I am not saying they are the same, I am curious what the differences are.

thanks

Yikes .... nylon gears sounds nutty. Would these lesser quality items carry through the LA series. Is the LA165 any better for any of these items you listed jaws1959?

thanks again folks.

The low end LA use a T40.
The current X300 and X304 use a K46.

I don't believe there is such as a thing as a K40 or a T46.

Jaws1959... Tuff Torq lists the heat-treated powder metal gears for the K46. The K58 used in the current X320 tractors (and older X304s) is not listed on their site. Or I'm missing something. They do list the K57, which is probably similar. The K58 shows the heat-treated powder metal gears with steel gears being "optional". Have you seen something that confirms the use of steel gears in the K58?

"The K57 shows the heat-treated powder metal gears with steel gears being "optional". Have you seen something that confirms the use of steel gears in the K58?"

I am now down to the following decision. LA165 vs X300. I realize they are quite different machines but it still is a choice that makes sense for my potential applications. I would do some things with the bigger machine that I might not do with the smaller one and vise versa. I have 1/2 acre and lots of landscaping to do so I might use a tractor for some stuff or I might use my truck instead.

I for sure am leaning towards the X300 but the price tag on the LA165 is pulling me toward it. Man, I am new to this but I can only imagine how many people before me have gone through similar self torture....but it's fun self torture.

I appreciate all of this information folks. I will be making a decision soon and when I do make the purchase I will check in with you guys in 6 months and let you know how it went.

SO ... if anybody is not yet tired of this thread, could they compare the LA165 to the X300. Whether anybody does or not, I will then stop pestering you guys and thank you again for your help.

PS this is all information I would like to have in my little brain before I make a visit to my local dealer to make my final decision. I will be thanking you guys again when I get there.

"Repost of Slammer's Rules.....

1. Carefully evaluate the size mower you need and buy at least one size larger.

2. NEVER buy a mower from ANYPLACE that will not let you test drive it or at least a similar model. Ergonomics are just as important as performance and capability.
(Vitally important!)

3. DO NOT base your purchase on price or brand name alone! Do proper research and find all of the available models that fit your criteria and haggle, save, or trade to get the right equipment for the job. Do not compromise!

If you follow these three tips you will end up a happy camper with just the right unit for the job. If you disregard this advice your gonna end up with One or the other of the following problems:

A. Buyers remorse. Stuck with a piece of junk or simply a unit inadequate for the task at hand.

Or..

B. A teed off spouse when you start shopping for another tractor just 3 - 6 months down the road because you didn't buy the right unit in the first place".

If you are still reading this, you can get the LA series at your dealer. It sounded a bit like Box Store (LA series) vs X300 (from dealer). If you decide on a LA series, I'd still go to the dealer.

Have fun shopping!

LA Series Transaxles

From my perspective, the LA165 and LA175 are just as capable as the X300. None of these mowers is going to do something the others can't. It's just a matter of refinement, comfort, durability and price. I believe the X300 owns the first three categories. On the other hand, the LA tracs win the price comparison. The only question is whether the buyer cares about refinement, comfort, and durability. If the answer is "no", price wins.

As for the "buy more than you think you need" philosophy, it makes some sense for anyone buying their first tractor. That's because we tend to buy a machine, use it for a while, then discover all these other things a tractor could do if we'd just bought a beefier one! However, if you're confident you won't be finding more tasks for the trac, don't waste your money buying too much machine. You can always rent a dedicated machine for the occasional job that requires more than your trac can handle.

By the way Jaws, the spec sheet says the X300 has the K46 transmission, not the T46. I didn't read this post until last night, so I didn't get down to look at the sticker. All the posts though just confirmed that I bought one great machine. I might bypass the RIO switch though as I didn't buy the 4WS and do back up quite a bit.

My 170 still has a perfectly running Kawasaki 14HP engine and tranny. What a workhorse! I gave pause to look at the HuskVys and Cub Cadets, but my 170 made me a JD loyalist. It really gave me outstanding service and I wasn't one to take care of it much. Lacking a shed and garage space, I often left it out all year, including severe upstate NY winters. It always started right up in the spring. But rust (wonder how that happened), deteriorating bags (hmmmm), and faded paint (go figure) convinced me that it was time. Actually, the fact that my 10yo son will want to be cutting the lawn in a couple years had something to do with it. Figured I want a some time where it's just MY machine. Don't worry guys -- I promise to take care of my new machine. I'm 53, and want this machine to last me 20 years or more -- or until I get the itch for a new model, whichever comes first.

JD did give me $250 for a trade-in on the 170. I might had got more for it if I wanted to fix the spindle, clean it up and put up for sale -- but that would take time away from my X300.

I'll let you guys know how I like it. Who am I kidding... I'm going to Love it!