I'm in the market for my first lawn tractor and I'm hoping to obtain some comments, opinions etc. to help me make a decision.
To give you some background, my property is approximately 0.75 acres, and has a lot of mature trees, many with the roots protruding from the ground. The front yard has a bit of an incline, but it's not drastic. Up to this point, I've been push mowing (mulching, not bagging) which takes around 3 hours to complete.
My budget for the tractor is around $2500 max. (not including bagger). I've visited my local dealers and have seen JD, Snapper, Simplicity, Husquevarna and Ariens. At this point, I think I've narrowed it down to the John Deere x300 (currently has a $500 manufacturer rebate, bringing it into my budget) or the Snapper NXT19542 / NXT2346. The differences in the two Snappers are deck size and number of cylinders (1 vs. 2). I'm a bit unsure of the 19542 because of the single cylinder engine. I like the reputation, accessories and warranty of the JD. My father had a rear engine Snapper for eons, which he loved. The NXT's electric deck has me a little concerned about reliability.
Any opinions on these models or others I should consider are appreciated. Thanks very much!
I do not say this to be a smart butt. 2500 bucks puts you right in the middle of nowhere. You do not get a heavy duty tractor nor do you get a cheap low end tractor. Instead you get an overpriced spiffed up light duty tractor that looks heavy duty. I would either double the price or get two low end tractors for the 2500 bucks. I think you would get your moneys worth alot better that way.
Hope you can sort out an answer, I chose the X320, It was the " Biggest bang for the buck". My yard is close to what you describe, So far I have all my neighbors slobbering all over it,, so I have to carry a towel,,,,,,,,,The best thing I can suggest, Simply go to a few small tractor sights and type in x3oo vrs ..x320 And go to a J D dealer and look closely at decks, transmissions, ect. Rember this........ITS A SICKNESS!!!!!!:confused2:
I would either move up to an x310 and higher number machine or look for a good used machine.
If you are really limited to a budget of $2500 then consider a less costly D100 series. Reason being the D 100 series and the x 300, x300R and x304 all have the K46 tranny with known early failures.
The x310 and higher have better trainsmissions.
