the handle bars at your knee's. It still mows well and under control, just takes getting used to. The Z Turn going side ways on a hill just wants to slide sideways. Then going up and down with a swale, the engine sits out so far in the rear, and the mower so far in the front, I wound up with mower and engine, bottomed out, and the tires just spinning in space. Now, on my friends field, the Z is all about speed. It can easy make two passes for every one with my X540, plus a 60" deck over a 48" on the Deere. If I had a big field to mow, I'd really think about the Z for the mowing, and a "used" smaller farm tractor, or CUT for every thing else. Or a bigger farm tractor with a big finish mower, and an X5 or X7 series for trimming all the edges and around the house. Lots of ways to go, spending your money.

 

I tend to agree with the dedicated machines angle, mostly because that is the direction I went. I use a ZTR for mowing and a standard 2 stage snow blower for snow removal. I simply got tired of having to change attachments on my old tractor (JD 455). Got older and didn't like doing the changeover work . Whatever you decide, buy the best machines you can afford. I ponied up for a commercial model ZTR (albeit used) and a commercial model snow blower. It seems a lot of the stuff marketed for retail just doesn't hold up like it used to (just my two cents).

 

for snow moving, we use a pickup mounted plow - don't like being out in the cold wind, snow blowing in your face - sitting in a nice warm cab is far more preferable.
We live in north central Wisconsin, and yeah, temps can get well below zero for weeks at a time here, -40F is not unheard of with -20F to -30F being regular occurrences and windchills down into the -50s. Who wants to be outside blowing snow in that mess? Not me.
Years ago, we did do it, first with a snowblower, then a skid steer with just a cage, no enclosed cab. We are of an age now that having to be out in that bitter cold is just too disagreeable anymore.

 

Thank you so much for wealth of information over here.
No matter how much I like the idea of pick up mounted snow plow, its not going to be a reality for me. I am a currently a city guy driving a front wheel drive sedan and dont have a pick up and not intending to buy one anytime soon. That leaves me to either buy a 2 stage walk behind snow blower or something that can be done by a garden tractor if I go that route.
someone above suggested that changing from mowing deck to snow blower is not that big a task. and its only 2 times a year. Another poster suggested X730 which comes with ride over mechanism to put the mower deck but X730 is 5000 Canadian dollars more than X590. But I understand that X730 is perhaps more capable in other areas as well.
Can someone please chime in about snow blower v/s snow plow on a tractor? Can a snow plow be attached on X590 or X730? If you have a snow plow attached, can you use it for light and heavy snow both and not need the snow blower at all?
My driveway is gravel 100 feet that too its curved and not a straight line. It is not near to the neighbors property line though so on both side of driveway, there's lots of space on our own property.

 

Thank you so much for wealth of information over here.
No matter how much I like the idea of pick up mounted snow plow, its not going to be a reality for me. I am a currently a city guy driving a front wheel drive sedan and dont have a pick up and not intending to buy one anytime soon. That leaves me to either buy a 2 stage walk behind snow blower or something that can be done by a garden tractor if I go that route.
someone above suggested that changing from mowing deck to snow blower is not that big a task. and its only 2 times a year. Another poster suggested X730 which comes with ride over mechanism to put the mower deck but X730 is 5000 Canadian dollars more than X590. But I understand that X730 is perhaps more capable in other areas as well.
Can someone please chime in about snow blower v/s snow plow on a tractor? Can a snow plow be attached on X590 or X730? If you have a snow plow attached, can you use it for light and heavy snow both and not need the snow blower at all?
My driveway is gravel 100 feet that too its curved and not a straight line. It is not near to the neighbors property line though so on both side of driveway, there's lots of space on our own property.

Can a snow plow be attached on X590 or X730?

• most definitely, both can have a plow attachment. The Quick Hitch for the X730 will require the angling cylinder to turn the blade. The X590 can have a 48” plow, but has a mechanical lift and I believe mechanical angle. Others have added an electric lift actuator to raise the blade.
• the X590 54” deck model comes with HDAP tires which give better traction. The X730 comes with turf tires. My son uses weights and chains on his X730 to snowblow his gravel driveway, I can’t speak to using it for snow plowing.
• A plow is definitely lower cost than a snowblower. The Quick Hitch is the same, but the angling cylinder is not needed for the snowblower. If you start with a plow, you can always add a snowblower and use the same Quick Hitch. With using a plow, angling reduces the width covered so as others have suggested, extension wings (2) would be advisable. Plows can dig into gravel, but not more than blowers.
• A lower cost solution for snow removal would be a walkbehind snowblower. A 100’ driveway won’t take too much time, maybe half an hour for small snows/1-2 hrs for very deep 12”+ snow/3-6” of very wet snow/multiple 12-24” snowdrifts across the driveway. The type of snow has as much to do with how long it takes as the depth the snow. I would recommend an Ariens 8 hp 24” 2 stage walkbehind snowblower. The engine has more bearings rather than bushings making them run much longer before needing major repair. The reason I chose to go with a tractor snowblower was due to my age. I slipped on ice near the end of my working career and was very close to a disaster. That made my mind up to go with a tractor, initially an X360, but after throwing a belt in a bad storm, I decided in retirement to have a shaft driven blower. Hence the X738 choice with the HAWD (hydraulic all wheel drive) and HDAP tires made it possible to snowblow without additional weights or chains.

 

Really hard to beat a decent size Z-turn for mowing. I have several friends and neighbors that have gone from decent size lawn tractors to Z-turns with the same size decks which cut down mowing time by 1/4 or even 1/2. Most decent size Z-turns can handle moderate slopes and ditches okay, especially if you are a decent operator. You can pull a cart around with one and have a friend with a snowplow on a Dixie Chopper Z-turn, but not as good as a lawn or garden tractor.
For snow removal it really depends on how much snow you plan on getting, and the skill of the operator makes a big difference when it comes to how effective a plow is. I've always used a plow on my drive but also have plenty of stacking space off the sides of the driveway. In heavy snow I will push the piles 10' off the side of the drive into the yard so there is plenty of room if/when it snows again.

 

The blade works fine on a tractor of the X590’s size. The downside to a blade on a X590 or equivalent isn’t the tractors size, but that it lacks the hydraulic downforce for the blade. You’ll generally be fine pushing snow, but if you want to move dirt or grading you’ll quickly see why it’s not ideal. This is where you’d need to step up to the X700’s - but they are very pricey.

I think for your situation and the impression I get from your newness at rural living, it would behoove you to go with the new tractor. It will be significantly more utilitarian than just a lawn mower as you’ll very quickly realize you want to do a lot more around that property than initially thought. While used tractors are a great value, if you’re not mechanically inclined, and perhaps don’t have a lot of time to tinker, then it may be a better value for you to have something with a warranty

I have a 2004 GX345 which was the precursor to the X590 (I have liquid cooling and a carburetor vs the air cooling and EFI on the 590). I mow 1.5 acres just fine with it, and it’s a super quick and intuitive swap to the snow blower each winter for my over 100’ driveway. I think the X580 would be fine as well, but there could be concern of the carb icing up in the winter when snow blowing depending how cold it gets - you won’t have that issue with the X590 seeing as it’s fuel injected.

Depending on the amount of leaves, you may not be able to mulch. I found that out the hard way trying to chop them up and disburse them, but it still killed the grass just because there was so much. You will likely have to get a blower/vac combo from Stihl or Husqvarna to handle the leaves; you may need to look into a lawn vac if you have a truly excessive amount.

If you do decide to use the garden, you can buy the tiller attachment for the X590, so again, that makes it a multipurpose machine that you wouldn’t have with a zero turn and other dedicated machines for each chore. This helps in a multitude of ways, including storage and maintenance (and costs!).

Lastly, over the years you’ll learn more about rural living and what YOU find important or would like to do. You’ll have started with a great machine in the X590, but can then determine what you’d like to replace it with.

 

Asker123,
Friend bought a new X580 this last winter. It has electric lift for the front blade he also purchased.
Angling kit for the blade was an extra add-on and is manually operated.
Says it did OK this past winter in NW Ohio. He lives in town and plowed his drive, the neighbor's drives and sidewalks. In town.
The X500s have belt driven hydrostatic transmissions.
Surely more dollars, but the X700s are bigger, beefier, and have shaft driven transmissions.
May be something to consider if concerned about moving a lot of Canadian snow in a rural area.
Deere offering any incentives, payment options for purchasing new?

 

Thanks JDDottie
On Dealers website I saw 4.9% 60 months for X590 whereas 0% 60 months for X730 and X738.
X738 is another CAD 2000 more than X730 ( because of 4wd it seems).
If you need to clear snow and only drive behind the cleared snow, has someone here got stuck and thought you should have had 4wd? May be heavy field work requires 4wd but what are some areas that you think gives X738 advantage over X730?
I am in Manitoba around 120Kms north of US border. I am also going to discuss with the neighbors over there to see what they need to say but I have always been getting great help from product specific forums to generate an informed viewpoint.

 

If you need to clear snow and only drive behind the cleared snow, has someone here got stuck and thought you should have had 4wd? May be heavy field work requires 4wd but what are some areas that you think gives X738 advantage over X730?

No reason you should actually get stuck clearing snow on a normal driveway. From my experience you would have to really try to get stuck, like running off into a ditch or maybe running the front tires off the side of the drive that has a steep downhill edge and trying to back up, or maybe ramming into a huge pile of snow and getting the blade or blower hung up. All those situations can be easily avoided. In general backing up is the biggest issue because you will have the blade or blower raised up with takes weight and traction off the rear tires and puts more weight and resistance on the front tires. With plenty of weight added to the back and good tires I rarely even use diff lock on mine anymore. Sure, I would love to have a 4wd/AWD tractor but definitely do not need it.

 

Asker123,

Guys here mean well but they will have you in a 4wd &00 series diesel before you know it! The old buy once cry once trick.
I have an X540 which at the time was the top of the x500 series, basically the same as the current X590 sans EFI but water cooled. I use a 44" blower mostly since it 'fits' my walkways and storage better than the 47" blower. I have chains and rear weights. In 10 years I have never been stuck in some wild weather. (note relatively flat driveway).Your drive is not that big and could be done with a walk behind blower like I did for years. I would NEVER go back to those days.
My neighbor has a JD595 which is a predecessor of the 700 series with 4wd. He does not use chains or any weights......same conditions but never been stuck.
I think the with X590 and the saving over a 700 series you could get the attachments you require and be very happy with a very flexible machine. Trust me, change over from deck to blower on the X500 series is very easy and not to be feared. It is the same with any of the other attachments JD provides for the machine.
Oh and BTW I cut 2 acres with a 48" deck in about 1.5 hours.
Good luck in your decision.

Ken

 

Note that the X738/X739 is actually AWD rather than 4WD. It's semantics for most people, but there is a difference to the systems as the earlier X700's and HDGT X500's previous to those were 4WD. I believe someone pointed out the acronym for them earlier.

Anyway, the current X500's have diff lock which is very helpful for traction. I don't even use chains in the snow/ice - just HDAP tires (the stock tires on the X580/X590) and four JD quick-tatch weights. No chains nor do the tires have ballast (liquid fill such as beet juice or washer fluid; this is popular with the old-timers but is virtually unnecessary with the correct tires). The only issue is the stock front turf tires will push even with the weight of a snow blower/blade up front. I solved that by installing Carlisle Xtrac snowblower tires on the front.

With all of that said, I wish I had AWD. I don't need it, but there are times where it would be so nice and just make things easier. Not just in winter, but in mud, hills, rough terrain, etc. I wouldn't need to think about how to approach certain things - I'd just go The only thing with the X738 is the price - you'll be $15k or more USD once you add on a blade or blower. With your property, you might want to consider a 1023 or 1025 with a loader instead. I know locally, I can get a 1-series with a deck and loader for less than a X700. If you don't need maneuverability, then the 1-series is the better option for the price.

 

First off, welcome to MTF. There has been lots of great advice here so far based on folks real world experience which in itself can be just as overwhelming as all the glossy brochures. It really comes down to what you want for your new property and how much you are willing to spend to get it both in time and money.

My little stretch of country road with houses on a minimum of 3 acres and up to small farms is a pretty good example of all the different ways people go after a larger property which you have. Some people go and buy a big box store mower and run it till its done then get a new one. For some depending on how hard they use/abuse it, this can almost be an annual purchase. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a guy that spent the money on a commercial diesel zero turn as well as getting his land perfectly prepared to take advantage of the machine (zero turn doesnt buy you much on rough terrain). Another guy mows his lawn with a X700 series and then cuts the rest with a compact utility tractor/rotary cutter. The common theme I see is very few people actually maintain their entire property once property size is measured in acres and most just keep an area around the house mowed. What you want for your property should be a prime driver of what you choose to mow it with. If you are just going to mow what you call grass which I assume is the relatively smooth lawn around the house, there is nothing wrong with a big box store mower....just dont ever leave the relatively smooth lawn with it. If you want to maintain what you are calling field, you are going to need a much tougher mower or pay someone to come in with a rotary cutter a couple times a year or just let it go.

A significant consideration is how long do you want to spend mowing versus how much are you willing to spend on a mower. Again, once you get into a property size measured in acres, this is a big question if you are going to maintain all of it. I can mow my lawn (~1.5 acres) with my 30" push mower or my 62" 4WD diesel garden tractor. The push mower produces a far better quality lawn but easily takes twice as long and when you are mowing more than once a week that adds up fast. My push mower does not leave what I call lawn or it would be trashed in a season. My non lawn areas are almost 2 acres and my goal is to eventually keep it all mowed...a work in progress. Most of my neighbors choose to just let those areas go which means they dont need a garden tractor and can buy a big box store mower for a fraction of the price with nearly the same mowing performance that will last a very long time if they only mow their lawn with it. Just like my push mower, take it off the lawn and it is only a matter of time before those machines are trashed.

Compaction is also a potential concern depending on your soil type/conditions and again what your expectations are. My push mower leaves no trace but I have to be very careful with the garden tractor with my mix of clay and glacial till. Other soil types especially on a well drained property wouldn't be an issue at all for that same garden tractor. This potential problem only gets worse when you go up to a 1 or 2 series. The 1 series for example has the same size tires and weighs significantly more than the X700 series which in turn weighs significantly more than the X500 series. It is possible that you could get away with a 1 or 2 series and mow your entire property in a reasonable period of time while having a machine that can clear any snow you might ever see as well as till your garden. For me, it would be a disaster. The X700 series however can mow my entire property as long as I am very careful on the lawn and even with just a plow can clear any snow we might get which we get more than our fair share compliments of Lake Ontario.

Snow removal is often a contentious topic on the forums and I think quite simply its because of the widely varying conditions people face. I deal with above average snowfall, widely varying snow consistency, travel a lot for work and dont want to rely on anyone else to clear my driveway. Almost all of my neighbors have their driveways plowed. For the money they save by not needing a machine to maintain their entire property or clear the driveway, they probably spend a lot less than I do every year and dont have to deal with a lot more mowing in the summer or the cold in the winter...totally get why they do it. The 4WD X700 class lets me do this without needing multiple machines or compacting my lawn too badly. If compaction wasnt a concern, I would probably have a 1 series. If I didnt have the terrain and snow that I do, I would probably have a X500 series. If I didn't have to deal with snow at all, I would buy a big ole zero turn once my non lawn areas start to look more like lawn. As much as I enjoy mowing, I spend more time doing it than I would like to even with a 62" deck on a little over 3 acres.

Again, this all really comes back to what you are trying to accomplish and how much you are willing to spend to do it. Good luck!

 

Thanks cnymowinplowinsailin and 6.2Blazer and others
Right now its between x590 and x730 .. Lets see....

 

I just traded my 2019 X570 in on a 2021 X730. I got the auto connect deck (54") and quick hitch 54" blade.
Taking the deck off and installing the blade is not only easy, but very enjoyable. Taking the deck off of the X570 was anything but enjoyable. The X730 is a huge step up from the X500 tractors. If you can financially swing it, go with the X730, you will have no regrets. My X730 with auto connect deck and quick hitch blade and brush guard, seat cover came to $13500. At 0% for 60 months that comes out to $225 a month. The X590 with 54" blade will come to at least $9600. At 4.9% for 60 months is about $185 a month. The difference between the X730 and X590 is $40. Don't make the same mistake I made. Get what you really want the first time!

 

Sad news..
I visited a John Deere Dealer today. Sales guy told they are sold out of all the Garden Tractors in June itself. Everything is on Order and the JD will supply them the inventory in Jan Feb timeframe for the sale in next years Spring.
Seems like I am out of luck for using the Tractor for winter purposes.
Anyways he appreciated my choice of X590 but he mentioned that X700 series is not considered value for money in this area. Reason is if you go to AWD , Diesel range of X700 series and add a Three points Rear hitch and a PTO( not sure what it is) you are better off buying X1023E which comes with Loader and the 3 point hitch and PTO pre installed.
Might be his sales tactics to get me into 1023E which he had in stock.
He told that he himself has a 3 Acres property and he has 1023E. In winters he removes the Loader and adds the Snow Blower. He advised me against the Snow Plow and told Snow Blower disperses the Snow better rather than pushing and making the pile of snow which a snow plow will do.
He told that he has the front snow blower but I can add a rear snow blower ( CAD 4000 v/s CAD 6000 for the front) that way I do not need to remove the Loader in the winter and can make use of that as a plow.
I am not persuaded by 1023E. Just looked a bit overkill for me.
Another things he told about X590 is that this year onwards JD has discontinued the tiller attachment.
I think I will visit another dealer which is same company just a different branch but you never know they might have X730. Lets see....

 

I am not persuaded by 1023E

There is a reason the X700’s exist in all their variations - and a reason people continue buying them. Yes, the 1-Series is a great value, especially when looking at the top of the line X7’s, but the X7 is a mower first, utility second. The SCUTs are utility first, mowing just another task. A good analogy may be the X7’s are like the Escalade of garden tractors, whereas the subcompact tractors are the Cavalier of a working tractor. They each have their place, and plenty of people find the X700’s work better for their needs.

That said, if you have the room, budget, and tasks, a 1-Series is tough to beat (local dealer sells them with a loader and 54” deck for $15k). It will never mow as good as a garden tractor, though. Nor will it be as maneuverable or as stable.

If you are comfortable getting used, try and find a X590 still under warranty, but you will pay a premium in this environment. Also take a look at the X540 (preferably the updated 11-14’s).

 

Depending on how urgent the need is, you might consider a different brand too if availability is better.