The 325 has a K70 transmission. The X304 has a K58

The K70 is ground-engaging rated and has almost 2x the torque rating on the wheels compared to the K58 - which is an upgraded lawn-mower transmission. So the 325 is much tougher - but that is not all that makes the tractor....

How many hours on the 325?... what condition is it in?....
The X304 has AWS and teh 325 does not - is AWS desirable for you?

I have an L120, for a 2.5 acre lawn, with a slope also good enough for sledding. The smaller K46 tranny (smaller than even the K58) - handles the hill without a problem - in fact, I even pull a spike harrow and a roller up that hill. So overall I don't think you would be in trouble with the X304 - but: is mowing all you're going to do?...

Finally, you get warranty on the X304 - if you're not mechanically inclined, you may wish to get a new unit - even if it's lighter duty and costs more....

Wally,

Thanks for the information. I guess my worries about the K46 are unfounded. I was just going by the information I read in this forum about the K46 being too small on the x300 as I had originally planned on buying.

I'd probably be well served with the x304, the 325, or even the x300, but being as this is my first rider I wanted to be very sure of my purchase.

I only plan on mowing so I shouldn't really be concerned with getting the older 325 as I don't really need the ground engaging transmission.

I was interested in the x304 as the K58 transmission has a charging pump that's not available on the x300's K46.

The consideration of the warranty did occur to me, although I plan on keeping this mower for at least 10 years so I figured the 2 year warranty wasn't much of a consideration. I welcome correction in my thinking, but I figured that if something is going to go wrong it's either the first month of ownership or after about 10 years.

My personal recommendation would be to stay away from the K46 tranny in the X300 - because it's a poor match. The small tranny in the X300 is like having a 4-banger in a 1 ton truck.

If you were considering the K46 as a sufficient tranny - which for mowing only it absolutely is, then I'd save some $$ and step down to the LA series machines. If you want the X300 series, then do go for the X304.

With regards to maintenance - the X300 may be better in that it may be "more maintainable" with more grease zerks on bearings etc.... whereas the LA series has limited maintainability. I just found out this weekend with my L120, that I had to disassemble things like mower-deck spindles to get to the bearings so I could grease them.

Talk to the dealer and get him to show you the "maintainability differences" between the 2 series machines. If the X300 does not have greasable spindles for example, then you're no better off. Also, things like the electric clutch, switches, solenoids, carb-dirt, and other items will require maintenance before 10 years.... of course highly dependent on how you treat the machine (outdoor vs indoor storage, regular oiling and greasing vs. "just put in gas, and go" type use)....

I've had my L120 for 2.5 years, and 250 hours. No problems. However, I took apart the electric clutch this year, and serviced the bearings, and same with the deck spindles. I would bet that if I didn't do that, then within 1-2 years I'd be replacing these parts.

The engine is designed for maintnance so that's not a problem. The K46 is not meant to be serviced, but it can be done - and I did it last year (oil change).

However, keep in mind that I abuse with a capital "A" my machine... If I had to guess, I'd say I am using it for 125% of what it was designed for examples: towing 1-yard trailers of gravel, pulling spike harrows, dragging firewood (logs), pulling over-loaded (350 lb) plug aearators regularly, etc.

I would go for the used 325 no questions asked! It's a lot more tractor for less money and the resale will be higher when it is time to upgrade again. I was in this same situation and chose a used GT235 over a new X320, and I only mow 1/3 acre. Physically the tractors are not much different in size so the fact that the 325 is "overkill" really is not a good arguement. The difference in turning radius is probably not a whole lot different, and lets face it, when you are out in the yard mowing, are you going to notice. If the 54" deck is too big, you could always trade it for a 48C. In the long run you would probably be more happy with the hyro lift. Who doesn't want more for less money? Just my opinion.

more for less is always a good argument... but we haven't heard what condition the 325 is in?... perhaps it's pushing [a ridiculous] 3000 hours of commercial use?.... is $2700 a good deal in that case?... probably not.... conversly, if the unit was driven by meticulous mechanic, and has 150 hours on the clock, then sure!..... so without any further data, the debate has no direction.

Some deere owner baby their tractors and you can usually tell if the 325 has been babied. It should look almost new. If it looks rough, it has been roughly used, almost without doubt. If it looks good then I would lean hard toward the 325. It was a well made machine, and tough.

The gentleman selling the 325 says it was stored in a shed until recently when he purchased a new garden tractor. It has 385 hours on the engine and was maintained regularly with oil changes/lube/etc.

From the picts, it looks pretty clean:
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Does anyone think the risk of purchasing this used is too great? I'm not very savvy with lawn tractors, but I do know enough to be able to change my own oil, and break pads.

"I do know enough to be able to change my own oil, and break pads."

What I meant to say is that I do my own car maintenance and wouldn't be averse to getting dirty with a tractor.

With 385 hours, and seemingly goo condition of the machine - if I was faced with the decision - I agree with some of the other folks: go for the 325.

Even though there are some risks due to the age alone... it's still a very good bet. Perhaps, you could take it into a dealer, and for $200 (still cheaper overall) get them to give it a full go-over... tranny maintenance, grease, adjustments etc...

I purchased my JD 325 in 1999. While I use it mainly to mow the lawn with a 48C deck, I have used it to pull a JD 10P cart loaded with topsoil up hill many times without any strain at all. The K70A transmission works great. I have about 350 hours on mine. There are two filters to change related to the transmission. One is at the rear of the transmission, and the other one is an in-line filter in the hydraulic line to the deck lift piston. While they are expensive, they can be changed easily. I have changed the transmission oil and filters twice. The first recommended change was at 50 hours. The second recommended change was at 300hrs, then every 200 hours after that. The oil has always come out clean. I only mention this because a previous post suggested the transmission may need service if the previous owner did not do it. I did have a problem with the original 18hp Kawasaki engine. It would sometimes smoke a lot on startup. Only a few engines had this problem. Some cleared up after break-in, but mine did not after over 100 hours. The factory recommended replacing the pistons with a newer design, but the dealer replaced the entire engine having the newer pistons under warranty. The new engine never smoked or used any oil between yearly changes at 50 to 60 hours. The recommended engine oil & filter change interval is 100hrs, or yearly. Unless you run into the problem engine, you will have a good running machine. Charles Ranheim