I am trying to decide between a Husqvarna YTA22V46 and a John Deere D110. What do you guys prefer? Other brand suggestions also welcomed.

I have my 110 and have had no beefs in 8 years

Bob

2004 Deere LX280, Kawasaki engine, just replaced original battery. Going on 14 trouble free years. Something about JD green...sweet color.

I own a mid line 2003 Deere LT-180 with a Kawasaki V-Twin, and it's been OK, but if I had to do it again, I think I would go Kubota. I lost a cylinder in the Kawasaki a year and a half ago despite diligent maintenance, so I'm looking at replacing the engine when it finally seizes, then praying the hydostatic transmission, normally the weak link, hangs in there.

I still don't know whether to be pissed it failed at 260 hours, or impressed it has been running on one cylinder for the last year and a half. Unfortunately, Deere owns the rights to all the engine specs regardless of who really manufacturers the engine, and critical aspects are proprietary, so replacing it with something else without modification and knowing it will work is hit and miss. Deere no longer offers a replacement engine for my 14 year old tractor, but when they did, the short block alone was almost as much as the tractor was new.

The plastic they call Xenoy used for the hood on my tractor was fragile to start with and became even more brittle with time. Cost about $540.00 to replace mine when the Xenoy hinge snapped and the entire hood shattered on the driveway like glass and that was buying the parts cheap on Ebay. The same parts were about $800 from the local stealership. I think they use a different plastic for the hoods on the D series.

Recently the gauge wheel for the deck snapped off all the way around the weld leaving a hole in the deck. It can probably be welded back on.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jigray3,

How big is your yard?

What kind of terrain? Bumpy, hilly, or relatively flat and smooth?

Are you dead set on a new tractor or are you handy enough (and able bodied enough) to work on something like an older Honda? You can pick up a well loved Honda for a few hundred and it'll damn near run forever, though it will be less HP and probably a smaller cut than what you are looking for. I picked up a used Honda hydrostatic 3 years ago and it's way better quality than anything offered today at a big box store.

JD 300X 42" for my rough & hilly 1.25 acres has been superb. 509 hours in 6 years, get it maintenanced about every other year.

That replaced a smaller unit that I got such a good offer to sell used it was worth upgrading.

That one itself replaced a prior even smaller unit we had actually done 'earth moving' far beyond loving caring owners but it performed well until we finally traumatized in after 10+ years of abuse.

Brother ran his 110 for over 25 years before retiring it.

I'm sticking with the Green & Yellow. They've treated my whole clan well.

The Big Box Store cheaper versions are not built to the same spec as the dealer models. That's why they cost less.

The JD D-series is their bargain basement stuff. You pay a LOT for green paint on what is basically an MTD unit.

I've only had one experience with a Husky and it wasn't pleasant. Same deal: MTD quality, Husky paint and price.

If you have a relatively small (under, say, half an acre) and flat lawn, save your shekels and just get the MTD to begin with. It has been my experience (fixing other folk's mowers) that the deck is the weak point on this class of machine. Rusting out, which can be delayed by proper maintenance and storage and non-greaseable, non-rebuildable spindles.

Or, move up to at least the LX series and have a mower that will last a lifetime. I'm running a 1995 LX178 and have yet to have an issue with it. Batteries, belts, blades and one carb cleaning. At this level, go with water cooled.

 
The older you get, the more you appreciate the hydraulics of a real compact tractor. Lifting, dragging, mowing (and in the case of our Northern neighbors, dealing with snow). I've used my front end loader to lift an FJ40 engine-tranny-transfercase-combo into the bed of my truck. I regularly unload freight shipments from a truck delivery with the FEL I regularly use the rear 3 point PTO to drive a wood chipper. You also get a mid-mount PTO to drive a mower. Dragging a "drag" around the yard is nothing. It is the muscle you need because you have lost some. My tractor is a 30hp Kubota.
 

As has been said, consider how LARGE an area you must mow before you settle on a particular mower. I mow about 3 1/2 - 4 acres each week & was using an old MTD to do that job (about 22 HP and 54" cut, don't remember for sure). Got to the point where I was spending a large amount of time each week fixing those problems that came out of nowhere, and I decided that I would really be better off spending the money for a "capable" mower (fill it with gas & use it).... so I got a JD X520 & have been satisfied ever since. I do spring maintenance at the beginning of each season, and then I simply fill it with gas & use it - as planned. This mower is touted to be an "all terrain" mower & it really IS that. Almost impossible to get it stuck.... In fact, I think I've NEVER had it stuck; but there's that locking differential just in case you get into a tight spot. I spent a lot of money buying this mower - A LOT.... but it has been reliable, dependable, and capable - so I'm not complaining. And I NEEDED a mower that was big enough & tough enough to do the job. Have been well satisfied. But, as I said, consider the SIZE of the place you want to mow before you drop a dollar on ANYTHING.

As usual, there are some very accurate comments here on your question. What your use is and how you maintain it are important information. The lower number John Deere's are pretty lightly constructed to try to be more competitive with other brands of cheaper machines. I have a 748 which is way over-kill for some jobs and too expensive for a lawn mower but does a nice job and I got a great deal on it or would not have bought it.

One thing you may want to take into consideration is how high the decks raise. They all lower enough to scalp the lawn but some won't effectively raise up more than 3.5" or so. I had a Cub Cadet like that and even raised to its highest the damn deck was crashed up against the bottom of the tractor every time I crossed a large bump, sidewalk, or tried to run it onto the patio.

Thanks for all of the advice. I don't have a large area to mow. About a 1/2 acre relatively flat. I think I have decided to go with the new Husqvarna model YTH18V46. It's a bit of an upgrade over the YTA and D series.

Had a JD 100 series from Home Depot, it made it about 8 years before the engine died, just quit while mowing, a bearing or rod gave out, always maintained, oil changed. As posted above the body was metal but the green paint was coming off in sheets, a known JD problem, obvious poor paint process, had an oil leak on the rocker cover that I had to fix.

Same issue cost of a new engine was more than the tractor was worth, sold it on craigslist for a couple of hundred bucks, the deck, body etc was fine just the paint was coming off so looked like shidt.

Bought a new JD from a dealer a 130 with bigger engine V twin, so we'll see how it plays out, Runs great, hydrostatic trans is very nice easier to mow and adjust speeds..

IF this one takes a dive I"m hiring a lawn service...

I had a Husqvarna rider, lower end model, that the hydrostatic transmission died after only 3 years. In all fairness, I was using it on some pretty steep hills, and the field I was mowing was pretty rough. But still, I'd think a ~$1500 mower would last more than 3 years.

Another timely thread, as we're getting closer to buying a new house. The new one is on just over an acre, mostly flat & relatively thin grass. A bit more than I'd want to mow with my Honda self-propelled.

Another very happy JD X300 42" owner here. A bit more $ than the D series but it was well worth the expenditure.

I had a Cub Cadet Tank for 2 years, cannot recommend them at all, very disappointed!!

I would look for a used Bolens if you are mechanically inclined. Here is one of the last Bolens for $800. It also has a 3-point hitch which is worth $400. I just sold the main parts of this hitch for $250.

This lawn tractor was a $5000 mower when new.

https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/6010298513.html

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