Sounds like you rely on others for maintenance. Oil changes can be done easily and quickly That and a grease gun seem to take care of all maintenance needs these days.

Are your other tractors diesel? If so why not stick to one fuel and buy say a diesel Kub (G series) or JD x?

Then again, you don't tell us your budget so the numbers these two price out at may be beyond your plans

If so, then a top end sears unit might work well, as would a used Kub/JD

2 acres mowing and sometimes bagging - go get yourself a 326 Kubota with the optional bagger and hitch. Around $12k, go talk to the Kubota dealer, have him show you how easy it is to start/stop bagging. This is a commerical unit and it will last, and the bagging is as good as they come.
BTW, what model 'bota tractor do you presently have? Any problems with it? Whats your relationship with that dealer?

Steve2Ski wrote: "2 acres mowing and sometimes bagging - go get yourself a 326 Kubota with the optional bagger and hitch. Around $12k, go talk to the Kubota dealer"

12k to cut 2 acres....Laughable! Seeing that they already have two workers (Ford and Kubota) and just need a grass cutter they could easily purchase new under 4-5k for thier needs. Even a low end JD would be fine with what she describes. You could buy 6 of them for 12k

I must of missed something why do you say [so much for the x320]?

I'm with John on this one. 12k???...you can do better for just a mower.

New JD X340 $4600 or even an LA 165 for 2300. Either would do. I would say even an old GT from Deere or Cub but it sounds like your husband in not much for tinkerin

Find a low hour Deere GT series tractor (GT235 or GT245) with at least a 48" deck. They have a solid engine with welded frame and tough transmissions. You can put a Johnny bucket on them, tiller and snowblower. They can be had with under 300hrs for around $2,500.

wants soemthing to last to their grave, that rules out Sears, Lowes, and HD tractors!

you will need a mid to high end Bota or JD, otherwise expect to kill it in 10 years or less. if the tractor you buy is ONLY available at a dealer, then that puts it up in the mid to high class. stay away from stores that sell em, they are good machines for average home owners, but not made for long term durability.

buy a size or two bigger than you think you need, even with teh big tractors you will find that sometimes a Gt is best for the job at hand.

"you will need a mid to high end Bota or JD, otherwise expect to kill it in 10 years or less"

To steal a phrase from John _nc1......"Laughable"! Not to mention, I did not realize all other tractors except those made by JD or Bota will die in 10 years or less. BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

With 40 acres I have large 4000 Series Deere, too many vintage cubs to list, and a low-end Scotts 48 Inch Cut.. All my nice grass, (2.5 acres around the house is cut with a 48 Scotts made by JD. It is now 10 years old and never a problem. Change the oil and keep it clean and replaced the battery a couple times. It runs the same as the day I bought it. This nonsense about "low-end" tractors falling apart in 10 years is exactly thatÂ...nonsense. I donÂt look at it as "low-end" I look at it as "intended purpose" for the job. I doubt that LA 165 will be dead in 10 years if used to cut grass and occasionally pull a garden cart. As far as IÂm concerned until you get into the very high-end compact and up world of tractors or older GTÂs it is all built the same. Lots of plastic where is does not belong. If you use your equipment to its intended purpose it will all last a very long time. Spending more than 5k on a machine to cut a flat smooth 2 acres is not economical. (But hey, some folks with the cash buy a Lamborghini and drive it mainly in the city) If all your gong to do is cut grass, than any new machine with a 48-54 deck will do fine. You want to put a loader or any ground engaging equipment on the machine than more dough is required.

"I must of missed something why do you say [so much for the x320]?"

They don't make a rear bagger for the X320 according to the spec sheet. Tell me that's wrong and that machine will go to the top of my list.

"Here are the specs: 2 acres which I mow about every 5-7 days for 5 months a year. These are 2 sports fields and our home. Level turf. Extreme maneuverability is not important."

If it were me I would head to the nearest John Deere dealer and ask about the 400 series EZ Trac mowers. it will cost less than a Garden Tractor and is a pure mowing machine. I watch a man mow the local county park with one (about 20 acres) and I am impressed.

Good Luck

Clay

The only real weak point of the EZTracs are the decks. The guy mowing 20 acres with one will need new spindles each season and possibly a new shell unless he's really careful with it. It's not a very durable deck and off the top of my head I thought the spindles were sealed.

I think a standard rear bagger may not be available with the X320 because JD recommends the "powerflow" bagger for it. See the link below. Not sure exactly why...

If all you're doing is mowing, a zero turn would be fast and (relatively) economical.

Here is a link that might be useful: X320 Attachments

Clarification for my first post.
1. You already own a Kubota, probably know the quality built in. Probably have a decent relationship with the dealer.
2. Ultra-reliable and long lasting - take it to the grave with me. Willing to spend to get that.
3. Need to bag wet grass 25% of the time - Bagging with the 326 works all the time wet or dry with no clogging, I personally have not seen better and slick as a whistle to switch from bag to no bag. - dealer will be glad to allow to try out bagging system, they are quite "proud" of them. of course you pay for that.
4. Hubby doesn't want someone elses problems, and prefers new. I'm with you (or him) on this one, although in a couple of areas I'm stuck with used. wife not included - top shelf when I married her 40 yrs ago and still is.
5. Yes, the 326 is overkill for the 2 acres - if you are willing to take a few issues along the way to the grave, there are other options, I find Craftsman bag's better than JD's, I own both have had good luck with both - JD's cost more to buy and maintain - if you want good service JD is hard to beat, at least as good as Kubota, you should have experience with them, being a bota owner.
6. Go look at the equipment first, then use the spec sheets in the final comparision of the features to the dollar's.
Good Luck, in what ever you decide

They have to power flow system I guess thats because of the 3 blade system.

Here is a link that might be useful: power flow bagger

If cutting is the main priority and you want the best quality cut look at your commercial power equipment dealers for a zero turn. If you are mowing sports fields that probably means a fairly short cut. You don't want to be scalping the ground. The deck makes a difference. Toro and Exmark are 2 pretty good ones and probably more $ than an X320 but less than the Kubota.

The guy cutting the 20 acres with the John deere EZ track has been at it for several years now. I think it has the "seven iron" deck. I think it is owned by the county. Maybe it's a commerical model. I wish I owned it.

Thanks everyone for all your help. It's time for me to go and kick some tires. Now the Power Flow bagger option has been pointed out to me (ouch that's expensive!) I'll probably start with the JD X320 or 340, all the time keeping my eyes open for a great deal for a low hour, well cared for GT. The Kubota 326 sounds delicious, but the 12K is a little rich for me. Just for the record, it was a Scotts that we finally had to send down the line. Just 300 hours on it, and it has been nothing but trouble.

Thanks again, guys. With a little luck, I won't have to bother you for a long time.

The guy mowing the park is more likely then to be using a 717A or bigger which is indeed commercial.

Is there a specific reason why you want the 320 or 340 over the 300?

I ask because the X300 and X304 are both available with a 42" deck that uses two blades and does not require the powerflow bagger. Since your two acres do not include hills, you probably don't need the extra hp and beefier tranny that come with the 320 and 340. With the X300, you will have to settle for that 42" deck rather than the larger decks on the others. I dunno how big a problem that is for you, but the downgrade could save you a few bucks on the tractor and the bagger.

Simplicity offers a nice variety of decks with their residential tractors. IMO, they're a wee bit primitive in the comfort and ergonomics department, but I read good things about them from a mechanical point of view.

Johndeere, thanks for the explanation about the 3-blade sytem. Makes sense to me.

I just saw these on the Seattle craigslist today:

Used late 90's GT235 48" deck, with trailer, and grass catcher $2,600: http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/grd/581260418.html

2005 GX335 with rototiller & 54" deck $6,500 lke new with warranty: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/grd/582419541.html

2005 GT245 with rototiller & 48" deck $5,900: http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/grd/581269067.html

I'm sure there's room for negotiation as I've seen a couple of these before. The last two are in Portland though, but these deals come up all the time. I have a GX335 and it's an excellent tractor with a locking differential if you have any hills to maneuver! Copy and paste the links into your browser if you want to see them.

I would stay away from the home improvement stores and go to a reputable dealer- the home improvement stores just get em and leave them outside to rust before you get it. Personally i dont like new lawntractors- besides being too complicated and expensive parts - id take someones used tractor over a new one anyday. After some minor fixing, i have a perfectly decent tractor thats cheep to fix. For example: i picked up a FREE 2003 murray 16.5HP with a 42" deck from a freind- all it needed was an oil change, air filter and a deck spindle bering- less then $20 in parts for a decent tractor.