Replacement ride on Diesel lawnmower

[Bill Turtle]

We have a 15 year old John Deere GX355
Diesel ride on mower, which we are thinking of replacing. I wondered what opinions people have of the replacement JD
X950r or a Kubota G23/26. Any other makes I should look at.
My elderly mother uses it a lot, so must have power steering/ powered deck lift, etc.

 

[mogman]

We have a 15 year old John Deere GX355
Diesel ride on mower, which we are thinking of replacing. I wondered what opinions people have of the replacement JD
X950r or a Kubota G23/26. Any other makes I should look at.
My elderly mother uses it a lot, so must have power steering/ powered deck lift, etc.

@Bill Turtle i May have just the thing a john Deere 455, 48” cut, power steering, power lift on the deck 1021 hours

 

[Bill Turtle]

Hi Mogman, I think she has her heart set on a new one. She doesn’t intend to depart this life leaving too large a bequest to the Right Honourable Philip Hammond.

 

[Flat 10]

@Dave W

 

[An Gof]

We have a 15 year old John Deere GX355
Diesel ride on mower, which we are thinking of replacing. I wondered what opinions people have of the replacement JD
X950r or a Kubota G23/26. Any other makes I should look at.
My elderly mother uses it a lot, so must have power steering/ powered deck lift, etc.

Run a Kubota zero turn here. Kubota Small diesels are bullet proof and quality and reliability excellent. Might not have the cachet of a JD with general public but those who know understand what a gem the Kubota machines are. Take mum along for a look, they have an excellent range of machines.

 

[mogman]

Hi Mogman, I think she has her heart set on a new one. She doesn’t intend to depart this life leaving too large a bequest to the Right Honourable Philip Hammond.

Ha ha don’t blame her for that spend it on yourself is my Moto too

 

[Dave W]

@Bill Turtle i May have just the thing a john Deere 455, 48” cut, power steering, power lift on the deck 1021 hours
View attachment 667462

How many pennies?

 

[Dave W]

We have a 15 year old John Deere GX355
Diesel ride on mower, which we are thinking of replacing. I wondered what opinions people have of the replacement JD
X950r or a Kubota G23/26. Any other makes I should look at.
My elderly mother uses it a lot, so must have power steering/ powered deck lift, etc.

You won’t go wrong with either of those. Most diesel ride ons are pretty impressive

 

[tomlad]

+1 for kubota
Mines heavier than the countax it replaced
Different machines
Blah blah
Had kubota from new i think it ull be replaced by a kubota
If id been able to mess with a deck off the machine id of bought it sooner
Well made

 

[fergie35]

Iseki?

 

[chickens and wheat]

I have a stiga titan replacing a JD 455.
Stiga has 30% more hp for same sized deck cuts much faster and mulches very well. Very expensive new mind but mine had 1000hours on the clock when I got it.

Sold the 20 year old JD on ebay and recieved nearly half of what the stiga cost me.

Articulated steering stiga takes a bit of learning but goes well

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Well I’ll give 12 out of 10 to my 36hp F-series Kubota (out front commercial, built in Japan) which I bought new several years. It’s nigh on unstoppable and built like a brick outhouse.

But I’ll be honest I’m less than impressed with my GR2120-II which I bought to pick up the grass around the house. The best part is the 3-cylinder diesel. The rest ain’t so crash hot. Built in the states. Plastique fantastic.

 

[Mursal]

White knuckle zero swing from Kubota or John Deere.
Better hire before you buy, just in case it doesn't tick all the boxes.
She'll be the envy of all her mates in the WI
.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

White knuckle zero swing from Kubota or John Deere.
Better hire before you buy, just in case it doesn't tick all the boxes.
She'll be the envy of all her mates in the WI
.

Sticks or steering wheel though, the lady might like it or loathe it. As you say try one beforehand.

 

[40 series]

Well I’ll give 12 out of 10 to my 36hp F-series Kubota (out front commercial, built in Japan) which I bought new several years. It’s nigh on unstoppable and built like a brick outhouse.
I'd agree Kubota 3680 and the newer one are great.
The new smaller Kubota mowers aren't
As well put together as they used to be.
But I’ll be honest I’m less than impressed with my GR2120-II which I bought to pick up the grass around the house. The best part is the 3-cylinder diesel. The rest ain’t so crash hot. Built in the states. Plastique fantastic.

 

[MF-ANDY]

Well I’ll give 12 out of 10 to my 36hp F-series Kubota (out front commercial, built in Japan) which I bought new several years. It’s nigh on unstoppable and built like a brick outhouse.

But I’ll be honest I’m less than impressed with my GR2120-II which I bought to pick up the grass around the house. The best part is the 3-cylinder diesel. The rest ain’t so crash hot. Built in the states. Plastique fantastic.

Can't really compare those two machines. The former is a commercial machine but i would class the latter as domestic

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I'd agree Kubota 3680 and the newer one are great.
The new smaller Kubota mowers aren't
As well put together as they used to be.

Yes I have an F3680, as said great machine. Some nice updates they introduced with the ‘90 series like the digital dash, but others like the DPF on the engine I’m glad I avoided. They’ve kept the same V1505 4-cylinder engine on the top hp machines.

They’ve cheapened the ‘residential’ series diesel machines too far imho. Engines are fine, but the hydro is weak and is waaay too slow in reverse, the deck although shaft drive isn’t brill, it’s crappy pressed steel and throws belts for fun in heavy grass. The bonnet is one piece of flimsy plastic. The grass pickup is ‘variable’. I could go on. I wouldn’t buy one again.

Can't really compare those two machines. The former is a commercial machine but i would class the latter as domestic

No they’re completely different animals, but as an owner the GR series is seriously disappointing compared to something like the original G series machines of the late 80s and early nineties. The build quality is just not there which for a machine costing the better part of £8K before the dreaded is added is a shame.

 

[Mursal]

They all build to a price point now especially at the bottom end of the range, which is a shame.

 

[Barleycorn]

I

I have a stiga titan replacing a JD 455.
Stiga has 30% more hp for same sized deck cuts much faster and mulches very well. Very expensive new mind but mine had 1000hours on the clock when I got it.

Sold the 20 year old JD on ebay and recieved nearly half of what the stiga cost me.

Articulated steering stiga takes a bit of learning but goes well

I have a more domestic Stiga and the articulation makes it very easy to go round fences etc without flattening them.
Also have a 1990 3 cylinder Kubota out front which gets very little love but is absolutely bombproof ( and is one of the reasons that we have gone for big Kubotas)

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

They all build to a price point now especially at the bottom end of the range, which is a shame.

They do build to A price point you’re correct. Thing is the GR series, especially the 21hp jobbie that I’ve got was/is sold as their premium domestic machine and priced as such. They have much cheaper petrol and diesel twin cylinder domestic machines, about half the cost.

The step up and equivalent HP “commercial” G21 mid-mount with low dump height collector was only about £500, so my argument is OK the GR2120 is technically not commercial, but the price is not far off it, and it’s certainly not a bottom range domestic machine.