Understanding what types of engines are available in John Deere lawn tractors and the distinctions between cyclonic, iTorque and EFI (fuel injection systems) will help you determine which lawn tractor will meet your lawn and landscaping needs.
The first thing to know is that it isn’t a matter of which one is a better engine regarding quality. John Deere only uses quality engines in all of their residential and commercial mowers and each John Deere lawn tractor comes with model-specific warranties. The choice of engine is more related to the type of mowing, hauling, or towing you will be doing.
First, we’ll look at the 100 and 200 series of lawn tractors. They are a smaller subset of mowers best suited for residential mowing where you are working less than an acre or so of land and don’t have any demanding tasks like towing or hilly terrain to mow. The 100 and 200 series of John Deere lawn tractors come equipped with a quality V-Twin cyclonic engine.
Cyclonic engines are designed to filter air and keep dirt out of the engine, which extends the life of any engine. The V-Twin design delivers more power, is naturally balanced for less vibration, runs cooler and cleaner, and includes Electronic Fuel Management for easy starting – just like a car. The 5-Step Cyclonic Debris Management feature extends engine life. When reviewing engines, you should know that John Deere does have branded engines, but they do not manufacture their own. Depending on the model, you will find engines manufactured by quality brands like Kawasaki and Briggs & Stratton.
The 100 Series provides comfortable, easy-to-learn, easy-to-own mowing. This includes a 30-second oil change system, side-by-side pedals, easy-read fuel gauge and John Deere reliability and durability. The 200 Series provides a step-up experience from the 100 Series with an engine and deck warranty package with the best cut quality. As you are reviewing, if you determine that you need a mower that meets more difficult demands, you can review the X300 Series and up.
The John Deere Select Series™ X300, X500, and X700 riding lawn tractors are built with premium engines and include features like 4-wheel steering and AccelDeepTM mower decks with an option for one-touch mulch control with our MulchControlTM Kit. These mowers have faster mowing speeds, up to 7.2 mph for larger lawns, hydraulic power steering and mower deck lift that can be easily operated at your fingertips, and our iTorqueTM engines that are available exclusively on our gas-powered Select SeriesTM lawn tractors.
The iTorque Power System stands for intelligent design to get any task done efficiently while including the torque for lugging ability. This system is a combination of engine features that provide more lugging ability, even cooling and quality durability.
The John Deere X300 Select Series are serious, strongly built machines for when you need to mow an acre or two. The X500 Select Series steps up for 2-4+ acres and are beefed up, larger and come with options for more capable attachments. The X700 Signature Series is the Cadillac of lawn tractors. When the going gets tough, the tough get going on an X700 Signature Series. With Accel Deep™ and high-capacity mower decks, and the ability to connect to heavy-duty attachments, the X700 takes care of any lawn, any time. If hilly terrain, lugging, hauling and mowing are involved, the X700 will help you get the job done.
With a wide selection of riding lawn tractor options, there is a price point and working model that will fit your needs. To find all the Riding Lawn Mowers and Tractors for sale, and learn about full parts and service support, find your nearest RDO Equipment Co. store.
Blake Mathues
Blake Mathues is Lawn and Garden Manager for RDO Equipment Co. where he advises on the purchase of and care of lawn and land machines and outdoor power equipment, manages a team of professionals providing equipment sales, parts and service support to customers. He has worked in the lawn and garden industry for nearly 20 years. Nine of those years being with RDO Equipment Co., the other with his family’s lawn service business.
