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In this video, I go over the differences between popular riding mower brands John Deere vs Cub Cadet vs Husqvarna. Want FREE Shipping With Amazon Prime? Get a 30-DAY FREE TRIAL by signing up here http://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?tag=thechrisreview-20 DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
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John Deere, Cub Cadet, and Husqvarna. Out of these three, only one brand consistently ranks above
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average for reliability. Only one holds its value so well that even 15-year-old models still sell
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fast. And yeah, it's probably the one you're thinking of. But here's the twist. The same
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brand is also the one a lot of people overpay for. Not because the mower is bad, but because they buy
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way more machine than their yard will ever need. And keep this part in mind because it may make
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you trust one brand a little less. The mower that wins on comfort, the same mower can be
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a nightmare the day something goes wrong. So before you buy any of them give me a
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few minutes and I'll show you exactly what each brand is really selling and which one actually comes out on top. So first let's zoom out and look at the
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identities of these brands. If you think of these brands as brothers then John
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Deere is the oldest. Now the company's story goes all the way back to 1837. That
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was a time when the United States didn't have Texas or California and Abraham
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Lincoln hadn't even become president. That's why most people can recognize that
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John Deere at a glance without even seeing the logo. Your parents might know Deere, your neighbor
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might already have one sitting in the shed, and if you grew up in the American suburbs, that green
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and yellow color combo is almost backyard furniture at this point. And it's not just nostalgia holding
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that up. Consumer Reports' recent owner survey data backs it up too. Among these three brands
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John Deere is the one that consistently stands out for predicted reliability with owner satisfaction
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also ranking very high. But the biggest strength of John Deere here isn't each individual bolt
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It's the ecosystem behind the machine. In the US alone, Deere works through more than 2,000 dealer and service locations spread
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across the country. Now the company also has manufacturing and office footprints in over 30 countries worldwide
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So when you buy a John Deere, you aren't just buying a mower. You're buying the comfort of knowing that if something goes wrong, there's someone
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nearby who knows exactly how to fix it and where to get the parts
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And if you sell it later, that Deere badge helps a lot. People trust the name and that means a better resale value
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Of course when a brand is that strong, the downside can also come from expectations
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Now a lot of people assume that anything with John Deere on it must be built like a tank
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and should perform like a commercial machine. The reality is that in the mid-range residential segment, Deere still uses stamped dags and
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still relies on quite a bit of plastic. And before you make up your mind, there's something else you should hear
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In the last few years, John Deere has been at the center of a big debate in the US farming
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world about right to repair. The idea that owners should be able to fix their own equipment
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Farmers and advocacy groups have criticized deer for locking down diagnostic software
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on their machines which makes it much harder for independent mechanics or farmers themselves to carry out repairs and pushes them toward authorized dealers instead And that can mean higher repair costs and longer wait times during critical seasons Even though most of that drama lives around the giant farm tractors out in
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the fields, not the small riding mowers in your backyard, I still think it's worth mentioning. Big
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companies can change their policies over time and nobody can promise those habits will never touch
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smaller machines. So if you're the kind of person who thinks long term, this is still good to know
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Now Cub Cadet would be the youngest brother but in some ways it's the most American. The brand
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started back in 1961 as part of International Harvester and yes this is the same international
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harvester that built farm tractors. Now the original Cub Cadet was basically a scaled-down farm tractor
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made for suburban homeowners and you can still see that heritage in the way the mowers look and feel
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today. Wide stance, beefy frame, and a serious work-ready look. And in 1981 MTD Products which
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is a large Ohio-based manufacturer acquire the brand. And today Cub Cadet machines are assembled
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in the United States mainly in Ohio and Kentucky. And that made in America angle still matters to a
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lot of buyers and Cub Cadet definitely leans into it. The brand also has built a reputation for
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giving you more machine for the money. So let me explain what I mean. In the popular mid-range
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call it the 42 to 46 inch deck, 22 horsepower zone, the size most homeowners usually buy
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all three surprisingly land close. You're looking at roughly the $2,300 to $2,900 window depending on
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the exact model and whatever deals are running. But at any given price point, Cub Cadet tends to
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sweeten the deal with a few extras like a bigger deck, a beefier engine, and some added comfort
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features. John Deere often asks for a little more and gives you a little less and part of that extra
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money is for the logo and the support structure behind it. Now that five-year unlimited hour
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chassis warranty on Cub Cadet is also one of the strongest you'll find on a residential mower
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So if you care about every dollar you spend, it's easy to be won over by the way they build these machines
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But just like we did with John Deere, we have to talk about other sides too
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Cub Cadet can't beat physics and it can't beat the price tag either. And to hit those attractive price points, it uses a lot of single cylinder engines in the lower and middle parts of the lineup instead of putting a V-twin on everything
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And that helps keep costs down and is fine for mostly flat 1 to 1.5 acre yards
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But you do get more vibration and a rougher ride. And I'll break down exactly which Cup Cadet model still use single cylinder engines later on, so stay tuned
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Husqvarna is a very old name if you look at the company as a whole. But in the world of long tractors, it's a late arrival
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The company was founded in 1689 in Sweden urgently producing muskets for the military And over the centuries they moved through all kinds of products But only in the early 1900s did they really start building lawn mowers because they stepped into the space after John Deere they
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didn't have that classic American farm image to lean on and they also couldn't simply do what
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Cup Cadet does which is pack in as many features as possible at the lowest price. They had to pick
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a different strength and that was comfort. In fact Husqvarna cares a lot about a simple question that
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most people don't really think about after about an hour of mowing on a bumpy yard how does your
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body feel when you step off the mower. So on many of their riding mowers, the seat itself is more
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supportive with a taller back and the thicker padding and the overall driving position just
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feels more comfortable. When you drive over small bumps and uneven spots, the frame and wheelbase
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also keep the tractor more stable so you aren't getting slammed around by every little ridge in
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the yard. That said Husqvarna isn't as strong after the sale. The mower itself can be comfortable and
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solid but getting help isn't always easy. Some owners talk about warranty work taking too long
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repair shops passing them back and forth, and nobody really taking charge of the problem
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So if you're going Husqvarna, then don't just buy the cheapest one you see
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Buy from a local dealer you trust, and with this brand, the dealer can matter just as much as the
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mower. So by now, you've probably got a feel for which brand fits you. But if it's still fuzzy
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then don't worry because next we're going to talk about each tier and find out where John Deere
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Cub Cadet, and Husqvarna are actually strongest. Now at the very bottom, John Deere gives you the lower 100 series, S100, S110, and S120
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Meanwhile, Cup Cadet puts you on the XT1 Enduro LT with models like the LT42 and LT46
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And Husqvarna's first step is the TS142, TS148, plus some of the older YTH yard tractors
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Cup Cadet still gives you the cheapest way into a mower with prices around $2,300
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Even so, all three are put together in almost the same basic way
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A light duty TL200 or TLT 200 class hydrostatic transaxle, a stamped steel deck, and a simple
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single cylinder or basic twin cylinder engine. So don't overthink this here
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If your yard is simple and you just want to cut grass, then pick based on price, comfort
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and which brand you actually trust. The next rung up is the mid-range and this is the sweet spot where most of you should land
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On Deere's side, you got the upper 100 series. S130, S140, S160, S170, S180 plus the dealer only S240
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They all strong on ride comfort yet in this tier the standouts are the S170 and S180 These move up to Deere heavy duty K46 hydrostatic transaxle and they also include the easy change 30 second oil setup so you can swap a cartridge instead of doing a messy drain
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Cup Cadet brings the upper XT1s and the XT2 Enduro lines which shoot anyone who wants a more nimble sporty feel
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They also give you a fabricated aero force deck so it feels like more serious equipment without blowing the budget
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And if your top priority is the deck and the cut then go for the Husqvarna's XT models
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Heavier clear-cut decks and strong airflow help them lay down a clean even stripe with a wider deck at about the same price
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Climb one more rung and you're into premium lawn and light garden tractors
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Now for John Deere, that means the X300 Select Series And the trick is the transmission
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X330, X350, and X354 still use the same sealed K46 as the tier below
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So you're mostly paying for a nicer frame and deck Now the real jump is the X370 and X390
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Now you're getting stronger transmissions plus stronger steering and hydraulic lift. So in this band, those are the deer models I'd look at first
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Now Cub Cadet answers this with the XT2 GX54D built around the K62 transaxle
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And it steps up from the K46 with stronger gearing, more towing grunt, and a diff lock for slick spots
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Then there's the XT3 line which goes for a heavier frame and shaft drive instead of long belts
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Now Cub Cadet gives you two different flavors here. The XT2 for value and specs and the XT3 for that tougher, more tractor-like feel
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Husqvarna comes in with its XD and GT style tractors. Their stronger models use commercial grade tough torque hydrostatic drives with electric locking differential
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plus wide fabricated clear-cut decks. And that makes Husqvarna a better pick if you care about deck size, cut quality, and traction
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Finally at the very top, we get to the garden tractor. The machine's built for pulling, tilling, grading, and plowing
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And I'll be honest with you, this one isn't really a fair fight, because this is where Deere clearly puts away
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Models like the X580 and X590 bring serious K72 hardware with diff lock for extra grip
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Now the X700 series moves into an even heavier class with stronger drivetrain hardware
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power lift, and on some models, four-wheel drive. Now Cub Cadet's XT3 GSX looks tough, and your wallet may like it more
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but it still sits a notch below Deere's heavy garden tractor setup. Husqvarna's GT models sit in that lighter class too
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So up here, you only really need one name in your head, and that's John Deere
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And that's the full comparison. If this helps, hit that subscribe button, and if you still don't know which mower to buy
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make sure to check out this video next. Thanks for watching
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