The John Deere that competed with the Toro 520xi was the 445. The transaxle in the 520xi is extremely heavy as I have a spare one in my storage. The lift plate on my 2 wheel dolly bends when I load up the extra 520xi transaxle I have.
Hi, thanks for your comment. I never had a JD 445 so I don't exactly know the costs to maintain such transmission or how it's K91 would perform in comparison with the Eaton 11 from the Toro. I tried to compare something I serviced myself and not based on other people's reviews. To be honest I have doubts that Eaton 11 transmission from the Toro 520xi can be placed on the same level as the Tuff Torq K91/92. Indeed if I compare the weight, there seems to be a huge difference between the Tuff Torq K71 from the JD GX355 - which is about 27kg with the K91 from JD 455 which is 63Kg both dry, and the Eaton 11 from Toro which must be around 50-60kg. In the end it's not only about the weight (as Tuff Torq use a lot of aluminium while Eaton is surrounded by a lot of cast iron), but also about the details like: pump and motor displacement, reduction ratio, max static weight on axle, axle torque etc. It would have been great if Toro would have implemented a solution to lock the rear axle.
I have the Kubota G2000 (gas) mower -2 wheel drive. Where can I find a replacement mower deck? I can not find information on cross-compatability of mower decks and the local dealer does not know. My engine and transmission are still going strong, but the mower deck has become the weak link. I've driven new mowers at high retail costs and zero turns costing, I've become aware of what's new .. and I desire what's old .. as most don't come close to the power and speed of the old Kubota G2000 which does great on my residentail hills .. she's old she's not tired yet.
Unfortunately it's not easy to find new cutting decks for old machinery. I's not a secret anymore that the tractors themselves outlast the cutting decks by far... maybe because they want to sell new and make more profit😑 The only solution that come through my mind is to find a good welding shop that can build a cutting deck shell and then by reusing your existing spindles, blades, pulleys etc you can have another cutting deck that might last 15 years or so. It won't look like a new one but I'm sure it'll work. There was a guy on eBay that was building such things from scratch, you only had to send him the details and measurements. Hope it helps.
Regarding the engine oil, it pretty much depends on the area you're using it but you can't go wrong with the Kubota one. Here in the UK a 10W-30 synthetic blend Kubota or not, works very well. I am sure you can find lots of diagrams on the internet regarding the best multi-grade oil suited for the outside temperature in your area. When it comes to the transmission oil, Kubota recommends their Super UDT oil which I am not sure what kind of base-blend is using, but I believe it worth the extra 25% compared to a 'regular' oil. Toro seems to be less picky for both the engine & transmission oil and recommends regular oil 10W-30 or 10W-40, again... depending on the area you're using it. Hope it helps!
Hi, great comparison! Thank you. You saved me to buy an overpriced John Deere. I would prefer the Kubota but it is very rare and pricy especially in Europe. Do you think this comparison can be generous to other models of these manufacturers ?
Hi, thanks for your appreciation. I am not sure how frequently the Kubota mowers can be found on the rest of the European market, but in UK these can be found up for sale, quite often... and here I am talking about both the G1700 and G1900 and even from time to time the G3 HST which is the earlier model. On the other hand it's not correct to generalize the quality of different models from the same manufacturers, because probably every machinery company has invested in design and implementation of cheaper, but also more expensive models. Thus being said, for some low-price models they might cut some corners but for the more expensive ones they might put really good and durable parts. In the end, if you go for second hand machinery, it is not only about the company reputation but also the aftermarket support for parts and their availability. Hope it helps!
@@Armadyllo Yes, after my first comment I've found that Kubota small tractors are quiet frequent on eBay in the UK. Unfortunately, UK import tractors became very expensive alternative for us in EU since 01.01.2021. : ( I am sitting in Sweden right now so here is everything about Husqvarna and Stiga : ) In January I skipped to buy a G3 HST locally because the deck was not functioning, but I already regret it. Since that time I found only one example (G 1900 HST) which has already gone. I will definitely put my vote for Japanese workmanship. Once I've had a Toyota Hilux and I felt the same while sitting on the G3 HST: indestructible. By the way: do you know which manufacturers diesel pump the Kubota has ? I think these Kubota diesels can run on vegetable oil.
@@Veghaster I've never tried to feed into D722 anything else than diesel ;), but I doubt that bare vegetable oil will work properly. @Project Farm has interesting videos on RU-vid about various experiments. I see two OEM codes for the diesel pump 16861-51010 and 16006-51010 but I don't know who is making these for Kubota. Perhaps Zexel but I'm not sure.
Nothing to do with comparison but, the John Deere's are over rated and over priced ! I would wonder if any of these machines will be available and in good operation like my 1970 Wheel Horse Raider 12 !
