The tractor is powered by a John Deere iTorque power system, a combination of engine features and an exclusive hood design that provide superior lugging ability, even cooling, and durability.

A 23-hp (17.2-kW) V-twin engine provides plenty of power and torque to handle tough mulching, mowing, and bagging conditions.

Key engine features include:

• 23 hp (17.2 kW)
• Large 44.3 cu in. (726-cc) displacement
• V-twin air-cooled design that provides smooth, quiet power
• Quality features include:
  • Cast-iron cylinder liners
  • Overhead valves
  • Full-pressure lubrication
  • Replaceable oil filter
• Dual-stage air cleaner V-twin design:
  • Excellent power and performance
  • Easy starts
  • Smooth operation

Flywheel alternator

A flywheel alternator provides plenty of capacity to quickly recharge the battery and power electrical equipment, such as lights or a sprayer:

• 12-amp charging capacity
• Regulated to keep the battery at full charge without risk of overcharging

Fuel tank has large, 3.3-U.S. gal. (12.5-L) capacity

Large fuel tank and convenient fuel gauge minimize the number of stops for fuel and chance of running out of fuel:

• Fuel tank has a large, 3.3-U.S. gal. (12.5-L) capacity for more hours of operation between refills.
• Large, 3-in. (7.6-cm) diameter fuel tank filler opening makes adding fuel easy.
  • Located on the left fender
  • Helps eliminate spillage
• Electronic fuel gauge on the dash display allows the operator to easily monitor the amount of fuel in the tank.

The 48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep Mower Deck is a forged-steel, deep, flat-top design that delivers excellent cut quality, productivity, cleanliness, durability, and versatility. Optimal performance and dispersion of clippings is provided, even at faster mowing speeds or in tall grass:

• 4.83-in. (12.3-cm) depth throughout the entire deck shell for optimum mowing, mulching, and bagging performance
  • Optional lever-action or electric one-touch MulchControl™ system provides superior mulching performance and versatility.
• Forged-steel design eliminates sharp edges and corners where material can build up and diminish mowing performance
• Mower deck is suspended from the vehicle for a smooth and level cut
  • Adjustable mower wheels, positioned just above ground level, help reduce scalping 
• 0.25-in. (6.4-mm) cut-height increments allow the mower to be set at the desired cut height
• Compatible with high-performance Power Flow™ material collection systems
• For use on X330, X350, X354, X370, X380, X384, X390, X394, X570, X580, X584, and model year 2016 and newer X590 Tractors

Excellent cut quality

Deep mower-deck forging gives excellent cut quality. It allows the cut and suspended material room to exit the deck without getting recut:

• Reducing the amount of recutting enables more power to be used to cut incoming grass, which greatly improves mower capacity.
  • Helps maintain excellent cut quality at faster mowing speeds
• Clean flow of material out of discharge area prevents cut material from interfering with cutting the incoming grass, making it possible for the blades to cut incoming material cleanly.
• Even in mulching mode, cut evenness is improved compared to other designs because the additional depth allows for continuous circulation, optimal recutting, and an even distribution of clippings.
• Exact Adjust deck-leveling system allows for easy and accurate leveling of the mower deck.

Productivity - getting the job done fast

Deep mower-deck forging gives high productivity, which gets the job done fast. It allows the cut and suspended material room to exit the deck quickly, reducing the amount of recutting so more power is available to process incoming grass:

• Greatly improves mower's capacity to maintain excellent mowing performance in difficult mowing conditions and at higher speeds

Large discharge opening is both high and wide to handle more material:

• Gives a smooth, even discharge of clippings at all mowing speeds
• Reduces the chance of plugging, especially important when operating in wet, thick, or dense grass and when bagging
• The 48A Power Flow blower has an inlet housing with over 50 percent greater area than the 48X Power Flow blower used on previous machines.

Cleanliness - for the mower and the operator

The flat-top shape of the deck forging is optimal for keeping itself and the operator clean:

• There are few places to catch and hold material on top and underneath the deck.
  • Top of deck stays cleaner, reducing time and effort needed for cleaning and service
  • Underside of deck is self-cleaning to maintain optimum performance without buildup of material to interfere with the flow of air and clippings
  • Less need to clean and remove buildup of material from underside deck
• The depth of the Accel Deep mower deck minimizes the amount of material that escapes from the front of the deck:
  • Limited amount of material to drift onto the operator and mower deck
  • Even for material discharged out the chute, less recutting results in larger pieces that are less likely to end up on the operator
  • Mulching prevents the discharge of material completely and MulchControl makes mulching a practical solution for most mowing situations.

Cleaning a mower deck, both top and bottom, is one of the most frequent maintenance activities:

• The flat-top design reduces places for material to build up and makes material that does collect easy to remove.

A wash port is provided to make cleaning the underside of the mower deck easy.

• Hose connector is included with the mower deck.

Superior durability is designed in

The 48A Mower Deck has strong spindle pockets, to keep the blades aligned, even after years of tough service:

• Forged from strong 10-gauge, 0.135-in. (3.4-mm) steel
• Ribs in the deck shell add strength where it is needed
• The 48A has a 23 percent heavier overall weight than the Edge™ Xtra 48-in. (122-cm) Mower Deck used on previous machines.

Mower wheels are heavy duty:

• Provides greater strength and durability for longer, trouble-free life.
• Setting wheels to the correct height for the cutting height quick and easy.

Low-tension belt-drive design reduces the side load on engine lower bearings and mower deck bearings for longer life.

The 48A Mower Deck features a 5/8-in. (16-mm) diameter solid-steel rod side bumper that provides extra strength and protection.

Dual-stage E-coat and powder-paint coatings provide extra protection from rust.

Versatility - easy to change between side discharge, mulch, and bagging modes

The 48A Mower Deck is designed for maximum versatility, providing the greatest ease in changing from one mower discharge mode to another:

• With an optional MulchControl system installed (along with the special mulching blades), changing from side discharging to mulching or vice versa is done with the simple flip of a lever or push of an electric switch.
• The Power Flow rear bagger can be used with MulchControl by simply using the MulchControl lever or electric one-touch switch to move the mulch baffle to the side-discharge position.

7-bu (247-L) Power Flow rear bagger

An optional 7-bu (247-L) rear bagger material collection system (MCS) is available. It provides an efficient means of collecting grass clippings and leaves:

• The Power Flow blower and chute are easy to install. The Power Flow blower swings out for easy cleanout and cleanup.
• The hopper design provides modern styling, great bagging performance, cleaner operation, and easy-to-empty bags:
  
  • 7-bu (247-L) capacity
  • Easy-to-attach Power Flow blower (ordered separately)
  • Easy-to-attach chute (ordered separately)
  • Air exhaust duct
  • Convenient spring-latch
  • Airflow fill indicator
  • Quik-Tatch mounting
  • Sealed hopper top
  • Loose-knit bags available

Larger 14-bu (493-L) and 19-bu (670-L) MCS are available, in addition to the 7-bu (247-L) MCS, for specific X300 and X500 Series Tractor models.

Mower blades

Side-discharge blades can be used with the Power Flow system when bagging.

Mulching blades are included with the optional MulchControl system. They can be used for mulching, side discharging, and bagging.

 

Mower blade use chart

Mode(s) of operation	Mower blade
Side discharging mode only	Side-discharge blade (shipped with mower)
Mulching mode only	Mulching blade (shipped with MulchControl)
Side discharge and mulching	Mulching blade (shipped with MulchControl)
Bagging	Either side-discharge or mulching blade

An exclusive 4-year or 300-hour (whichever comes first), single-source, bumper-to-bumper warranty* is standard for all John Deere X300 Series Tractors.

• The warranty is hassle free, with both the mower and the engine covered by a single warranty.
• If the mower is sold, the remaining warranty term is transferable to a new owner.
• Premium features of X300 Series Tractors allow for this longer warranty period, with more coverage than comparable tractors.

*Term limited to years or hours used, whichever comes first, and varies by model. U.S. and Canada only. See the LIMITED WARRANTY FOR NEW JOHN DEERE TURF AND UTILITY EQUIPMENT at JohnDeere.com or JohnDeere.ca/TUWarranty for details.

NOTE: In the schematic above, the solid line shows the uncut circle of four-wheel steer tractor, and the dashed line shows a two-wheel steer tractor. When a four-wheel steer tractor is trimming, all four wheels track around the center of the uncut circle.

Four-wheel steering provides very significant maneuverability and trimming advantages over that of two-wheel-steering-equipped tractors.

A smaller uncut area reduces, or even eliminates, the need to back up and reposition the tractor when trimming around trees and shrubs. An X394 Tractor with a 48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep Mower Deck has a 15-in. (38-cm) uncut circle radius, compared to 24-in. (61-cm) on the similar two-wheel steer X390 model.

Since all four wheels track around the object, the inside rear wheel doesn’t interfere with the object. For example, the rear wheel won’t drive into a flower bed.

The outside turning circle is reduced, making it possible to maneuver in small spaces.

Designed for tight turns

The four-wheel steering system is designed for tight turns, leading to greater mowing efficiency:

• Caster, camber, and kingpin angles are optimized to reduce effort, especially when going from straight ahead into a turn.
• Steering geometry has been designed with the use of 3D modeling, so all four tires are working together.
• Sealed ball bearings are used on the torque shaft and the rear spindles to reduce friction.
• Small scrub radius, less than 1 in. (2.5 cm) in the rear, reduces scuffing and bump-steer.

Designed for easy steering

Sealed ball bearings are used at critical all-wheel-steer joints for reduced friction, longer life, and less maintenance.

Easy steering is important for an enjoyable mowing experience:

• Larger, 14-in. (35.6-cm) diameter steering wheel gives improved leverage for easier turns.
• Ball-joints on both ends of the steering tie rods reduce wear to maintain accurate steering. 
• Greaseable front steering spindles reduce friction and improve wear over time.

Power steering enables easy turns

Hydraulic power steering is standard equipment:

• Provides effortless, automotive-like control
• Reduces operator fatigue and increases productivity
• Enables a tight turning radius for great maneuverability
• Adjustable-tilt steering wheel for optimum operator comfort (X390 and X394 Tractor)

The optional MulchControl system makes mulching more practical for many mowing situations because it not only does an excellent job of mulching, but it also allows the mower to be easily converted for times when it is more desirable to side discharge or collect the lawn material. Advantages of mulching grass clippings include:

• Creates a beautiful looking lawn
• Smaller grass clippings disappear into the lawn canopy
• Reduces fertilizer needs
• Grass clippings are not blown onto the operator, driveways, or flower beds
• No need to dispose of bags of clippings

How MulchControl works

MulchControl is an innovative, simple design that is easy to use and maintain:

• The MulchControl system includes an adjustable MulchControl baffle near the discharge chute and fixed baffles to control the flow of material under the deck.
• The MulchControl handle, or an electric one-touch actuator, is on top of the mower deck and is used to open and close the MulchControl baffle.
• When the MulchControl baffle is open, most of the material flows freely out the discharge deflector or into a material collection system.
• When the MulchControl baffle is closed, material stays within the deck and gets chopped into mulch and deposited in the turf.

MulchControl is well-suited to the following mowing situations:

• For operators who usually mulch, but side discharge when grass gets too long
• For operators who usually side discharge, but would like to close the chute to control clippings in some areas
• For operators who always mulch a main lawn, but often side discharge secondary lawns
• For operators who collect clippings but want to go farther before emptying the material collection system

MulchControl puts the operator in control of the clippings.

 

Electric one-touch MulchControl

Electric one-touch MulchControl systems shift the MulchControl baffle using an electric actuator that is operated by a dash-mounted switch.

Operators can convert between modes without interrupting the mowing process, making it possible to change between modes:

• When approaching driveways or flower beds where clippings would be undesirable
• When a breeze blows clippings back onto the operator
• For side discharge mowing only the areas of the property where grass is too thick for mulching
• With 48A and 54A Mower Decks, for collecting only the areas of the property where grass is too tall or thick for mulching

MulchControl limitations

While in the side discharge mode, MulchControl still mulches about one third of the material. Therefore, the side discharge mode is essentially a partial mulch mode. This can be an advantage when side discharging or bagging, as it helps to reduce the amount of material being discharged. Other times this could work as a disadvantage:

• When cutting strong southern grasses, such as Zoysia and Bermuda
• When cutting in wet, high growth conditions, such as those found in the Pacific Northwest United States
• When optimum bagging and lawn clean­up is desired
• 42A Mower Deck requires a MulchControl baffle be removed to install the bagger chute

When bagging with MulchControl on a 48A or 54A mower deck, the MulchControl baffle can be opened or closed with the Power Flow™ blower installed. The Power Flow blower runs without material when the baffle is closed.

When bagging with MulchControl on a 42A mower deck, the cut-and-throw rear bagger can be used with the MulchControl blades. However, the rear MulchControl baffle (A) needs to be removed to install the bagger chute. The baffle is held in place with two carriage bolts. To return to mulching, the chute needs to be removed and the baffle replaced.

MulchControl compatibility

Each MulchControl system is an optional field-installed attachment and includes everything needed: baffles, mulch blades, a handle (lever action attachments) or an actuator, wiring, and switches (electric one-touch attachments).

Lever-action MulchControl attachments

Attachment	Description	Applications
BUC10704	42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	Model year 2016 and newer X300 Series Tractors, Z300 Series ZTrak™ Mowers
BUC10705	48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	S240 Lawn Tractor, model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors, Z300 and Z500 Series ZTrak Mowers
BUC10706	54-in. (137-cm) Accel Deep MulchControl (lever action)	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors, Z300 and Z500 Series ZTrak Mowers

Electric one-touch MulchControl attachments

Attachment	Description	Applications
BUC11632	42-in. (107-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 Series Tractors*
BUC11633	48-in. (122-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors*
BUC11634	54-in. (137-cm) Accel Deep electric one-touch MulchControl	Model year 2016 and newer X300 and X500 Series Tractors*

*NOTE: Model year 2016-2017 X300 and X500 Series Tractors (X300 serial number 10,001-50,000 and X500 serial number 110,001-130,000) require replacing the tractor wiring harness and dash panel to use an electric MulchControl attachment.

An advantage of lawn tractors is their ability to use equipment for snow removal. Lawn tractor owners can add a John Deere snow blower or front blade to make quick work of moving snow whenever the need arises. Weather enclosure and tire-chain attachments add comfort and performance.

Equipment available for snow removal includes:

• 44-in. (112-cm) Snow Blower
• 44-in. (112-cm) Front Blade
• 48-in. (122-cm) Front Blade (X394 Tractor only)
• Tire chains or TerraGrip traction belts
• Weather enclosure (available for all X300 Series, except the X350R)
• Weights

 

The Tuff Torq® hydrostatic transaxle encloses the hydrostatic pump and motor rotator groups in the same housing with the differential and axle housings. This design is very efficient and reduces the number of sealing surfaces to minimize the potential for leakage.

Combined with the foot controls, the hydrostatic transmission functions similarly to that of an automatic transmission in an automobile, so the term automatic is often used to describe it:

• Use of the latest valve designs has significantly reduced the sound level.
• Large pump and motor rotating groups ensure long life and efficient operation.

Freewheeling valve

When it's inconvenient to start the tractor, a freewheeling valve releases the transmission so the tractor can be pushed a short distance. The freewheeling valve control is conveniently located on the tractor’s rear hitch plate.

Kanzaki and Tuff Torq are trademarks of Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Hydraulic power steering is standard equipment:

• Provides effortless, automotive-like control
• Reduces operator fatigue and increases productivity
• Enables a tight turning radius for great maneuverability
• Adjustable-tilt steering wheel for optimum operator comfort (X390 and X394 Tractor)

Hydraulic lift system is easy to operate

The hydraulic lift control lever is positioned on the dash near the steering wheel for quick, easy, and precise fingertip control of equipment. Implement float, which allows an implement to follow the ground contour, is built into the lift linkage.