John Deere 4 wheel steering lawn tractors.

Do any forum members own one of the John Deere 4 wheel steering lawn tractors? I’m talking 4-wheel STEERING here, so models like the 304, 354, etc.

I have an opportunity to buy a low hours unit, but I’m concerned about how this added mechanical complexity impacts long-term reliability. Any owners out there who can give me feedback? Good mowers?

Many thanks.

Grouse

I have an X729 and several acquaintances have x739s. I have had no issues. It’s good for mowing but a snow blowing machine.

Are you asking about the model that just the wheels would turn but would not actually be powered? My dad had one of those. Forget what model it was. It was a 3 something series.

Im going on yr 4 I think…not heavy use , but so far been solid performer. Not quite the turning radius of a zero turn but close and in a tractor chassis.

Got the x739 this spring. So far works great for mowing. Was rough riding but reduced tire pressure and helped. Was thinking about getting the snow blower this fall.

I have an X495 which is the 4 wheel steer, but not 4 wheel drive. I have replaced the joints on the end of the steering arms with Heim ends that have grease zerks. Was it needed? No, not really, but I like the ability to grease them.

It has been pretty flawless and by sticking a pin/bolt in the rear end you can disable the 4 wheel steer if you want. I have done this a couple of different times for various reasons.

Overall, I really like the 4 wheel steer and the mower overall. Like someone else said, it is a snow blowing machine with a 47SB mounted on front.

I have a 6yr old x584 all steer zero issues

I had a X465AWS for a few years. I liked it and it never really required any additional maintenance and enjoyed the ability to go full circle around my trees wihtout having to make wider turns.

I upgraded to zero turn for speed purposes.

since you are getting int the X series, expect the build quality to be exceptional.

’04 x485 AWS with over 800 hours. I think I’ve replaced 2 tie rod ends and that’s it for the steering system. The AWS is the next best thing to zero turn if you’re looking to stay with a tractor. Don’t know about the newer versions and how they’re holding up.

I upgraded to zero turn for speed purposes.

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Not to derail the thread but can someone explain to me why you can go faster with a zero turn?
I understand the turning radius and quick turn around capabilities, but why can you go faster in a straight line and still have quality of cut versus a tractor style.
No one has been able to explain it to me yet including mower salesmen.

I run an X540 and would not hesitate on the 500 or 700 series 4 wheel steer tractors from what I have read.

As for the Zero Turns vs Lawn Tractor mowing speed and quality of cut, any machine the faster you go the worse the cut will be. To have a real comparison you have to compare apples to apples. My in law runs the largest Kubota diesel zero turn made and also has the largest commercial JD diesel zero turn made as his second mower. Yes, his cut is likely better at speed. His rigs weigh 450# more than mine though (and cost twice as much). A lot of people see high end zero turns and think the cut is way better, but what they’re comparing it to isn’t anything similar in cost or weight on the lawn tractor side.

MX1825 wrote:

I upgraded to zero turn for speed purposes.

Not to derail the thread but can someone explain to me why you can go faster with a zero turn?
I understand the turning radius and quick turn around capabilities, but why can you go faster in a straight line and still have quality of cut versus a tractor style.
No one has been able to explain it to me yet including mower salesmen.
[/quote]

tip speed. most zero turns run the blades faster because its a single purpose drive. even your X series JD’s run the mowers of a mid-PTO which slows things down. most zero turns unless they are like from lowes are considered commercial and osha allows them to run faster tip speeds.

The only issue with zero turns is they can be rough on your yard. if you have a lot of stuff in the way, you’ll tear up the yard. if you mow like a ditch or around trees on a slope you’ll tear it up.

I switched from a all wheel steer to a X540 to a eXmark zero turn. I don’t care about my hard from a how good does it look standpoint as long as it is cut, so the zero turn is nice from a speed and efficiency standpoint, but you can tell I have one. When i begin to care about my yard and have time to, i’ll probably go back to all wheel steer.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I’m sticking with tractors for utility, I like the ability to tow carts and sprayers.

The main thing I was wondering is does the additional mechanical complexity of the AWS affect reliability. Seems like the answer is no. Which is what I’d expect of Deere.

Gotta see what kind of a deal I can get.