# Cub Cadet XT1 GT50 opinions?



## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

So I have been looking for a few weeks at a riding mower that will do my yard as well as tow a sprayer, a spreader, an aerator couple times a year, gorilla cart with sand for leveling as well as mulch dirt etc. Yard is mostly flat with one 15 degree hill another a hair over that. Budget is $3k. Really prefer new as I dont have the time to chance getting a clunker and having to work on it etc. Was thinking about the deere x330 but i went to a dealer by me and the guy really talked himself out of the sale. Basically told me that for what i wanted the k46 in that model was doomed and needed to get at least the higher end of the 300 series but really should look at the 500 series for what i want. Out of the budget so i start googling what has better then a k46 bigger engine bigger tires(all the things this guy said i needed lol) but was somewhat still within my price.

Came across the Cub Cadet GT50 which checked alot of the boxes i supposedly need/would want for longer term reliability. Its also $2899 plus a 10% coupon at home depot. Any other models I should be looking at? Opinions on this one? I realize it isnt the higher end brand or models but I also want to pick up an electra some time early next year so gotta keep the budget somewhat in line with this as the electra is creeping up to 5k with all the wish list items.


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

The various online posts I've read seem to indicate the K46 with a sealed transmission is problematic with extended oil heating which can cause a premature failure. I had a John Deere x300 with the K46 for a couple of years, was okay but I never towed anything. I upgraded to the x320 with the beefier K58 transmission and now I tow a 175 lb spreader or 40" plug aerator on a property that is somewhat sloped, works very well, no power bogging down.

I see the Cub Cadet GT50 has the K58, so that would be a good buy I believe. I think some of the K58 are serviceable, don't know about the one CC has on it.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

You do know Cub Cadet is owned by MTD, right?

My John Deere X350 has the K46 transmission, and it will pull and tow anything I put behind it, within reason for a lawn tractor with a belt drive hydrostatic transmission. I owned a JD LT155 with a K46 before it, and it never had a problem in 20 years of use, including towing firewood up serious slopes on a regular basis. I could afford more - but it was all I needed....

The salesperson was just trying to upsell you. I suggest you research what you want in a mower (the JD X350 with the Kawasaki motor will do everything you say you want to do and give you years of reliable hardworking service) and then go test drive the one you like. Then decide. I would buy any X300 series JD lawn tractor over any [MTD] Cub Cadet...and I did.

By the way, I bought my JD X350 for $2600, with a $500 off sale direct from JD. I used that money to buy Stihl equipment....


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

I'll never buy another Cub Cadet. Mine is not well engineered at all. I love working on well engineered products, but the way they built this thing always has me shaking my head in aggravation. I've kept it going with a lot of work over 10 years but it's about done. I'm not a fan of the Kohler engine mine has either. Kawi would be my first choice by far. Briggs for a cheaper price point.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Surprisingly I found quite a few older John Deere models for sale near me on Offer Up.


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

FlowRider said:


> You do know Cub Cadet is owned by MTD, right?
> 
> My John Deere X350 has the K46 transmission, and it will pull and tow anything I put behind it, within reason for a lawn tractor with a belt drive hydrostatic transmission. I owned a JD LT155 with a K46 before it, and it never had a problem in 20 years of use, including towing firewood up serious slopes on a regular basis. I could afford more - but it was all I needed....
> 
> ...


Yes I was aware CC is owned by them but the reviews on the newer products seem solid and a big comfort for me is a good friend has has a zero turn CC for a couple years now which i have used repeated on my yard including towing around the 20 tons of sand i used last year to level and pulled the drag mat across it also used it recently to pull a 40" core aerator drum filled with sand and to spread 15 yards of mulch and it has been rock solid.

The more i look into it it seems like all the important bits are made by someone else regardless of which company your buying lol. I would likely buy the X350 at or near 2600 if I could find one around here for that but been to two dealers here both were close to full msrp plus a cart that JD is throwing in which i dont need. But the best I've found is $3150 which with the extra tax puts me at $500 more then the CC which at least on paper has it beat in every category. Would need the X380 to match up more closely and thats a 2k difference. For that money i could upgrade the k46 in a cheaper tractor to a k66 and still come out ahead.

The way I was looking at it is I have to pick my downside at this price point because I am not going past say 3.5k. At that price i could buy a much better machine(say a 500 series) with an unknown history and no warranty though. An X330 and hope the k46 holds up. Or the CC which "should" more easily handle heavier tasks but may have lower build quality issues. The stuff ive seen people complain about online is mainly smaller nitpicky shit and being that i am st least marginally familiar with engines id rather deal with a more suspect engine then trans. Now maybe you PM me your sales guys number and i might see what he would do for a new x350. Although with the luck ive had recently the k46 will go out and i will be kicking myself for not getting the k58 lmao.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

@Jimefam

The problem you are having with pricing is you are buying right in the middle of the growing season, and retailers know you have to buy a lawn mower this time of year, so they do not discount their products (check fertilizer pricing - it has all gone up now that everyone needs it). I bought my lawn mower in early spring (February) because that is when sales are best.

I think you need to consider a brand's reputation when you are buying durable goods such as lawn tractors, etc. Mergers and corporate buyouts have often resulted in product quality issues. John Deere makes an excellent product, and I think most people would agree with that statement. You can get a four year warranty on the tractor, including the transmission. I think if you are going to break it, it will happen during warranty. But I also think you won't break it unless you misuse or abuse it.... And I say that from an owner's experience with that equipment.

In the end, it is your money, and your decision. I do not have a dog in this fight - my equipment works for me, so if someone asks about it, I tell them what I have experienced and know as a result. I like John Deere and Honda and Stihl products for one underpinning reason - they flat out do work. They run and run, don't break down, don't make you broke with repair costs, have great warranty coverage if needed, and have a dealer support network that you can find anywhere you may live or move to. Other people have similar experiences with their brands, and that is great. In the final analysis, you must decide.

The best advice I ever got from anyone came from my maternal grandmother. She told me: "The choices you make when you are young are the decisions you must live with when you are old." That is why I buy the best quality equipment I can find within reason and what is suitable for the intended purposes the equipment is needed for. It works for me, very well.

I only commented because I think a salesperson trying to up his commission take may have done a disservice by trying to upsell you, but the answer to that happening is not to buy something that may be just as good; if there was a reason or reasons you went into the John Deere dealership to begin with, examine those again, and see if you can get a better sales person the next time.

I buy from the store manager. I ask to meet the parts manager, and the service manager. I walk through the service department, and I ask to see how many parts they keep in stock, and how long it takes to get parts. I also research what I want, and I do not let someone talk me out of it unless they tell me something that I did not learn from my own research. I almost always know the product better than the salespersons do as a direct result. It is my money, and my decision, and I owe it to myself to make sure I make the best possible decision when buying equipment. I research everything and then I carefully consider the source of the information I rely on. University studies = check. Industry expert = check. Individual with decades of experience in the field = check. Product that is universally respected and held in high regard = check.

Buy whatever you want. I don't have to live with your decision, you do. If what I say makes sense to you, consider it. I don't type answers to request for input because I like to type. I have some knowledge and experience to impart, so I responded.

Best of luck in your decision. I really do hope it works out for you, because blowing money is a bad move. But it's your call...!


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## maynard9089 (Apr 11, 2019)

I was a long time Cub fan (back to the International Harvester days) but I will never buy another now that MTD is involved. I still have the last one I bought about 6-7 years ago but it is absolute junk. I used it to roll my lawn this year but other than that it has been parked. I looked at the XT1 last Sunday while the wife puttered around the Garden Center at Home Depot. They had it parked next to a John Deere 180 that was a far better machine. What really caught my eye was the deck. The Cub deck was cheap. Deere has never been my thing but comparing the 2 side by side it would have been a no-brainer for me.


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

Save your money or buy a nice used x500. A used x500 will be much much better than any new Cub or MTD product. Warranty or not

https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/grd/d/dandridge-john-deere-x500/6910561478.html

Several nice examples on CL. Might have to drive a bit to get a deal


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

Art_Vandelay said:


> Save your money or buy a nice used x500. A used x500 will be much much better than any new Cub or MTD product. Warranty or not
> 
> https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/grd/d/dandridge-john-deere-x500/6910561478.html
> 
> Several nice examples on CL. Might have to drive a bit to get a deal


Ok guys thank you for all the feedback. Here is what may be a dumb question but i know very little about these types of machines. How old is too old on these machines? Like its clear to me that a new X500 will outlast and outperform the GT50 im looking at without a doubt. But for example the one posted in Tennessee has nearly 700 hours on it. Do these things just run forever without needing replacement parts etc? 700 hours is about 15 years of use for me as i would be shocked if I put even 40 hours a year on mine. Feel like im buying a machine that people have already used up 75% of its useful relatively maintenance free life and I'm buying it right when its about to start asking for shit.

A clearer example is my chevy dually. Nearly 10 years old and have put 260k miles on it zero problems. But last couple months its started to have minor hiccups, two power window switches went bad, fuel filter housing cracked etc. Motor and trans are strong and i will run it til it blows up cause its not worth getting rid of but i know if I want to get another 150k miles out of it its going to require a good amount of stuff. Been thinking about getting the new diesel titan. Its not nearly as heavy duty as my dually and im sure would not give me almost 275k worry free miles but might give me 150k with less trouble then getting another 150k out of my current truck would cost me. Thats my line of thinking with these high hour high end machines. I might get lucky and buy that x500 and get another 350 hours with just routine maintenance but in general i am not a lucky person lol.


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

Jimefam said:


> ...How old is too old on these machines?...


I miss my 1970's Simplicity, they don't make'm like they used to.

I'm sure if you keep looking you'll find what you want with very low hours. 700hrs is way too much...


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

Yeah I'd look for a low hour machine. Something less than 200-300. I have a 2000 345 John Deere that has 847 hours on it. It's still in great shape, of course I've replaced some parts over time, but no way would a Cub or MTD product would last half of that


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

Art_Vandelay said:


> Yeah I'd look for a low hour machine. Something less than 200-300. I have a 2000 345 John Deere that has 847 hours on it. It's still in great shape, of course I've replaced some parts over time, but no way would a Cub or MTD product would last half of that


I will keep looking as I have been that one you posted i had seen on facebook market place thats why i knew how many hours it had. But frankly if i got 350 trouble free hours out of any lf these thats more then i think i would ever rack up before i just bought another one. I have no expectation to have a 3k tractor last me 10+ years. 5 or 6 headache free years is what im after.


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

I have about 250 hours on my 2007 Cub and it's about done. Already replaced the deck once, steering gears twice and they are worn again, carb, muffler 3 times and it's rotted out again. I could go on and on and on...


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Thought I would throw in my experience.. I have a JD X304 (4 wheel steer) which is now more or less the X354. I am on it's 6th season and I have ~200 hours on it. So far the only issue I have had with is was a torn "CV Boot" on the rear steer which was fixed under warranty about 3 years ago. Aside from that I change the oil, and grease all the bearings at the beginning of the season, and do the full maintenance every third season (spark plug, fuel filter, air filter etc.). I grease the spindles everytime I sharpen the blades (so about 3 times per season). I put about 35 hours on it a season so every three seasons is 100 hours.

So far I have had no issue with the transmission. I have a fairly flat property, but I do tow around a dump trailer, de-thatcher, aeration and sweeper. When I do, this I try to be smart.. I don't do it when it is 100 degrees in the mid day sun, always run the throttle at full so the transmission cooling fan runs at full speed, and I give it time to cool off after about 30 min of hard work.

I think one of the weaknesses with the K46 is that JD and other manufacturers that use it, use a thinner oil (10W-30) Tuff Torq now recommends (10W-50). I am not sure why this is done (maybe for colder climates) as I know when I use the tractor at below freezing the transmission whines/groanes for a minute or two until the fluid get warmer and thins a bit). There are lots of videos on Youtube of guys changing the oil to 10W-50.

Anyhow, just wanted provide some experience that I have had with this machine and the K46. So far it has been pretty bullet proof... I bought it for the Kawasaki motor, but the rest of the machine has been great too...


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

Wanted to update this thread. So I ended up getting an X300 a local person had for sale here. 85 hours on it and everything works perfectly on it other then the seat having a tear in it. Didnt get a chance to use it before i left other then cutting the front yard of the person selling it. Worked well there but it was a completely flat maybe 1500sq ft piece of land so not very challenging. When I get back will swap all the filters and fluids including the trans fluid and get to work. Current opinion on the deere group on Facebook is it might last 100 hours with the hills here lol. Will see. Frankly it was cheap enough at 1/3 what that gt50 would have been to chance it. If i get another 200 hours out of it I will be thrilled and junk it and buy something more durable going forward. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback.


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Congrats on the purchase...nothing runs like a Deere


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

You will get more than 200 hours out of it.... if anything goes it will be the K46, but you can always swap in the bigger transmission...


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

Stuofsci02 said:


> You will get more than 200 hours out of it.... if anything goes it will be the K46, but you can always swap in the bigger transmission...


Lol but that costs twice what i just paid for it. Honestly if I can use it for what i need for the next 3 or 4 years I would likely get something like a new X750 so I have something that going forward I can use without worry of it failing.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I think you made an excellent decision. You may end up being pleasantly surprised by how well that tractor handles your terrain, and how long it lasts...!


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## Jimefam (Jun 22, 2018)

FlowRider said:


> I think you made an excellent decision. You may end up being pleasantly surprised by how well that tractor handles your terrain, and how long it lasts...!


Hope your right. Was worth the gamble at $1200 and it being so low hours. With the maintenance kit the trans oil and the mulching kit will likely be around $1500 all in and setup how i want it with fresh 5w-50 oil in the trans. Will keep changing it out probably once a year or so depending on how challenging it is.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

That is a smoking deal on that lawn tractor...! :thumbup: :nod:


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

That is a really good deal... that thing is basically new...


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## Art_Vandelay (Nov 20, 2018)

You'll be happy with it. Thats a nice machine and should last a long time


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