A push mower might be the go-to option for anyone new to the world of lawnmowers, especially if you have a small lawn, but if yours is a large lawn, then you have no business looking at or considering a push mower.
Naturally, having a large lawn means having a powerful mower that allows you to comfortably get the work done. Riding mowers are the preferred mowing option in these circumstances.
Unfortunately, just knowing that you actually need a powerful riding mower is not enough, and in truth, this opens up a large can of worms. The reason for this is that there are countless options for riding mowers, and choosing one over the other isn’t exactly straightforward.
And with tens of brands of riding mowers competing for the top spot, you might easily end up making the wrong decision. Today, we help refine your choice by looking at two of the leading brands of lawnmowers on the market.
We are talking about Husqvarna and John Deere, two highly reputable brands that are known for their production of beasty lawnmowers. But which of these two brands should you opt for in your search for the best mowers?
To help you make the best choice between these two mower brands, we first need to consider the lawn tractors developed by both brands; specifically, the zero-turn riding mowers which are known for their maneuverability derived from their ability to make up to 180 degrees turn angle, without missing spots on the lawn, even on the edges and around obstacles.
These mowers are also ideal for use on lawns made of different types of tough grasses, as well as terrains, with great efficiency. But the zero-turn riding mowers are not the only ones offered by these brands, and as you will see below, they have some small and big differences. But before we look at two of the best of mowers from these brands, we’ll first look at the brands, their histories, and how they compare.
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Husqvarna vs John Deere
Husqvarna
Husqvarna is one of the biggest manufacturers and designers of outdoor power tools, products, and accessories.
This brand is well known for its diversity, and it produces everything from riding lawn tractors and robotic mowers, to chainsaws and the accessories used by and with these power tools.
Founded back in 1689, Husqvarna is a Swedish company that was previously founded as a military weapons factory, and it has, over the years, diversified and even change the range of products it provides to its market.
Over the course of its existence, The Husqvarna Group has spread its market to over 100 countries.
It’s also worth noting that in as much as this brand has been around for centuries, this brand started the production of lawnmowers in 1919.
From the 1900s, this brand was concerned with the production of outdoor power tools, starting with chainsaws before finally diversifying to lawnmowers, among other tools. You also need to know that Husqvarna is also the brand behind other brands like Poulan Pro.
John Deere
Founded in 1837 in Grand Detour in the state of Illinois, John Deere is also quite reputable, even more, reputable than Husqvarna, and it offers lawnmowers that boast excellent performance.
John Deere came into the playing field as a way to help and resolve the meets of the prairie life where Deere and some of his neighbors found that some of the farm machinery acquired from the East Coast were unsuitable for use on the hard Illinois ground.’
With this in mind, Deere kicked off an innovative process to create machinery that would tackle the tough Illinois ground, and this is where John Deere lawnmowers came into existence.
The other interesting bit about John Deere mowers is that the brand manufacturers their own engines, but only for the high-capacity engines, with a horsepower above 100HP.
These engines are manufactured in Iowa in the city of Waterloo. But for the smaller engines with a horsepower not exceeding 100HP, John Deere uses engines from brands like Briggs & Stratton, Kawasaki, as well as Yanmar Diesels.
But even with the differences between these brands, it’s an undeniable fact that both brands create high-performance and durable lawnmowers.
So, Is Husqvarna Better Than John Deere?
While both brands have faced their fair share of issues and complaints, it’s clear that Husqvarna hasn’t had the smoothest runs, especially with the bad publicity received over the company’s misleading information about warranties, as well as their expensive repairs.
There’s also the fact that Husqvarna’s performance doesn’t last as much as John Deere’s. John Deere, on the other hand, might have had its share of complaints, but they are mostly minor issues.
Also, John Deere’s mowers boast a comparably long-term performance than Husqvarna, with the percentage of John Deere mowers that breakdown being relatively less than the number reported for Husqvarna mowers.
Husqvarna vs. John Deere: Differences
Range of Mowers/ Products
Before we look at two of the most popular models by these two brands and that they have to offer, let’s first look at the range of products and categories of lawnmowers offered by the two brands.
Husqvarna’s Mower Models/ Series
This brand boasts a wide range of products you could try, including the 100 Series, which is made of efficient and compact law tractors ideal for homeowners, and they all boast an easy-to-start operation. The mowers in this series include the TS 142, TS 142X, TS 146X, TS 146XD, etc.
The other models are listed below:
300 Series; for example, the TS348D, TS 354XD, etc
There also are LTH mowers by Husqvarna, among others.
John Deere Mower Models/ Series
The John Deere range of mowers include the 100 Series, the S240 Series, X300 Select Series, X500 Select Series, and the X700 Signature Series. Both brands of zero-turn radius mowers have a “Z” designation.
To help you determine which of these models you should consider, we’ll look at two of the most popular models of lawnmowers by Husqvarna and John Deere.
Husqvarna-Z254 vs. John Deere-Z345M – Features
These two are some of the best zero-turn lawnmowers on the market, and they offer excellent functions and great performance on lawns.
Husqvarna-Z254
This Husqvarna zero-turn lawnmower boasts excellent performance, as it sports a wide range of features that ensure the mower’s use all year round. These features include:
The high-performance ClearCut cutting deck, a deep deck cutting design in which the airflow is controlled.
The deck features high-performance blades, as well as high-performance blades and also a top discharge system which ensures the top performance of the mower, whether you use it for bagging, discharging, or the mulching of the grass clippings.
Then there is the air induction technology for mowing, designed to draw in air from the top and the bottom of the deck, hence an improvement of the grass lift and the delivery of a more superior cut. It also boasts a chokeless start system, which ensures the easy and effortless start of the mower.
Thanks to all these features and the 26HP (747cc) Kohler engine, which offers maximum mowing speeds of 6.5MPH, this mower promises a significantly high level of performance and the easy mowing of grass on large and medium-sized lawns.
The 54-inch cutting deck is quite wide, and it promises fast mowing a great deal of stability over large lawns, even over bumpy terrain. The mower also sports a patent-pending parking braking system that will deactivate and activate the brakes as its steering levers are moved either inwards or outwards.
Its reinforced steel cutting deck is also wide and powerful for durability and steady performance.
John Deere Z345M
This zero-turn lawnmower by John Deere stages a great level of competition with the Husqvarna mower, and it boasts an impressive number of features. Some of the top features of this mower include its durable heavy-duty, steel-welded, and formed frame, which ensures the durability of the lawnmower.
It also features large front and rear wheels, which ensure a smooth ride, great performance on slopes, excellent traction, as well as operational comfort on uneven ground.
You might also like the extra legroom offered by the mower, as well as the adjustable, motion-controlled levers that allow for the adjustment of the cutting height and the cutting positions, hence great control. The mower is color-coded, and it has all its controls placed logically.
The mower also boasts a powerful 724cc V-Twin design that runs smoothly. The engine offers great torque, improved sound quality, as well as low vibration.
The other features of this mower include the electronic ignition for the faster starts, a cast-iron sleeve for longer engine life, overhead valves for fuel efficiency and power, as well as a spin-off filter that comes with pressure lubrication to keep the oil clean, extending the engine’s life.
Its no-drain valves promise easy maintenance, while the rear engine’s guards will protect the mower’s engines, offering a great deal of integrity and strength. The other features of the mower include the shock absorber, which dampens the mower’s lever control for smoother operations, as well as the low-fuel warning function, and the adjustable twin-lever controls for enhanced control and support.
Note that this John Deere lawnmower has its seat made two with suspension springs, and these coil springs will always absorb the shock that comes with the use of the mower on rough terrain areas. For comfort, this seat has a fore-aft adjustment of 2.5inches. The cutting deck has a width of 42 inches and an adjustable cutting height as well.
Besides the difference in the size of the cutting deck and the slight variation in the size of the engine’s capacity, the other differences include the fact that the John Deere mowers lack the air induction technology, as well as the ClearCut deck technology for better control.
The John Deere mower has a 42-inch cutting deck while the Husqvarna has a 54-inch deck.
Durability
Though well-built, the John Deere mowers have been shown to last longer than the Husqvarna mowers, with the bigger John Deere models offering up to 2,000 high-performance actions and the smaller models lasting up to 1,000 hours. Husqvarna mowers don’t last this long.
Husqvarna-Z254 vs. John Deere-Z345M – Similarities
Zero-turn mowers are a great investment, and they offer an enhanced level of performance thanks to the design, as well as the fact that the zero-turn mowers boast a powerful engine. Both mowers boast a powerful engine, as well as power and drive. The main similarities between these two include:
Discharge systems – both these mowers boasts a 3-in-1 mowing system with mulching, bagging, and side discharge system. What this means is either mower allows you to discharge the grass clippings on the side, and once you buy mulch and bagging kits allow for easy bagging, as well as mulching.
Gas-powered functions – these mowers are both gas-powered, and this design means that you get to enjoy more control over the mowers. They are also both easy to start, and you don’t have to pull a cord to start it.
Zero-turn: To ensure a high level of maneuverability and consistent mowing over uneven terrain, these mowers both boast the zero-turn radius system, which promises the highest level of maneuverability.
Headlights: Both mowers also lack headlights, meaning that you cannot use either mower in the dark.
They are also both easy to use, are comfortable, and ideal for use on large lawns.
Conclusion
These two brands of mowers have some differences, but if you follow the steps offered on the use and maintenance of the mowers, either option would still be an excellent investment. Each of these mowers has its pros and cons, but these brands are both excellent options for you.
Just keep in mind that even though the Husqvarna mowers offer a bigger cutting deck and more HP, the repairs might cost you a little more than you’d like. The John Deere mowers are also relatively more expensive than the Husqvarna models.