I have a GX335 I bought specifically for the differential lock for my 22 degree slope. I replaced a Craftsman 27 HP garden tractor that wouldn't make it up those hills. It would be a slipping and sliding experience when the grass was wet, which is almost always because it faces north and doesn't dry out. Mine is an '05 which I bought in the spring of '05 so I'm starting my 4th mowing season with it. I love it and all of its capabilities. I bought a JB Jr. for it about a year after I got it and just finished moving 5 yards of bark with it. Sure beats a shovel and wheelbarrow or trailer! I mow 2-3/4 acres of bumpy former pasture and haven't had a single issue yet, though I only have 140 hours on it.

If I remember correctly, the GX255 is based on the GT series frame with some of the GX series upgrades. Depending on exactly what you need to do, any of those models could be good for you. You haven't told us what you intend to do with it and what kind of property you have.

John,

I mow 1.5 acres, Till a garden and use a blade for various duties. I will want to invest in the 30" mechanical rotary driven tiller by John Deere.

The GX335 appears very nice with power and hydraulics for lifting implements.

The GT235 I feel would be sufficient and typically priced about $2800 w/48" deck. Again what I like about the GX255 is the added power steering and differential lock.

Last year I looked long and hard into the X500 series but after much deliberation, I just dont think that series stands up to the previous made GT/GX models. Just my opinion.

cjsm5nys: Where are you located? Have you tried craigslist for used tractors? The link below is one really nice package that's available in Oregon.

I've looked at the X500 series and believe that it is mostly a new skin and a bigger engine. You have to get up to the X534 to get the differential lock and the hydraulic lift and it lists at $7,499 with the 54c deck. That's about $700 more than I paid for my GX335 and i got a free 13S cart (promotion at the time) and a mulch kit included in the deal.

Here is a link that might be useful: GX335 , 54c, Tiller

John,

Sweet set!
I live upstate NY, a bit far from Oregon. Otherwise, I would be picking this up Monday!

Don't think you could go wrong with any of them. I recently bought an '03 GT 235 with 117 hrs on it. While I haven't had the chance to do much with it yet it seems to be a powerful and well built tractor with a tough tranny and a Kawasaki engine. My JD 455 had power steering and it was nice to have but honestly the GT 235 turns very easily as well even at low speed.

I personally would go gt 235 if power steer and differential lock are your concerns,the steering on my 05 gt 235 is incredable going from an lt 155 to the gt . and suitcase weights work wonders with traction i personally drove my neighbors gt 235 the other day with the 30 in. mech. tiller and it was absolutely amazing! there was so much mud on the tires you couldnt see rubber anywhere and it continued to run strong with 3 suitcase weights $38.50 a peice. the blade works awesome as well with addition of weights so if gt is less expensive by more than a hundred dollars get the gt and some weights and enjoy. my 235 is the finest machine i have operated !!!(tractor wise of coarse) gx is simply some luxary items that truly dont pay off in performance !! hope this helped. please gx owners feel free to correct me if i am wrong.always like to learn more my post is in referance to gt 235 compared to gx255 cant speak for 355 unsure of machine specs?

I have a 2000 gt 235 I bought used last year with a new 48 deck. Great garden tractor with a nice heavy fram. The steering is also much lighter then my 04 little lt cub and has about 200 lbs on it. Great trans and plenty of power.
Power steering and other things just more to break but hey its a free country.

Thanks for some good info. I feel confident with the GT235! A local dealer currently has a 2004 GT235 with 140 hours including a 48" blade for $3200. No deck.

Keep the responses coming.

I would like to hear from owners of or any one who has used the GX255.

Sounds like the John Deere 30" Mechanical Tiller attachment is a good piece of equipment!

Thanks again!

I have a GX255 with 54C deck and 48" blade and love it. Power steering is the BEST!

Love the differential lock.

It is true that the GT series is a very capable tractor and the differences between it and the GX series is probably not great. The GX series is just another small step up from the GT series in the JD line. I do not know all the differences but from what I remember being told more than 3 years ago when I asked that question was that it has a larger and heavier frame (GX weighs 668 lbs. GT weighs 570 without deck), 20 versus 18 horsepower in the Kawasaki engine (not all GT series have the Kawasaki), a larger gas tank and I don't remember if the transaxle is different.

When I was trying to decide between the GX255 and GX355, my dealer brought both out to my property for us to try out. The GX255 mowed up and down my 22 degree hillside (my reason for wanting a tractor with differential lock) without missing a beat and so did the GX335. I had a set of rules for tractor buyers that someone had posted on this forum back then and one that I distinctly remember was "After you settle on a model that will do everything you need it to do, buy the next one up." or something close to that. I thought that was pretty good advice so I bought the GX335 and it is now in its 4th season and has served me very well.

The GT235 you mentioned sounds like it would do what you need it to and the price is great. You should see if your dealer will bring it out to your place for a test drive on your mowing conditions. Our dealer will do that whether you're buying a new or used tractor.

John,

I too have heard something similar to what you have mentioned above. With that in mind, I would then too go for the GX335.

The closest JD dealer to me is about 20 miles. There is the GT235 I mentioned. There is also on consignment, a 2004 GX335 with 48" deck and snow blower attachment for 6K. Problem is I do not want the snow blower nor pay 6K for this used GX. The GX335 with power steering, tilt wheel, 20HP and hydraulic lift are all very nice features!!!

How much do you suppose for the 04 GX335 w/deck only?
I believe there is about 180 hours on this machine. Maybe the dealer and owner of this machine would sell less the snow blower.

With your GX335, do you use a tiller? If so, do you have the mechanical or hydraulic? Mechanical is much cheaper.
Thanks.

cjsm5nys,

I don't know what the blower is worth but the price seems high. Have you used Machine Finder from the JD web site? Under residential equipment click the "Products & Equipment" tab at the top, then the link near the bottom on the left side of the page that says "Used Equipment". It will take you to the Machine Finder web site where dealers post their used equipment for sale. You can then enter search parameters for whatever you like, such as "GT235" or "GX335".

If you get lucky, you might find one near you. I just tried it and 37 GX335's came up all over the country. If I did it correctly, the link below should take you to the same page. If it doesn't, you'll have to do your own search like I explained above. I did not look at them in detail but it looks like the prices range from $3,750 on up to over $5,000. Good luck to you and keep us all posted!

Here is a link that might be useful: Used GX335's on Machine Finder

I have a GT235 48" deck and bar tires on the back. I mow 2 acres and have had no issues at all. Last year I purchased a used 30 mech tiller for 400.00. I was skeptical of how well it would work. I hadn't seen one in use and had no idea of performance. Once I connected the tiller and used it, I was amazed at how well it worked and wished I would have bought it sooner.

The only thing I wished I would have looked at was a differential lock. Mine doesn't have it and I think you have to move up to a GX series to get that feature although I am not positive.

macguy,

You mentioned you recently purchased an '03 GT235 with 117 hours.

If you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for yours? Reason I ask is, there is an '04 GT235 with about the same hours I have looked at my local dealer and I am looking for some comparisons. Wish there were something like KBB or NADA for the garden tractor consumers.

Thanks!

there is

Here is a link that might be useful: blue book

I paid $5200 for a 2005 GX345, 54" deck, snow blower, chains, liquid tires, 3 suitcase weights, a year ago. Had under 100 hrs, no faults, one minor hood scratch, a rust blemish on the trailer hitch.
It has been a great tractor so far. We were big time clobbered with snow this winter (100 inches), it handled it with aplomb.

johnml,

I got to say, you got a nice deal! Was your purchase at a JD dealer or private sale? Either way, still a nice deal.

I have been looking at a 2005 GX255 w/58 hours w/48" deck. JD dealer has come DOWN to 5K. Still too high. It includes a bagger but I have told him I would mulch. He does not want to sell with out it. Can you believe he started out at 6K. I told him I was quoted by a different JD dealership last summer a X500 for 4950.

At another dealer, there is a 2004 GT235 with 180 hours with a 48" blade. No deck. Asking 3200.

I still think it makes more sence to wait and look for the right good used one at a fair price. MUST be patient!

It was a private sale,

Johnml,

I purchased a 2005 GX345 last fall. Not quite as good of a deal, but only had 55 hrs., not that your hrs. are all that much. You said the snowblower works well. Which snowblower do you have for it? I need one for next winter!!! Do you remove/install the deck/blower yourself? How easy is it to do?

Thanks

I was extremely fortunate . . . I got mine for $1,000 but one of my local JD dealers had an '03 with 260hrs, 48" deck for $1,750 that I was all set to buy until the one I bought fell into my lap.

$3200 is a bit much for a GT235. I wouldn't pay more than $2500, of course this is a rough time of year to get a good deal on a used garden tractor, especially from a dealer. I have a GT225, slightly less power, smaller deck, but pretty darn similar, which I bought with very low hours, with a deck, bagger and 10 cart for $2,000 (eBay). When I get older I'll probably want a tractor with a hydraulic lift and power steering, but for now, the GT series fits the bill for me. I use it for tilling (30" mechanical), blading, pulling a spreader, pulling a plug aerator (with 100+ lbs), de-thatching (the only attachment I bought new from JD), and taking joyrides with my three-year-old. The tiller is a very impressive piece of equipment, but expensive as heck if you're looking to buy a new one ($1500). I bought mine used for $60 in VERY ROUGH condition. It's an extremely rugged attachment, and with a coat of paint, a little grease, and a new drive belt, it works just as good as a new one (and looks just as good from 20' away). I completely pulverized and reseeded my neighbor's 1/2 acre failed lawn in an afternoon. And lately my hobby has been carving massive perennial beds out of my once barren field of a backyard (just because I can). I don't use any weights while tilling, but I'm tipping the scales around 210 lbs myself these days. Sometimes the wheels plow a bit while turning sharp on loose soil, so I guess it would probably help to have them in the front.
So basically what I'm saying is the GT235 will work fantastic for what you want. You seem well-read enough to know that power steering and a hydraulic lift are nice-to-have items, but you'll probably get by just fine without them (for half the price). As far as the differential lock goes, either you need it or you don't. The transmission is the same Tuff-torq K71 in both the GT and GX. The GX just has the optional lock. There are days when I wish I had a diff lock (when I'm straddling the fender trying to keep my weight on the uphill wheel while mowing my drainage ditch), but I always manage to get it done. A hydraulic lift would be nice, but certainly not needed (if I used a snowblower I'd probably say otherwise). But I've never wished for power steering. It's light (and I generally keep the tire pressure as low as possible for better steering traction). A spinner mounted on the wheel makes it even easier.
If you want to know what the fair market value is for any one of these tractors, just do a search on eBay, then under Search Options (in the left margin) check "Completed Listings." It's more relevant and updated than any blue book could ever be. You'll see that a "like new" Kawasaki powered 2003 model GT235 just sold for $1995, which is what I'd expect. The dozer blades are plentiful online and generally sell for $200-400 in excellent condition. I picked up a like-new 42" for $100. 30" tillers, however are pretty rare, and also tend to sell in the $200-400 range (cheap) probably because most guys are unsure if it will work with their tractor. If the tiller has the boxy sheetmetal (not the older model rounded 33 tiller) it will work with the GT/GX series. You'll just need to buy the linkage kit for your specific tractor, which I remember costing around $70. I can't imagine why you wouldn't want a snowblower, living in upstate NY, but the 42" single-stage generally sells for $400-600 in good condition. A lot of the GT235s weren't originally equipped with hour meters. You can get a pretty quick glimpse of how many green acres it's chomped up by checking how flat the plastic gage wheels (especially front) have worn. If they look like skateboard wheels, it's been used quite a bit. If they're still round, it's hardly used at all. Of course if someone's pattern causes them to make lots of U-turns on the driveway with the deck down, they'll wear a little faster (so will the expensive tires).

The GX335 is one beautiful machine, but for three times what I paid for my GT225 (same year), all you'd get is 15% more comfort and capability (and a $500 snowblower you don't want). I'd have to pass on that one.

Here are some pictures of my GT at work (my brother was tilling; he also doesn't need any suitcase weights).

Good luck!

-Chris
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Nice pics of your machine doing some work, Chris! That's a handsome boy you've got there too! It won't be long before he's asking you to drive the tractor.....if he hasn't already done so!

Thanks John,
Yeah, as much as I enjoy maintaining my lawn, I think I'll get even more enjoyment by looking out my window and seeing my boys do it for me. But one just got out of diapers, the other is starting to eat solid food, and we'll find out in three weeks whether we'll be naming the third "Chris Jr" or "Elizabeth," so it will be a while!

Bill7,

I have the 42" single stage blower on the GX345. It works very well -- Distance is great with deep snow, less with light. Only thing where I would regard it as just satisfactory is with a couple of inches of very wet gray slush. It clears it, but only throws it about 4', whereas with deep snow I get 12-20 feet.

I will probably add the drift cutters to the blower as I got 6' drifts behind the garage this year and had to sort of "burrow" a hole into the drift, back out, have the snow collapse, then burrow in again. That was slow, but it worked fine. I am hoping that the drift cutters will just let it slowly plow drifts.

I used to have a Cub Cadet 1864 with a blower. Every fall and spring I would have to persuade one of the kids to come over and give me a hand switching things over.

Now, I do it myself. The simple addition of removable wheels has turned a chore into a minor operation. Belt tensioning and install is lots easier as well. Much better design from JD.

With the liquid filled tires, weights, differential lock, and my big butt, I never put the chains on. Traction was great. My drive is long and on a hill.

My only complaint with it is that the liquid cooled Kawasaki seems to take quite a while to warm up when it is real cold out -- at least it seems quite a while if I sit and my butt cools down while the engine warms up. I got in the habit of starting it and leaving it idle while I went in and drank a cup of coffee.

Same thing goes for the 30" tiller. It takes me two minutes to 1) disconnect the linkage, 2) flip the front frame catches open, 3) slip the belt off the PTO, 4) flip the transport wheels down, and 5) slide the tiller out from the rear. One thing John Deere certainly does right is to engineer their attachments for easy installation and removal.

I don't know if you feel like driving to Saginaw, but they have a few nice tractors for sale.

http://www.baderbros.com/IMAGES/31217.JPG
http://www.baderbros.com/IMAGES/15656.JPG

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.baderbros.com/scripts/inventory.asp

If you're looking for a REALLY good deal, here it is:
Scotts S2048
Look closely, it's a 1st cousin of the GT235, painted reddish-orange. For that reason, it will sell for a fraction of its actual value. This tractor will take a tiller, sleeve hitch, or any other ground-engaging attachment the GT series would use. There are only two minor differences that I know of: no zerks on the spindles, a tuff-torq K-62 vice K-71 transaxle, and rumors of a sligthly lighter weight LX style frame (not confirmed). The K-62 in on the border between ground-engaging and lawn tractor service, but it does have the upgraded 1" axles of the K-71, and as you can tell by the two holes drilled at the top of the back plate, this IS a garden tractor, intended by John Deere to be used with a sleeve hitch.

Not sure where upstate your are, but this is in Connecticut, worth the drive.

Here are some other links:

http://www.epinions.com/review/Scotts_S2048_Yard_Tractor/content_35989524100

http://www.deere.com/en_US/scotts/pdfs/010001.pdf

http://www.tufftorq.com/prodcomp.asp

-Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: wolf in sheep's clothing

I have an '01 gt235. it is ok but it has the BS 18hp engine and it sucks gas. a 3.5 gallon tank only lasts about 2.5 hours while mowing. It also does not not have powe steeering. besides that it is a very good tractor.

I would like to find a JD with a 48c deck that has a dead engine and convert it to electric.

I'm no engineer so I don't know much about them but it seems to me that you'd need a pretty powerful electric engine to power a 48" deck and the tractor as well. There must be a reason they don't make electric tractors. Look at golf carts......the electric ones are really gutless compared to the ones with gas engines.

I think a better endeavor would be to convert a diesel garden tractor to run on waste vegetable oil (aka: greasecar). Or perhaps a hydrogen fuel cell.
I wish I could swap my 15hp Kohler with an old aircraft aux power unit (the little engine that provides the power to start the big engines). I'm pretty sure a 300hp turbine APU would fit on the frame. Only problem is they typically burn 15 gallons per hour, and you would have to go to the airport to fill it up with jet-A.

It won't take ya long to mow though...

Thank you for all the great feeback guys and! Enjoyed the pics too.

Thursday I will be heading to the JD dealer, mostly likely to purchase either the GT235, possibly the GX335.

Will send pics when the job is done!

I hate to hear about Deere shops making big $$$ off trade ins they already made big $$$ on. Last year I got a trade in value of $4400 for my $6600 2005 GX255 with a 54" deck and under 100 hours. Needless to say I was not pleased so I kept it.

I will be moving shortly from 2.5 horse acres to about 10sq ft of grass so I will sell it if anyone is interested. I think it has a 25 horse Kaw motor although it may be only 20. I have no problem pulling anything since I had the tires filled with some variety of liquid during the regular maintenence at the dealer last summer.

I actually haul loaded hay racks into my barn with little effort. As a mower it is like a cadillac - Smooth! I have used other mowers and you could kill yourself trying to shift gears. Since this is all automatic you just push a pedal.

I have a lock out to mow in reverse and one for the rear tires to add traction. If anyone feels like a field trip to Illinois I will let it go with the deck for $4000. It has 104 hours on it at this time.
~A

Medsie,

$4000 for your 2005 GX255 is a more than fair price! I would take your offer in a heart beat if only I lived nearer. I am from NYS :(

Good luck to you! Someone will be very pleased to buy your GX!

Great. MAtter of fact were selling ours..reluctantly because we moved from the country to town and only need a push mower. Ours was brand new from the JD dealer in 2004. It has 113 hrs,the 54 inch deck & power steering,20 hp kawasaki eng,no bagger. Really will miss it. Always garged recent tune up/oil change and new blades. Like new condition!!
$3000
Amanda oh
trishig74@juno.com