Lawn mower track conversion. Do you really need a zero-turn mower? 17 reasons…

Do you really need a zero-turn mower? 17 reasons why you may not want one.

Update 2021: Almost three million people have read this article over the last 8 years. There have been some significant changes made to homeowner zero-turns in the last three years so it’s time to update this article!

In this article on zero-turn mowers I am going to:

• Help you determine if a Zero-Turn is what you need.
• Help you determine if a residential zero-turn is what you need.
• Help you determine if a landowner zero-turn is what you need.
• Tell you the real truth about saving time with a zero-turn.

I like zero-turns! I have owned many over years from a 30 inch Dixon to a 45,000 Kut-Kwick Super Slope Master. They are fun and enjoyable to use.

But they are not for every yard. Please read this entire article to see if a zero-turn mower is for you!

When you decide that a zero-turn mower is the best choice for you check out this article: The Best Residential Zero Turn Mowers 2021

Is a Zero-Turn what you need?

Everyone has been trying to tell you that a zero-turn mower is what you need to mow your lawn. The advertising tells you that you can mow your lawn in half the time. The dealers tell you they have the best zero-turn mower. But zero-turns or a brand from your local dealer may not be the best answer you. Why? Because you have to learn how to drive one so you can mow your lawn without tearing it up. Many versions especially the inexpensive, homeowner models do not work on slopes, ditches or hills. They are designed to mow healthy, flat lawns and little else. If you work them too hard the drive systems may fail prematurely. They are more expensive than lawn tractors to buy and they can be more expensive to repair. A 42-inch residential zero-turn that uses the same deck as your 1800 lawn tractor is 2800 or more. A good estate (landowner) zero-turn that will actually cut your mowing time in half is anywhere from 3200 to 7,000. So, let’s go through the facts and fiction about zero-turns.

Zero turns are made for one purpose only, mowing grass. They mow quickly and will save you time trimming around obstacles. A 42-inch residential zero-turn is NOT designed to pull things. Yes, some have a hitch and you can pull a small yard cart or spreader but you will destroy the transmissions in them if you try to pull loads of dirt, firewood, or a leaf vacuum regularly. (There are models with heavier transmissions that cost 4000 and up) Most are not balanced properly to use baggers on slopes and require expensive counterweights in the front.

Am I an Expert at Zero-Turns?

Yes and No. I was one of the first commercial lawn care businesses in the Chicago area to start using zero-turns back in the early ’90s. By 1996 I was using crews of 2 people with zero-turns to do more work than my competitors were doing with crews of 7 using conventional Toro Groundsmasters and commercial walk-behind mowers. I have owned zero-turns as small as a Dixon 30 inch and as large as the 45,000 (Kut-Kwik SuperSlopemaster.)

HENSUTRACKS for garden tractors, zero-turn mowers

I have hundreds of hours actually driving zero-turn mowers. I am particularly fond of stand-on models. Many of the problems with zero-turns that I will caution you about I have experienced myself. I have had them slide down slopes and into ponds. I have knocked the decks completely off from hitting obstacles too hard. I have owned a few that I would NEVER recommend to anyone and a few that are the best mowers on the market. Currently: I sold the lawn care business a while back and moved to Iowa but I still use zero-turns on my own yard. Here is a collage of mowers I have owned over the years: Mowers I have Owned

I am not an engineer, but I can talk about the physics and practical reasons why zero-turns act the way they do. I’ve known many of the original engineers over the years (for example, Dane Scag and Gary Kunz) and we have spent many hours discussing the fine points of mowers. For example, a 2-inch shift in where the engine is located on a residential zero-turn means a 50% difference in traction, steering and digging up your yard. I can explain why the original Dixon ZTR was one of the best residential zero-turns and why it’s no longer made.

The real truth about saving time with a zero-turn.

The general advertising states you can cut your mowing time in half using a zero-turn mower instead of a traditional riding lawn tractor. That is partially true.

– The maneuverability of zero-turn mowers allows you to easily mow around trees, flower beds, and other obstacles in your yard more easily than a riding lawn tractor. Not having to back up and go forward or making multiple circles around a bush does save time. Compared to a conventional lawn tractor like a Craftsman or John Deere, this can save you a lot of time.

-There are two styles of residential zero-turn mowers, mid-mount, and front mount. With mid-mount zero-turn mowers, the deck sits under the mower, like a lawn tractor. They are the most common but they do not eliminate trimming completely. In fact, they leave just as much grass to trim as your conventional lawn tractor. Front Mount zero turn mowers, where the deck sticks out the front of the unit do trim better than your old lawn tractor. They will get under fences, under bushes, and around poles easier and faster than mid-mount ZTR’s.

-Residential zero-turn mowers under 3000 typically use the same decks as lawn tractors. What that means is they don’t mow any faster in a straight line as a good yard tractor. The time savings comes from their ability to turn around faster and make tighter turns when trimming. Most residential zero-turn mowers over 3400 have fabricated decks and are designed to cut grass faster than traditional lawn tractors. With a fabricated deck zero-turn, your straight-line mowing speed is improved. When you move up to these higher-priced units you will see significant time savings. For example, a typical lawn tractor cuts at a speed of 3-4 mph. A residential zero-turn will cut about 3-5. If you spend the extra money to buy a landowner grade though you can increase your mowing speed to 6-8 mph.

– So where does the advertised time savings really happen? Once you learn how to turn your new zero-turn without making holes in your lawn you can “zero-turn” on the ends of your long open areas. When you get to the end of your yard and turn around to make the next pass, you can literally spin 180 degrees and come right back without having to back up and cut the strips of grass you would miss when making the turn with a lawn tractor. No more three-point turns.

When you are just mowing large areas back and forth even the residential zero-turns save time on the ends this way. There are also advanced techniques like the “reverse-zero turn-forward” maneuver that will cut seconds out of each turn-around. Over a full day of mowing, those seconds can really add up.

In summary, Inexpensive residential mid-mount zero-turns do not cut better or trim closer than lawn tractors. But once you move up to the fabricated deck models your speed and efficiency increase and you can see significant time savings. With heavy-duty transmissions, tall rear tires, and 48-54 inch fabricated decks designed to mow at 6-8 mph you can easily reduce your mowing time by half or more!

Time Savings – Residential Example:

I’ll use my lawn as an example. I have a one-acre flat lawn with over 40 trees, and other landscape features to mow around:

• Using a 22-inch walk-behind it takes me about 3 1/2 hours to mow and trim.
• With a conventional 42-inch lawn tractor I can cut that down to 1 1/2 hours. About 20 minutes of that is trimming.
• With a 42 inch mid-mount residential zero-turn I can mow my yard in less than 1 hour. About 15 minutes of that is trimming!
• With a 42 inch Walker Front Deck Rider I can mow the lawn in about 45 minutes. About 5 minutes for trimming.

Time Savings – Commercial Example:

Cemeteries have a lot of trimming. A typical job that requires 40 man-hours using conventional lawn tractors can be reduced to 25 man-hours with commercial mid-mount ZTR’s and even more with a front deck zero-turn. The main time savings is mowing speed and maneuverability. Trimming takes about the same amount of time. By switching to front-mount ZTR’s that original 40-hour job can be reduced to 15 hours. Both mowing time and trimming time is reduced.

Limitations for all small residential zero-turns.

Small zero-turns can be fun and can save you time mowing your yard but they may not be the best choice for you. For example, an entry-level Craftsman Zero Turn is a good dependable zero-turn mower but half the reviews I read are negative? Why? Because the owner did not understand the limitations of a residential zero-turn, not because the machine is bad. If those reviewers had purchased any other brand they would say the same things about them.

Mother Earth News is another good example. They compared a 2400 Craftsman against zero-turn mowers costing 6000 to 17,000 and then rated it poorly without explaining the differences.

Consumer Reports also wants you to be very clear about the limitations of small zero-turns and specifically cautions about using a zero-turn on slopes.

The Limitations:

If you have never owned a zero-turn there is a learning curve. They are easy to use and will save you time, but it will take you a couple of mowings to get the most out of your mower. Be very careful when you first start so you don’t slam the deck into trees, foundations, rock walls, etc. Practice going around objects closely with something that will not damage the mower before you go out and mow your yard. Take the plastic garbage can, a 5-gallon bucket, or a bale of hay and practice trimming around them at first. If you think you are getting good, lay a bag of dog food, a sack of flour, or sugar on the ground and see if you can mow around it without ripping it open. Learn to keep the zero-turns rear wheels moving when practicing these maneuvers. Letting the inside wheel stop when turning will tear up your lawn.

After you master the art of driving one there are advanced driving techniques like the reverse zero-turn that will decrease your mowing time even more. These techniques are easy to learn.

The Cub Cadet Four-Wheel Steer Zero-Turn Riders use a steering wheel instead of lap-bars to steer the mower. These mowers are similar to residential zero-turns but use a steering wheel and steerable front wheels instead of lap-bars. They have been around long enough now that I can give them a resounding thumb’s up if you want a zero-turn but are afraid you won’t like the lap-bar steering.

Small residential zero-turns are built with the same parts and engineering design (durability) as your lawn tractor. They will last you years if taken care of but they will only take as much abuse as your old lawn tractor. What that means is while you are learning to drive one it is very easy to damage a small zero-turn. They are designed to go quickly and easily around things but they are not designed to bang into trees, foundations, birdbaths, curbs, rocks, tree roots, etc. Fabricated deck zero-turns are tougher, but not bulletproof. Commercial zero-turns, on the other hand, are designed for multiple operators and can take a lot more abuse. All commercial decks have rub bars on the edges, heavy, heavy lift linkages, and heavy-duty frames. Commercial mowers can take a hit against a foundation but your new residential zero-turn may not.

Small zero-turns ride rough. On your typical mole-infested lawn most women have to wear a sports bra to be comfortable driving one. You need a zero-turn that weighs over 700 lbs before they start to smooth out. Even then, many of the higher weight, higher cost zero-turns also mow faster so the ride gets rougher again. and more brands are now offering thick suspension seats and suspension platforms that smooth out the ride. The Toro MyRide is one of the best.

Note: It’s actually pretty common for people’s hands to go numb on a ZTR. You are not used to holding your arms out and having the weight of your arms resting on your fingers. That’s why many come standard with armrests. Try wearing wrist braces and do some strength exercises for your wrists and fingers. You can buy medical wrist braces at your pharmacy or sports braces at the sporting goods store. They both will work for you. Squeeze a tennis ball for a few weeks can help too.

Small zero-turns that are weighted so they won’t pop wheelies going uphill, but will easily get stuck in sand, mud puddles, and loose soil. If there is no turf, the front casters of a small zero-turn will plow into the soil and get stuck. Mid-priced zero-turns use larger front and rear tires that eliminate the problem.

If you can lift the front end of your zero-turn by yourself don’t try mowing up a hill with it. There is a fine line between designing a small zero-turn that will turn in loose sand and one that won’t tip over backward going up a hill. Brands of small zero-turns that will turn well in loose soil usually won’t go up a hill without the front wheels coming off the ground.

Zero-turn mowers in general don’t turn well going downhill and small zero-turns will not turn going downhill. With wet turf, drought-dry turf, and even good turf, the rear wheels can’t always get enough traction to turn the unit when it’s pointed downhill. Slow down before you go down the hill or mow the hill diagonally going down. When mowing with a small zero-turn across a slope they have a tendency to slide down the slope. This can be very embarrassing and very deadly when you slide into the pond or you slide off the lawn and over a landscape wall. NEVER, I repeat never mow a slope with a pond or drop-off at the bottom of the slope. Aways stay two-three mower widths away from the pod or drop-off. Even the most expensive ZTR’s can lose traction and slide down the slope. Plan on using a walk-behind mower or creating a nature area for those types of slopes.

Steering wheel ZTR’s are better for slopes. They will turn as well or better than your lawn tractor. They also handle slopes better than lawn tractors because both rear wheels are driven all the time.

Small zero-turns may tip over backward going uphill. They are much worse with a bagger attached. A good rule of thumb is to try backing up the hill with your zero-turn. If the rear wheels lose traction and start to spin the slope is too steep to mow up. If you have a walkout basement mow the slope diagonally – going downhill! Yes, it takes more time, but it is safer.

Small zero-turns are delivered with too much air in the tires. Read the manual and adjust the air pressure to 12-14 lbs.

Small zero-turns push hard when the engine is not running. The two transmission release levers may be in front of the transmission instead of on the rear frame like your yard tractor. There are two release levers. Even with the transmissions released they can still be hard to move. If you have to move one without the engine running I find that tying a piece of rope to the front of the zero-turn and pulling it is easier than trying to push it around.

Small zero-turns will tear up your lawn. The least expensive ones have rounded tries and tend to dig into your turf easily. Wider, flat tires work the best.

Small zero-turns do not have good traction. The turning traction is all on the rear wheels. They can be hard to turn on dry grass or wet grass.

Many retailers and most dealers have a 30-day return policy. You have a very short window to decide if you bought the right mower.

Many cheap zero-turn mowers do not mow in reverse. They will zero-turn (pull one lever back to rotate one tire in reverse while the other tire goes forward) but the deck shuts off when you pull both levers back. I don’t recommend disabling this feature.

Small zero-turn mowers will tear up and scratch anything behind them. I have a hitch on my Dixon ZTR and my wife has had it stuck in the chain-link fence around the dog yard dozens of times. Look for a zero-turn with a rounded rear frame. Also don’t buy a small zero-turn where the engine sticks out farther than the rear frame. If you get too close and hit something with the rear you can easily damage your engine.

Residential zero-turn mowers should not be used to pull anything over 200 lbs. Most zero turn mowers under 3000 use Hydro-Gear EZT transmissions are not designed to pull a yard cart full of dirt, a sweeper full of green grass, or especially a leaf vac. That is why most of the cheaper models do not come with a rear hitch. The transmissions are designed to give you years of use mowing your yard but they will burn out quickly if you try to pull loads like a yard cart filled with dirt or a leaf vac. If a dealer tries to tell you his zero-turn can pull a leaf vac and the mower is priced under 3000 ask him to include a lifetime warranty on the transmissions. If you would like a more detailed explanation just ask in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below.

Be very careful if the zero-turn only has great reviews. There should be reviews where people bought the wrong machine and didn’t like it or didn’t understand how to use it. Note: If the unit only has great reviews I would suspect there are paid reviewers writing the reviews.

Zero-turns are finish cut mowers, not field/pasture mowers. Even the 5000 to 14,000 commercial models are designed to mow your lawns beautifully but there are very few that work well on grass/weeds over 6 inches. The long grass can wrap around the components underneath (spindles) and ruin the bearing or cause enough drag to burn out the deck belts. They don’t like stumps, rocks, dirt mounds, or ant hills any better than your lawn tractor. If you want to mow the pasture when the grass is over 6 inches you will have to mow the same area at least twice.

Note. Pastures, fields, paddocks, and timber with grass and brush taller than 12 inches require a rotary cutter (bush hog) or rough cut mower. Yes, I know many of the mid-priced ZTR’s appear heavy duty enough but please don’t blame the mower or the brand when your mower requires 500 worth of repairs because you needed to mow your horse pasture. I will always suggest a rough cut mower like the Acrease rough cut or a tractor-mounted “Bush Hog” brush mower to mow pastures and fields.

This bears repeating: NEVER, I repeat never mow a slope with a pond or drop-off at the bottom of the slope. Even the most expensive ZTR’s can lose traction and slide down the slope. Plan on a walk-behind mower or nature area for those types of slopes.

How do you actually drive a zero-turn?

If you have never driven a zero-turn before they do take some practice. If you don’t learn to drive it properly you will tear large divots out of your lawn. Why? Zero-turn mowers do not have a differential and it is up to you to keep the wheels moving when making a turn. If you allow one wheel to stop during the turn it skids and digs a hole in your lawn. This divoting is made worse on the cheaper residential zero-turns that have cheap rounded tires installed. Lawn tractors have a differential that allows one rear wheel to travel at a different speed on a turn. In other words, it allows the inside wheel on a turn to slow down but continues to roll so it does not tear up your lawn. Depending on you and the zero-turn you are using it can take 5 minutes to 5 hours to become proficient.

Here is a video of how a differential works: https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=F40ZBDAG8-o

How exactly does a zero-turn mower save you time compared to a lawn tractor?

Still undecided? Here is another article to help you: The Best Zero Turn Mower Buyer’s Guide – The best ZTR for you is not that hard to figure out.

Is this enough information? When you decide that a zero-turn mower is the best choice for you check out this article: The Best Residential Zero Turn Mowers 2021

Feel free to ask questions or leave Комментарии и мнения владельцев below.

Introduction: How to Make a Racing Lawn Mower (Updated!)

Notice: I’ve recently completely turned this mower into a new build. If you’ve read this before, proceed to step 12 for the latest updates. Otherwise, start reading below for the original build.Thanks to everyone who has commented before. As always, feel free to ask questions and I’ll do my best to answer.Click Here to proceed to step 12.

In this demo, you’ll get some ideas of how you can make a real racing riding mower used in national events. Have fun turning what used to be the family lawn mower into a fire-breathing high speed racing machine. Also- I’m constantly making changes and modifications to the final machine so check back to see what I’ve done. The next plans I have include steering upgrades.

Please read the following paragraph before proceeding.

Before we start, there’s a bit of safety to discuss.Yes, racing lawn mowers from an outward perspective is sort of funny ( which it is!)But its important to realize that racing mowers such as these are heavily modified to handle much greater speeds than the original mower was designed for. Many of these mowers go 50MPH or more.Making a race mower isn’t as simple as taking a stock tractor and making it go fast without any alterations. So its important that the frame, brakes, steering, engine, and wheels are modified or altered to handle this additional speed.So to make this point doubly clear, it is NOT a good idea to take a bone stock mower and make it go fast. You can, and will get hurt if you do so, and trust me- I’ve seen enough people wreck due to this very reason. So play it safe. Secondly, if you do plan on racing, make sure and check out the rules for your chapter and wear appropriate safety gear such as a helmet ( motorbike), gloves, boots, and long pants.My mower is built using ARMA ( American Racing Mower Association) rules and regulations. Lastly, your mower must have an approved jet ski/snowmobile style safety tether switch. If you fall off ( which we often do) the mower must automatically shut down or it’ll keep right on going! Racing mowers might seem silly, which it sort of is, but you can get hurt if you’re not careful. So be safe!

Ready, let’s get started! The ‘victim’ I chose for this build is a late 60’s Grants mower. Tiny little mowers like these were produced back when riding mowers were still deemed a luxury. They’re little more than a seat sitting on top of a mower deck. Most used smaller engines. The advantage of using such a little mower is that you can reduce the weight dramatically by simply having a ‘legit’ riding mower complimented with a larger engine, hence a higher power/weight ratio. Don’t get attached to it. When its done, there won’t be much left of the original.

The first step is to strip the mower down to the frame. Modern mowers usually have a single stamped piece of steel. Older mowers like this one have frames made of square tubing or slabs of steel. This will give you an idea of how much of the mower is actually usable and how you can lay out the drive, steering, and brake components. Besides the hood, what’s leftover to use isn’t much. The rest are worthless such as the stock wheels, steering wheel, and transmission.

Step 1: Configuring the Build.

The next step is probably one of the more difficult parts of the build: configuration and finding parts. Building one of these is sort of like building a small car with all its various systems. Since all of these racing mowers are one-off type builds, finding the parts that will work can be a pain. I’ve had a lot of questions about where the tires, clutch, and right angle gear box ( transmission) comes from. the gear box can be found on ebay. The tires are go cart tires and can be found online on any site that sells go cart parts. The same is true for the brakes and rear axle components. The front axle is a custom unit built by a company called Acme Mowersports.

A list of parts needed for this build are:

A: Engine B: Transmission ( right angle gearbox) C: Centrifugal clutch D: sprockets E: Front axle and spindles F: Rear axle and axle hangers G: steering wheel H: Brake system I: chain J: electrical components K: Wheels, tires, and hubs M: Gas lever N: high endurance engine components

Many of the others need to be made by hand. One thing that’s helpful is that many of these components such as the rear axle and hangers,wheels, hubs, spindles, and brakes are basically go-cart components. Some golf cart and motorbike components work as well. Sprockets and such can be had from sites such as Mcmaster.carr.

Once you get all the parts, the build actually goes pretty quickly.

Step 2: Frame Reinforcement

The next step is to beef up the frame or make alterations that will work with your components.Its important to realize that these mowers will be racing on what tends to be really rough dirt track. They have no suspension, thus the frame takes a severe beating. Reinforcement is critical to avoid having the frame flex and ultimately crack from fatigue. The rear of the frame was cut about 6 from the rear. Throughout the build, I used 1×1 square tubing which is easy to weld and work with. This is what I used to create the square frames in which the mounting brackets were welded into to hold the rear axle bearings. I chose to use a 1/1/4 rear axle because that size is highly common and thus easier to get parts like wheels and sprockets for.

These square frames were welded into the frame, then the end I cut off was welded to the back. The minimum height requirements for my class is 4 from the frame to the ground. So its important to know what size wheels you plan to use and where to mount the axles in order to meet that requirement. The lower you can go, the better handling the mower will be. Mine site just at 4 off the ground.

Next, I welded two lengths of square tubing along the top of the axle brackets to the front tubular frame. I did this because the transmission will go underneath. A piece of diamond plate will cover it, and above will be the seat. This will give me easy access to servicing the chain and transmission and also protect me from flying debris or potential chain failures.

I am using a right angle gearbox for this build. Why? Because the other choice is to use a 3-5 speed gearbox used as standard equipment on mowers. These work fine, but it also means you’ll have to change the grease in them and perhaps invest in hardened gears since the originals will strip out much easier. With a right angle gear box, or RAGB, there’s only two moving parts. Plus, they are made for higher speed applications and therefor perfectly suited for this application. simplicity means more reliability.

Additionally, I am using a centrifugal clutch. This is a higher quality, higher HP rated unit that is heavier duty than typical go-cart clutches. The springs can be adjusted for higher or lower engagement.

Step 3: Steering System

The next step is one of the most important of the build. Many people go out on the track with the stock steering setup. That’s a big mistake for a number of reasons. For one, the stock components aren’t made for going 50MPH, as is none of the other stock components. Secondly, there’s more to steering besides making the wheels turn. You also need to have the proper caster, pitch, and turning radius so that the chassis will handle corners better.

Most mowers come with a gear driven steering setup. These are worthless and tend to pop out of place. So you’ll need to make a direct steering system. In other words, a solid connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.

For this build, I bought a pre-built front axle from a guy in Texas. He has a small business called Acme mowersports and can be found at www.acmemowersports.com. His front axles are a good deal because even if you were to build your own, the cost would be only slightly less. With the Acme axle, the proper caster and degree of inclination are already built-in, which will save you lots of time. These come with the radius arms as well as connections for the steering axle, which on mine runs down the center of the front of the mower over the top of the engine.

Next up is the installation of the steering shaft running along the front of the frame. This mower has an unusual setup where the steering linkage runs over the top of the engine. An a arm runs from the steering wheel pitman arm to a shaft running down the front of the frame to the radius arms of the front axle spindles. First, I got some 1/1/4 steel pipe and cut some lengths about 2 long. On each end, I placed a bearing in which the steering shaft fits through.

The top of the front steering shaft has a removable lever to attach the piece of linkage coming from the steering wheel. This enables you to remove it if needed. If you look at the pic entitled pitman arm detail, this is the steering wheel shaft with the pitman arm welded on. As you can see, the arm on the end is rounded and has three holes. There’s a reason for this, which is to prevent the heim joints, which are the screw-on ball bearing pieces on the ends of the rods from binding. The reason for the three holes is to give you adjustments to the steering sensitivity. Further out gives you more slack. Further in tighter. It is also important that the arm running across the top of the engine area has threads on either end. This way the heim joints can be screwed in or out to adjust the amount of right and left turn in the wheels.

In The pic entitled: Steering arm, you can see how this system works together. Lastly, the turn right pic shows the underside linkage and radius arms. If you see the t shaped piece, that’s where the radius arms connect. The T is welded to the bottom of the front steering shaft.

Another step is to determine the angle of the wheels. Generally, it is better to have the left wheel turn in more than the right. I usually have the left wheel turn in @ 10:00 and the right at 2:00.

Lastly, you will need to install what are known as stops, which are basically welded on rods or bolts to prevent the wheels from turning too far. If they turn too far, the steering wheel will turn completely over, thus reversing your steering! Not good! For this build. all I did was weld two 5/16 pieces of steel rod to the front of the axle, right where the spindles swing in and out. The spindle arms simply hit the stops. I held the wheels in place at the correct position and placed the stops at exactly where the spindle arms hit, then welded them into place.

Once you have the steering done, then you’ve just completed one of the hardest steps!

Step 4: Installing the Transmission Or- the RAGB

The next step is to install the RAGB ( transmission). This was a tedious task because the RAGB I chose has an unusual triangular shape and a strange bracket. Additionally, the RAGB shaft has to be far enough off the ground, yet not too far up as to protrude above the diamond plate covering it. When all the measurements were done. I had 1/4 between the top of the RAGB and the cover. The RAGB sits on two cross members welded in the frame. If you look at the pic called: Battery bracket, you can see how it is configured. In the next pic you can see the RAGB bolted into place.

Before we get any further, you’ll need to determine what your gearing ratio will be. The RAGB is a 2:1 ratio, meaning that two turns go in, one comes out of the output shaft. I suck at math, but my gear setup is as follows: Centrifugal clutch is 14 tooth. Input on RAGB is a 14 tooth. Output on the RAGB is 12 tooth, and the rear axle sprocket is a 40 tooth. That worked out well, but I have no clue what the final ratio is. The engine speed is around 4,500-5,000 RPM.

I’m using an all chain drive system. Many use belts, but I like the idea of using a chain. I used #35 chain for this build, but many use #40.

The next step is to install chain tensioners. The chain needs to be somewhat taut, but not tight. All chains will loosen and ‘stretch’ with use. So you need to have tensioners to keep that tension at the right level. The RAGB to rear axle tensioner was a problem because there was very little space to install one. My solution was to install a skateboard wheel that slides up and down in a 1×1 piece of steel with a slot milled along it’s length. This enables you to slide the skateboard wheel up and down against the chain. You wouldn’t think skateboard wheels would hold up, but they work great. Seeing as how they are designed to handle a person riding on asphalt, chain doesn’t cause any damage to them at all. In this setup, I just have enough room to get into the area with a wrench to loosen/tighten the tensioner.

Step 5: The Brake System

Next up is brakes. There are several types of brakes you can use: mechanical or hydraulic. The later is generally better and easier to install because you can route the brake lines to wherever you want them. The brake system I have is an MCP go cart brake kit. They run around 150 including the master cylinder, rotor, rotor hub, caliper, and brake line. You can also use motorbike brakes if you have any laying around.

First, I drilled two holes through the frame where the bolts holding the caliper would go through. Many people create a caliper mounting bracket. Mine just happened to conveniently work without it. After that, I bolted on the caliper and made sure it aligned properly with the rotor. The rotor and other components on the axle are adjustable and slide back and forth on a keyway milled into the axle shaft. Once adjusted, you lock them down with set screws.

Next, I installed the master cylinder. This is bolted through the frame. The aluminum piece with the three holes is the connection for the brake pedal connecting rod, which is made out of 1/4 steel rod bent @ 90 degrees. The other end of the rod connects to the pedal. I welded a nut to the end of the rod and drilled out the threads. Make sure you do a real hot, molten weld here because you don’t want that to fail. The pedal is made out of scrap steel and a short length of 1×1 square tubing with a hole drilled through the bottom in which to run a bolt through the frame. A nylock nut on the other side allows it to stay in place yet swivel back and forth.

Once you’ve gotten everything to work smoothly, you’ll have to bleed to brakes. But hold off on that until closer to the end.

Step 6: Installing the Floor Plates,mower Deck Battery, and Electrical System

Next up, I install the mower deck, or in this case, the simulated mower deck.In some classes ( yes there are different classes of mower racing machines) you can install a replacement for the original mower deck as long as it is in the approximate location and height. Mine is made out of more of the steel square tubing welded into Cs with wire mesh tacked on top. This not only makes for a nice foot rest, but it is much lighter than the original deck. These are simply welded directly to the bottom of the frame.

Then I installed the battery, which was originally to go under the seat. The seat is sitting on top of the original bracket I welded directly to the top of the deck frame. But the battery was too tall. Its a small lawn tractor battery, and the ONLY place it would fit was right behind the engine. I welded two angle iron pieces pointing upwards to form a bracket in which the battery sits. The space is TIGHT. This actually works really well because it moves the center of gravity to the center of the mower, adding further stability.

Following that was the installation of the floor plates made of thick diamond plate. These were cut to size and screwed on with self-drilling screws so that both panels can be removed for servicing the RAGB, transmission. The fit was very tight and I glued on a piece of rubber to the battery to avoid abrasion from the diamond plate. The fit was perfect and snug, which is what you want with batteries.Diamond plate is costly stuff, so try and find scrap if you can. The same was done for the dash, which is where the electrical stuff goes.

That brings us to the next step, which is the creation of the electric panel. In order to keep everything neat and serviceable, all of the electrical components were screwed and bolted to the dash panel. This includes the starter button, starter solenoid, and tether switch.

Step 7: Puke Tank, Seat, and Engine Mounting.

Our next step is to make what is known in the racing world as the Puke tank. No- it isn’t for seasickness, but rather for the engine. Since the engine will be running at sometimes 50% faster than it was originally designed for, the crank case will sometimes spit oil from the crank case breather. Since you don’t want that stuff all over the track or you for that matter, you make sometimes called a puke tank. Mine is made out of ABS plastic pipe, brass hose fittings, and PVC for the breather on the right side (in white). This is mounted to the back of the mower under the seat, connected with a hose to the engine valve cover.

Next, I decided to machine slots into the engine mounting pan. I made keyhole shaped slots that enable the engine to be slid forwards and back so that the chain can be fitted and tensioned properly. This is the longest chain on the build, thus a spring-loaded tensioner was fabricated in addition. Since the chain here is hanging horizontally, you want to have constant, gentle pressure applies to keep it from falling off. The tensioner is simple, using a channeled nylon idle pulley typically used on mower decks. Like the skateboard wheel, nylon holds up just fin on chain. The pulley is mounted to a arm that is bolted to the underside of the simulated mower deck via a nylock nut and bolt. A spring is attached to it as well as a bolt welded to the underside of the engine pan. As you can see, the chain fits nicely from the centrifugal clutch to the RAGB.

Now the seat. This step is actually kind of important. You’ll find that staying on these mowers on a bumpy dirt track with sharp corners is difficult.The inertia will threaten to throw you off. But at the same time, if you do fly off, you want to clear the scene of the accident and not get run over by your own mower. So it needs to be low. The solution is to have a low seat with low sides that keeps your rear attached to the seat. It’ll actually give you more control. One last word- it helps to have padding. A steel seat with no padding can be. painful. My Wife covered mine with upholstery from an old chair.

Step 8: Engine Modifications and Installation.

Now that the chassis and other vitals are now complete, now its time to work on the engine. The engine I’m using is a 12.5 HP Briggs and Stratton with a cast iron sleeve. These are one of the most common engines on riding mowers. Mine in particular is what’s known as a flathead because the other variant has overhead valves. These engines are extremely simple and inexpensive. The flathead takes up less space too.

But to use an engine such as this stock would be a mistake. First of all, the governor will be removed. enabling engine speeds to approach double what the engine was designed for. This means that parts are going to take a severe beating and certain items should be replaced. First and foremost- the flywheel. The original is made out of solid cast iron and weighs in at 12-15 pounds. Cast iron is somewhat susceptible to fracturing from stress. Even microscopic cracks, not seen by the naked eye can cause a flywheel to explode at high speeds. While this rarely occurs, its something to think about since the flywheel will be less than a foot away from you.know-what. There are two fixes, once better than the other. The first is to make a scattershield, which is a 1/4 frame made to fit around the top of the engine shroud. These can be bought at a number of sites, including G-team racing. These will at least contain the explosion if it occurs, but not absolutely.

The safer, albeit more expensive solution is to purchase what’s known as a billet aluminum flywheel. These are milled via computer guided mills out of solid billet aluminum- the stuff used to make aircraft components. Not only will the wheel be lighter, but stronger and almost indestructible.Considering the cost of the milling machine, the cost is reasonable. Around 350.

Next, the governor is removed. You want to remove it entirely, including internally. That involves removing the oil pan. You will see a brass sleeve in which the throttle lever slides through. After you remove the throttle, use a punch to remove the brass sleeve. To seal the hole, I simply use a bolt and a nut, washer, and rubber o-ring.

The second specialized part is what’s known as a dogbone connection rod for the large cast iron counterweights. These large weights help the engine run smoother. The crank runs directly through it. The wimpy aluminum factory original is prone to breaking. If that happens, the counterweight will slam into the sides of the crank case, breaking right through it. Say bye-bye to the engine if that occurs. So again, a billet aluminum replacement is used.

Additionally- as mentioned in the new updates section, the stock piston rods in these engines do not deal well with the additional engine speeds. So as a recommendation, invest in a billet aluminum rod. You will also have to buy another piston, most often being a magnesium Briggs unit. I ordered mine from a company called G Team racing out of North Dakota. They are well worth the money not having to worry about an engine blowing out on the track, which trust me- is rather scary and potentially costly.

Next, the linkage for the carburetor needs to be setup. For the gas throttle, A bicycle brake lever and brake line is connected to a spring that pulls against the throttle control of the carb. The pull of the spring is what snaps the brake lever back in place.The lever is attached to the steering wheel. As you can see, I simply bent two scrap pieces of diamondplate aluminum. These face each other. On one side, the spring goes to the throttle lever of the carb. The brake cable comes from the other side, attaching into the same hole as the throttle spring. To hold the brake cable in place, I used a brass nipple fitting that stops the cable sheathing, but allows the actual cable to come through. The spring holds the cable into position.

Lastly, I fabricated the exhaust system. It is a 2.5 foot long pipe. To get the correct curves, I bought a muffler header pipe that is made to fit a Snapper riding mower from a mower parts supply site- cheapmowerparts.com This will fit 8-12 HP engines, hence it fits mine. This is cut and a second curved piece was made from the exhaust pipe of a 1980’s Honda Civic( which apparently had tiny exhaust systems). These two curves gave me the right geometry to curve out and under the foot rests. The end of the pipe is simply a length of straight muffler pipe. These are held to the bottom of the foot rests via pipe hanging brackets used for electrical conduit. By the way- this exhaust will make your engine extremely LOUD. Just a word of warning in case you have. neighbors. close by.

Step 9: Paint and Finishing It Up.

Now for the funnest part of the build: Painting. Now all of that hard work gets to get shown off. But before painting, you need to do some prep. The chassis is likely oily and dusty from welding. All of the welds are also likely not clean meaning they’re splattered. You can quickly clean up the frame with sandpaper flap discs attached to a grinder. Clean all of the rust, splatter, and rough edges to a smooth surface.

I used a oxide primer primer, which is a good foundation for the paint. I used plain ole’ black spray paint. I chose spray paint because the frame is very likely going to get pitted with rocks and future mechanical modifications. So it can easily be touched up. Plus its cheap. The fiberglass hood was painted with orange engine paint, which I find dried quick and smooth.

Now the entire mower is put back together. Wheels, engine, brakes, electrical, etc. The mower went back together surprisingly quick. Less than two hours was all it took.

With the mower put back together, all that’s left is to bleed the brakes, install the battery, fill the engine with oil, and then give her a test run.

Wanna’ see it run? Watch the video.

Anyhow, it was lots of fun making this mower and so far I’ve been in 3 races this season. Feel free to ask questions if you want to make your own. if you want to see me in action, visit my racing club’s web site, http://www.pvmowerracing.com

Step 10: Updates.

Its been a year since this mower was completed. After a year of racing I’ve learned what the weak spots were on the machine. First, stock pistons in Briggs flathead engines do not hold up well under stress. I wound up blowing two engines early in the season when the rods snapped. So the first improvement was in purchasing a billet aluminum rod and a lightweight magnesium piston. So far this rod has held up well under the stress.

Secondly, any nuts and bolts that can come loose will come loose unless they are secures using nylock nylon lock nuts and loctite ( the blue bottle). Otherwise the severe track vibration will cause things to fall off, which they did frequently. So spend the few extra dollars and secure everything down and save the headaches.

Lastly, the cheap stamped bearings I went with in the steering system have way too much slop in them. I replaced all 8 of the bearings with sealed ball bearing units with steel snap rings. This removed all of the slop in the steering and made the handling much more accurate and responsive, which in turn is much safer. So make sure and invest in better high quality bearings for everything that moves.

Oh yeah- one more thing- Orange was not a good color. So now it is all-black.

The video is of our first event of the year. Enjoy!

Step 11: Updates: New Rear Axle Chain Tensioner.

Here’s another update, and this time its again for the rear chain tensioner. I had a lot of issues with the chain jumping off the sprocket for the rear axle. I tried a few things, namely the experiment I mentioned in the previous step involving two roller skate wheels, one on top of the chain, one underneath. That system didn’t work.

So I came up with a new tensioner that involves using a chain sprocket idler which is spring loaded. The old tensioner idler was mounted to a bracket with a slot cut in the side to enable the idler wheel to be moved up and down. This is shown in step 4. So I used the same bracket but instead of having the idle sprocket be stationary, it floats up and down in the slot with the help of a sturdy spring that ensures that it keeps constant pressure on the chain. I accomplished this by using 2 large fender washers on each side of the mounting bolt going through the bracket, then having nylock stop nuts on either side, backed up just enough to allow the mounting bolt to move freely up and down. I welded a bolt to the frame above the idler sprocket so that the tension spring could be attached. The idler sprocket itself is mounted to a thick piece of 1/8 steel.

This has worked out great all season. The tensioner can not only move up and down, but also slightly forward and back thus not matter what the chain does, the tensioner keeps constant pressure on it. With both chains staying put, the mower is now pretty reliable.

The rebuilt engine has held up great this year. Its now broken in so the synthetic oil stays almost crystal clear for a good 2-3 races.

We also just redesigned our web site and you can check us out at www.pvmowerracing.com

Step 12: Updates for 2011: Total Overhaul

After over 3 years of racing the mower with the same configuration it was time for some serious upgrades. There were some major shortcomings with the old design. That and as the years went by, others on my team upped the anty and had upgraded their machines. A lot of things have changed in mower racing since I built this machine. A lot of custom, high performance engine parts are now available making more durable, highly reliable engines that can withstand higher RPMs over longer periods.

Before we begin read this : I’ll reiterate a bit about safety. As I mentioned at the very beginning of this insctructable, racing mowers are actually pretty dangerous and if you’re not careful you can very easily get hurt. There are several racing organizations out there that all have very specific rules and regulations as you’d find in any motorsport: Rules meant to keep the driver and those watching safe. Think of these as go-carts except they look like mowers. We have no safety cages or restraint systems. Thus you must wear correct safety gear like a DOT approved helmet- preferably a full face helmet. You must also wear gloves, boots, long pants, a neck collar- or even better- a neck brace. Your mower must also have various safety features like real brakes ( not the crappy ones the mower came with), a safety tether that cuts power if you fall off, and others as well. In order to understand these in detail visit www.heymow.com and check out the rules. If you show up at an event and you or your mower are not equipped safely- you won’t be racing. Lastly. DO NOT simply take the ole’ family mower and make it go fast without anything else other than swapping pulleys. Stock mowers are meant to go 2-5MPH. Not 50MPH. If you do something like this, you will have a greater chance of getting injured.

Lastly, if you’re welding, drilling, grinding, or working with any power tools, please use proper safety gear- as in gloves, boots, goggles, respirators, and so on. Use common sense and you’ll avoid a trip to the emergency room ( trust me- I’ve been there enough to know) Whew! Now that that’s over- let’s get goin’!

The changes I made to the mower were as follows: 1: Extend the length of the frame. Why? The original frame was around 38 long. The width from wheel to wheel? 36. The problem was that when you’re basically driving a square, you have very poor handling. I decided to lengthen the frame to the maximum length permitted for Mod-X machines: 42. Thus I would add 6 to the frame.

2: New engine with a plethora of high performance parts. This includes a billet rod, billet ARC flywheel, High-torque starter, billet crank with built-in lightweight counterweights, a high performance cam, Higher strength valve springs and better valve keepers. That and the rings would be filed to an absolute close tolerance to increase compression. Other considerations would be porting and polishing. The old engine was a very mild build. This new engine was a total build-out. As this was my first major mod job of an engine, there was a lot of learning.

3: New sheetmetal. Luckily I found a donor mower pretty quick.

4:A new fully adjustable steering system. The old setup wasn’t adjustable at all. The new one is fully adjustable and the caster and camber can be carefully tweaked. This is important because no matter what engine you might have, a mower that steers poorly and plows into corners will be impossible to handle.

The first thing was to strip the old mower down. After 3 years of abusive tracks and racing, it was actually in pretty good shape. Most of the parts I’d used like the brakes, wheels, axle, transmission, and clutch could be re-used, which mean a lot less money. The old 12.5 Briggs Flatty served me well but will be replaced with a 14.5 Briggs Overhead Valve engine.

I had previously gone to a scrap metal yard and gotten a piece of channel iron to extend the frame 6. The frame on mine is a simple box frame with a tubular frame up top. Thus I was able to extend my mower versus something like a stamped steel machine, which would be more problematic. The channel iron was cut and the frame was sliced near the front. The idea was to preserve the more complicated rear of the machine which has the engine, transmission, and brake system mounts so it could be used as-is without modification. These new pieces of angle iron was welded into place.

Since the old fiberglass hood was now way too short for the now-lengthened mower, I needed to either cut and extend the old hood or find a new hood. Luckily for me, the group leader or our group has what I’d call lawn mower heaven in his back yard- a whole fleet of old riding mowers. One was an old Montgomery Wards and the hood and fenders from it fit perfectly! Easy.

Step 13: Update the Old Steering System to a Fully Adjustable One.

Perhaps the single most important thing you can do for a racing mower is get your steering right. Before I go into the build, let’s talk a little about steering geometry because if you understand how it works, you’ll have a much easier time building one. I have to admit it took me a long time to figure it out. The guys I race with in many cases raced stock cars thus they have it down to a science.

Basically the problem that we have on the track is that the rear axle doesn’t have a differential. As such both rear wheels are traveling at exactly the same rate. With a differential the outer wheel naturally travels more than the inner, thus making turning into a corner easier. In order to correct this problem, you’ll want to remove weight from the front right and place that weight onto the front left so that weight is removed from the right rear. In doing so you’ll offset the effects of having no differential. This is done so by adjusting three things: Caster ( the angle that the spindle sits- either positive or negative, the Camber- the angle at which the wheels lean in or away from the mower, and toe out- as in how much the wheels point away from the mower. We’ll go into this later when final adjustments are made.

The old spindles were cut off of the front axle. I re-used the old axle instead of installing a new one. The new spindles are fully removable from the axle and are mounted with large heim joints. The mounting plates for the spindles are welded to the ends of the axle and have machined slots so that the spindles can be turned forward or back ( which gives you your caster adjustment). These plates need to be welded to the ends of the axle at a 10 degree angle with the tops of the plates pointing in towards the mower. This is critical because this in turn gives you your camber- or the degree in which your wheels will lean in towards the mower. Having this adjustment will allow you to carefully adjust the camber in such a way as to help push more weight onto the left front wheel meaning you will be able to hook up more easily in the turns.

With the mounting plates welded in place, the spindles could be attached. These spindles come in a kit and you can get them from various go-cart suppliers. Some people make their own spindles using bolts. If you do that make sure to use Grade 8 bolts as they are less prone to bend than conventional bolts.

The last major thing you’ll have to do is to attach the spindle arms for attaching the radius rods. There’s a pretty simple method for doing this: With both spindles absolutely straight on both sides, attach a piece of string from the ends of the spindle mounting bolts and attach the string to the center of the rear axle. Weld the spindle arms as if you are lining them up with the path of the string. Easy enough.

Once the steering system is installed, you’ll have to do some adjustments to the setup to ensure the mower is handling properly. But that will come later once the machine is completed.

Step 14: Porting and Polishing the Engine.

Porting and Polishing

The next step was to start working on the engine. The engine I got was a early 90’s Briggs 14.5 OHV. There are a lot of similarities between it and the old 12.5 flathead I had. The crank, piston, rod, and carb in the 12.5 are basically the same. Thus I was able to scavenge the old magnesium piston and billet rod I’d been running. The rod is an ARC rod and has replaceable bearings. Its always important to replace these if you’re sticking them in a new engine. I also ordered new rod bolts.

I’d also decided to try out a new product from ARC, which is a billet chrome molly billet crank. Just as I got started on the engine they came out with it. For years we’ve had a dilemma where the old heavy cast iron counterweights that came with these engines not only presented an issue of having to deal with more mass, but on occasion these have come loose, smashing through the crank case. The solution was to get an old-style 80’s or early 90’s crank with removable eccentrics and install lightweight brass counterweights. ARC developed a billet crank with the counterweights machined into the piece- thus its all one piece. I opted for this part.

Also ordered was a new set of valves and more modern valve keepers. The old style of keepers uses a sort of cap with a slot cut in the top. These have been known to come loose out on the track- causing damage to the head. The new keepers are similar to ones you’d find in a car and are highly unlikely to come loose.

Lastly, while I thought I would be able to re-use my old billet aluminum flywheel, the one I had was solid aluminum-including the hub. The hub was badly damaged from having slipped numerous times on the crank. I ordered an ARC billet flywheel with a removable steel hub- thus making it also adjustable. In doing so I also had to order a high-torque starter. The starter looks like something you’d find in a car also. Its made by Denso- the folks that make parts for Toyota.

Anyway, one way to increase engine performance is to do something called porting and polishing. What this entails is to basically provide an easier way for gasses to enter and exit the engine. From the factory the intake and exhaust ports have rather sharp edges. Run your finger inside the area where the port enters the valve area and its almost sharp enough to cut you. These edges will need to be shaved down and smoothed over. I used a stone mounted to my Dremel tool to slowly cut and blend these areas so that the airflow would be smoother. I then followed up with some polishing compound and gave it a mirror polish. This took hours but its worth it in the end.

Step 15: Building the New Engine.

Building the Engine

With the parts all ordered and received I spent about a week building the engine. One thing I did was ordered a set of over-20 rings. This means that the gap between where the ring when it is fully compressed in the cylinder is.020 over the stock gap. This is done for a few reasons. Mainly its if you had an engine with a worn cylinder and needed more available ring to fill that void. The ends of the ring are then filed down until a desired ring gap is met. In my case I did this to intentionally make the ring gap far tighter than stock. Usually a stock engine will come with a 0.10-0.20 ring gap. In my case I wanted to have a 0.004-0.006 gap. This would give me more compression overall. Doing this is tricky if you’re like me and don’t have a ring grinder tool handy. But it can be done. Simply mount a mill file in a vise straight up and down and very slowly pull up on the ring with the end of the ring filed as level as possible. Only file one side of the ring too because doing so means a greater chance of having an uneven gap. Every few strokes put the ring in the cylinder and tamp it level with the top of the piston. Measure the gap with a feeler gauge. Eventually you’ll arrive at the correct gap. I accidentally filed too much and wound up having it down to a.008 gap. Ooops. Not that big of a deal so that’s what I installed it as.

The crankcase was thoroughly cleaned and the hole which the governor lever came out of was blocked using a bolt and nut. The next step was to install the new valves. In addition to ordering new valves and keepers, I also ordered a stronger set of valve springs. These are double layer springs with a smaller inner spring that is removable. What I wasn’t aware of was that you don’t want to use the center spring. I spent hours sweating bullets trying to install the new valve and keepers because the dual springs were so stiff. The first time I did this I was pressing the spring down with a socket when it slipped. The tiny keepers flew off into the wild blue yonder, never to be seen again. What a pain! I never found them as they were hopelessly lost somewhere in the shop. Thus I ordered 3 extra sets. With the center springs removed it was much easier to push them down and drop in the keepers. Slowly let the pressure off the springs and the keepers will usually fall into place around the groove of the valve stems.

With that done it was time to install the piston and rod. The rod needs to be installed using exacting torque settings. The final is @ 28 foot pounds. First, apply a bit of oil to the bolts. This will enable you to do what’s called Wet torquing. Using a torque wrench, set it for 16 foot pounds. go back and forth from one bolt to another until you arrive at 16 foot pounds. Then go in 4 pound increments until both are snugged to 28 foot pounds. This is vitally important. Incorrect torquing can mean a snapped rod.

Step 16: Building the New Engine, Part 2.

Engine Building.

Next up was the installation of the ARC billet flywheel and high torque starter. In regards to the flywheel its important to understand that the flywheel is mated to the crank via a friction fit. There is a key but all that key does is provide the means to properly align the flywheel magnets to the magneto. In order to get a tight fit, especially with 2 new parts, you need to do something called lapping. Simply put, it consists of using a very fine abrasive to mate the two pieces together. You can actually buy lapping compound to do this. Simply smear a bit of this onto the crank, place the flywheel on the crank and twist it back and forth. You don’t have to do this all that much. Just enough to make sure that the two pieces will be perfectly matched. Clean off the compound and then torque the flywheel down with about 100 foot pounds of torque. You do so via an air impact wrench.

Once you install the flywheel you’ll need to install the starter. This is a bit tricky with the high torque starter. You don’t want the teeth of the starter to be too tightly meshed with the ring gear of the flywheel. If you do this the flywheel will bind. The starter comes with a number of thin washers that you use as shims. Unlike typical small engine starters, this is more of an automotive starter and you can’t just walk the starter gear up. Instead the starter gear is tucked down out of sight. Why should you care? Because in order to get the proper gap between the ring gear and starter gear that starter gear needs to be pushed up all the way. Here’s how you can do it ( or at least how I did it). Get a small hex key, stick the short end of the hex key behind the starter gear and pull UP. With the starter gear fully pulled up, stick another hex key under the starter gear so that when you release it it won’t snap back down.

Now you’ll want to hold the starter up to the flywheel. Stick the 2 mounting bolts through the starter and into the threads in the side of the engine. Here’s where it gets fun. Get a paper clip. Not a weanie one either- but a large paper clip. bend the end of it down and measure the gap between the valley of the ring gear and the tip of the starter gear. The proper gap is the width of the paper clip. In order to make this work you’ll need to insert enough washers to get the correct gap. Doing this was a pain in the ass because the washers kept falling from the ends of the bolts as I tried to hold it up to the engine. It took around 3 washers on each bolt for mine to get the correct gap.

Now that we’ve finished doing that its time to install the blower housing. You’ll see right away that the ARC wheel is not as tall as the stock unit. As such the fins fall short of the blower housing by over an inch. This is not acceptable because air won’t be getting sucked into the engine cooling fins and you’ll very quickly fry the engine- ruining all those lovely high performance parts. So, as un-fun as it is, you’ll have to cut enough of the shroud to get the flywheel fins within 1/8 of the blower housing. I measured from the top of the fins to the blower housing. I marked the amount with a permanent marker around the bottom of the blower housing and used a grinder wheel to cut it off. Again, you’ll want to make sure that you have about 1/8 of clearance from the blower housing to the top of the flywheel fins.

With most of the engine together its time to install the tins and the breather plate. I re-used the plate I’d made for the old 12.5 flathead. The stock breather plate will not work. You need something that will not leak and one that will allow more air to pass through. Thus the steel plate I made has a threaded piece of pipe coming out of it with a brass barb screwed to this. I usually use a gasket making material- usually the blue stuff- and barely tighten the bolts. You’ll want the gasket material to harden before you snug down the bolts. As far as the tins, there have been some people who for some reason don’t re-install these. Without them the engine won’t cool properly. So make sure and install them and make sure they’re not bent. With that the engine is done- minus the carburetor.

Step 17: Installing New Chain Tensioner.

Chain Tensioner.

One of the biggest problems I had with the old mower was the rear axle chain setup. The chain repeatedly either came loose or snapped. This might have been due to the old chain being a #35 size, which is a bit small. I elected to upgrade the chain to a #40 size which meant new sprockets. At the same time I also installed a new RAGB transmission. The old one had always had a lot of play and slop in the gears. This never caused a problem. But I decided to install a duplicate I found on Ebay a year ago. The old one will serve as a spare.

The key to having the rear chain not fall off is the correct combination of proper alignment and tension. All chains will stretch as they wear. Thus the best setup involves a spring-loaded idler. In this case I used a idler sprocket. The fatter chain meant that it would be hitting the top of the transmission mount. The old #35 barely cleared it. Thus I had to cut out one side of the mount and weld a new piece behind where that piece had been. Thus the mount was staggered back enough to allow the chain to clear.

A great deal of time was spent ensuring that all 3 sprockets were absolutely aligned. This is done with a flat steel ruler. Since the tranny is more or less not adjustable the idler and rear axle sprocket both needed to be aligned with the tranny sprocket. Lay the ruler flat over all 3 sprocket surfaces in such a way as that all of the gear’s sides are totally flat- as in the ruler lays flat across all 3. Gently tap the sprockets until this happens. This needs to be absolutely perfect so spend some time.

The tensioner I use is one I made 2 years ago. I modified it to use the larger idler sprocket. I also relocated the tension spring in such a way as so it pulls directly up. Previously the spring was pulling slightly forward, which I think might have caused the idler to jump off the chain. The tensioner itself rides in a slotted piece of square tubing. A bolt runs through the slot and thus allows the entire tensioner to float up and down. The spring keeps the tensioner against the chain. As such even if the chain stretches, the tensioner will always apply the same amount of pressure.

Step 18: Re-doing Exhaust, Paint, Brakes, and Other Stuff.

Finishing up

Something I realized right away was that the engine was reverse of what the old 12.5 engine had been: The starter, carb, and exhaust were all on the other side. At first I didn’t think this would be that big of a deal. But the problem was that the new high torque starter stuck out so far on the right that it interfered with the brake pedal- which was on the left where the starter would now be. This meant moving the brake pedal and master cylinder to the left. This wasn’t that difficult: The MC was moved to the left and new holes were drilled for its mounting bolts. The problem arose when I realized that with the carb on the left the intake was extremely close to the brake pedal. I didn’t want to accidentally kick the carb when racing. After doing some configuring I simply welded an extension onto the end of the pedal making it wider. A piece of angle iron was welded to the top of the pedal. This ensures that my foot will not slip and wind up sliding close to the carb. After 2 races its worked out well.

The exhaust was a bit tricky. Since the exhaust was on the other side it had to be cut so the bend could be reversed to face the other way. On top of that the exhaust port was higher up than the one on the engine. In order to accomplish the additional length I welded in a piece of pipe. A word of warning: Do not weld galvanized steel. The pipe I used was galvanized but I spent a great deal of time grinding this off. If you do weld Galvanized you can get very sick.

The engine was then installed and the old clutch bolted on. This has been a fantastic clutch with over 3 years of use and hardly any wear. I did disassemble it and applied a very light coat of grease to the bearings. I also cleaned the shoes a bit.

The new hood and fenders were sanded down and painted. I used Duplicolor high heat ceramic engine paint. For some reason I’ve found its one of the best rattle can paints for getting a nice smooth finish. The color I got is called Cast Iron. Pretty cool actually, and different from what most people use on their racing mowers. Seems like crazy fluorescent colors are very popular.

Step 19: Finishing Up and Final Adjustments.

Final Adjustments

With all of the sheetmetal painted the mower was fully assembled. Pretty nice looking if I don’t mind saying so. Now there was only one thing left to do- which was to race it and see what it would do. The first race was actually what we call our Test-n-tune day where all the new mowchines are brought out and tested. and tuned up.

Mine had some serious handling problems. The mower was pushing into the corners. It was so bad that I could barely stay on the track. As it turned out my steering system was wayyyyyy out of whack. To fix this I did some serious adjusting. This involved doing a few things:

1: adjusting the front right wheel so that it had more camber. As it turned out I had somehow welded the right spindle mount on at the wrong angle. Luckily all I had to do was simply thread the top heim joint inward until the camber was corrected. The right wheel was also dropped downward a bit. This enabled the right front to push down onto the front left.

2: Adjust the toe-out. As mentioned before, toe-out means how much the wheels splay outwards- as in they turn away from the mower a bit. It doesn’t take much. Only 1/8 on each side. Doesn’t sound like much but this will greatly help the mower become far more stable.

The first real race we had was a huge difference. The mower did much better. That said, there are still some issues. The biggest is that I chose not to install a high performance cam. This would greatly help with low end torque and faster acceleration out of the corners. This is relatively simple to do and only involves removing the bottom of the engine. I’ll decide on what to do about this soon.

In the meantime if you want to see the mower racing in action, check out our racing group’s web site which is chok-full of videos. www.pvmowerracing.com

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for even more updates!

John Deere X380 Lawn Tractor, 48-in. Deck

Provide some information and our team will follow up with you.

We guarantee you will be 100% satisfied with your purchase or we will refund or exchange it for free.

Pricing does not include applicable freight, setup, taxes, delivery, and other fees.

Performance meets power.

Get a beautiful cut in a matter of minutes with the John Deere X380 Lawn Tractor. With the comfortable 18-inch cut-and-sewn standard seat and mower deck options that cut clean, even passes at even faster speeds, it’s our riding mower lineup workhorse that you’ll love to saddle up.

There are millions of ways to make the most of your mow and if you don’t know where to start, the X300 Select Series Lawn Tractor is sure to steer you in the right direction. With its exclusive optional one-touch MulchControl™ technology, three different Accel Deep™ Mower Deck sizes, and a variety of attachments for every season, making the most of your mow has never been easier.

Contact us today for more information on the John Deere X380 Lawn Tractor, and see why Van Wall is the Midwest’s clear first choice for over 70 years!

• 23 HP (17.2 kW) iTorque™ Power System
• 48-Inch Accel Deep™ Mower Deck, Compatible with Optional MulchControl™ Kit with One-Touch Technology
• Twin Touch™ Forward and Reverse Pedals
• 4-Year/300-Hour Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty

Engine is smooth running and reliable V-twin air-cooled design

The tractor is powered by a John Deere iTorque™ Power System, a combination of engine features and an exclusive hood design that provide superior lugging ability, even cooling, and durability. A 23 horsepower (17.2 kW) V-twin engine provides plenty of power and torque to handle tough mulching, mowing, and bagging conditions. Key engine features include:

• 23 horsepower (17.2 kW).
• Large 44.3 cubic inch (726 cc) displacement.
• V-twin air-cooled design that provides smooth, quiet power.
• Cast iron cylinder liners.
• Overhead valves.
• Full-pressure lubrication.
• Replaceable oil filter.
• Excellent power and performance.
• Easy starts.
• Smooth operation.

A flywheel alternator provides plenty of capacity to quickly recharge the battery and power electrical equipment, such as lights or a sprayer.

• 12 amp charging capacity.
• Regulated to keep the battery at full charge without risk of overcharging.

Large fuel tank and convenient fuel gauge minimize the number of stops for fuel and chance of running out of fuel.

• Fuel tank has a large, 3.3 U.S. gallon (12.5 L) capacity for more hours of operation between refills.
• Large, 3-inch (7.6-cm) diameter fuel tank filler opening makes adding fuel easy.

• Located on the left fender.
• Helps eliminate spillage.

48-Inch (122-cm) Accel Deep™ (48A) Mower Deck cuts clean and is versatile

The 48-inch (122-cm) Accel Deep™ Mower Deck is a stamped steel, deep, flat-top design that delivers excellent cut quality, productivity, cleanliness, durability, and versatility. Optimal performance and dispersion of clippings is provided, even at faster mowing speeds or in tall grass.

• 4.83-inch (12.3-cm) depth throughout the entire deck shell for optimum mowing, mulching, and bagging performance.

• Optional lever-action or electric one-touch MulchControl™ system provides superior mulching performance and versatility.

• Adjustable mower wheels, positioned just above ground level, help reduce scalping.

Deep mower deck stamping gives excellent cut quality. It allows the cut and suspended material room to exit the deck without getting recut.

• Reducing the amount of recutting enables more power to be used to cut incoming grass, which greatly improves mower capacity.

• Helps maintain excellent cut quality at faster mowing speeds.

Large discharge opening is both high and wide to handle more material.

• Gives a smooth, even discharge of clippings at all mowing speeds.
• Reduces the chance of plugging, especially important when operating in wet, thick, or dense grass and when bagging.
• The 48A Power Flow™ blower has an inlet housing with over 50% greater area than the 48X Power Flow™ blower used on previous machines.

The flat-top shape of the deck stamping is optimal for keeping itself and the operator clean.

• There are few places to catch and hold material on top and underneath the deck.

• Top of deck stays cleaner, reducing time and effort needed for cleaning and service.
• Underside of deck is self-cleaning to maintain optimum performance without buildup of material to interfere with the flow of air and clippings.
• Less need to clean and remove buildup of material from underside of deck.

• Limited amount of material to drift onto the operator and mower deck.
• Even for material discharged out the chute, less recutting results in larger pieces that are less likely to end up on the operator.
• Mulching prevents the discharge of material completely and MulchControl™ makes mulching a practical solution for most mowing situations.

Cleaning a mower deck, both top and bottom, is one of the most frequent maintenance activities.

• The flat-top design reduces places for material to build up and makes material that does collect easy to remove.
• A wash port is provided to make cleaning the underside of the mower deck easy, and includes a hose connector.

The 48A Mower Deck has strong spindle s, to keep the blades aligned, even after years of tough service.

• Stamped from strong 10 gauge, 0.135-inch (3.4 mm) steel.
• Ribs in the deck shell add strength where it is needed.
• The 48A has a 23% heavier overall weight than the Edge™ Xtra 48-inch (122-cm) Mower Deck used on previous machines.

Mower wheels are heavy duty.

• Provides greater strength and durability for longer, trouble-free life.
• Setting wheels to the correct height for the cutting height is quick and easy.

Low-tension belt-drive design reduces the side load on engine lower bearing and mower deck bearings for longer life.

The 48A Mower Deck features a 5/8-inch (16-mm) diameter solid steel rod side bumper that provides extra strength and protection.

Dual-stage E-coat and powder paint coatings provide extra protection from rust.

The 48A Mower Deck is designed for maximum versatility, providing the greatest ease in changing from one mower discharge mode to another.

• With an optional MulchControl™ system installed (along with the special mulching blades), changing from side discharging to mulching or vice versa is done with the simple flip of a lever or push of an electric switch.
• The Power Flow™ rear bagger can be used with MulchControl™ by simply using the MulchControl™ lever or electric one-touch switch to move the mulch baffle to the side-discharge position.

An optional 7 bushel (247 L) rear bagger material collection system (MCS) is available. It provides an efficient means of collecting grass clippings and leaves.

• The Power Flow™ blower and chute are easy to install. The Power Flow™ blower swings out for easy cleanout and cleanup.
• The hopper design provides modern styling, great bagging performance, cleaner operation, and easy-to-empty bags.

• 7 bushel (247 L) capacity.
• Easy-to-attach Power Flow™ blower (ordered separately).
• Easy-to-attach chute (ordered separately).
• Air exhaust duct.
• Convenient spring latch.
• Airflow fill indicator.
• Quik-Tatch mounting.
• Sealed hopper top.
• Loose-knit bags available.

4-Year or 300-Hour bumper-to-bumper warranty is standard

An exclusive 4-year or 300-hour (whichever comes first), single-source, bumper-to-bumper warranty is standard for all John Deere X300 Series Tractors.

• The warranty is hassle free, with one company handling all the paperwork.
• Premium features of the X300 Series Tractors allow for this longer warranty period, with more coverage than comparable tractors.

Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.

MulchControl™ system provides superior mulching performance and Rapid conversion

The optional MulchControl™ system makes mulching more practical for many mowing situations because it not only does an excellent job of mulching, but it also allows the mower to be easily converted for times when it is more desirable to side discharge or collect the lawn material. Advantages of mulching grass clippings include:

• Creates a beautiful looking lawn.
• Smaller grass clippings disappear into the lawn canopy.
• Reduces fertilizer needs.
• Grass clippings are not blown onto the operator, driveways, or flower beds.
• No need to dispose of bags of clippings.

MulchControl™ is an innovative, simple design that is easy to use and maintain.

• The MulchControl™ system includes an adjustable MulchControl™ baffle near the discharge chute and fixed baffles to control the flow of material under the deck.
• The MulchControl™ handle, or an electric one-touch actuator, is on top of the mower deck and is used to open and close the MulchControl™ baffle.
• When the MulchControl™ baffle is open, most of the material flows freely out the discharge deflector or into a material collection system.
• When the MulchControl™ baffle is closed, material stays within the deck and gets chopped into mulch and deposited in the turf.

MulchControl™ is well-suited to the following mowing situations:

• For operators who usually mulch, but side discharge when grass gets too long.
• For operators who usually side discharge, but would like to close the chute to control clippings in some areas.
• For operators who always mulch a main lawn, but often side discharge secondary lawns.
• For operators who collect clippings but want to go farther before emptying the material collection system.

MulchControl™ puts the operator in control of the clippings. Electric one-touch MulchControl™ systems shift the MulchControl™ baffle using an electric actuator that is operated by a dash-mounted switch. Operators can convert between modes without interrupting the mowing process, making it possible to change between modes:

• When approaching driveways or flower beds where clippings would be undesirable.
• When a breeze blows clippings back onto the operator.
• For side discharge mowing only the areas of the property where grass is too thick for mulching.
• With 48A and 54A Mower Decks, for collecting only the areas of the property where grass is too tall or thick for mulching.

While in the side discharge mode, MulchControl™ still mulches about one-third of the material. Therefore, the side discharge mode is essentially a partial mulch mode. This can be an advantage when side discharging or bagging, as it helps to reduce the amount of material being discharged. Other times this could work as a disadvantage.

• When cutting strong southern grasses, such as Zoysia and Bermuda.
• When cutting in wet, high growth conditions, such as those found in the Pacific Northwest United States.
• When optimum bagging and lawn cleanup is desired.
• 42A Mower Deck requires a MulchControl™ baffle be removed to install the bagger chute.

When bagging with MulchControl™ on a 48A or 54A Mower Deck, the MulchControl™ baffle can be opened or closed with the Power Flow™ blower installed. The Power Flow™ blower runs without material when the baffle is closed.

When bagging with MulchControl™ on a 42A Mower Deck, the cut-and-throw rear bagger can be used with the MulchControl™ blades. However, the rear MulchControl™ baffle needs to be removed to install the bagger chue. The baffle is held in place with two carriage bolts. To return to mulching, the chute needs to be removed and the baffle replaced.

Each MulchControl™ system is an optional field-installed attachment and includes everything needed: baffles, mulch blades, a handle (lever-action attachments) or an actuator, wiring, and switches (electric one-touch attachments).

NOTE: Model year 2016 – 2017 X300 and X500 Series Tractors (X300 serial number 10001-50000 and X500 serial number 110001-130000) require replacing the tractor wiring harness and dash panel to use an electric MulchControl™ attachment.

Snow removal is a strength of lawn tractors

An advantage of lawn tractors is their ability to use equipment for snow removal. Lawn tractor owners can add a John Deere snow blower or front blade to make quick work of moving snow whenever the need arises. Weather enclosure and tire-chain attachments add comfort and performance. Equipment available for snow removal includes:

• 44-Inch (112-cm) Snow Blower
• 44-Inch (112-cm) Front Blade
• 48-Inch (122-cm) Front Blade (X394 Tractor Only)
• Tire Chains or TerraGrip Traction Belts
• Weather Enclosure (Available for All X300 Series, Except the X350R)
• Weights

Steering is low-effort sector and pinion system

A heavy-duty sector and pinion steering system with quality bearings provides easy and precise control for the life of the tractor.

• Small, 16-inch (40.6-cm) turning radius provides excellent maneuverability.
• Tight turning ability improves mowing efficiency.

Easy steering is important for an enjoyable mowing experience.

• Large, 14-inch (36-cm) diameter steering wheel for improved leverage.
• Large sector gear for improved (higher) steering ratio.

• A higher ratio equals lower steering effort.

Integrated hydrostatic transaxle efficiently transmits power to wheels

The Tuff Torq® hydrostatic transaxle encloses the hydrostatic pump and motor rotator groups in the same housing with the differential and axle housings. This design is very efficient and reduces the number of sealing surfaces to minimize the potential for leakage.

Combined with the foot controls, the hydrostatic transmission functions similarly to that of an automatic transmission in an automobile, so the term automatic is often used to describe it.

• Use of the latest valve designs has significantly reduced the sound level.
• Large pump and motor rotating groups ensure long life and efficient operation.

A freewheeling valve control is conveniently located near the tractor rear hitch plate for good visibility and easy operation.

Kanzaki and Tuff Torq are trademarks of Kanzaki Kokyukoki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Controls and display functions are easy to identify and convenient to use

The contoured dash has clean, attractive styling and ergonomic controls for easy use.

• Controls are color coded and labeled with English words for easy identification by the operator.
• Controls are logically placed and easy to reach.
• The power take-off (PTO) switch allows the operator to get fingers underneath it, like a T-handle, to pull up for easy activation.
• The reverse implement option (RIO) switch is a yellow button.
• The latch control on foot-lift models and hydraulic lift control on power-lift models and the park brake latch are pivot levers for low effort.
• Cruise control activation is handled by an automotive-style button.
• Separate engine speed and choke controls make starting and warming up the engine easier in cold weather.

• The choke lever is spring loaded to eliminate the chance the tractor will be unintentionally operated with the choke partially closed.

Instrument display has the look and feel of a modern automobile. A power-up sequence cycles lights and gauges to indicate they are working.

• Display features dark-cockpit design to minimize operator distractions.
• Display is backlit for night visibility.

• Night visibility is especially useful with snow blower use.

• The X350R has a low fuel light, rather than a fuel gauge, to provide the operator with a noticeable warning when low on fuel.

• Target-zone graphics inform the operator of the engine speed range to use for best cut quality.

• Damage can be prevented and repair costs can be reduced by addressing problems early.

• The indicators are also useful to identify the reasons the PTO or engine may have shut off when an interlock is unsatisfied.

• Onboard diagnostics provides trouble codes for use by trained technicians.
• For example, a technician can test switch functionality and circuit continuity without tools.

Twin Touch™ foot pedals control the speed and direction of travel.

• Automotive-type accelerator control ensures easy operation.
• Operator can change direction without lifting foot off the platform.
• Large pedal surface gives superior operator comfort.

Cruise control is standard equipment.

• To engage, push the cruise control button and hold until the foot is removed from the forward pedal.
• For emergency stop, the cruise control can be released by pushing on the brake pedal or the forward pedal.

A rotary dial knob makes adjusting the mower cut height quick and easy.

• Provides mower cut heights in 0.25-inch (0.64-cm) increments from 1 inch (2.5 cm) to 4 inches (10.2 cm).
• Returns the mower deck to the same preset cut height each time is lowered.

Storage for the onboard deck-leveling gauge and the Exact Adjust tool is provided in the storage tray under the tractor’s seat.

• Exact Adjust ports on the fender deck allow for easy and accurate leveling of the mower deck for optimum mowing performance.
• Deck-leveling gauge is placed at the appropriate location under the left rear, right rear, and front of the mower deck as the cut height is adjusted using the Exact Adjust tool and front draft arm adjusting nuts.

Pushing with the foot to raise the mower or implement is less strenuous for many operators than using a hand-lift lever.

• The easy-to-use raised position lock operates similarly to the park brake lock.
• The foot pedal is raised out of the way and not likely to catch on bushes and tree limbs when mowing.
• The mower deck returns to the same preset cut height each time it is lowered.
• Lift-assist spring is provided on tractors shipped from the factory with a 48-inch (122-cm) or 54-inch (137-cm) side-discharge mower deck, except models with hydraulic lift, and a recommended option for tractors equipped with a 42-inch (107-cm) mulch mower to minimize lift effort.

• A spring-assist kit is available for other models to use with front equipment.

Depressing the brake pedal applies internal wet-disk brakes, which provide better reliability and longer life than external brakes, for safe stopping.

The parking brake control is conveniently located for easy access. It holds the brake pedal securely in the locked position.

The heavy-duty electric PTO clutch is operated with a convenient dash-mounted switch. The PTO clutch is designed to operate through many on/off cycles. The available Reverse Implement Option (RIO) allows for movement in reverse without disengaging the PTO.

• CAUTION: Children or bystanders can be injured by rotating blades. Before traveling forward or rearward, carefully check the area around the machine and disengage the mower before backing up. Backing up while the mower is engaged is strongly discouraged. RIO should be used only when operating another attachment or when the operator deems it necessary to reposition the machine with the mower engaged.
• To use RIO, follow these steps:
• Stop forward travel.
• Look behind the machine to be sure there are no bystanders.
• Push and hold in the RIO switch while depressing the reverse pedal slightly. If the engine and mower or other attachment stops while repositioning the machine, return the attachment engagement lever/switch to the off position, then start the engine and engage the mower or other attachment. Begin again with step 2.
• Release the RIO switch and reposition the machine as the machine begins to move rearward.
• Resume forward travel. The mower or other attachment should continue operating.
• Repeat procedure to position the machine again.

NOTE: The adjustable lift-assist spring is standard equipment on tractors with manual foot-lift system that are shipped with the 48-inch (122-cm) and 54-inch (137-cm) side-discharge mowers, and an option for tractors shipped with 42-inch (107-cm) mowers. It is a recommended option for foot-lift tractors sold with the 42-inch (107-cm) mulch mower.

Frame is reliable heavy-duty welded steel

The frame is made of heavy formed and welded steel, reinforced in critical areas for even greater strength.

• The frame is formed from 12-gauge, 0.105-inch (2.66-mm) thick material for long life.
• Standard front bumper and hitch plate are formed from 9-gauge, 0.15-inch (3.8-mm) steel and complete the frame assembly.
• Rear hitch plate can support two 42 pound (19 kg) Quik-Tatch weights.

• Weight bracket is built into the frame of two-wheel steer models.
• Four-wheel steer models require the optional weight bracket.

Front axle is made of nodular cast iron.

• Cast iron front axle is strong and shock resistant.
• Cast iron will not yield under heavy loads or impact.

A replaceable bushing is used at axle mounting.

• The bushing provides excellent wear resistance.
• Grease fittings at each spindle are easy to service.

Front steering spindle diameter is 0.75 inch (19 mm) for strength and long life.

• Have strength to handle heavy implements.
• Provide long life at bearing surfaces.
• Use sealed precision bearings in front wheels.

A heavy-duty equipment mounting system is used.

• Includes strong frame mounts with a combination of mounting holes in the tractor hitch plate that accept pins or shoulder bolts to support heavy rear-mounted equipment.
• Easily attach optional equipment to the tractor.
• Can bear the load of heavy rear-mounted equipment, such as material collection systems.

Modern styling with functional design enhances appearance and performance

Smooth, rounded contours present a modern, styled appearance.

• Hood styling incorporates efficient full-length air intake louvers on each side, rather than on the top.

• Cooler engine operation.
• Lower operator station sound levels.

• Reduces sound.
• Will not rust or dent.

Headlights are standard equipment on all models.

• Two 27-W bulbs provide excellent lighting for good visibility during evening operation.
• A headlight position on the ignition switch makes it easy to operate the headlights.
• The headlights are designed to provide an optimum lighting pattern for mowing and snow removal.

Operator station is comfortable and convenient

The operator station is designed for operator comfort and ease of using controls.

• A large, 14-inch (36-cm) diameter steering wheel is comfortable to use and minimizes steering effort.
• Full-length foot mats provide comfort for the operator and protect the footrest area.

An 18-inch (46-cm), high-back cut-and-sewn seat delivers a comfortable, smooth ride and excellent support for the operator.

• A smoother, more comfortable ride results from the use of more foam than a form-in-place seat and more side-bolstering to stabilize the operator on uneven terrain.
• Improved visual appeal is provided by the thicker cushion, additional bolstering in the seat and back, and an embroidered John Deere logo that makes this upscale seat look as good as it feels.
• Long-term pliability and less chance of cracking are advantages of the cut-and-sewn process, which does not require heating during the manufacturing process and gives a more uniform vinyl thickness.
• Additional operator support and comfort is available with optional armrests (BM23761).
• Reduced cost of repair, should the seat cover be damaged, is available with a replaceable seat cover available from Parts.
• Seat travel of 6.6 inches (17 cm) with 15 positions allows the operator to be seated comfortably and easily operate the controls. Seat can be easily adjusted fore and aft by the operator while sitting on the seat.

The seat suspension is adjustable, without tools, for the weight of the operator.

• Springs are adjustable fore and aft to any of three positions.

• No tools required.
• Allows fine-tuning of the suspension for the operator’s weight.
• Back position for more support for heavier operators.

• Can be used to store gloves, small tools, etc.
• Provides storage location for Exact Adjust tool and deck-leveling gauge.

A cup holder and toolbox are located on the fender for operator convenience.

• The cup holder holds a variety of container sizes.
• Toolbox provides convenient storage.

• Toolbox cover snaps closed to provide protection for loose tools, cell phones, etc.

A removable plug on the console, in front of the operator, provides a convenient location for the optional 12-V outlet and makes installation easy.

• Convenient for plugging in cell phone charger and other electric devices.
• Can be used to operate electric rear equipment, such as a sprayer or spreader.

A mid-vehicle, 12-V fast connector, located under the tractor’s fuse box, is included as standard equipment to reduce installation time for some attachments that operate on 12-V power from the tractor.

• The four-cavity connector includes battery, ground, and key switch terminals and is turned on and off with the ignition switch.

Serviceability is convenient with easy-open hood

The one-piece hood opens easily to permit checking and servicing the engine.

• Important service points are located within easy reach.
• A service interval decal is provided inside the tractor hood for convenience when servicing the tractor.
• The engine fuel and oil filter, the oil check/fill tube, and the oil drain tube are exposed for serviceability when the hood is opened.

John Deere riding lawn mowers are supported by owner information web pages that include links to:

• Safety and How-To Videos
• Operator’s Manuals
• Parts Catalog
• Maintenance Reminder Sheets
• Attachments
• Warranty Statements

To speed access to owner information web pages, a QR code is printed onto a PIN label located under the hood on trim side of the steering pedestal. Since each vehicle model has its own web page, the links are specific to the owner’s model. The QR code also includes the vehicle’s unique PIN which allows for additional customization of the owner information web page in the future.

A mower deck must be level side-to-side and properly adjusted front-to-rear to give the best cutting performance. A removable onboard deck-leveling gauge and a hex-key tool are provided to make adjustment easy. They are securely stored under the tractor seat.

Exact Adjust leveling ports are provided on each side of the operator platform above the mower-level adjusting ports. With the hex-shaped tool, they provide convenient access to allow quick and easy adjustment of the mower for the best quality of cut.

• There is no need to reach under the fender deck while making the mower-level adjustment.
• Onboard deck-leveling gauge, Exact Adjust ports, and the hex tool work together.

• Level the mower deck side-to-side.
• Set the correct amount of rake (front-to-back deck orientation).
• Calibrate the cutting height to the cut-height adjusting knob setting.

• To give the best cut, mower level should be adjusted if alternately mowing with and without blower installed. The Exact Adjust feature makes this easy.

Consult the operator’s manual for the correct adjusting procedures for each tractor model. Basic adjusting steps to properly level the mower deck include:

• Park the tractor on a level surface.
• Inflate tires to the correct pressure.
• Consult the label for the cutting height knob that is located on the console of the machine. This label shows deck-leveling position and location of deck-leveling adjustment points.
• Set mower cutting height knob to the correct deck-leveling position.
• Adjust mower wheels as necessary so they do not contact the ground surface.
• Remove the onboard deck-leveling gauge that is located under the seat.
• Using the Exact Adjust ports and tool, adjust mower deck side-to-side level so the deck-leveling gauge just slips under the left and right lower deck rim at the designated adjustment points. The location of adjustment points varies slightly between decks.

• Left and right rear adjustment points are under the deck rim near the rear mower wheels, if equipped.

• Loosen rear nuts equally on each side of front lift rod.
• Turn front nut equally on each side clockwise to raise front of mower or counterclockwise to lower it until gauge just slips under the front adjustment point.
• Tighten rear nuts after adjustment is complete.

NOTE: The adjusting tool supplied with the tractor is an 8-mm ball-hex key (part number M162737). The rounded end allows for some misalignment with the bolt as the deck is adjusted.

Help maintain your mower and lawn with the MowerPlus™ app and connector

Keep a mower running its best and know how it mows with the John Deere MowerPlus™ app. Simply scan the mower’s barcode to get custom information about the mower.

• Engine hours, fuel level, and battery health (as compatible).
• Mowing history with time, distance, area, and speed.
• Current day and five-day weather forecast based on location.
• Walk-through setup guides.
• Expert mowing tips.
• Useful attachments for future purchase.
• Periodic maintenance reminders.
• Safety instructions.

To download the free MowerPlus™ app, visit the Apple® App Store® or Google Play™ store.

Three MowerPlus™ connectors are available to transmit vehicle information to the MowerPlus™ app.

• BUC10510 MowerPlus™ Hour Meter Connector is for use with:

• Model year 2003 to 2020 100 Series Tractors, including all models with an E, D, LA, or L prefix.
• Model year 2015 to 2020 S240 Tractors (serial number.880000).
• S100, s110, S140, and S220 Tractors.

• All S120, S130, S160, S170, and S180 Tractors.
• Model year 2021 and newer S240 Tractors (serial number 880001-).
• Model year 2021 and newer Z515E, Z530M, Z530R, and Z545R (serial number 010001-).

• Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Select Series Tractors.

All the MowerPlus™ connectors transmit engine hour information to the app, making it easy to track maintenance intervals. The MowerPlus™ Smart Connector and MowerPlus™ Deluxe Smart Connector also transmit the fuel level. MowerPlus™ connectors require the MowerPlus™ app on a mobile device to use. The John Deere MowerPlus™ app and operating system requirements can be found in the mobile device’s app store. The MowerPlus™ app is only available in the English language, and it is not available in all countries. BUC10510 MowerPlus™ Hour Meter Connector requires iOS® version 10 or higher and is not compatible with Android™ operating systems.

Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple, Inc. Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google, LLC. iOS is a trademark of Cisco Technology, Inc. used under license by Apple, Inc.

Key Specs

Engine Power: 23 HP (17.2 kW)

Oil Change: No-Tools Oil Drain with Replaceable Filter

Engine Manufacturer/Model: FR691V

Transaxle Type: K58 Hydrostatic Integrated with Transaxle

Transaxle Control: Twin Touch™ Pedals

Rear Tires: 20×11-10

Lift System Type: Foot Pedal with Adjustable Spring Assist

Cutting Width: Accel Deep™ Mower Deck – 48 In. (122 cm)

U.S. Warranty: 4-Year/300-Hour Bumper-to-Bumper

Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.

Engine

Power: 23 HP (17.2 kW)

Displacement: 44.3 Cu In. (726 cc)

Manufacturer/Model: FR691V

Type: Overhead Valve, Full-Pressure Lube, Oil Filter

Cylinders: V-Twin, Cast Iron Liners

Governor: Mechanical

Choke/Speed Control: Separate Levers, Automatic Choke Return

Cooling Method: Air

Air Cleaner: Dry, Replaceable

Oil Change: No-Tools Oil Drain with Replaceable Filter

Fuel System

Type: Gasoline

Fuel Delivery: Pulse Pump, Carburetor

Fuel Gauge: Gauge on Dash

Fuel Tank Location: Rear

Fuel Fill Opening: 3 In. (76 cm)

Fuel Tank Capacity: 3.3 U. S. Gal. (12.5 L)

Electrical System

Battery: 12 V (340 CCA)

Charging System: Flywheel Alternator, Regulated, 12 Amp

Engine Starter: Bendix

Hour Meter: Yes

Headlights: Two Standard, Incandescent, 27 W

Taillights or Reflector: No

Backup Lights: No

Rear Work Lights: No

12-V Outlet: Optional

Transaxle

Type: K58 Hydrostatic Integrated with Transaxle

Control: Twin Touch™ Pedals

Cruise Control: Yes, Button on Dash

Oil Cooler: Fins and Fan on Transaxle

Oil Filter: Internal, Not Replaceable

Differential Lock: No

Forward Speed: 0 – 6.2 MPH (0 – 10 km/h)

Reverse Speed: 0 – 3.5 MPH (0 – 5.6 km/h)

Brakes: Internal Wet Disc

Chassis

Frame: Welded Heavy-Duty

Primer/Paint: E-Coat/Powder

Weight Bracket: Standard Rear, Optional Front

Receiver Hitch: No

Front Axle: Cast Iron Front Axle, Front Wheel Ball Bearings

Spindle Bushings: No

Front Tires: 15×6.5-8

Rear Tires: 22×11-10

Hood Material: Fully Enclosed, Molded-In Color Material

Fender Deck Material: Stamped Steel

Floor Mats: Sure-Grip Rubber

Storage: Yes, Under Seat and Covered Toolbox

Service Interval Decal: Yes

Fender Handles/Grips: No

Cup Holder: Yes

Equipment Mounting: Yes, Heavy Duty

Maximum Towing Capacity: 600 Lb (272 kg)

Steering

Type: Manual, Sector and Pinion

Four-Wheel Steer: Not Available

Steering Wheel: Large, 14 In. (35.6 cm)

Tilt Steering Wheel: No

Turning Radius: 16 In. (40.6 cm)

Uncut Circle Radius: 21 In. (53.3 cm)

Seat

Type: Cut-and-Sewn High-Back

Seat Back Height: 18 In. (46 cm)

Armrests: Optional

Fore-Aft Adjustment: Slide Rail, 15 Positions, While Seated – 6.6 In. (17 cm)

Seat Suspension: Tilt, Two Coil Springs, Three-Position No-Tools Adjustment for Operator Weight

Lift System

Type: Foot Pedal with Adjustable Spring Assist

Hydraulic Outlets: No

Mower Cut Height: 13 Positions, 1 – 4 In. (2.5 – 10.2 cm)

Cut Height Increments: 0.25 In. (0.64 cm)

Preset Cut Height: Yes

Mower Deck

Type: Side Discharge

Cutting Width: Accel Deep™ Mower Deck – 48 In. (122 cm)

Construction: Stamped Steel Deck Shell

Mower Deck Material: 10 Gauge Steel, 0.135 In. (3.4 mm)

Mower Wash Port: Yes

Mower Drive System: Electric Power Take-Off (PTO) Clutch, In-Line Belt

Mower Wheels: Four

Mower Wheel Adjustment: Seven-Position, Spring-Loaded Pin

Mower Level Adjustment: Exact Adjust Ports and Onboard Deck-Leveling Gauge

Mower Attachability

Type: Roll Under Tractor

Front Draft Arms: Attached with Spring Pins at Two Points

Rear Draft Arms: Quick-Pull Pins

Mower Wheels Rotate: Yes, 90°

Drive System: Dual Belt

Safety

Meets ANSI Standard: Yes

Meets OPEI Standard: Yes

Backup Protection: Reverse Implement Option (RIO)

Safety Video: Yes

Dimensions

Height: 49 In. (1,244 mm)

Overall Length: 72.3 In. (1,836 mm)

Wheelbase: 49.4 In. (1,255 mm)

Width with Mower: 62.6 In. (1,590 mm)

Width with Mower, Deflector Raised for Storage: 52.6 In. (1,335 mm)

Width without Mower: 39.4 In. (1,000 mm)

Weight: Mower, No Fuel – 651 Lb (295 kg)

Professional landscapers are reluctant to plug into electric mowers due to cost

Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Westchester County, N.Y., is holding onto his gas-powered mowers. He says electric ride-ons are too expensive for him to switch right now. Matthew Schuerman hide caption

Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Westchester County, N.Y., is holding onto his gas-powered mowers. He says electric ride-ons are too expensive for him to switch right now.

SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Electric lawn mowers have taken the U.S. consumer market by storm over the past few years. And they’ve done so quietly — about 20 decibels more quietly in some cases.

Once restricted to lawns no larger than the length of an extension cord, mowers on the market today run on lithium ion batteries that can last 45 minutes or more without charging and cost about as much as gas-powered versions. And in 2021, according to market research company FactMR, electric lawn mowers made up 37% of all sales.

But professional landscapers, who have to run their machines all day, day after day, have yet to join the trend in large numbers. Electric heavy-duty ride-on mowers make up just 11% of the total market for all heavy-duty ride-on mowers.

For homeowners, I feel like it’s great, said Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Scarsdale, N.Y. The battery just doesn’t last long, especially for the stuff that I do.

He has checked out commercial-grade mowers with batteries that can last six or more hours, but hasn’t wanted to pay the upfront costs. A 52-inch-wide ride-on model, the Rival from Mean Green Mowers, starts at nearly 30,000. That is more than three times a comparable gas-powered machine – though the manufacturer says the customer will break even given significantly lower operation and maintenance costs.

In the future I would love to buy them, but right at this second, I just can’t because of inflation and just everything that’s going on, Acocella says. I just can’t swing it yet.

Acocella and his employees began using hand-held electric devices – leaf blowers, weed whackers and hedge trimmers – last year when one of his clients, the town of Larchmont, required it. He’s begun to use them on other properties as well because they are lighter, much quieter, and don’t emit pollutants. But with the exception of the hedge trimmer, he says, they need frequent battery changes and are not as powerful.

I need something that’s going to last long or something that’s easy, Austin says. Like I have a gas can, it’s on a truck that I just fuel up and I go. How many batteries do I need to have in order to get through the day?

Mean Green Mowers, a 10-year-old electric lawn mower company based in Ohio, sells commercial-grade ride-on lawn mowers with long-lasting batteries. Jen Stroker (left), regional development manager for the company, and Raymond Rocco, co-owner of C.R. Power, which sells the products, demonstrated the Rival model in a Port Chester, N.Y., park recently. Matthew Schuerman hide caption

Mean Green Mowers, a 10-year-old electric lawn mower company based in Ohio, sells commercial-grade ride-on lawn mowers with long-lasting batteries. Jen Stroker (left), regional development manager for the company, and Raymond Rocco, co-owner of C.R. Power, which sells the products, demonstrated the Rival model in a Port Chester, N.Y., park recently.

Bans on gas-powered gear

Yet landscapers are being pressured to change – sometimes by clients and sometimes by governments. Last fall, the California Legislature passed a law requiring that all new landscaping equipment sold in the state be emissions-free beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

The state and national landscaping associations objected, arguing that electric equipment wasn’t advanced enough to operate for long periods of time, and in some cases, did not work as well as gas equipment. As proof, they cited a study from the California State University at Fullerton to show that zero emissions equipment hadn’t caught on among professionals. The study found that less than 6% of equipment used by landscapers were zero-emissions, compared to more than 50% of the gear used by homeowners.

But Assemblymember Marc Berman, the bill’s author, disputes the industry’s characterization of zero-emissions equipment.

This equipment is ready today, said Berman, a Democrat from Palo Alto. There are at least eight brands that produce zero emission equipment in each major equipment category for commercial equipment.

After that bill was passed, New York State Sen. Pete Harckham introduced a similar bill in Albany. Though it did not pass in the regular session, Harckham told NPR he plans to re-introduce it but has not decided on when the mandate would take effect.

Both the California legislation and the New York proposal only address the sale of new equipment, meaning landscapers and homeowners can continue using their existing gas-powered tools.

Numerous cities and towns across the country have gone further and restricted the use – as opposed to just the purchase – of gas-powered leaf blowers. And this month, two municipalities in Marin County, Calif., – Fairfax and Sausalito – banned the use of other gas-powered equipment as well, including mowers, to be phased in over the next 18 months.

Mixed environmental impact

Electric lawn mowers won’t help much in terms of climate-changing emissions – people just don’t mow their lawns nearly as much as they drive. The California Air Resources Board, for example, estimates that phasing out gasoline-powered lawn equipment will save an average of 0.66 million metric tons of CO2 a year, while the state produced 418 million tons in 2019 – the last year data was available.

But the agency found that gasoline-powered engines produce substantial amounts of other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide, which can lead to respiratory difficulties and smog. In addition, researchers have raised concerns about the impact of the equipment’s noise and vibrations on operators’ health.

Large, commercial-grade equipment is used on a significant proportion of green spaces around the country – not only public properties and office parks. The California State University survey found, for example, that half of the state’s residents with lawns hired landscapers to take care of them, either partially or fully.

Drawbacks of mandates

Still, even some supporters of green landscaping oppose mandating electric equipment, arguing that it may cause small landscapers – an important employer of immigrants and limited-skill workers – to go out of business.

If you just ban the use of equipment, you’re really putting the entire onus on the landscapers to come up with the money that they need to purchase the equipment, said Jamie Banks, the founder and CEO of the non-profit Quiet Communities, Inc. It’s not just purchasing the tool but also purchasing enough batteries and enough chargers that they can meet their work production needs.

And some of those batteries are expensive – as much as 1,500 for a backpack-style one to power a leaf blower. California lawmakers have so far allocated 30 million for subsidies to offset the higher landscapers will have to pay for new electric equipment. But the National Association of Landscape Professionals said the amount breaks down to just 15 for each piece of gas-powered equipment that landscapers in the state need to replace.

Berman, the state legislator, said that he is hoping to get more subsidies in the budget for the coming year.

Quiet Communities and another nonprofit, the American Green Zone Alliance, have been working with towns, school districts, and other entities to adopt zero-emissions equipment for their own properties, but to do so voluntarily. So far, they say they have recruited about 20 locales and institutions across the country to take part in their program.

I think the writing is on the wall, Banks said. It’s just, how do we get there in a way that’s, you know, fair, most efficient and so forth.

X370 LAWN TRACTOR

21.5-HP (16.0-kW) V-twin engine

The tractor is powered by a John Deere iTorque power system, a combination of engine features and an exclusive hood design that provides superior lugging ability, even cooling, and durability.

Key engine features include:

• 21.5 HP (16.0 kW)
• Large 44.3 cu in. (726-cc) displacement
• V-twin air-cooled design that provides smooth, quiet power
• Quality features include:

• Cast-iron cylinder liners
• Overhead valves
• Full-pressure lubrication
• Replaceable oil filter
• Dual-stage air cleaner

• Excellent power and performance
• Easy starts
• Smooth operation

Flywheel alternator

A flywheel alternator provides plenty of capacity to quickly recharge the battery and power electrical equipment, such as lights or a sprayer:

• 12-amp charging capacity
• Regulated to keep the battery at full charge without risk of overcharging

Fuel tank has large, 3.3-U.S. gal. (12.5-L) capacity

Fuel tank

Electronic fuel gauge

Large fuel tank and convenient fuel gauge minimize the number of stops for fuel and chance of running out of fuel:

• Fuel tank has a large, 3.3-U.S. gal. (12.5-L) capacity for more hours of operation between refills.
• Large, 3-in. (7.6-cm) diameter fuel tank filler opening makes adding fuel easy.

• Located on the left fender
• Helps eliminate spillage

42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep™ (42A) Mower Deck cuts clean and is versatile

X354 with Accel Deep 42A Mower Deck

Accel Deep 42A Mower Deck

The 42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep Mower Deck is a stamped-steel, deep, flat-top design that delivers excellent cut quality, productivity, cleanliness, durability, and versatility. Optimal performance and dispersion of clippings is provided, even at faster mowing speeds or in tall grass:

• 4.97-in. (12.6-cm) depth throughout the entire deck shell for optimum mowing, mulching, and bagging performance

• Optional lever-action or electric one-touch MulchControl™ system for superior mulching performance and versatility

• Adjustable mower wheels, positioned just above ground level, help reduce scalping

Excellent cut quality

42A Mower Deck top

42A Mower Deck underside

Deep mower-deck stamping gives excellent cut quality. It allows the cut and suspended material room to exit the deck without getting recut:

• Reducing the amount of recutting enables more power to be used to cut incoming grass, which greatly improves mower capacity.

• Helps maintain excellent cut quality at faster mowing speeds

Productivity. gets the job done fast

Side-discharge chute on Accel Deep 42A Mower Deck

Deep mower-deck stamping gives high productivity, which gets the job done fast. It allows the cut and suspended material room to exit the deck quickly, reducing the amount of recutting so more power is available to process incoming grass:

• Greatly improves mowers capacity to maintain excellent mowing performance in difficult mowing conditions and at higher speeds

Large discharge opening is both high and wide to handle more material:

• Gives a smooth, even discharge of clippings at all mowing speeds
• Reduces the chance of plugging, especially important when operating in wet, thick, or dense grass and when bagging
• Cut-and-throw chute has a large, optimized inlet which aids in collecting material by using airflow from the large deck opening

Cleanliness. for the mower and the operator

Accel Deep 42A Mower Deck

Accel Deep 42A Mower Deck

The flat-top shape of the deck stamping is optimal for keeping itself and the operator clean:

• There are few places to catch and hold material on top and underneath the deck.

• Top of deck stays cleaner, reducing time and effort needed for cleaning and service
• Underside of deck is self-cleaning to maintain optimum performance without buildup of material to interfere with the flow of air and clippings
• Less need to clean and remove buildup of material from underside deck

• Limited amount of material to drift onto the operator and mower deck
• Even flow of material discharged out the chute, less recutting results in larger pieces that are less likely to end up on the operator
• Mulching prevents the discharge of material completely and MulchControl makes mulching a practical solution for most mowing situations.

Cleaning a mower deck, both top and bottom, is one of the most frequent maintenance activities:

• The flat-top design reduces places for material to build up and makes material that does collect easy to remove.

Mower wash port

Mower wash port with hose connector

A wash port is provided to make cleaning the underside of the mower deck easy.

Superior durability is designed in

Hinged spindle cover on the 42A Mower Deck

Mower deck wheels are double captured for durability

The 42A Mower Deck has strong spindle s to keep the blades aligned, even after years of tough service:

• Ribs in the deck shell add strength where it is needed.
• The 42A has a 16 percent heavier overall weight than the Edge™ Xtra 42-in. (107-cm) Mower Deck.

Mower wheels are double captured:

• Provides greater strength and durability for longer, trouble-free life.
• Single-bolt adjustment makes setting wheels to the correct height for the cutting height quick and easy.

Low-tension belt-drive design reduces the side load on the engines lower bearing and mower deck bearings for longer life.

Rolled outer edge of the deck provides extra strength and protection.

Dual-stage E-coat and powder-paint coatings provide extra protection from rust.

Versatility. easy to change between side discharge, mulch, and bagging modes

Rear MulchControl baffle (A) that must be removed for bagging

Rear MulchControl baffle removed to allow for chute installation

The 42A Mower Deck is designed for maximum versatility, providing the greatest ease in changing from one mower discharge mode to another:

• With an optional MulchControl system installed (along with the special mulching blades), changing from side discharging to mulching or vice versa is done with the simple flip of a lever or push of an electric switch.
• The cut-and-throw rear bagger can be used with MulchControl by removing the rear MulchControl baffle (A) before installing the bagger chute. The baffle is held in place with two carriage bolts. To return to mulching, the chute needs to be removed and the baffle replaced.

7-bu (247-L) rear bagger

Optional rear bagger

Lower chute installed

An optional 7-bu (247-L) cut-and-throw rear bagger material collection system (MCS) is available for use with the 42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep Mower. It provides an efficient means of collecting grass clippings and leaves.

The hopper design provides modern styling, great bagging performance, cleaner operation, and easy-to-empty bags:

• 7-bu (247-L) capacity
• Easy-to-attach lower chute (ordered separately)
• Air exhaust duct
• Convenient spring-latch
• Airflow fill indicator
• Quik-Tatch mounting
• Sealed hopper top
• Loose-knit bags available

Mower blades

Mower blades shipped with the rear bagger chute

High-lift bagging blades are included with the bagger chute. They provide optimum performance when bagging in difficult conditions, such as when the grass is moist, dense, or long:

Mulching blades are included with the optional MulchControl system. They can be used for mulching, side discharging, and bagging in most conditions.

Mower blade use chart

Mode(s) of operation	Mower blade
Side discharging mode only	Side-discharge blade (shipped with mower)
Bagging mode only	Bagging blade (shipped with rear bagger chute)
Mulching mode only	Mulching blade (shipped with MulchControl)
Side discharge and mulching	Mulching blade (shipped with MulchControl)
Side discharge and bagging	Bagging blade (shipped with rear bagger chute)
Side discharge, mulching, and bagging	Mulching blade (shipped with MulchControl)

Four-year or 300-hour bumper-to-bumper warranty is standard

An exclusive 4-year or 300-hour (whichever comes first), single-source, bumper-to-bumper warranty is standard for all John Deere X300 Series Tractors.

• The warranty is hassle free, with one company handling all the paperwork.
• Premium features of X300 Series Tractors allow for this longer warranty period, with more coverage than comparable tractors.

Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.

Power steering and hydraulic lift enable easy operation

Power steering cylinder

Tilt steering lever (X390 and X394 only)

Hydraulic power steering is standard equipment:

• Provides effortless, automotive-like control
• Reduces operator fatigue and increases productivity
• Enables a tight turning radius for great maneuverability
• Adjustable-tilt steering wheel for optimum operator comfort (X390 and X394 Tractor)

Hydraulic lift system is easy to operate

Hydraulic lift

The hydraulic lift control lever is positioned on the dash near the steering wheel for quick, easy, and precise fingertip control of equipment. Implement float, which allows an implement to follow the ground contour, is built into the lift linkage.

MulchControl™ system provides superior mulching performance and Rapid conversion

Lever-action MulchControl lever (shown on 48A mower deck)

Electric one-touch MulchControl switch

The optional MulchControl system makes mulching more practical for many mowing situations because it not only does an excellent job of mulching, but it also allows the mower to be easily converted for times when it is more desirable to side discharge or collect the lawn material. Advantages of mulching grass clippings include:

• Creates a beautiful looking lawn
• Smaller grass clippings disappear into the lawn canopy
• Reduces fertilizer needs
• Grass clippings are not blown onto the operator, driveways, or flower beds
• No need to dispose of bags of clippings

How MulchControl works

MulchControl baffle open (shown on 48A mower deck)

MulchControl baffle closed (shown on 48A mower deck)

MulchControl is an innovative, simple design that is easy to use and maintain:

• The MulchControl system includes an adjustable MulchControl baffle near the discharge chute and fixed baffles to control the flow of material under the deck.
• The MulchControl handle, or an electric one-touch actuator, is on top of the mower deck and is used to open and close the MulchControl baffle.
• When the MulchControl baffle is open, most of the material flows freely out the discharge deflector or into a material collection system.
• When the MulchControl baffle is closed, material stays within the deck and gets chopped into mulch and deposited in the turf.

MulchControl is well-suited to the following mowing situations:

• For operators who usually mulch, but side discharge when grass gets too long
• For operators who usually side discharge, but would like to close the chute to control clippings in some areas
• For operators who always mulch a main lawn, but often side discharge secondary lawns
• For operators who collect clippings but want to go farther before emptying the material collection system

MulchControl puts the operator in control of the clippings.

Electric one-touch MulchControl

Electric one-touch MulchControl systems shift the MulchControl baffle using an electric actuator that is operated by a dash-mounted switch.

Electric one-touch MulchControl switcht

Electric one-touch MulchControl actuator (shown on 42A mower deck)

Operators can convert between modes without interrupting the mowing process, making it possible to change between modes:

• When approaching driveways or flower beds where clippings would be undesirable
• When a breeze blows clippings back onto the operator
• For side discharge mowing only the areas of the property where grass is too thick for mulching
• With 48A and 54A Mower Decks, for collecting only the areas of the property where grass is too tall or thick for mulching

MulchControl limitations

While in the side discharge mode, MulchControl still mulches about one third of the material. Therefore, the side discharge mode is essentially a partial mulch mode. This can be an advantage when side discharging or bagging, as it helps to reduce the amount of material being discharged. Other times this could work as a disadvantage:

• When cutting strong southern grasses, such as Zoysia and Bermuda
• When cutting in wet, high growth conditions, such as those found in the Pacific Northwest United States
• When optimum bagging and lawn clean­up is desired
• 42A Mower Deck requires a MulchControl baffle be removed to install the bagger chute

When bagging with MulchControl on a 48A or 54A mower deck, the MulchControl baffle can be opened or closed with the Power Flow™ blower installed. The Power Flow blower runs without material when the baffle is closed.

Rear baffle (A) must be removed for bagging with MulchControl with 42A mower decks

When bagging with MulchControl on a 42A mower deck, the cut-and-throw rear bagger can be used with the MulchControl blades. However, the rear MulchControl baffle (A) needs to be removed to install the bagger chute. The baffle is held in place with two carriage bolts. To return to mulching, the chute needs to be removed and the baffle replaced.

MulchControl compatibility

Each MulchControl system is an optional field-installed attachment and includes everything needed: baffles, mulch blades, a handle (lever action attachments) or an actuator, wiring, and switches (electric one-touch attachments).

Lever-action MulchControl attachments

Attachment	Description	Applications
BUC10704	42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	Model year 2016 and newer X300 Series Tractors, Z300 Series ZTrak™ Mowers
BUC10705	48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	S240 Lawn Tractor, model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors, Z300 and Z500 Series ZTrak Mowers
BUC10706	54-in. (137-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors, Z300 and Z500 Series ZTrak Mowers

Electric one-touch MulchControl attachments

Attachment	Description	Applications
BUC10164	42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 Series Tractors
BUC10165	48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors
BUC10166	54-in. (137-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors

NOTE: Model year 2016-2017 X300 and X500 Series Tractors (X300 serial number 10,001-50,000 and X500 serial number 110,001-130,000) require replacing the tractor wiring harness and dash panel to use an electric MulchControl attachment.

Snow removal is a strength of lawn tractors

44-in. (112-cm) Front Blade

Snow blower, weather enclosure, and chains on an X300 Series Tractor

An advantage of lawn tractors is their ability to use equipment for snow removal. Lawn tractor owners can add a John Deere snow blower or front blade to make quick work of moving snow whenever the need arises. Weather enclosure and tire-chain attachments add comfort and performance.

Equipment available for snow removal includes:

• 44-in. (112-cm) Snow Blower
• 44-in. (112-cm) Front Blade
• 48-in. (122-cm) Front Blade (X394 Tractor only)
• Tire chains or TerraGrip traction belts
• Weather enclosure (available for all X300 Series, except the X350R)
• Weights

Integrated hydrostatic transaxle efficiently transmits power to wheels

Kanzaki® K46 transaxle (X330, X350, X354) Kansaki K57 transaxle (X370)

Kanzaki K58 transaxle (X380, X384, X390, X394)

The Tuff Torq® hydrostatic transaxle encloses the hydrostatic pump and motor rotator groups in the same housing with the differential and axle housings. This design is very efficient and reduces the number of sealing surfaces to minimize the potential for leakage.

Combined with the foot controls, the hydrostatic transmission functions similarly to that of an automatic transmission in an automobile, so the term automatic is often used to describe it:

• Use of the latest valve designs has significantly reduced the sound level.
• Large pump and motor rotating groups ensure long life and efficient operation.

Freewheeling valve

Freewheeling valve

A freewheeling valve control is conveniently located near the tractor rear hitch plate for good visibility and easy operation.

Kanzaki and Tuff Torq are trademarks of Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Controls are convenient and easy to find

Convenient operator station

Separate throttle and choke controls

The contoured dash has clean, attractive styling and ergonomic controls for easy use:

• Controls are color coded for easy identification by the operator.
• Controls are logically placed and easy to reach.
• The power take-off (PTO) switch allows the operator to get fingers underneath it, like a T-handle, to pull up for easy activation.
• The reverse implement option (RIO) switch is a yellow button.
• The hydraulic-lift control and the park brake latch are pivot levers for low effort.
• Cruise control activation is handled by an automotive-style button.
• Separate engine speed and choke controls make starting and warming up the engine easier in cold weather.

• The choke lever is spring loaded to eliminate the chance the tractor will be unintentionally operated with the choke partially closed.

Functional design of the throttle and choke controls provides good appearance and a comfortable feel.

Easy-to-use key switch and controls

Tilt steering lever (X390 and X394 only)

• The hydraulic-lift control and the park brake latch are pivot levers for low effort.
• Cruise control activation is handled by an automotive-style button.
• Separate engine speed and choke controls make starting and warming up the engine easier in cold weather.

• The choke lever is spring loaded to eliminate the chance the tractor will be unintentionally operated with the choke partially closed.

Display panel

Display panel illustration with descriptions

Display panel

Instrument display has the look and feel of a modern automobile. A power-up sequence cycles lights and gauges to indicate they are working:

• Display features dark-cockpit design to minimize operator distractions.
• Display is back lit for night visibility.

• Night visibility is especially useful with snow blower use.

• Target-zone graphics inform the operator of the engine speed range to use for best cut quality.

• Damage can be prevented and repair costs can be reduced by addressing problems early.

• The indicators are also useful to identify the reasons the PTO or engine may have shut off when an interlock is unsatisfied.

• Onboard diagnostics provides trouble codes for use by trained technicians.

• For example, a technician can test switch functionality and circuit continuity without tools.

Twin Touch™ foot control

Twin Touch foot control

Cruise control

Twin Touch foot pedals control the speed and direction of travel:

• Automotive-type accelerator control ensures easy operation.
• Operator can change direction without lifting foot off the platform.
• Large pedal surface gives superior operator comfort.

Deck-leveling gauge placed under deck

Deck-leveling gauge is placed at the appropriate location under the left rear, right rear, and front of the mower deck as the cut height is adjusted using the Exact Adjust tool and front draft arm adjusting nuts.

Cruise control

Cruise control is standard equipment:

• To engage, push the cruise-control button and hold until the foot is removed from the forward pedal.
• For emergency stop, the cruise control can be released by pushing on the brake pedal or the forward pedal.

Mower deck height adjustment

Mower cut-height adjusting knob

A rotary dial knob makes adjusting the mower cut height quick and easy:

• Provides mower cut heights in 0.25-in. (6.4-cm) increments from 1 in. (2.5 cm) to 4 in. (10.2 cm)
• Returns the mower deck to the same preset height each time it is lowered

Storage tray under tractor seat

Exact Adjust tool used to level mower deck

Storage for the onboard deck-leveling gauge and the Exact Adjust tool is provided in the storage tray under the tractor’s seat.

• Exact Adjust ports allow for easy and accurate leveling of the mower deck for optimum mowing performance.

Parking brake control

Parking brake

Depressing the brake pedal applies internal wet-disk brakes (increased durability and longer life) for safe stopping.

A parking brake control is conveniently located for easy access; it holds the brake pedal securely in locked position.

Electric PTO clutch is easy and convenient to use

Electric PTO switch

The heavy-duty electric PTO clutch is operated with a convenient dash-mounted switch.

Heavy-duty PTO clutch

PTO clutch

The PTO clutch is designed to operate through many on/off cycles.

Reverse implement switch

Mower engagement PTO switch

Using RIO

CAUTION: Children or bystanders may be injured by rotating blades. Before traveling forward or rearward:

NOTE: Operating the mower while backing up is strongly discouraged. RIO should be used only when operating another attachment or when the operator deems it necessary to reposition the machine with the mower engaged.

• Stop forward travel. Allow attachment to run.
• Look down and behind the machine to be sure that there are no bystanders.
• Push and hold in the reverse implement switch while depressing the reverse pedal slightly.NOTE: If the attachment stops while positioning the machine, return mower engagement (PTO) switch to off position. Repeat this procedure from the beginning.
• Release the reverse implement switch and reposition the machine as the machine begins to move rearward.
• Resume forward travel. The attachment should continue operating.
• Repeat procedure to position the machine again.

Frame is reliable heavy-duty welded steel

Welded, heavy-duty frame

The frame is made of heavy formed and welded steel, reinforced in critical areas for even greater strength:

• The frame is formed from 12-gauge, 0.105-in. (2.66-mm) thick material for long life.
• Standard front bumper and hitch plate are formed from 9-gauge, 0.15-in. (3.8-mm) steel and complete the frame assembly.
• Rear hitch plate can support two 42-lb (19-kg) Quik-Tatch weights.

• Weight bracket is built into the frame of two-wheel-steer models.
• Four-wheel-steer models require the optional weight bracket.

Front axle and wheel spindles are heavy-duty

Cast-iron front axle

Front axle is made of nodular cast iron:

• Cast-iron front axle is strong and shock resistant.
• Cast iron will not yield under heavy loads or impact.

A replaceable bushing is used at axle mounting:

• The bushing provides excellent wear resistance.
• Grease fittings at each spindle are easy to service.

Front steering spindles

Steering spindle

Front steering spindle diameter is 0.75 in. (19 mm) for strength and long life:

• Have strength to handle heavy implements
• Provide long life at bearing surfaces
• Use sealed precision bearings in front wheels

Rear equipment-mounting system is heavy-duty and easy to use

Rear equipment mounting system

A heavy-duty equipment mounting system is used:

• Includes strong frame mounts with a combination of mounting holes in the tractor hitch plate that accept pins or shoulder bolts to support heavy rear-mounted equipment
• Easily attach optional equipment to the tractor
• Can bear the load of heavy rear-mounted equipment, such as material collection systems

Modern styling with functional design enhances appearance and performance

Attractive styling

Hood air-intake louvers

Smooth, rounded contours present a modern, styled appearance:

• Hood styling incorporates efficient full-length air-intake louvers on each side, rather than on the top.

• Cooler engine operation
• Lower operator station sound levels

• Reduces sound
• Will not rust or dent

Two high-quality headlights give excellent visibility

Optimum lighting pattern

Headlights are standard equipment on all models:

• Two 27-W bulbs provide excellent lighting for good visibility during evening operation.
• A headlight position on the ignition switch makes it easy to operate the headlights.
• The headlights are designed to provide an optimum lighting pattern for mowing and snow removal.

Operator station is comfortable and convenient

Operator station

Operator station

The operator station is designed for operator comfort and ease of using controls:

• A large, 14-in. (36-cm) diameter steering wheel is comfortable to use and minimizes steering effort.
• Full-length foot mats provide comfort for the operator and protect the footrest area.

Comfortable seat

Comfortable cut-and-sewn seat

Comfortable cut-and-sewn seat with optional armrests

An 18-in. (46-cm), high-back cut-and-sewn seat delivers a comfortable, smooth ride and excellent support for the operator:

• A smoother, more comfortable ride results from the use of more foam than in a form-in-place seat and more side-bolstering to stabilize the operator on uneven terrain.
• Improved visual appeal is provided by the thicker cushion, additional bolstering in the seat and back, and an embroidered John Deere logo that makes this upscale seat look as good as it feels.
• Long-term pliability and less chance of cracking are advantages of the cut-and-sewn process, which does not require heating during the manufacturing process and gives a more uniform vinyl thickness.
• Additional operator support and comfort is available with optional BM23761 armrests.
• Reduced cost of repair, should the seat cover be damaged, is available with a replaceable seat cover available from Parts.
• Seat travel of 6.6 in. (17 cm) with 15 positions allows the operator to be seated comfortably and easily operate the controls. Seat can be easily adjusted fore and aft by the operator while sitting on the seat.

Adjustable seat suspension

Seat suspension with springs in rear position

Seat suspension with springs in forward position

The seat suspension is adjustable, without tools, for the weight of the operator:

• Springs are adjustable fore and aft to any of three positions.

• No tools required
• Allows fine-tuning of the suspension for the operator’s weight
• Back position for more support for heavier operators

• Can be used to store gloves, small tools, etc.
• Provides storage location for Exact Adjust tool and deck-leveling gauge

Cup holder and toolbox

Cup holder and covered toolbox on fender

Covered toolbox with open cover

A cup holder and toolbox are located on the fender for operator convenience:

• The cup holder holds a variety of container sizes.
• Toolbox provides convenient storage.

• Toolbox cover snaps closed to provide protection for loose tools, cell phones, etc.

Removable plug for optional 12-V outlet

Location for optional 12-V outlet

A removable plug on the console, in front of the operator, provides a convenient location for the optional 12-V outlet and makes installation easy.

• Convenient for plugging in cell phone charger and other electric devices

• Can be used to operate electric rear equipment, such as a sprayer or spreader

12-V fast connector

Fast connector location

A mid-vehicle, 12-V fast connector, located under the tractor’s fuse box, is included as standard equipment to reduce initial installation time for some attachments that operate on 12-V power from the tractor:

• The four-cavity connector includes battery, ground, and key switch terminals and is turned on and off with the ignition switch.

Serviceability is convenient with easy-open hood

One-piece hood is easy to open

Service interval decal located under hood

The one-piece hood opens easily to permit checking and servicing the engine:

• Important service points are located within easy reach.
• A service-interval decal is provided inside the tractor hood for convenience when servicing the tractor.

Easy-to-service engine fuel and oil filters

The engine fuel and oil filters, the oil check/fill tube, and the oil drain tube are exposed for serviceability when the hood is opened.

Quick response (QR) codes link to owner information web pages

Example product identification number (PIN) label with QR code

John Deere riding lawn mowers are supported by owner information web pages that include links to:

• Safety and how-to videos
• Operator’s manuals
• Parts catalog
• Maintenance reminder sheets
• Attachments
• Warranty statements

To speed access to owner information web pages, a QR code is printed onto a PIN label located under the hood on trim side of the steering pedestal. Since each vehicle model has its own web page, the links are specific to the owner’s model. The QR code also includes the vehicle’s unique PIN which allows for additional customization of the owner information web page in the future.

Exact Adjust ports and onboard deck-leveling tools make precise deck adjustments easy

Deck-leveling gauge and hex adjusting tool stored under tractor seat

Exact Adjust access holes

A mower deck must be level side-to-side and properly adjusted front-to-rear to give the best cutting performance. A removable onboard deck-leveling gauge and a hex-key tool are provided to make adjustment easy. They are securely stored under the tractor seat.

Exact Adjust leveling ports are provided on each side of the operator platform above the mower-level adjusting bolts. With the hex-shaped tool, they provide convenient access to allow quick and easy adjustment of the mower for the best-cut quality of cut.

The Exact Adjust feature is standard on all Select Series™ X300 and X500 Tractors:

• There is no need to reach under the fender deck while making the mower-level adjustment.
• Onboard deck-leveling gauge, Exact Adjust ports, and the hex tool work together.

• Level the mower deck side to side
• Set the correct amount of rake (front-to-back deck orientation)
• Calibrate the cutting height to the cut-height adjusting knob setting

• To give the best cut, mower level should be adjusted if alternately mowing with and without blower installed. The Exact Adjust feature makes this easy.

Deck-leveling tool placed under deck

Using included ball-hex tool to level mower deck

Consult the operator’s manual for the correct adjusting procedures for each tractor model. Basic adjusting steps to properly level the mower deck include:

• Park the tractor on a level surface.
• Inflate tires to the correct pressure.
• Consult the label for the cutting-height knob that is located on the console of the machine. This label shows deck-leveling position and location of deck-leveling adjustment points.

Cut height adjusting knob

• Set mower cutting-height knob to the correct deck-leveling position.
• Adjust mower wheels as necessary so they do not contact the ground surface.
• Remove the onboard deck-leveling gauge that is located under the seat.
• Using the Exact Adjust ports and tool, adjust mower deck side-to-side level so the deck-leveling gauge just slips under the left and right lower deck rim at the designated adjustment points. The location of adjustment points varies slightly between decks.

• Left- and right-rear adjustment points are under the deck rim near the rear mower wheels, if equipped.

• Loosen rear nuts equally on each side of front lift rod.
• Turn front nut equally on each side clockwise to raise front of mower or counterclockwise to lower it until gauge just slips under the front adjustment point.
• Tighten rear nuts after adjustment is complete.

NOTE: The adjusting tool supplied with the tractor is an 8-mm ball-hex key, part number M162737. The rounded end allows for some misalignment with the bolt as the deck is adjusted.

Help maintain your mower and lawn with the MowerPlus™ app and connector

MowerPlus home screen

MowerPlus maintenance screen

Keep a mower running its best and know how it mows with the John Deere MowerPlus app. Simply scan the mower’s barcode to get custom information about the mower.

• Engine hours, fuel level, and battery health (as compatible)
• Mowing history with time, distance, area, and speed
• Current day and five-day weather forecast based on location
• Walk-through setup guides
• Expert mowing tips
• Useful attachments for future purchase
• Periodic maintenance reminders
• Safety instructions

To download the free MowerPlus app, visit the Apple® App Store® or Google Play™ store.

MowerPlus Hour Meter Connector

MowerPlus Deluxe Smart Connector, with a phone

Three MowerPlus connectors are available to transmit vehicle information to the MowerPlus app.

BUC10510 MowerPlus Hour Meter Connector is for use with:

• Model year 2003 to 2020 100 Series Tractors, including all models with an E, D, LA, or L prefix
• Model year 2015 to 2020 S240 Tractors (serial number.880,000)
• S100, S110, S140, and S220 Tractors

BUC10929 MowerPlus Deluxe Smart Connector is for use with:

• All S120, S130, S160, S170, and S180 Tractors
• Model year 2021 and newer S240 Tractors (serial number 880,001-)
• Model year 2021 and newer Z515E, Z530M, Z530R, and Z545R (serial number 010,001-)

BUC10537 MowerPlus Smart Connector is for use with:

Zero Turn Mower Model Numbers Breakdown!

All the MowerPlus connectors transmit engine hour information to the app, making it easy to track maintenance intervals. The MowerPlus Smart Connector and MowerPlus Deluxe Smart Connector also transmit the fuel level.

MowerPlus connectors require the MowerPlus app on a mobile device to use. The John Deere MowerPlus app and operating system requirements can be found in the mobile device’s app store. The MowerPlus app is only available in the English language, and it is not available in all countries. BUC10510 MowerPlus Hour Meter Connector requires iOS® version 10 or higher and is not compatible with Android™ operating systems.

Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple, Inc. Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google LLC. iOS is a trademark of Cisco Technology, Inc. used under license by Apple Inc.

Additional details

MowerPlus connectors (sold separately)

Specifications

Compare the specifications of up to 4 models

Key Specs x370-lawn-tractor Current Model Engine powerOil changeEngine manufacturer/modelTransaxle typeTransaxle controlRear tiresLift system typeCutting widthU.S. warrantyPowerDisplacementManufacturer/modelTypeCylindersGovernorChoke/speed controlCooling methodAir cleanerOil changeTypeFuel deliveryFuel gaugeFuel tank locationFuel fill openingFuel tank capacityBatteryCharging systemEngine starterHourmeterHeadlightsTaillights or reflectorBackup lightsRear work lights12-V outletTypeControlCruise controlOil coolerOil filterDifferential lockForward speedReverse speedBrakesFramePrimer/paintWeight bracketReceiver hitchFront axleSpindle bushingsFront tiresRear tiresHood materialFender deck materialFloor matsStorageService interval decalFender handles/gripsCup holderEquipment mountingMaximum towing capacityTypeFour-wheel steerSteering wheelTilt steering wheelTurning radiusUncut circle radiusTypeSeat back heightArmrestsFore-aft adjustmentSeat suspensionTypeHydraulic outletsMower cut heightCut height incrementsPreset cut heightTypeCutting widthConstructionMower deck materialMower wash portMower drive systemMower wheelsMower wheel adjustmentMower level adjustmentTypeFront draft armsRear draft armsMower wheels rotateDrive systemMeets ANSI standardMeets OPEI standardBackup protectionSafety videoNotesWarrantyMowersRear baggerPowered material collectionMulching systemFront thatcherFront bladeMid-mount bladeSnow blowerRotary broomRotary tillerSleeve hitch3-point hitchRear power take-off (PTO)Plow, moldboardBox scraperCultivatorRear bladeDisk harrowLandscape rakeSprayerSpreaderFront bumperBrush guardWeather protectionSun canopyRear receiver hitchBucket holderGrass stripingTractor shovelFront loaderOther equipmentTow-behind toolsHeightOverall lengthWheelbaseWidth with mowerWidth with mower (deflector raised for storage)Width without mowerWeight

21.5 hp16 kW

No-tools oil drain with replaceable filter

FR651V

K57 hydrostatic integrated with transaxle

Twin Touch™ pedals

20×10-8

Hydraulic

Accel Deep™ mower deck, 42 in.107 cm

4 year/300 hour bumper-to-bumper (Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.)

21.5 hp16 kW

44.3 cu in.726 cc

FR651V

Overhead valve, full-pressure lube, oil filter

V-twin, cast-iron liners

Mechanical

Separate levers, automatic choke return

Air

Dry, replaceable

No-tools oil drain with replaceable filter

Gasoline

Pulse pump, carburetor

Gauge on dash

Rear

On left fender, 3 in.7.6 cm

3.3 U.S. gal.12.5 L

12 V340 CCA

Flywheel alternator, regulated, 12 amp

Bendix

Yes

Two standard, incandescent, 27 W

No

No

No

Optional

K57 hydrostatic integrated with transaxle

Twin Touch™ pedals

Yes, button on dash

Fins and fan on transaxle

Internal, replaceable

No

0-5.8 mph0-9.3 km/h

0-3.5 mph0-5.6 km/h

Internal wet disc

Welded heavy-duty

E-coat/powder

Standard rear, optional front

No

Cast iron front axle, front wheel ball bearings

Metal, replaceable

15×6-6

20×10-8

Fully enclosed, molded-in color material reduces sound, will not rust or dent

Stamped steel

Sure-grip rubber

Yes, under seat and covered toolbox

Yes

No

Yes

Yes, heavy duty

600 lb272 kg

Power, hydraulic

Not available on this model

Large, 14 in.35.6 cm

No

22 in.55.9 cm

30 in.76 cm

Cut-and-sewn high-back

18 in.46 cm

Optional

While seated, slide rail, 15-position, 6.6 in.17 cm

Tilt, two coil springs, three-position no-tools adjustment for operator weight

Hydraulic

No

13 positions, 1-4 in.2.5-10.2 cm

0.25 in.0.64 cm

Yes

Side discharge

Accel Deep™ mower deck, 42 in.107 cm

Stamped steel deck shell

12 gauge0.105 in.2.7 mm

Yes

Electric power take-off (PTO) clutch, in-line belt

Two

Four-position, tool required

Exact Adjust ports and onboard deck-leveling gauge

Slide under tractor

Attached with spring pins at two points

Two pins and spring clips

No

Single belt

Yes

Yes

Reverse Implement Option (RIO)

Yes

Fully enclosed, molded-in color material reduces sound, will not rust or dentPower steering for exceptional maneuverability and comfortOne-piece hood for easy service access, molded-in color hood material reduces sound and will not rust or dentDurable E-coat primer and powder-paint finish

4 year/300 hour bumper-to-bumper (Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.)

42A (standard)

2-bag, 7 bu247 L

Yes, MulchControl™

38, 46, 54 in.96.5, 116.8, 137.2 cm

44 in.111.8 cm

Two-stage, 44 in.111.8 cm

Tow-behind, 15 U.S. gal.56.8 LTow-behind, 25 U.S. gal.94.6 LMounted, 25 U.S. gal.

Tow-behind, 125 lb57.7 kgTow-behind, 175 lb79.4 kgMounted, 125 lb

Styled bumper option

Yes

Weather enclosure

Yes

Yes, double bucket

Lawn striping kit

40 in.101.6 cm

16

49 in.1244 mm

71.5 in.1817 mm

49.4 in.1255 mm

50.5 in.1283 mm

51.2 in.1300 mm

38 in.964 mm

Mower, no fuel: 570 lb259 kg

.9% APR fixed rate for 48 months 1

on New John Deere X300 Select Series Lawn Tractors

• 1.9% APR fixed rate for 48 months 1 OR
• 4.9% APR fixed rate for 60 months 2 OR
• No Interest if Paid in Full within 9 Months 3
• Offers available 02 May 2023 through 31 July 2023

Buy Online for Free Delivery 1

on Residential Lawn Tractors

• Only valid for purchases made through Buy Online.
• May be combined with other promotions.
• Offer available 02 May 2023 through 31 October 2023.

1 Offer valid on qualifying purchases made 02 May 2023 through 31 July 2023. Subject to approved credit on a Revolving Plan account, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required. 1.9% APR is for 48 months only, regular Revolving Plan rates will apply after that. The regular Revolving Plan rate, which varies over time, is currently 23.0% APR (as of 01 May 2023). Available at participating U.S. dealers. and models may vary by dealer. Offer available on new equipment and in the U.S. only. and savings in U.S. dollars.

2 Offer valid on qualifying purchases made 02 May 2023 through 31 July 2023. Subject to approved credit on a Revolving Plan account, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required. 4.9% APR is for 60 months only, regular Revolving Plan rates will apply after that. The regular Revolving Plan rate, which varies over time, is currently 23.0% APR (as of 01 May 2023). Available at participating U.S. dealers. and models may vary by dealer. Offer available on new equipment and in the U.S. only. and savings in U.S. dollars.

3 Offer valid on qualifying purchases made 02 May 2023 through 31 July 2023. Subject to approved credit on a Revolving Plan account, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date at 17.90% APR if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 9 months or if your account is otherwise in default. Available at participating U.S. dealers. and models may vary by dealer. Offer available on new equipment and in the U.S. only. and savings in U.S. dollars.

1 Free Delivery offer is available on the following new products when purchased directly through the John Deere Buy Online site from participating John Deere dealers in the United States between 02 May 2023 through 31 Oct 2023: 100 Series Lawn Tractors; 200 Series Lawn Tractors; Select Series™ X300 Lawn Tractors; Select Series™ X500 Lawn Tractors; X700 Signature Series Tractors; Z300, Z500, and Z700 Zero-Turn Mowers; Commercial Walk-Behind Mowers; 600 Series QuikTrak™ Stand-On Mowers; Z900 Series ZTrak™ Zero-Turn Mowers; Gator™ Utility Vehicles; and 1, 2, 3, and 4 Series Compact Tractors. Delivery not available from all dealers. See the ‘Select a Dealer’ screen to find a participating dealer in your area. Valid in the U.S. only.

Utility Cart, 7P Poly. LP21935

7P Poly Utility Cart

Every owner of a John riding lawn and garden product is a potential customer for a high-quality, affordable utility cart. Utility carts can be used to haul a variety of materials including firewood, lawn debris, sand, dirt, mulch, garden tools, plants, and bushes.

Utility carts are designed, painted, and decaled to be compatible with other John Deere equipment.

NOTE: For proper braking and operation, the loaded weight of the cart should never exceed the weight of the tractor, or other towing unit, plus the operator. The loaded weight of any equipment towed by an EZtrak™ or ZTrak™ mower should not exceed 250 lb (113.4 kg). See the appropriate vehicle pages for the weight of the vehicle and the mower deck.

7P Poly Utility Cart

Compression molding process allows polyethyl­ene to be the optimum thickness in all areas for superior strength and durability.

0.75-in. (2-cm) x 2-in. (5-cm) stake s are molded in to make the addition of side extensions easy.

Two vertical 0.75-in. (2-cm) molded channels on each side allow easy use of dividers to separate the box into two or three compartments.

Ribs in the box bottom add strength and prevent the shovel from hitting bolts when emptying the cart.

Pneumatic tires provide turf tread for good flotation, shock absorption, and minimal rolling resistance.

7P Utility Cart wheel

Wheels are mounted on a solid, one-piece axle for durability.

Iron and Oilite® wheel bearings with grease fittings provide lubrication for long life.

The pneumatic tires offer the following:

Sloped tailgate

A sloped tailgate design makes emptying the box easier; there is no tailgate to loosen or remove.

Tractor hitch

A large-diameter hitch pin provides plenty of strength:

• Fast, easy attachment to the tractor hitch
• Spring pin to ensure the pin stays in place

Tilt latch

Tilt latch

An easy-to-use, spring-loaded dump latch allows tilting the box for easier unloading. A steep dump angle makes emptying the cart easier.

Model comparison chart

Comparison with similar models

Model	Order through	Box capacity (heaped)	Material thickness	Maximum weight	Vehicle compatibility
7P	Order Zone	7 cu ft (0.20 m 3 )	High-density polyethylene (HDPE)	450 lb (204 kg)	EZtrak, ZTrak, 100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
8Y	Order Zone	8 cu ft (0.22 m 3 )	HDPE	300 lb (136 kg) (tow)	100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
10P	Order Zone	10 cu ft (0.28 m 3 )	Polypropylene	650 lb (295 kg)	EZtrak, ZTrak, 100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
13	Order Zone	13 cu ft (0.37 m 3 )	16-gauge, 0.06-in. (1.5-mm) steel	1,000 lb (454 kg)	100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
16YS	Order Zone	17 cu ft (0.48 m 3 )	Polypropylene	800 lb (363 kg), 350 lb (158 kg) when using swivel feature to dump	100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
17P	Order Zone	17 cu ft (0.48 m 3 )	Polypropylene	1,000 lb (454 kg)	100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
18	Order Zone	18 cu ft (0.51 m 3 )	16-gauge, 0.06-in. (1.5-mm) steel	1,000 lb (454 kg)	100 Series, S240, X300 Series, X500 Series, X700 Series
21	Order Zone	21 cu ft (0.59 m 3 )	16-gauge, 0.06-in. (1.5-mm) steel	1,000 lb (454 kg)	X700 Series

The total weight of the cart and payload. For proper braking and operation, the loaded weight of the cart should never exceed the weight of the tractor, or other towing unit, plus the operator. The loaded weight of any equipment towed by an EZtrak or ZTrak mower should not exceed 250 lb (113.4 kg). The maximum weight for the 21 Utility Cart is rated at 20 mph (32.2 km/h).

HDPE is compression molded for optimum thickness in all areas and maximum durability.