That would be an interesting comparison. A few thoughts: If the GX is extra sweet and serviced as it should it could be a contender. You would want to know hours, when the transaxel has been serviced, if there is wiggle room in the price etc. The last GX 345 came down the pike in 2005. If the first 2 numbers after the F on the model tag are 14 or greater- then it's a 2005. The transaxle on a X320 is not meant to be serviced. Possibly the new X series steering may be easier w/ the thrower mounted. Most people were satisfied w/ the single stage units on GTs. Generally they threw well, didn't clog easily and are lighter than 2 stage. 2 stages earn their keep if you have the snow for it where you are.

BTW, the F in the series could also be a different letter. M0G345*14. Feel free to post the model # if it is different.

Thanks tom -

Good feedback...The model number is M0G345A105664. So, that looks to be a 2005 - which is what the dealer told me.

Hours are 225 on the mower...So, pretty low. Not yet sure about specific maintenance - but, I do know it's been well-maintained. I have that on my list of follow-ups.

As I mentioned, that single stage blower is only a year old. I have to check to see if that blower has hydraulics or an easy ability to raise / lower. I've got a good size gravel driveway, so I'm a bit leery of throwing stones etc....I too have heard that, generally, people are satisfied with those JD single stage blowers. We get over 300" per year with the late winter / early spring storms being the heavy, wet stuff.

Apples and oranges...

While the X320 is a competent LAWN tractor it isn't in the league with the GX345 which is a real GARDEN tractor.
Far heavier duty transaxle with ground engaging capability, liquid cooled engine, bigger wheels and tires,. IIRC also differential lock. If that GX has hydraulic attachment lift all the better.

No diff on the blowers... single or two stage both work fine once you get used to how to operate them. Had both designs here @ 7000 feet in the Rockies and they both blow snow nicely.

Get a pair of HDAPs on the rear of that GX along with 4 suitcase weights on the back and wheel weights and you'll rarely even need chains.

Gravel driveway... here's the tested and approved skid shoe mod

{{gwi:314371}}

According to JD's site, that serial is a 2002 build. They may have the actual sales date on file however. All what lurker said is true enough. The hours on the machine is low enough. It is a 10 y/o tractor and there are things that go with that. You need to see the care it received in that time. Add cooling system service to the list. Hoses & belts aren't getting any newer, seals or headgaskets either. These are things you have to KNOW have been serviced rather than assume. If the dealer isn't getting the year correct, then don't trust the service "beliefs" See the service orders. I don't think that you would ever hurt the frame/ build on a 320 from normal usage that you speak of. The engine is powerful enough though. It may be nice to have some of the GX features in some instances. There is a balance to find, that's for sure.

Here is a link that might be useful: deere john

You won't hurt the frame on the X320 and it will do the job but if the GX checks out the $1200 you save will buy a lot of tractor goodies... even after you pay the dealer for a complete service and the GX should hold its value pretty well.

Excellent feedback & advice....Seems my next logical step should be to get my hands on the service records of the 345. I'll also inquire about cost to do the complete service, add on the HDAP tires etc. I'll also get a chance to see what other goodies are on that 345.

Thanks for the help! Much appreciated.

Quick update....Tomplum - you were 100% correct in that the model is a 2002, not 2005 as had been told to me. Total hours on the machine are 300.

The GX345 comes standard with power steering & hydraulics for the deck & the snowblower. With the adjustable skid shoes, I should be set. Justalurker - I appreciate the pix of the mod'd shoes. I may need to consider that as we get about 300" of snow per year.

The dealer indicated that there were no prior warranty claims. However, they did not have access to any service records...I was able to call the original dealer - who is about 35 miles away. Tractor was originally purchased on 6/15/2002. Original price paid was $3500....Dealership knew the buyer very well - person owns a Jeep dealership & maintained the vehicle personally.

However, the original dealership did tell me that they readied the tractor for sale in January 2011. A full, top-to-bottom service was done at the cost of $827...I asked for specifics and the dealership didn't have that record.

The original dealership felt it was a good tractor - something worth considering.

I looked at the tractor more closely today. There's a couple of big scratches that will need some attention....What I was most struck by was the tractor sold "new" in 2002 for $3500. The current dealer is asking $3900 with the 1-year old snowblower, original 48" deck and wheel weights. I guess one could say it has held it's value. Either that, or the original dealer is a little off-base with the 2002 acquisition price.

The current dealer is checking on availability & cost of the HDAP tires. They also said that "they'd go thru it thoroughly" before I took delivery. Not fully sure what that means. Yet.

Given what I've learned, I'm contemplating what I should offer for the tractor.

"What I was most struck by was the tractor sold "new" in 2002 for $3500. The current dealer is asking $3900 with the 1-year old snowblower, original 48" deck and wheel weights."

Of course you must also consider inflation rate of the dollar from '02 until now. With a CPI difference between the two years of 180 vs 227 for present day, it works out to $4400.00 new for the tractor now (assuming I did it right:), and at least $1000 value for the one-year old JD snow blower ($1400 new for a 44"). So doesn't look too bad when you consider that...

Here is a link that might be useful: Consumer Price Index

The current version of that GX would be a new JD X540 and retails @ $7699 plus $1600 for the new blower and $110 for wheel weights = $9409 so that 10 year old GX with the blower and wheel weights looks up pretty good to me @ $3900.

Get the dealer to include a complete service and throw in a pair of HDAPS.

If you dawdle someone else will buy that GX.

I would say the original purchaser got a great deal. There is a lot to like about the GX. Hours are low, but trust me if there is an $827 service- someone has that record. Would you put that much money into something that you probably paid trade $ to the OP and sell it to break even? If they can't produce it, have them do the "once over" PM- plus a service that includes cooling system and transaxle service. I think it fair that a guy has a base to start this relationship with. The thing that I'm not clear on, if the original selling dealership traded back in, prepped the tractor for sale- then how does this dealer have it a year later? Obviously, it had been sold. You wouldn't hardly dealer trade a used GT to begin with, let alone prep it for sale to do so. It may be a great tractor and I am not trying you to steer you away (Got that phone # for the dealer that has it ;)- but it is much like buying a used car. Was the $827 an insurance claim?

Here is a link that might be useful: Fun link

So, did you pick one of these up?

Thanks Tomplum & Justalurker for your great advice.

Sorry for the delay in getting back. I had been traveling..

I did get a chance to go see the original dealer and got the true scoop on the GX345. The $827 bill was to install the blower, put in a new battery, new voltage regulator & labor....That's the good news.

Bad news - I tried to go see the tractor on Saturday 1/7 and had been emailing the dealer I'd be coming in. He had promised to get me a price on HDAP tires. I also left him a VM on the 7th...Never got a reply. During the week, I stopped into the dealer and he wasn't in - I said I'd stop back. I called him again last Thursday & shot him an email. Never heard back....This morning - I get an email from the guy saying that the tractor is off site and that someone else "might" be buying it. He said he'd get back to me - but, hasn't as of yet.

So - it's looking like this one might be falling thru. Needless to say, I'm not happy at all with the sales guy. If it's this hard to get a hold of him to BUY something from him, what's it going to be like AFTER ??

Things happen for a reason. I'm FAR more educated now - which, again, is why I truly appreciate the excellent advice...So, I'm now armed with cash and much more knowledge. Though I'm very upset about the possibility this one is falling thru, I feel I have a better understanding of my needs. A new 320 would be nice, but I'm now eyeballing other used GS345's, 540s and other models - especially if they're within 500 miles.

Again - appreciate all of the help and I'll let you know how this saga plays out.

Don't overlook a good deal on a used X500 if you see one. Foot pedal lift for the mower and blower is easy enough and you can always add the power lift kit http://www.kaylon.com/front-attachments_03.php for the blower if you feel you need it. Fits X3xx and X5xx select series.

As for your dealer...

There seem to be two kinds of John Deere dealers... the ones who made John Deere who they are today and the ones who made Kubota who they are today.

Justalurker & TomPlum - I promised I'd follow-up with an update.

Sure enough, that GX345 fell thru. Turns out it was being packaged up, with another 5 to 10 riding mowers/tractors, to be sold to a Canadian wholesaler. The weird part was that I was taking my 12-year old to a hockey game 100 miles from where I originally saw the GX345. Up the street from the rink was a JD dealer, and it happened to be owned by the same dealer (they have 3 locations)...For kicks, I drove around the back of the building and sitting on a pallet was the GX345! Sitting next to it, on 2 other pallets, where the deck and the blower....I got a chance to inspect more closely. As I said previously, things happen for a reason - I am VERY glad I didn't buy this tractor.

But, the story gets better. Short version is that I kept my eyes out for a used x5-- series. I happened to see an x530 go up for sale, but it was about 2.5 hours from the house. After conversing with the seller (who was in FL), turns out the tractor was built late May 2011, sold in late July 2011 but it was not known how many hours were on it. I took a leap of faith and committed to buy it, sight unseen (well, just 1 picture). The best part? It was originally sold by the same dealership that had that GX345 (their 3rd location!).

I drove in a snowstorm, a couple of days ago, to pick it up. The tractor has only 37 hours and still has 3 1/2 years of warranty on it! I won't publish what I bought it for - but, you can do the math. I paid 1/2 what was paid for it, last July....A nice deal and a very nice silver lining to the craziness I went thru.

Patience - and cash - pay off!

x530 is now being outfitted with a 47" blower, grill cover, 4 quiktatch weights and chains.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Isn't it great to get a deal like that every once in a while! So what was ugly w/ the 345? I mean that thing has spent more time being passed from one dealer to another over the past year. Strange really.

When you experience steering problems in the snow with the blower on the answer is Vredestein V61 front tires in size 16/6.50-8. Your OEM turf tires on the front will pack with snow and slide when you want to turn.

HDAPs @ 6psi on the rear are more than enough 95 % of the time in snow and a lot less grief than chains. My chains are are still in the bag and I've been through many feet of snow in the two winters I've had the HDAPs.

Best deal on drift cutters for the blower are these http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Parts-Lookup/532183614/605094/ps Bolt right on the 47" and 44" JD blowers. Less than one third of the cost of the JD ones and they are adjustable while the JD ones are not.

Tom - it does feel good to get a deal like this, every once in a while. I've always believed things happen for a reason - which I said in 1 of my earlier postings, prior to finding the x530 that I bought....So, I've just always been fortunate that things that fall thru, they where probably meant too. Not that it doesn't sting at 1st, cause it can be frustrating. I've just always found that things work out in the end.

Upon looking at the GX345 more closely (I wasn't rushed the last time I saw it), the deck was more beat up than I thought. The machine had some pretty heavy scratches on both the left & right rear "fenders", just behind the seat. They were beginning to rust pretty badly...Granted, all very fixable and/or cosmetic, but it got me worrying a little bit about the things that I couldn't "see"...I didn't do any mechanical tests to see if everything was working fine....I simply walked away feeling relieved I didn't make an impulse buy. I don't feel I dodged a bullet - given more time to inspect, that GX345 is probably an excellent buy. Especially, considering the work that had been put into it recently.

Obviously, if the dealer had got back to me and accepted my offer on the GX345, I either never would have found the deal on the x530 or (even worse) I would have seen it and been angry that I couldn't jump on it.

Justalurker - you're like Carnac the Magnificent. Giving the answer to the question before the question is asked.

I've already ordered the drift cutters. They were several dollars cheaper off of Amazon and will be here in a few days.

I had hoped there wouldn't be steering issues. Ironically, I had asked the dealer about the turf tires and he said they shouldn't be a problem...At some point, I want to start cutting a a trail to the back of my house (lower level walkout). I also know my 12 year old will be using the 47" blower to start blowing snow for his sled / snowboard park. He'll be able to move yards of snow and I know that his little junior engineer brain is already spinning with possibilities.....I'll start checking into those Vredestein v61's. Do you use those as a winter replacement or did you make a full-time swap over to them?

I did get a message today that the blower will be in by the 14th. Apparently, they are back-ordered....That's supposedly a conservative date and it could be in sooner.

V61s will tear turf up big time if you're not real careful.

I chose to purchase extra rear rims and fit them with HDAPS and extra front rims and fit them with V61s.

Take less than a lazy half hour to change over and bolt the rear wheel weights on and hang the 4 suitcase weights on the back. 7.5" x 1/2" carriage bolts work perfect to bolt on the plastic rear wheel weights with the aquare bolt end from the inside of the wheel and threaded part out with a flat and split washer and an acorn nut makes it super sano.

About the same half hour to remove the deck and install the blower.

So I have the winter setup and the summer setup.