X500 has a far superior transaxle than any X3xx, bigger wheels, and more power. The X500 is a ground engaging garden tractor and all the X3xx models are lawn tractors. If you buy the blower (or any attachments) on the same invoice as the tractor then the blower is warranted the same as the tractor instead of just for one year.

Get an X500 with 48" mowing deck and 44" blower and have the dealer swap the rear turf tires for HDAPs. Add the power lift kit for the blower ( http://www.superior-tech.com/front-attachments_03.php ) and you can blow snow till Atlantic City goes bankrupt or it runs out of Salt Water Taffy..

I opted for a second set of wheels. The original set with turf tires for mowing and a second set with Vredestein V61 ribbed fronts (steer way better in snow) and Carlisle HDAP rears for winter work. Takes less than half hour to change them out. I have a brand new set of HD rear chains still sealed in the bag... never have needed them and we get serious snow at 7000 ft.

With 4 rear suitcase weights and a pair of 50lb wheel weights the X500 steers with one finger with the blower on and will deal with deep snow easily.

If you have a gravel driveway then you'll want to get someone to make oversize add-ons to the blower skid shoes to enlarge the shoe footprint and weld them on. Diamond plate works really well and also do the scraper bar PVC mod to keep your snowblower from becoming a rockthrower. If I had your email address I could send you pictures.

If you have a paved driveway then you can get Robolon (very hi-tech plastic) skid shoes for the blower that will not mar the paving. You'll want to avoid chains but you can get TerraGrips if you need them... http://www.superior-tech.com/terragrips_01.php A properly weighted X500 with HDAPS won't unless you a layer of ice.

Once you sit and blow snow you'll never walk behind again.

This post was edited by justalurker on Mon, Dec 1, 14 at 9:27

Great info, thanks. Few follow ups based on what you are suggesting. What is the cost range for the add-on electric/hydro front attachment lift?
I don't need a larger mower deck which comes with the 530 but I am always a sucker when it comes to beefier/heavier construction. I wonder if I could have a dealer to order a 530 with a 48" deck rather than 54" and have the difference discounted. I would do this if only there are differences other than the deck material change from 11 to 10 ga.

The power lift kit should be $400 from the dealer and and IMO works better than the hydro lift. Make them install it for FREE and don't let the dealer keep the manual lift hardware that comes with the blower.

I'm not a fan of the feel of power steering on the X5xx Select Series. Kinda wishy washy and not much feel especially when the X500 steers so easy.

Larger decks tend to not cut as well as smaller decks. Not to worry, the 48" deck is really built well and you can buy the nifty axles in the pic to store the deck out of the way.

http://moweraxle.com/tractorstands/johndeerestands.html

Any more questions just ask.

The x300 and x500 series use the same frame, biggest difference is the engine and transaxle.

"http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tractor/msg1111354430461.html?4";

Same frame except different back plates.

Different wheels and some convenience options.

The biggest difference is the transaxle and that alone will determine what the LT/GT can do and for how long it will do it. X3xx are entry level LT transaxles and thew X5xx are K72 ground engaging transaxles with 1" diameter axles.

Very informative. Thank you.
I have a little laughing material experience at a dealership...
Walked into a not so local place this afternoon to get their opinions from their perspective. I called first to find out who would be the person I should talk to when I come who is knowledgable with JD. Told him what am intended to do. He steered me towards the X304 on the floor next to a 1XX. He said 304 is the top of the line and made for snow plowing. Since I am in a good mood, I let him continue with his BS. Then I asked why do you have to add weights with snow blower. He told me about how the weight of the blower needs to be balanced, etc. Then I asked him to verify how many weight you could put on the 3XX. As much as you want, six or so, he says.. That's nice. How does it fit? He walks to 304 but oh darn, there is no bracket installed. Then he walk to the front and shows me the bracket. See, it hangs in here, you can fit six of them. I am scratching my head, "but this is the front of the tractor... how is this going to balance the weight of the blower?". He goes into the knows all mode; "the frame designed to shift the weight to balance the blower and tractor so it will be well balanced..." I think at that moment even he realized that he had no freaking clue what he was saying or how little knew of what he was making living selling the product he did not know anything about. But to his credit, he quickly recovered by "let me get someone who knows best because you are asking technical questions". He got the GM. He was not any better. He decided that I needed X530 based on the length of my driveway. What a shame... If I read the message above before I went there, I would have asked LT/GT transaxles. :)

Some people just open their mouths to change feet.

The three most important words a salesperson should are I don't know and the four next most important words they should say are but I'll find out". That's what separates professional sales people from clerks.

After long deliberation, I may have over extended what I would need beyond the reasonable but I am sure I will never look back and say I wish I had XXX. Settled on a X530 with 48" deck with 47" blower. I don't need the 54" and it will be getting on the way in and out of my shed. I wanted 44" blower but it may be not available before at least January but 47" was in stock and ready to go out. Got $300 off for the 48" deck and $100 off for the blower. I think it is reasonable. Opted for the wheel weights. Can always add more if needed. I may still change my mind about the weights. I think the suitcase weights make more sense since easily can be taken off unlike the wheel weights. Besides further back weight do more work to plant the rear wheels with the blower attached. Don't have to do anything else.Thanks for the good info Mr. Lurker. :)

Just for your consideration...

The 47" blower is a lot more than 3" wider than the 44". It is much larger, much heavier, and unwieldy compared to the 44". The 47" does have a beefier front gearbox but the 44" has proven to be very reliable.

There are reports on another forum of the 47" blowers having shakes and shudder problems that some attribute to out of balance augers but so far there has been no official comment form JD or any dealer these people have contacted.

Regardless of your choice of blower get the wheel weights for traction and the 4 suitcase weights for traction and counter balance of the blower... especially if you get the 47" one.

You should be getting a much better deal than $300 off and $100 on the blower.

There's a $500 off promo right now on all X500 Select Series Tractors and free financing for 12 months from JD.

Then you need to dicker with the dealer cause sales are slow now and you should get some consideration.

Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you.

I decided to go for the 530 with the 47" blower. Drove to the dealership, asked about the potential vibration with the 47s - they said they never herad of it. I indicated that I will not take the delivery if it is vibrating. Also, the unit was sitting outside for some time, maybe months, had a moldy seat and pretty darn dirty, same with the deck. Neither of them looked "new". He assured me that it will be all cleaned up.
Well... It shows up today like the way I saw it at their yard. Not cleaned, not prepared for delivery. I refused it. Delivery person told me tht he questioned why he was delviering it like that but he was told that I have seen it so it must be okay. I have not heard back from the owner all day long. For $100 discount, free delivery and a free cover, does not mean that I will take a moldy unit sitting outside who knows how long. I'd expect to get a call to see what's going on but that did not happen either. I'm calling it off. I don't think I am going to be happy with the dealres around me within 50 miles radius. Back to square one. Thanks for the help and advice.

No comment from JD or any dealer about vibrating 47" blowers but the people who own ones that do are not happy. My 44" works perfect.

If you like the JD you have three options that I see...

1. Drive down to the dealer and speak to the owner. Let him/her know that you are not happy and why. Negotiate a better price. Remember, there is the JD 30 day guarantee. If you're not happy you can return the product for a full refund with no questions asked.

2. Call JD corporate and inform them why you didn't take delivery and let them deal with the dealer.

3. Find the next closest dealer and see if they will at least give you the illusion that they want your business.

Setting the product aside... in my experience there are two types of John Deere dealers.

There are the JD dealer who made JD what it is today and there are JD dealers who have made Kubota what it is today.

My local dealer is a thief. He charges $11.93 for a $7.10 oil filter and gouges us on every part and accessory. I went in there the other day for a small part and the owner approached me and asked when I was gonna pull the trigger on a new 1 series subcut. I told him when you are charging us only suggested retail on parts. He was stunned but reminded me that he was the only JD dealer within 500 miles and I told him there's a Kubota dealer 3 miles away and another one 50 miles away.

Have not heard back from the owner. Two days was long anough wait. Clearly, he knew what was sent out to be delivered and did not see the need to follow up to make up for the mistake they made.
I am throwing the towel on JD. I will never consider JD again. Three out of three dealers, three too many for my palette to excuse and try to give my money away.

This post was edited by ruhia on Tue, Dec 9, 14 at 21:11

Problem is... now days there is little competition in the garden tractor market.

Simplicity is not what it was since B&S bought them and Cub Cadet has suffered under MTD's ownership.

I understand how you're felling about your JD dealer but you ought to call JD corporate customer service just to let them know what you've experienced. If the customer before you had called then your dealer might have been counselled and treated you better. 1 (800) 537-8233

As Yogi Berra might say... if you make it hard to spend money then I won't do it.

Thought about Pa or NY dealers?

Lurker may know a bit more of what goes on with Simplicity than I, but I did PM on a 2014 Broadmoor and I was impressed. I see very few Simplicity tractors as they aren't represented in my area. It had a nice sturdy deck- I liked better than the edge decks truth be told. At least from my first impression. Simplicity guys value that striping effect for some reason too. It had a mesh seat which was comfy and the guy just loved because it didn't hold the water if he caught in the rain, it was cool in the hot of summer and was comfortable. It is worth a look. I know I would not want to start a relationship with a dealer who didn't value me. Honestly, the Deere premium line should have a better deck IMO. The X series is no slouch for sure. Kubotas are intelligently designed as well.

Simplicity representation is spotty in many areas and the future direction of the brand is a concern among Simplicity owners I know. The terrain following roller decks are marvelous, but only on a smooth lawn. Rural lawn, as I have, bounces Simplicity decks to destruction. The 48" deck on my X500 is far superior for my lawn (field) mowing and plenty heavy duty enough.

Kubota L&G products are orphans among most Kubota dealers and have had their problems through the year and they are pricy, but if $$$ is a small concern I'd go for a Kubota BX with MMM and snow blower knowing that I could add an FEL anytime I desired and some Kubota dealers will deal on prices where few JD dealers drop a dime.

I did my part. Called the CS to have my experince to be noted. They attempted to make an offer to "resolve" this issue but since I don't see this is an issue but a systemic company culture reflected by the dealers JD chooses to customers, I passed.

Let us know what you ultimately decide and what you end up with.

For that kind of money you should be able to find a good used John Deere 425,445 or 455, It might be more tractor then you would need for mowing but it will be great for blowing snow, you get a lot better transmission a water cooled motor which will last 3x longer then air cooled, Just a lot more tractor then the x3 or x5 series, As far as the 47 inch blower goes I had mine for 8 years blowing a 500' foot lane and didn't have any problems yet.

The OP has have been completely put off by the local JD dealer when trying to hand them many thousands of dollars so buying a used JD and being dependent on the local dealer for parts and service support would seems equally unacceptable.

Yea, I know, any owner can DIY if they have the time and skill and incentive and parts can be mail ordered but I agree with the OP... why support (invest in) a brand that doesn't support you?

Although not as sophisticated as the John Deere garden tractors, Snapper still makes a quality "lawn tractor" that can be equipped with a snow blower, tiller, and mowing deck. You may want to see if there is a Snapper dealer in your area and take a look at the Snapper YT400.

It is unfortunate that you've had such a bad experience with the John Deere dealer. They truly make great pieces of equipment, and I am always baffled by the stories of bad service from a JD dealer.

I have two pieces of JD equipment, and the dealer has been good to deal with and makes sure I get whatever I need in a timely fashion.

I have a 17 year old GT275 garden tractor and needed lower trim panels. I went to the parts department on Monday, and on Thursday the parts manager called me saying "Your parts are in."

That's the type of service a JD dealer is capable of, and should give to every customer.

After a rather long delibiration to weigh my options and finding someone who is willing to work with me as well as making an attarctive price reduction, I ended up getting a 530 w/48" deck plus 44" snow blower. It was freezing rain when it was delviered on an open trailer so it was crusted with salt after dried up in the garage which gave me an over all inspection as cleaned it up. Hooked up a bttery tender plug. Noticed the transaxle fluid was not visible in the reservoir but I emailed hte dealer. I had two quarts of oil on my doorstep the next day. It is a good start.
Yesterday I had an opportunity to give it a test run plowing my driveway, next door neighbors and the next next door neighbors. :) Three driveways in less than an hour without breaking a sweat...
I find the "safety" feature disengaging the blade is more like a nuisance for sure. Coudln't get used to it yet. I might bypass the switch but I don't want to do it in a way that also bypasses the startup bypass. With two luggage weights and the tire combo was sufficient to scale my driveway with the hill with no problem. Snow was about 6" wet but full width was no rpblem to throw as I needed. It was not fully clogged but the chute was substantially narrowed with the compacted wet snow. Need to find a solution for that. Any suggestions? I recall someone adding rubber extensions to the paddles to improve the efficiency but I imagine there is a good reason to leave that 3/8" gap between the paddles and the body of hte chute.
One last thing, the person who delivered it suggested that I use super instead of regualr gas to prevent gunk in the carburator. Any downside to that? For the amount of time I will use, the price difference is negligable.
Thanks for the advice..

This post was edited by ruhia on Mon, Jan 26, 15 at 8:33

If I had your email address...

If you didn't get the winter grille cover for the hood get one. One blast of snow into the grille can ice the carb.

Clogged chute... a good coat of wax in the impeller area and the chute with routine applications of PAM or silicone spray will solve that problem for all but the wettest snow. Rubber flaps are a big improvement on single stage throwers not so much on two stage blowers.

Tell the delivery guy to stick to unloading and loading until he gets his engineering degree. Run regular. That Kwacker twin is designed to run on it and it runs good and a touch of Stabil in the gas is a good idea.

I've found those battery tenders will evaporate electrolyte if left on all the time and that vapor can corrode the underside of the dash. I prefer the Schumaker SEM-1562A Maintainer and use it one week a month.

This post was edited by justalurker on Sun, Jan 25, 15 at 19:38

A nice ride for sure. Plus 1 on using a stabilizer. Preferably one that deals w/ the ethanol such as Startron. I agree that the MIR could be more friendly on these.

I put the rubber flaps (Clarence kit) on my 2-stage blower (not tractor-mounted) because it had half-inch gaps between the impeller and the housing (MTD unit, go figure). Made a BIG difference in throwing capability and less clogging.

However, I have heard that if you only have 3/8" gap, you may not see much benefit.

Silicone spray worked really well. Thanks for the hint.

If I had your email address...