YTH24V54 vs TS354XD for my wife

[Beowulf]

My wife is looking at these 2 models at Lowe's. Obviously, to TS is a better built unit but is it $2k better? Given past experience with big box mowers I'd expect 5 to 10 year life from the YTH. Is that realistic with either of these?

Better options in this price range? She wants new vs used for warranty. Plus I don't feel confident analyzing used.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I for one have gone off Husqvarna 100% to the point I recommend that my customers avoid them .
The only residential brand mowrs that are available in the USA I ever recommend is Toro & JD
I am not a franchiseddealer, just a tech wo sees these things getting worse & worse every year .

 

[Beowulf]

I for one have gone off Husqvarna 100% to the point I recommend that my customers avoid them .
The only residential brand mowrs that are available in the USA I ever recommend is Toro & JD
I am not a franchiseddealer, just a tech wo sees these things getting worse & worse every year .

That's disappointing.

Toro only seems to sell zero turns which she doesn't like. Talking to JD dealer about x380, it's about $1500 higher than the ts354

 

[bertsmobile1]

Sorry to be a damp squib but that is my opinion as a tech who repairs these things.
Most people new to ZTR's hate them because they are new and take a bit of getting used to
Once they have developed the muscle memory and stop swinging the lap bars violetly from F to R & back again they love them
The only Husqvarna ride on I recommend are the articulated models but again they take a bit of getting used to because they rear steer so you driive them like a fork lift
But even then the USA versions have been trashed to make the ticket price lower.
We get both the US versions & the EU versions
Chalk & Cheese as the USa version has had the Ford make over ( massive overpowered engines ) .
And finally if it is sold at Lowes then it has been bult (badly ) down to a price point .
It is a problem finding a mower for women as most are designed for 6' tall men with a very fat gut so the steering wheels are too far away and too small for most women
I have a customer who bought a YTH22v42 then he got given the JD 125a that the previous house owner decided to leave behind
The YTH sits in the shed and is nly used ( with great reluctance ) when the JD is in my shop for servicing
The big thing you will notice is just how heavy the YTH steering is
you can't do a test drive at Lowes so you won't know how hard the steering is till you get it home
Even then the shop staff drastically over inflate te tyres so they are hard & the mower pushes easily on the hard floor
When the pressure is back down to 15 psi and you are on grass women need to be big Arnie's sister to drive them
Another customer has a z225 ( no longer made ) and her mother in law next door has a YTH
Same story she loaths driving the YTH ( like driving a bus is how she describes it ) and uses her z225 for mowing both yards ( 2 acre blocks )
People buy mowers because they look pretty on the shop floor then get them home and hate the mower & themselves for buying it.
The other big problem with all Husqvarnas is ther is almost no blade overlap so you will be forever buying new blades because it leaves rooster tails the second you get the slightest amount of blade wear .

Finally, AFAIK there are only 2 frame pressing used by Husqvarna a light one and the heavier & wider one used for the Garden tractors .
Both are prone to cracking if used on rough ground

 

[Beowulf]

Sorry to be a damp squib but that is my opinion as a tech who repairs these things.
Most people new to ZTR's hate them because they are new and take a bit of getting used to
Once they have developed the muscle memory and stop swinging the lap bars violetly from F to R & back again they love them
The only Husqvarna ride on I recommend are the articulated models but again they take a bit of getting used to because they rear steer so you driive them like a fork lift
But even then the USA versions have been trashed to make the ticket price lower.
We get both the US versions & the EU versions
Chalk & Cheese as the USa version has had the Ford make over ( massive overpowered engines ) .
And finally if it is sold at Lowes then it has been bult (badly ) down to a price point .
It is a problem finding a mower for women as most are designed for 6' tall men with a very fat gut so the steering wheels are too far away and too small for most women
I have a customer who bought a YTH22v42 then he got given the JD 125a that the previous house owner decided to leave behind
The YTH sits in the shed and is nly used ( with great reluctance ) when the JD is in my shop for servicing
The big thing you will notice is just how heavy the YTH steering is
you can't do a test drive at Lowes so you won't know how hard the steering is till you get it home
Even then the shop staff drastically over inflate te tyres so they are hard & the mower pushes easily on the hard floor
When the pressure is back down to 15 psi and you are on grass women need to be big Arnie's sister to drive them
Another customer has a z225 ( no longer made ) and her mother in law next door has a YTH
Same story she loaths driving the YTH ( like driving a bus is how she describes it ) and uses her z225 for mowing both yards ( 2 acre blocks )
People buy mowers because they look pretty on the shop floor then get them home and hate the mower & themselves for buying it.
The other big problem with all Husqvarnas is ther is almost no blade overlap so you will be forever buying new blades because it leaves rooster tails the second you get the slightest amount of blade wear .

Finally, AFAIK there are only 2 frame pressing used by Husqvarna a light one and the heavier & wider one used for the Garden tractors .
Both are prone to cracking if used on rough ground

Thanks for the details. The specs claim yth is fabricated which I thought would mean not stamped but haven't seen one in person.

She's going to the deere dealer to test drive the x380 and x390.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yes the deck is fabricated and weighs a ton and does a poor cut
All fabricated decks have the problem in that they have nowhere for the clippings to go from the left side unless they are rear discharge with counter rotating blades like Walkers do .
pressed deck the discharge passage gets bigger as you get closer to the dischage chute so the deck rarely gets overwhelmed by th volume of clippings .
Not a problem if you mow every week without fail
A pressed deck goes about 20 to 50 kg depending upons the width
A fabricated deck will go staart at around 60 kg and go up to 100 kg
Deck weights are never listed in the specs
A lot of my customers are elderly and I regularly get called out to clean under decks or on timecutters replacing the deck because the owners can not lift them.

 

[Dave in MD]

My wife is looking at these 2 models at Lowe's. Obviously, to TS is a better built unit but is it $2k better? Given past experience with big box mowers I'd expect 5 to 10 year life from the YTH. Is that realistic with either of these?

Better options in this price range? She wants new vs used for warranty. Plus I don't feel confident analyzing used.

I have a 5 yr old TS354XD and it has only needed very minor service, broken anti scalp axle, special bolt, and a bending front deck support bracket. Most parts are available through Amazon. During the warranty period only a popped fuse, due to a rubbed wire, seems no one deburs punched holes anymore. I am one that has changed the transmission oil, that is a good sized job, but at 50 hr and then every 200 hr after it is not that bad.