New or used xt2

[Dan from Ohio]

Hi all,

I'm currently shopping for a 42" lawn tractor and want to get the best value that I possibly can. I really like the Kohler 7000 on the XT2 and the fabricated deck.

I have sseen a low hour (96) XT2 for $2,000. I can get a new one for $3,199 plus tax. I am leaning towards a new one. I only cut a half acre flat residential yard. Any thoughts on buying used vs new or any other lawn tractors I should consider? Thanks!

[Road_Clam]

I would not buy a Used XT series Cub. They can have a lot of problems if not properly maintained or if abused. The K46 hydro trans overheating can be an issue if the owner had to mow hills or used it to move snow. I also highly recommend staying away from the "intellipower" , "Smartchoke" and the "EFI" models and they are very unreliable and are very expensive to fix correctly. Definately choose the XT2 over the XT1's as the XT1's come with the cheap TL200 trans. The XT2's fab deck is a rock solid deck that won't rust over the years of usage.

[Dan from Ohio]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

I would not buy a Used XT series Cub. They can have a lot of problems if not properly maintained or if abused. The K46 hydro trans overheating can be an issue if the owner had to mow hills or used it to move snow. I also highly recommend staying away from the "intellipower" , "Smartchoke" and the "EFI" models and they are very unreliable and are very expensive to fix correctly. Definately choose the XT2 over the XT1's as the XT1's come with the cheap TL200 trans. The XT2's fab deck is a rock solid deck that won't rust over the years of usage.

I found the XT1 engine offerings to be unappealing. The Kohler 7000 is good, yes? It does not have the Smartchoke system, it has a separate lever for the choke.

Any other 42" tractors you'd recommend?

Thank you for the reply!

[Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

I would not buy a Used XT series Cub. They can have a lot of problems if not properly maintained or if abused. The K46 hydro trans overheating can be an issue if the owner had to mow hills or used it to move snow. I also highly recommend staying away from the "intellipower" , "Smartchoke" and the "EFI" models and they are very unreliable and are very expensive to fix correctly. Definately choose the XT2 over the XT1's as the XT1's come with the cheap TL200 trans. The XT2's fab deck is a rock solid deck that won't rust over the years of usage.

The K46 is fine for moderate snow removal with a blower or blade.

I would agree, though, on staying away from the IntelliPower or smart choke.

Now I have a friend with a 2017 XT2 GX 54D, which has a K62 with diff/lock, and it has over 3000 hours on the clock and is still running strong. The wife and I bought it for him when his Craftsman lawn tractor and Ariens yard tractor finally gave up the ghost.

The only major issue it has really ever had was a bad oil drain design by Kohler (fixed by Kohler under recall) and this model https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/ridin...sOnModel=false snow blade, which fell apart after one season pushing snow. It was replaced with this model, https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/ridin...sOnModel=false snow blade that has been very reliable for the last 7 years.

[evhevh]

I think buying used vs new also depends on how handy you are with small engine equipment. I bought a used (55 hour) XT1 with the Kohler 7000 and K46 tranny. I went all thru it cleaning/adjusting/lubricating things and ended up with a great machine. If you prefer or unable to not do those things stick with new.

[Dan from Ohio]

Originally Posted by evhevh

I think buying used vs new also depends on how handy you are with small engine equipment. I bought a used (55 hour) XT1 with the Kohler 7000 and K46 tranny. I went all thru it cleaning/adjusting/lubricating things and ended up with a great machine. If you prefer or unable to not do those things stick with new.

I am not a mechanic by any means, but I did replace both of the heads on my Briggs v twin a few years back. I am ok at fixing. Diagnosing is the bigger challenge for me, usually.

If they still offered the Kohler on the XT1 it would probably be my pick.It seems to me that for a 42" mower cutting a flat half acre as I am, I am just shopping for an engine and deck I like. Everything else seems to be pretty similar across the brands as I see it, unless I'm missing something.

[Road_Clam]

Originally Posted by Dan from Ohio

I found the XT1 engine offerings to be unappealing. The Kohler 7000 is good, yes? I can't find anything about the 2025 XT2 having the smartchoke system. The throttle lever has a choke setting and info says it has a manual choke so I am hopeful it doesn't have that. Maybe they stopped doing that system?

Any other 42" tractors you'd recommend?

Thank you for the reply!

I made the comments with the smartchoke / intellipower based upon you possibly buying used. I have a '24 XT2 GX54D with the 26 hp Kohler 7000 and it's been outstanding thus far with about 28 hrs. From what I have researched the 7000 series of engine is proving to be very reliable so your GTG. Just make sure to buy a twin cyl engine as it will have more power and a smoother operation overall.

[Dan from Ohio]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

I made the comments with the smartchoke / intellipower based upon you possibly buying used. I have a '24 XT2 GX54D with the 26 hp Kohler 7000 and it's been outstanding thus far with about 28 hrs. From what I have researched the 7000 series of engine is proving to be very reliable so your GTG. Just make sure to buy a twin cyl engine as it will have more power and a smoother operation overall.

Oh, ok, gotcha. Yeah, the XT2 LX42 has the 20 hp 7000 series Kohler v twin. Does yours have electric PTO? The 42 has manual. Not really sure how I feel about that. I am pretty used to electric. But probably not a big deal.

[Road_Clam]

Originally Posted by Dan from Ohio

Oh, ok, gotcha. Yeah, the XT2 LX42 has the 20 hp 7000 series Kohler v twin. Does yours have electric PTO? The 42 has manual. Not really sure how I feel about that. I am pretty used to electric. But probably not a big deal.

I believe that Cub adds the electric PTO on 50"+ decks. Honestly I would prefer a manual PTO over electric that's on my 54D model. Reason #1 is more mechanically simplistic (no expensive electric clutch ) , and reason #2 is when I engage the electric PTO clutch it is VIOLENT and I get a lot of initial loud rattling ( due to the "Fast Attach" blade system), and vibration and it lugs the engine down a bit. Once fully engaged it performs perfect. My old Craftsman had a manual PTO and I could slowly engage the blades, very smooth engagement. If you end up XT2 , i've done a ton of mods to my 54D in attempts to avoid future mechanical relibility problems. Be happy to share all my experiences with you. Good luck

[Dan from Ohio]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

I believe that Cub adds the electric PTO on 50"+ decks. Honestly I would prefer a manual PTO over electric that's on my 54D model. Reason #1 is more mechanically simplistic (no expensive electric clutch ) , and reason #2 is when I engage the electric PTO clutch it is VIOLENT and I get a lot of initial loud rattling ( due to the "Fast Attach" blade system), and vibration and it lugs the engine down a bit. Once fully engaged it performs perfect. My old Craftsman had a manual PTO and I could slowly engage the blades, very smooth engagement. If you end up XT2 , i've done a ton of mods to my 54D in attempts to avoid future mechanical relibility problems. Be happy to share all my experiences with you. Good luck

Wow, I sure appreciate all of this! I will let you know when I pull the trigger. Difficult right now because my Craftsman still functions and at heart I am not great at spending money!