John Deere X350 ride-on mower review

There's a hell of a lot to like about John Deere's X350 lawn tractor. So much so that I snapped one up for myself.

Priced at around $5500, the X350 nests itself in the premium market segment, but with the comprehensive list of standard features it offers, it gives great value for money and is certainly worth considering.

I picked my X350 mower up from Midland Tractors in Longford, Tasmania, and was assisted by sales executive, Dene Mackey. In addition to being a down-to-earth bloke who understands his customers’ needs, Mackey has a wealth of product knowledge to assist customers in choosing the right mower and implements from the extensive John Deere range.

For mowing 2.5 acres and utilising a few trailing attachments, Mackey suggested the X350 lawn tractor with electronic PTO that would be an easy machine for anyone to operate.

Then he suggested a few additional options which would make the machine more versatile.

The X350 is powered by a smooth-running FS600V iTorqueTM 603-CC V-twin engine built by Kawasaki that produces 18.5hp. The engine features a flywheel alternator delivering 15 amps that is regulated to keep the battery at full charge without risk of overcharging, as well as powering electrical equipment such as lights or auxiliary equipment like sprayers.

The digital dash display includes a voltmeter that shows the battery charge during operation.

The X350 has cast-iron cylinder liners, overhead valves, full-pressure lubrication with a replaceable spin-on oil filter and a dual-stage air cleaner, all of which add to the durability of the engine.

The hydrostatic drive is the Kanzaki K46 transaxle and it features the Tuff Torq hydrostatic transaxle that encloses the hydrostatic pump and motor rotator groups in the same housing with the differential and axle housings. This design is efficient and reduces the number of sealing surfaces to minimise the chances of leakage.

The X350 can be specified with a wide choice of mower decks, from 42 inches (107cm) to 54 inches (137cm), with side discharge, mulching, or bagging grass options.

This X350 unit came with the 42-inch Accel Deep side-discharge cutting deck.

The deck is easily lifted from one inch to four inches in quarter-inch increments, with minimal foot effort in the standard configuration. However, to make it easier for my wife, Mackey specified the optional spring-assist kit (add $64.50). The lift effort can be easily adjusted by turning the spring assist bolt located on the tractor's front bumper.

Another option well worth investing in is the MulchControl attachment (add $232.96). It gives the operator the ability to quickly change between side discharging and mulching. The MulchControl attachment is an innovative, simple design that is easy to use and maintain and features a baffle to control the flow of material under the deck.

The attachment is controlled by a lever on top of the deck. When the MulchControl baffle is open, most of the material flows freely out of the discharge deflector. When the MulchControl baffle is closed, the material stays within the deck and gets chopped into mulch and deposited in the turf.

John Deere has given a lot of thought to the usability of this machine.

The dual foot controls, combined with the hydrostatic transmission, means it functions like a car's automatic transmission. The mower has cruise control so you can mow along at a set speed, allowing you to focus on the task at hand.

A deck levelling gauge and adjustment tool is located under the seat. Levelling the deck is a matter of placing the gauge at the appropriate location under the left rear, right rear, and front of the mower deck. Then, using the adjusting tool, rotate the screws on either side of the rear of the deck and the front drag arm adjusting nut to ensure the deck is at cutting level.

The cutting height of the deck is set via a rotary dial conveniently located in the centre of the cockpit. As mentioned, the X350 has a foot-operated mechanism to raise and lower the deck, which a lot of operators, including my wife, find much easier to use than a hand-lift lever.

The easy-to-use raised position lock on the left-hand side of the dash operates similarly to the park brake lock located on the opposite side. Considerable thought has been given to the location of the lift foot pedal, which is located out of the way and not likely to catch on bushes and tree limbs when mowing.

The X350 features a heavy-duty electric PTO clutch that is actuated by a dash-mounted switch.

The serviceability of this deck is one of the best we've seen. The spindles are greaseable, but unlike other mowers that require the deck to be removed for greasing, the John Deere X350's grease nipples are located on top of the deck, minimising servicing time.

A belt diagram decal is attached to the deck for ease of installation when belt replacement is required. The left-hand spindle has a lift-up safety cover to enable easy cleaning of the spindle area, while the right-hand spindle is open and protected by the mower frame.

The deck also features a garden hose connector that features a high-pressure washing nozzle that is activated when a hose is attached. This makes cleaning of the underside of the mowing deck quick and easy.

Removing the deck is a simple operation that only takes a few minutes. Two locating pins on both sides of the rear of the deck need to be removed and the deck belt dropped from the engine PTO pulley and that's pretty much it.

The Kawasaki FS600V has a spin-on oil filter and a quick release oil drain on the left-hand side of the mower. The owner's handbook recommends an initial service after the first eight hours of use. Regular service intervals are recommended after every 100 hours or 12 months, whichever comes first.

The John Deere X350 comes standard with 'Reverse Implement Option' (RIO) that enables it to operate in reverse. Although the operator's handbook strongly discourages mowing in reverse, operators can still do so by pressing and holding the yellow RIO button while operating the machine, if there is no other althernative.

The backbone of the X350 is a 12-gauge formed and welded steel frame which is reinforced in critical areas for greater strength. The front bumper and hitch plate are formed from 9-gauge steel, with the rear hitch plate capable of supporting two 19kg Quick-Tatch weights. There is a combination of mounting holes in the tractor hitch plate that accept pins or shoulder bolts to support heavy rear-mounted equipment.

Steering of this unit is the lightest we've seen on a mower in this size range and that's thanks to the large 360mm (14-inch) steering wheel that is connected to a large sector gear that pivots on a shaft rather than a bushing. This ensures proper mesh, eliminates binding and provides a higher steering ratio which equals lower steering effort.

That and long dual drag links help equalise the steering load and reduce steering error.

The X350 boasts one of the tightest turning circles of 406mm (16-inches), which gives the machine exceptional manoeuvrability and precise control.

It's also one of the easiest mowers to refuel. It has a large 76mm (3-inch) diameter filler opening located on the left-hand side of the rear fender. The dash display has an electronic fuel gauge which makes it easy to monitor the amount of fuel in the tank so you won't run out of fuel halfway down the back paddock.

The 380mm (15-inch) seat is the medium size in the John Deere lawn tractor range and is comfortable enough for operators to spend a solid hour or two on it. However, for added protection and comfort, I opted for the seat cover (add $51.79) that comes with a couple of handy pockets at the back to store gloves and other hand tools. The cover can be removed in a matter of seconds for easy cleaning and maintenance.

The contoured dash has a clean and attractive styling. Colour-coded controls are all labelled clearly for easy identification and use. The PTO switch is easy to pull up for activation.

The latch control on the foot-lift and the park-brake latch are pivot levers for low effort. Cruise control is activated via an automotive-style button.

There is a separate engine speed lever and choke control that make starting and warming up the engine easier especially in cold weather. The choke lever is spring loaded to prevent the X350 from running with the choke partially closed.

Another option that I was pleased with was the bumper brush guard ($200.38) that provides added protection at the front of the tractor. The bumper has a locating bar that lets it fold forward to allow the bonnet to be raised for servicing.

Another feature on the John Deere X350 is a 12-volt fast connector located underneath the fuse box for quick installation of additional attachments where required. The four-cavity connector includes battery, ground, and key switch terminals and is activated via the ignition switch.

The X350 can comfortably tow a 283-litre wheelbarrow with a 300kg capacity for collecting garden weeds and transporting them to the composting area, for example.

John Deere has a magnetic pin, priced at $27.45 which makes coupling and uncoupling the barrow and other implements a simple operation.

Overall, the John Deere X350 is an exceptional lawn tractor which made cutting our 2.5 acres of grass effortless, especially when coupled with all the additional bells and whistles. With the MulchControl baffle closed, there were no grass clippings to collect and the result was a neat, clean cut.

The X350 certainly ticked all the boxes in terms of performance and economy. In fact, the Kawasaki engine is one of the most economical we've used.

Although priced on the higher end of the market, with all the standard features included, it really is a standout machine.

Chassis: 4x2 2WD

Steering: Manual

Brakes: Internal wet-disc

Cabin: Open operator station

Seat: 38cm (15-inch) open back

Weight: 246 kg (542 lbs)

Wheelbase: 1250mm (49.4 inches)

Length: 1830mm (72 inches)

Width: 1070mm (42 inches)

Height: 1190mm (47 inches)

Ground Clearance: 110mm (4.5 inches)

2WD turn radius: 406mm (16 inches)

Fuel: 12.5 Litres (3.3 gal)

Front Tyres: Lawn/turf 15x6x6

Rear Tyres: Lawn/turf 20x10x8

Engine: Kawasaki

Power: 13.8kW (18.5HP) @ 3600 RPM

Torque: 44.1Nm (32.5 lb-ft) @ 2600 RPM

Bore/Stroke: 73 x 72mm (2.9 x 2.8 inches)

Compression: 8.1:1

Rated RPM: 3600

Starter: 12 volts

Oil capacity:1.5 Litres

Oil change interval: 100 hours

Sparkplug: NGK BPR4ES x 2

Sparkplug gap: 0.762mm (0.030 inches)

Electrical: Negative ground

Charging system:  Alternator

Charging amps: 15 amps

Battery Cold-cranking amps: 340 amps

Volts: 12 volts

Transmission: Kanzaki K46

Type: Belt-driven Hydrostatic

Gears: Infinite forward and reverse

Oil Change: Sealed unit, service not recommended

Warranty: 4 years/300 hours Bumper to Bumper