Best John Deere Lawn Tractor – Time To Bring Out The Mower

I would make the argument that very few things are as attractive to your nasal senses as the smell of freshly cut grass. For us petrolheads, maybe the smell of gasoline is just as neat, too. But I digress. That said, lawn mowing is far more than just smelling grass, as the cleanliness of maintaining a front lawn is just as vital. If it’s that time again, you might want to know the best John Deere lawn tractor.

And why not? Although there are countless brands of lawn tractors and mowers, John Deere remains to be a household name. Even for those that leave that moving job to someone else, the bright green and yellow of a JD is distinctive. That reputation is well deserved, of course. John Deere makes some of the best, most reliable, trustworthy, dependable, and capable machinery in the market today.

From farming tractors to construction bulldozers and even military generators, John Deere makes it all. For today, we’ll take a peek at some of the best John Deere lawn tractor. Should the seasons have changed once more to start mowing the lawn, this might help you find the right machinery. As we’ll discover, choosing the best John Deere lawn tractor isn’t so easy…

• Choosing A Mower
• Walk V. Riding
• Features
• Best
• 100 Series
• 200 Series
• X300 Select Series
• X500 Select Series
• X700 Signature Series
• Final Thoughts

What Criteria Should You Consider When Picking Out A Lawn Tractor Or Mower?

Before we get into the best John Deere lawn tractor, it might be helpful to guide you along in how to find the best mower or tractor. Naturally, each individual would want a different mower depending on their lifestyle and the lawn in question. Thus, we have to consider the questions that you’ll ask as you’re at the check-out counter. Is this lawn tractor (or mower) the right fit for me?

How big is your lawn, and should you go electric? What convenient must-haves or safety features and performance figures should you need? This will have an impact on your experience as a whole when it comes time to start mowing. No matter how good the mower is – not even the best John Deere lawn tractor – could make things easier for you if you picked the wrong one.

Maybe it’s overkill, and you chose the most feature-packed mower for a tiny lawn. Or, you decided to just pick the simplest one, and find it insufficient for your massive lawn. Situations like these are best avoided, only if you ask yourself these simple questions…

1. Do You Want To Walk, Or Prefer To Ride Your Tractor-Cum-Mower?

Generally, there are two types of lawnmowers. This being the ‘walk behind’, where you’re pushing on the mower to keep it moving. Or, there’s the ‘riding mower’, where you sit on a mini tractor and drive it around like a car. As we’re discussing our best John Deere lawn tractor, all of them are purely made as riding mowers. However, it’s worthwhile discussing the merits of a simple self-propelled mower.

The best way to choose between a ‘walk behind’ or a ‘riding mower’ is to look at the size of the lawn that you’re mowing. We’d ordinarily set a comfortable threshold at ¼ acre, or 10,890 square feet. You can easily measure this by walking around in large rectangles and multiplying them to get the surface area. ¼ of an acre is in itself quite a large area, and some might even struggle to walk that much.

Should your lawn be smaller than this, then a self-propelled or walk-behind mower is adequate. That said, and if it’s larger – say an entire acre (43,560 square feet) or more – a ‘riding mower’ would make things much easier. A typical rear-engine mower, as well as light-duty and residential-duty zero-turn riding mowers, would be more suitable. If it’s more than 2 acres, then consider a commercial mower.

You’ll have to think realistically about your dedication to mowing the lawn. How much time are you willing to spend? Plus, are you willing to dedicate a lot of exercise and energy to pushing a mower for hours at a time. If you’re not keen on wasting away a good weekend with chores, then opting for a riding mower is your best fit. Either way, select your preferred mower accordingly.

2. What Features Do You Want In A Tractor-Slash-Mower?

Next up, we have to consider what sort of features and extra tricks do you need your mower to do? Is there a reason you need a more durable or performance mower than the others? Some mowers are more complex than others. It might seem like buying the most expensive and tech-savvy mower on sale ought to be a good idea, right? Not entirely, as the opposite is also true.

Getting the world’s best John Deere lawn tractor wouldn’t matter if you only have a tiny lawn to mow. Or, if you’re not entirely enthused with all the extra features, to begin with. Whether it’s a riding mower or a walk-behind mower, you need to set your priorities to a few key elements. The most important being the size of your budget, and your comfort levels. Then, you can start with the rest.

These would be how intuitive a mower is to use, or could it cut grass any faster. To better understand what sort of extra attributes should you want in a mower, we’ll split them in two:

2.1. Walk-Behind Mower Features

Checking out walk-behind mowers don’t apply when picking out the best John Deere lawn tractor, but it’s worth taking a peek at them. They’re an incredibly versatile category of machines, with increasing complexity and cost as you reach higher in the price range…

1. Driven Wheels – Just like cars, walk-mowers can be front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive. Each is suited for differing applications. If you’re on level ground with a lot of obstacles, front-wheel-drive can provide a lot of front-end traction. Rear-wheel-drive mowers are best for hilly terrain, as you can press down on the handle to provide grip. All-wheel-drive is perfect for any and all terrain, albeit they’re costly.
2. Cutting Functions – Not all mowers operate the same way. Some mowers are ‘two-function’, meaning that they mulch your grass clippings. In other words, it cuts and recuts them. Mulching is healthier for the lawn, as the nitrogen-rich clippings are distributed back to the ground. A ‘three-function’ mower bags, mulches, and discharge clippings all in one go. This is best for taller weeds and non-turf grasses.
3. Extra Features – This is where you look at the capabilities of your mower. Deck levers are grouped as one, two, and four, allowing you height adjustment. Next, you should look at ground speed control, as well as what transmission your mower has. The size of the engine – usually from 140cc to 190cc – will determine how fast it’ll go, as the size of your rear wheels will help to navigate you better.
4. Electric – The final key consideration is whether an electric mower will suffice. These are best for small yards, less than 5,000 square feet or so. Electric mowers often have smaller decks. Plus, they aren’t as powerful, especially with tougher terrain.

2.2 Riding Mower Features

There’s nothing that could compare with the performance and efficiency of a riding mower, especially when you have a large yard. Although, they are more costly than a conventional walk-behind mower. But if you can afford it, mowing a large lawn may appear quite easy in comparison. As for the riding mowers themselves, there are three types available:

1. Lawn Tractor – This is what we’re looking at for the best John Deere lawn tractor. They’re large, with an engine usually in the front, and a steering wheel. Their engines commonly pump out around 18 to 25 hp. The top-of-the-line lawn tractors even come with a CVT transmission. The smoothest gearbox of its kind is no doubt a hydrostatic transmission. Their decks could also be as large as 54 inches.
2. Riding Mower – The namesake is a step down in size, and is a perfect in-between for 1 or 2-acre yards. Riding mowers of this class can usually be found with a rear-engine setup. These single-cylinders are good for 10 to 11 hp. The gearboxes are generally CVTs, with hand-operated controls for it and their deck levers. As for the deck sizing, it can range somewhere between a modest 30 to 33 inches.
3. Zero-Turn Mower – We can call this the go-kart of the mowing world. The name comes from the fact that you can find up to 2 hydrostatic transmissions on either rear wheel. Hence, you could turn the mower very sharply. It can be quite powerful too, with engines capable of upwards of 25hp. The deck sizes can vary from 32 to 60 inches, so it could cut rather quickly. Although, these are quite pricey.

What Is The Best John Deere Lawn Tractor For You?

John Deere has been around since 1837. Back then, they made the best plows. Now, we’re going to take a peek at the best John Deere lawn tractor. However, and as we mentioned earlier, finding the right lawn tractor for you will vary wildly based on your situation. You may have a large yard, a tight budget, or need a unique set of features. So, it’s best that we do a quick round-up.

If you’re looking to find the best John Deere lawn tractor, here’s a few questions to ask yourself:

• How large is the area that you’ll be mowing – a quarter of an acre, or several acres?
• What deck size is preferable – larger deck sizes constrain maneuverability but can cut larger portions of your yard.
• Are there any obstacles – rocks, lawn furnishings, Halloween decorations – in the way around your lawn?
• What sort of terrain that you’ll be mowing on – flat grass would be easy to mow, but hilly and sloping yards might need more horsepower to get about.
• Is there any other word that you need the lawn tractor for – is it just mowing, or do you need to tow or carry stuff around later on?

As we’re going to try and find the best John Deere lawn tractor, here’s the whole range of mowers in their catalog as of writing. This should give you a better idea of which ones to look out for…

1. John Deere 100 Series Lawn Tractor – The Best Bang-For-Buck Mower

The 100 Series is their entry-level line-up, which comes with a 2-year or 120-hour bumper-to-bumper warranty. This goes for the entire model range, which consists of the:

• S100 – 17.5 horsepower, 42-inch deck size, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S120 – 22 horsepower, 42-inch deck size, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S130 – 22 horsepower, 42-inch deck size, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S140 – 22 horsepower, 48-inch deck size, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S160 – 24 horsepower, 48-inch deck size, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S170 – 24 horsepower, 48-inch deck size, heavy-duty two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S180 – 24 horsepower, 54-inch deck size, heavy-duty two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive

1.5. 100 Series Features And Summary

The 42 to 54-inch Edge™ decks are suitable for an incredibly diverse array of terrain and yard sizes. As for performance, it’s equally speedy as far as lawn tractors go. The 100 Series was designed with a strong focus on comfort and usability. For starters, the seats are adjustable, with ergonomic controls placed around you. There’s a simple dual side-by-side foot pedal layout for effortless driveability.

All the gauges can be read at a glance, and the 100 are made to be easier to maintain, too. There’s John Deere’s 30-second oil change system, which makes routine servicing a breeze. Additionally, the 100 Series is aimed to be an affordable do-it-all lawn tractor. Pricing starts at around $1,799 for the S100. It then ramps up to $2,999 for the top-spec S180.

2. John Deere 200 Series Lawn Tractor – The Best For High-Speed Mowing

One step up, we have the 200 Series lawn tractors from John Deere. Finally, we get to see improved additions across the board. For instance, it has a 3-year and 200-hour bumper-to-bumper warranty. This time around, the 200 Series line-up is condensed into just three distinct models:

• S220 – 22 horsepower, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S240 – 21.5 horsepower, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, heavy-duty two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive
• S240 – 21.5 horsepower, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, heavy-duty two-pedal hydrostatic transmission, 2-wheel drive

2.5. 200 Series Features And Summary

In a nutshell, the 200 Series’ focus is mainly on performance, but still offering great value for what it delivers. The most noticeable change is the uprated Accel Deep™ decks. Compared to the Edge decks used in the 100, these Accel Deep mower decks can spread clippings more optimally. When combined with John Deere’s MulchControl™ system, it can cut through the grass at a much faster pace.

On top of that, the 200 Series is sprightlier, too. They’re fitted with a V-Twin engine, delivering over 20 horsepower at the bottom-end. If you prioritize getting the mowing done as quickly as possible, but without missing out on thoroughness, the 200 Series is the perfect fit. Although, it’s a tad pricier. The S220 starts at $2,499, while the S240 with a 48-inch deck costs $2,999.

3. John Deere X300 Select Series Lawn Tractor – The Best All-Rounder Mower

Now, we’re getting to the heavier-duty options, starting with the X300 Select Series. The model line-up within the X300 family is quite diverse:

• X330 – 22hp Cyclonic, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X330 – 20hp Cyclonic, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X350 – 21.5hp iTorque, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X350 – 21.5hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X350R – 21.5hp iTorque, 42-inch Edge™ rear-discharge deck, 2-wheel unassisted steering
• X354 – 21.5hp iTorque, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 4-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X370 – 21.5hp iTorque, 42-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X380 – 23hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X380 – 23hp iTorque, 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X384 – 23hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 4-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X390 – 23hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X390 – 23hp iTorque, 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X392 – 23hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 4-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™

3.5. X300 Select Series Features And Summary

Apart from variety, the X300 series offers you a whole lot more tools to get the mowing done. Maybe the most standout feature would be MulchControl™. The (optional) one-touch system allows you to discharge your clippings easily with the press of a single button. This is an incredibly huge USP to aid in keeping your grass healthy. Then, we have the Accel Deep™ mower decks.

Accel Deep™ can cut through the grass at a more rapid pace, and do it more thoroughly, as well. With sizes up to 54-inches, you can cover quite a lot of ground. On top of that, the X300 is compatible with a wide range of additional accessories. These include bags and carts to make lawn work that bit easier. Pricing starts at $3,399 for the X330 and goes up to $6,749 for the X394.

4. John Deere X500 Select Series Lawn Tractor – The Best Heavy-Duty Mower

If the X300 wasn’t enough, John Deere has the X500 Select Series selection just for you. Mainly, it takes all that’s good with the X300 and bumps it up a bit. In addition, it has an attractive 4-year and 500-hour warranty for all its models:

• X570 – 24hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X570 – 24hp iTorque, 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel unassisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X580 – 24hp iTorque, 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X584 – 24hp iTorque, 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 4-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X584 -24hp iTorque, 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 4-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X590 – 25.5hp EFI (with constant-speed control), 48-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™
• X590 – 25.5hp EFI (with constant-speed control), 54-inch Accel Deep™ decks, 2-wheel power-assisted steering, standard or one-touch MulchControl™

4.5. X500 Select Series Features And Summary

As with the X300, the X500 Series carries the Accel Deep decks. Available in as large as 54-inches in size, it can mow large sections of grass with speed and meticulousness. Additionally, we also get to see more 4-wheel steering options in the X500. This enables you to maneuver more delicately and hastily around those planter beds and flower pots. Even for tinier lawns, this is a fantastic option.

It also has traction assist systems onboard. You can lock the rear transaxle, allowing you to traverse through even the toughest, hilliest, or slipperiest terrains. To top it all off, the iTorque engines make a return. These heavy-duty motors don’t just give plenty of pokes but are robust and reliable, too. The downside is the cost. The X570 starts at $6,799, while the top-of-the-line X590 sets you back $8,699.

5. John Deere X700 Signature Series Lawn Tractor – The Best For All-Terrain, All-Season Mowing

If there’s such a thing as the Cadillac of lawn tractors, John Deere’s X700 Signature Series is definitely it. You’re now getting a lengthier 4-year or 700-hour warranty. Across the entire X700 model range, you get a lot more bite out of your lawn:

• X730 – 25.5hp EFI, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 2-wheel power-assist steering, 2-wheel drive
• X734 – 25.5hp EFI, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 4-wheel power-assist steering, 2-wheel drive
• X738 – 25.5hp EFI, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 2-wheel power-assist steering, full-time 4-wheel drive
• X739 – 25.5hp EFI, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 4-wheel power-assist steering, full-time 4-wheel drive
• X750 – 24hp diesel, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 2-wheel power-assist steering, 2-wheel drive
• X754 – 24hp diesel, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 4-wheel power-assist steering, 2-wheel drive
• X758 – 24hp diesel, 48-inch Accel Deep™ deck or 54-inch/60-inch high-capacity deck, 2-wheel power-assist steering, full-time 4-wheel drive

5.5. X700 Signature Series Features And Summary

To put it simply, the X700 is a lawn tractor made for not just mowing your yard. But sure, it can do that just fine. You have the choice to opt for much larger 54-inch or 60-inch high-capacity decks. Now, however, it can tackle more adverse terrain, too. 4-wheel steering ups your maneuverability, as there’s a full-time 4-wheel drive if you need added traction for those winter months.

As for engines, there’s the good-old electronic fuel injection (EFI) gasoline or a torquier diesel engine. Finally, the X700 is compatible with a vast quantity of attachments, making it a versatile machine for any occasion. These include carts, tow hitches, or a snowplow as well as an enclosed and heated cabin. The cost is no doubt steep, with the base model X730 setting you back $11,989.

The Best John Deere Lawn Tractor – Final Thoughts

There you have it, the best John Deere lawn tractor for differing types of mowing. With that in mind, they’re all great lawn tractors, built for unique scenarios and applications. If you just need an easy-to-use and dependable lawn tractor, the 100 or 200 Series is the best value for the money. Should your budget be a tad higher, the X300 Series provides an all-rounder experience, with room to spare.

If you happen to have a massive lawn and need to job done right quick, the X500 is a great option as well. Should you prefer to live far in the outback and need a lawn tractor that could also double as a snowplow and runabout, look no further than the X700. Overall, picking out the best John Deere lawn tractor is a matter of perspective. Ask yourself this – what do you need a lawnmower for?