There are classes of products that are not intended to cross borders and there are classes of products that are legally restricted from crossing borders. There are numerous ways that a manufacturer can enforce both marketing areas and state and national borders with franchised dealers and it is done every day in pretty much every industry.

For sure anyone can drive anywhere they want and buy anything they want and bear the inconvenience and cost of travel and transport to buy whatever they want and then more inconvenience and more travel and more and more transport if they need warranty service.

By the up and up I was referring to Stadrill stating at the time that he favored doing business at his dealer to maintain that relationship.

To me, a business relationship is very important. I tend to be a very loyal customer too, once that business has earned my trust. Business and consumer relations, is a two-way street however.

If a business tries to screw its' customers for every nickle they can get, I'm outta there. If they sincerely try their best to make me happy, I'll be around for a heckuva long time. Example; I've been doing business with the same woodworking machinery & tool store, for over 35 years. I trust the people there, and respect their knowledge. They can't always match a deal that I happen to find, but I always go to them first, to see if they can get in the ball-park. I don't mind paying a bit more, as long as it's reasonable.

Unfortunately, there's way too many Canadian businesses that simply won't even try to compete. They still act as if our dollar was worth 69 cents U.S. They overprice stuff like crazy, then wail about Canadians buying in the states. This is the age of the global economy, and those old business models simply don't work anymore.

You're not the only place businesses are turning the tables...

Back in the day businesses generally appreciated their customers and let them know it.

As the years went by some businesses lost interest in cultivating and maintaining relationships with their customers but they were smart enough to continue the illusion that they cared.

Now, in too many instances, we don't even get the illusion.

Today's business model has inverted from the business exists for the convenience of the customer to the customer exists for the convenience of the business.

My local JD dealer is one of those hardliners who made the local Kubota dealer a millionaire. I will go to any length to not spend money with my local JD dealer, but I'd run spend money with my local JD dealer before I'd walk into your dealer's showroom based on how you relate that he's treated you.

My salesman seems like a heckuva nice guy. Maybe I'm naive, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He definitely needs to upgrade his communication-skills however, and should put himself in the shoes of the customer. Example; it's now 11:00 AM, Friday (delivery day). I have no idea when he will show up. He hasn't called.

As for the other departments at the dealership, I dunno. Maybe he's at the mercy of the "inner workings" of that company. I'm told they have 12 outlets here in Quebec.

Well, speak of the devil; my rep just called. Their delivery-truck is apparently way behind schedule, and is unavailable this afternoon, so it looks like tomorrow (Saturday) will be the new delivery day. One good thing,,, they've received my brush-guard, and it will be installed today.

No news from the Kubota rep yet. It's a beautiful day here, and the grass looks great, but ready for a good trim.

A salesman who doesn't/can't communicate is a CASHIER.

ROFLMAO,,,, goooood point !!!!

And I'm guessing a commission cashier to boot

Well, it's now 1:45 PM. I called Kubota to see what's going on, and the rep says he's leaving shortly for my place. He'll probably be here in 45 minutes. He's bringing a 4wd GR-2120. I'm excited about this, and it's a perfect day out there. I wanna see how this "mountain-goat" handles my slopes.

Well,,,,,,,, the Kubota's been here and now on it's way back to the dealership. I'm a bit speechless at the moment. This machine climbed slopes that I never imagined it could. VERY impressive machine. He actually showed up with the GR-2110, not the 2120. I was a bit surprised to see that this 2110 was also equipped with a shaft-driven deck and tranny, like the 2120.

This machine is built like a tank. I was amazed at how thick the frame was. It simply exuded "quality" from stem to stern. The deck was also very thick, and the depth was roughly 5". A nice clean look to the deck, and all the hardware seemed very robust. Mounting/dismounting also looked very simple, but the deck wheels don't rotate like the Deere deck, so I'd imagine it's a bit more work to install or remove the deck.

I was also VERY impressed by how quiet the machine was. No need to yell, to speak to someone standing next to the machine. You really get the impression this is a commercial-quality vehicle, and not a consumer-grade machine.

The "ride" on my very bumpy lot, was very hard on my just re-injured back, despite the fact that the seats' weight-setting was low. The tires also appeared to be inflated at a high pressure setting. I kicked the rear tires, and it was like kicking a stone wall, so I assume one could play with the pressure-setting, to get the desired ride quality on bumpy ground. I've driven this tractor on a smooth surface at the dealership, and it was a delight to drive. It's a bit slower than the X-500 (6.2 vs 7.1 mph)

The power-steering was also very nice. Very easy to turn and/or reverse with one hand, simply using the palm of my hand on the steering-wheel. I was also very impressed with the sharp turning radius.

Overall, I just don't know what to think at this point. I'm blown away with the performance and quality of this machine, but on the other hand, I think I've come to realize that this tractor is complete and utter overkill for my particular situation.

One negative was the tearing-up of some of my slopes, which really has nothing to do with the machine itself. No matter what machine I'd use, I'd get some tear-out on my slopes, because the sub-surface is land-fill,,, rocks, gravel, sand. There's just a thin layer of top-soil and grass, so I'm not surprised to see some tear-out, when this 900+ lb beast is climbing a 40-plus degree slope. It's inevitable with any machine,,,,even with my self-propelled 21" mower.

I'll leave it at that for now. I've got some SERIOUS thinking to do. What a machine!!!!

You will be equally impressed with other machines you test drive that are in the neighborhood of $10k. That is what ten thousand dollars gets you.

Test drive a JD X7xx diesel 4wd and a 2305 and then a Kubota BX

Yeah, I drove a BX-25 last week, complete with the backhoe and FEL. That was a heckuva machine too.

I really underestimated the GR-2110 though. Todays' demo has really shaken me up, and I'm not sure what to think at the moment. My head will be spinning 'til the X-500 gets here in the morning. Maybe that one is overkill too.

Tonight, I'm going to give some thought as to whether I want the tractor to do the slopes at all. I may even speak to the JD rep about down-sizing from an X-500, to the X-320 or X-324, with a 48" deck. I'll try the X-500 first, then go from there.

Uh oh, my JD rep just called again, and he can't come tomorrow. The delivery truck is "unavailable", so we've rescheduled for Tuesday, next week. I spoke to him about todays' Kubota experience, and the subject of tractor-overkill, as well as the possibility that I may reconsider the size of tractor that I need. He has therefore offered to bring two tractors when he comes; the X-500, as well as an X-320.

I'd wonder which of the dealer's customers the delivery truck is available for and why it isn't available for you... again. I wonder if there's a customer who's been waiting longer than you... probably.

Well, in a way this new delay may be a good thing, and having a little extra time to re-think, may just bring me back to my senses.

It's now obvious to me that my new self-propelled mower, is probably all the mower I'd really need "under normal circumstances". The problem of course, is that I'm having a hard time just getting out of a chair, let alone walking the mower up slopes, and keeping up with the rest of the yard. I was doing not too badly until I re-injured my back on Monday. My doc says it'll get better,,,eventually.

I have been following this thread, interesting to say the least. This is my thought for what is worth... buy now what you think you will need should you move in 2-3 years. Even the cost of shipping your mower will cost you less in the long run. You will definately lose more money on a sale of your mower should you move. Forget about any trade in to a JD dealer. You only get a fraction of what you paid. If you think you will have more to mow when you move, definately buy the X500 series vs. X320. With good care, this mower will last your life time.

Have you looked into a good used GX series mower with low hours? These have the differential lock and in my opinion are a better quality mower than the X500 series. No warranty but if you come across a nice one, it will too will last with no worries and you will pay far LESS! You can get a GX255 with 54 deck, low hours for around 3500.

Check out www.machine finder.com

More for you to think about, good luck!

Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

Regarding the move to Nova Scotia, I'm not certain I'd want to bring the tractor with me. I've got to be the ultimate pack-rat, and moving all that stuff is going to be one heckuva job. I thought I'd buy a tractor now, while rates are really low, but, I have no idea how I'd haul it down there. (20+ hour drive). I'd most likely buy another tractor after I get there.

I've got a complete woodworking shop to move, and I'm also a musician, with wayyyy too much gear, P/A systems, more instruments than the Rolling Stones, studio-gear, 4 vehicles and a utility-trailer,etc. That's going to be a nightmare, lol. I just hate moving, but it'll all be worthwhile after it's done. Good folks down that way.

For now, I'd like to buy a good used tractor, but I'm just not finding anything worthwhile. I keep looking though. I'll see what happens Tuesday, when the JD rep brings those two X-series tractors. Since I've pretty well resigned myself to doing the slopes with the self-propelled mower, maybe I should just buy a small zero-turn for doing the "flats". Something like a Toro Time-Cutter, with a 42 or 48" deck. They're not expensive, and I probably wouldn't lose much if I sell it, two years down the road.

Well I think you answered your question as to what to do here..... Re: X320 or X500, if you are mowing only flats and will sell the mower when you move, definately go with the X320. There is always used if you come across one and can verify the maintenance. This is so important and you are buying with no warranty and you better be handy or you will pay much at the shop. And if a zero turn costs less than a X320, you have that option too. But if you plan to mow flats only and have no plan to haul heavy loads or use ground attachments, definately an X320 over the X500 and you will SAVE your hard earned money. You would only want the X500 for the more durable transmission to do hard work.

Have some peace of mind now!

An X500 will have more resale value (% wise) than an X320 and it will sell quicker as they rarely come up on the used market. In either the case of the X320 or X500 the remainder of the warranty transfers to a subsequent owner here in the US... maybe not in Canada, you'd have to check.

Since you bought, will buy, might buy the X500 at a nice price you'd stand to recover more of your money if you sold it when you moved.

Yes, I got a better deal on the X-500 than what I was offered for the X-320, relative to MSRP. The dealer wanted $4400 for the X-320 if I remember correctly, which is close to MSRP I believe. I got the X-500 for $5200., which was $800. below MSRP.

What did the extra $800. spent give me? Well, a 26hp motor (vs 22), a beefier tranny (K-72), locking differential, bigger wheels/tires(23x12), high-back seat, 500hr/4yr warranty vs 300hrs/4yr. Since the JD promotion was over May 31st up here, they now want $5,999. for the X-500, so I'm already ahead of the game there. 0% interest, no payments for 1 year was not too shabby either.

No question the deal was great, considering that I'm in Quebec, but, is it what I really need? I'll find out Tuesday I suppose.

OOPS!! I forgot to mention that the X-500 also has the serviceable tranny, which was an important feature in my selection process.

Remember to get that transmission serviced at 500 hours! Filter and fluid changed.

Nice deal you got there, nice job!

The filter in the X500 trans is internal and not a routine service item. The cavity for the replaceable filter is there but no routing of the fluid into the cavity.

The X530 and X540 with hydraulic lift and power steering use the replaceable filter.

The first trans oil change for the X5xx series is at 50 hours and every 200 hours after that.

Well, I looked at a Toro ZTR today,,, one of their "Time-Cutter models. The seat had zero suspension, so That one's out. That machine would kill my back.

I stopped by Home Depot on the way home, and looked at a few of the D-Series machines. What a difference, compared to the X-Series JD's. Anyway, I looked at D-100's,D-110's, D-120's, D-160's and D-170's. The 100,110,and 120 had lo-back seats, which I did not care for. I sat on a D-160 and D-170, and those seats seemed VERY comfortable, so I hope the X-500 and X-320 fare just as well, or better. They should be here in the morning, if the weather holds. It's been a very rainy last few days, and is supposed to clear tonight.

It's Heeeeeere!!!!! ;-))

My shiny new X-500 finally showed up, and now has a whopping 0.9 hours on it. (is it time to trade up???) ;-))

Initial impression is, this will most likely suit my needs to a "T". I was especially surprised by the quality of cut, and the ride comfort. The available ground-speed was nice too, but I mowed at a reduced speed, and got great results.

The rep did not bring an X-320 with him, as they had none available, but that was fine. I'm comfortable with the X-500, so I'll stop agonizing over details, and won't look back. I'll have to live with it for a little while, until I can give an accurate critique, but as it stands, I think I've made a good decision.

As for the Kubota GR-2110 that I tried last week, the X-500 doesn't compare. The Kubota was in a complete other league, but, it was nearly twice the price too(9200. vs $5200). I had hoped that the differential-lock on the X-500 might work just as well as the 4wd Kubota, while going down my slopes. This was not the case, as my sales-rep quickly found out, when he experienced a hair-raising ride down one of the steeper parts of my slopes. Even the Kubota rep had not tried that area.

As far as turn-radius, the Kubota again was the clear winner. There's no comparison actually. And as for a low center-of-gravity, I'd say the Kubota once again felt better "planted" on slopes. I may try loading the tires on the X-500, to see if that feels a little better.

The X-500 did not have the HDAP tires I ordered, as they haven't arrived yet, and I believe the rep was trying to convince me to stay with the turf tires, as he felt they may be a better option for my application. I dunno. The rep slid down one of my other hills, with the brakes fully engaged. He told me he didn't have the differential-lock on, but there were two very-visible skid marks, all the way down that hill. He didn't lose control, but was close to the margin IMO.

A few other items that I ordered did not arrive (single rear bucket-holder and 5 gal, bucket, and a sun-canopy. Those will come shortly I'm told.

I'm a bit frustrated that it took such a short time to mow my lawn. I'm tempted to ask the neighbors if I can cut their grass too. I want more seat time. ;-))

Congrats John! I mowed my neighbors yard as well. We just got some rain, so hopefully soon I'll have more grass. Don't back down on the hdap tires. They look good and should also help with traction on your slopes. Forget about the X320 as well. the kabota is sounding pretty good, but like you said, $4000 is a major difference. Have fun with your new toy and be sure to get some pics up. I will be doing the same soon.

Thanks Tubby175,

I will keep on them regarding the HDAP's. They told me last week, that they would come to my home with a service truck, to change my tires.

I did manage to get quite a few pics today, and a friend who is a pro-photographer, also passed by and snapped a few. I've never posted pics on the web, so it may take a few days before I actually get around to doing so, but I will post them. I've also got great pics of the Kubota GR-2110 climbing my slopes. Wait 'til you get a load of those. Wow!!!

I'm so glad this search is over. I can't recall ever researching something as intensely, in such a short period of time, as I did with this "lawn solution". I'm aware of the compromises and short-comings, but overall, I'm quite satisfied with the results. I don't miss the power-steering, but a tighter turn-radius, 4 wd, and a lower center-of-gravity, would have been the icing on the cake. Next time around.;-))

The tranny should be serviced the first time I do believe at 100 hrs I have the k-72 and that was my interval.The X500 will mow great my x534 out mowes everything in my neighborhood. When you drive by my house you see a huge difference , and I use no chemicals on my lawn.
My tricks are keep the deck clean,sharp blades, mow often and mow 3 inches or higher this helps crowd out weeds. I am sold on my tractor. The more you use it the more you will like it.

"The first trans oil change for the X5xx series is at 50 hours and every 200 hours after that.

Right from the operator manual for X500, X520, X530, X534, X540. The models with the filter get a filter at the same intervals while the X500 and X520 do not cause they don't have the filter.

The fact that the filter can't be changed on the X-500, bothers me a bit. I'll probably be changing the transmission fluid a little more frequently than the manual recommends; mind you, I have no plans on using the tractor for anything other than mowing. (no ground-engagement applications). It took me less than 0.4 hours to mow my lawn yesterday (24 minutes), and part of that time, was just getting used to the tractor. At that rate, over our short 4 1/2 months mowing season, I'll probably rack up less than 10 hrs per season. I need to find a little extra work for this tractor.

Lately, I've certainly renewed my interest in properly maintaining my lawn. The JD rep and I took a good look yesterday, and it seems a thatcher will be required. Are any of the accessory thatchers worthwhile, or are they just "toys". What about the lawn-sweepers? Most that I've seen have those itty-bitty plastic wheels, and don't appear to be very durable. I'm surrounded by very large and mature trees, and leaf-collection can be quite a chore. I have a great back-pack blower (Echo) for gathering the leaves from difficult areas, and generally dispose of over 20 very large bags of leaves, every Fall. I also mulch another 10 bags' worth, into the lawn. I may stop mulching however, as the JD rep said that my lawn soil was probably too acidic.

I have to contact a professional landscaper, to do some repairs to my property, and while he's here, I'll find out what the lawn requires, in order to regain it's full potential. I'll probably need at least a truck-load of top-soil, to fill in all the holes and depressions, and "flatten" the yard. I say "flatten: because my "flats" are not level, There's a slight continuous grade, from one end of the property to the other.(5' vertical drop over 200') This is where a scraper-blade, front-bucket, and roller would come in handy, but I doubt it would be worthwhile buying those, for a one-time job.

The K72 holds considerable oil and has good heat dissipation as long as the fan on top is kept clear and clean.

Don't sweat the filter. Just do the maintenance as scheduled in the operator manual.

You can always replace your standard mower blades with mulch blades or the gator blades to mulch your leaves very fine like. Healthy for your lawn!

From what I gather, mulching will increase the acidity of the soil. The JD rep felt that my soil was already showing signs of being too acidic. In a week or so, I should have a landscaper here, and I'll discuss it with him.

I went to see my dealer today, just in case I wanna trade up within 30 days. My rep wasn't there, and they had no X-700's in stock.

OK, here's a question re the John Deere 30 Promise;

Am I entitled to configure my tractor the way I want, during the 30 day period? Here's why I'm asking;....

My sales rep submitted my invoice to JD, after delivering my tractor. Although we had discussed several optional extras that I wanted, prioe to delivery, those items did not show up at the time of delivery. The HDAP tires was one item, and I also wanted the rear bucket-holder, possibly a lawn-sweeper and a thatcher, a sun-canopy, possible a weight-bracket and some suitcase weights, etc. When I went to the dealer today, another rep told me that if the invoice was submitted, that I would have to buy those items separately, which means they're not financed in the tractor package, nor do they have the tractor warranty of four years. (1 yr only)

I was "told" a bunch of other things too, and I'm not sure I believe them. Example, the 30 day Promise, doesn't mean you can return the tractor for a refund, if you're not satisfied or happy with the machine. He said; You can only bring it back to trade on another JD tractor, and only if it has 4 hours or less. Was this rep creating his own interpretation of the 30-day Promise?

I warned you to run from this dealer and I hope you don't get shafted.

Seems like you might learn a valuable lesson... you let this salesman drive your purchase rather than assisting you or you driving the sale.

You need to stop listening to this idiot and get FACTS. Either go to the JD web site and print out the info for your reference or call JD and get the facts from them.

Call JD and get them involved. Return the X500 and refuse any accessories that haven't arrived and return any accessories you have. Get your money back and RUN.

As I understand the JD promise here in the US you can return the tractor and anything on the tractor invoice for FULL refund or full credit for amount paid on the invoice applied against another purchase for 30 days from the day you take possession and sign the invoice. AFAIK there is no hour limitation, within reason. Anything you bought on another invoice you are stuck with.

That's how I read it too, even here in Canada. In fairness, this was another rep that told me this, and he's only been working for JD for 6 weeks. My rep was on the road today, and was not at the store when I dropped in.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be contacting a landscaper about the condition of my lawn. I'm thinking of leveling some 6000-7000 sq.ft, and re-seeding, etc. If it's worthwhile, I'd order the accessories needed to complete that task, or go with the tractor and attachments that would permit me to accomplish this task. Mind you, it might be cheaper for me to rent a tractor with a FEL for the day, to spread and level the truckload (or two) of topsoil that I'd need to do the job.

The Predator tm. blades from Deere work great and I have them on all of my mowers. The Deere mulch kit for the 48 and 54 inch deck is Junk ,all that plastic catches grass and you can not use predators with it.Mine went to the garbage in about a month. I cant imagine having that gizmo on my mower this year clean the deck evertime I use it no way. I see no difference in my lawn mulching or discharge... The grass looks pristine.

Took delivery of an 2011 X534 with 0.5 hrs for $5900.
Thrilled with it!

That tractor will serve you well mine is 2 years old . Get familiar with the owners manual and find all the grease fittings front and back.It is a large investment take care of it 48 or 54 deck? Dont forget to grease your deck.

Congratulations gldn, that sounds like a heckuva deal to me. I really would have liked that 4ws feature myself.

I now have 2 mows under my belt, and a grand-total of 1.3 hours on the meter. (It had 0.5hrs when delivered)

Everything's fine so far, with a very minor technicality; the hour meter jumped by 0.1 hours on start-up, and repeated that again on the next start-up. Not a big deal. The cut is great.

48 inch deck. Didnt have enough room in garage for 54.
Dealer said better cut with 48.
Yes, there are many grease points.
I took care of our old 245 for 19 years.
Never had power stearing till now; didnt know what i was missing.

Getting ready to go cut for the third time on my X530. I have about 2.5 hours on it so far. It's sweet to be so eager to do what once was a chore. If anyone is considering an X3xx series but can aford to buy up to the X5xx, you should do so. I drove an X300 last weekend and there is a major difference between the models. However I also plan on using several attachments and snow blowing. Something to consider when spending the extra money. And yes, power steering is great!

X300 series are lawn tractors,x500 series are garden tractors they are heavier built.I feel the old lx series tractors in many ways are a better built tractor than the x300 series of today,personal opinion.The dealer tried to sell me a x300 and said Ididnt need a x500 series I paid no attention.

The X3xx and X500 use EXACTLY the same frame. They do differ in engine and transaxle and wheel sizes among other things.

I dunno about that one Justalurker, when I look at both the X-300 and X-500 specs, the X-500 is 3" longer overall (75" vs 72"), and the wheel-base is 51.2" vs 49.4" for the X-300.

With a 48" deck, the X-300 weighs 616 lbs, vs the X-500 at 760 lbs. No doubt though, the X-500's larger tires/wheels, larger engine and trans-axle, account for some of the 144 lb difference.

The X-500 is also 3" wider (approx), but that's probably due to the wider rear wheels/tires.

"I dunno about that one Justalurker, when I look at both the X-300 and X-500 specs, the X-500 is 3" longer overall (75" vs 72"), and the wheel-base is 51.2" vs 49.4" for the X-300"

Look at the parts lists... the frame on the X500 and the X300 both sub to part # AM137099. you the hood is also the same.

"With a 48" deck, the X-300 weighs 616 lbs, vs the X-500 at 760 lbs. No doubt though, the X-500's larger tires/wheels, larger engine and trans-axle, account for some of the 144 lb difference"

Wheels, tires, K72 with larger oil capacity and 1" axles, larger engine, and the two piece body on the X500 instead of the smaller one piece body on the X300.

"The X-500 is also 3" wider (approx), but that's probably due to the wider rear wheels/tires"

X500 has hubs on the rear axles with bolt-on rims AND the offset of the 12" rims.

Question on using chains with x534.
Users manual says the tires have to be removed first is that true?
Disappointing if thats true.

Thanks justalurker, What do you figure accounts for the 1.8" difference in wheel-base?

"What do you figure accounts for the 1.8" difference in wheel-base"

Chinese rulers?

Pretty sure the difference is between the K46 and K72 axle center versus mounting bosses on trans case and frame.

"Question on using chains with x534.
Users manual says the tires have to be removed first is that true? Disappointing if thats true."

If the manual say it then it's a good bet it's true.

The x534 has brackets that need to be turned around if the chains are added.They are in the rear of the tractor ,you will not be able to turn as tight once they are moved.This is in the owners manual page 24.

gldn,

Re: X534

I believe if you the rubber tire chains, you do not have to remove the rear tires. Years ago I looked at the x534 and the dealer recommended to use rubber vs. chain on the x534.

I bought mine to only mow with , you can blow snow with the tractor , forgive me never heard of rubber , If I was to till and so forth a x700 would be minimal or a compact 1or 2 series or looked closer at competition. I do not believe the x500 series is all that heavy duty but a basic garden tractor .I have torn mine down stem to stern and very many similarities other than hydo to my old lx . personal opinion , True its tranny is heavier and larger motor but by reading what the threads here say same frame as a x3oo. Do I think it is a good tractor absolutely ,does it do what I ask of it yes.Would I buy it again yes. I had a chance to look at a friends new tractor the other day and I am glad to be a Deere customer..