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I ordered a X590 in Late April 2021 and it was delivered at the end of June 2021. The first thing that I did when the machine was delivered was to set the proper tire pressures and level the mower deck. One would think that they should all be correct when a new machine is delivered, but they were not. They were all WAY off! Next it was on to installing the accessories. Installing the Mulch On Demand kit required that the mower deck had to be removed. I used that opportunity to treat it with several coats of non-stick spray. I have used various products on my mowers and snow blowers over the years but the one that works the best for me is made by GUNK. GUNK “Mower Deck Spray” is a Teflon based product. I have found that it holds up well and it works great! I also applied a thin coating of automotive “dri wash n guard” to the rest of the painted surfaces. Plastic surfaces were treated with 303 Protectant. I have used those products for many years on my cars, trucks and motorcycles. They make cleanup a breeze. Them make ‘em look good too!
In the weeks while I was waiting for my machine to arrive I did a lot of reading of the manuals and watching YouTube videos about the X500 series. I noticed the struggles that many people were having removing and reinstalling the mower deck. I found the problem to be the left rear deck hanger bracket getting in the way. I found a simple solution that worked well for me. Basically, just tie it up and out of the way! Again, I will post a separate thread with pictures so that it may be easier to find by others that have the same difficulty as shown in the YouTube videos. It is really quite easy to do now.
I also found a solution to that confounded odd size belt tension release slot that so many people complain about causing the slot to get rounded out over time. It is too small for a ½” socket wrench and too large for a 3/8” socket wrench to fit properly. Again, there will be a separate thread with pictures and part numbers for a solution that worked for me.
So how well does the X590 work?
First, I am VERY pleased with how well the X590 performs. Thanks to the power steering, the maneuverability is exceptional! The mower that I had for the past five years was a Cub Cadet Commercial series zero turn mower. It was the model with a steering wheel that had four wheel steering. Because of that, it did track on the slopes reasonably well without having to crab the slope. I was very pleased with that machine, but that is not relevant here. However, what is relevant is that the X590 is so quick and easy to turn that I find it to be more maneuverable than the zero turn machine was. The X590 does almost turn in its own footprint. No, I can’t turn a donut around a 1” sapling, but I never wanted or needed to do that anyway!
The ride comfort is outstanding, especially as compared to the zero-turn machine! The seat is large and firm and has adjustments for different rider weights. My only problem with it is that I get “swampasz”, as some would call it. (Bonus points if you know where that reference originates.) I found that sitting on a towel helps the, err, seat, yeah the seat, to breathe a bit. I just may have to get a sheepskin seat cover like I had on my Harley to keep things cool and dry. Other than that, it’s a great seat!
Those HDAP tires are excellent! They do everything that I hoped that they would do. They hold on the long slope beside my home like I am on rails. They also do not pick up every stinkin’ dog pile that I miss picking up before I mow. The old machine as well as the front turf tires on the X590 hold onto every bit like it is epoxy. The HDAP tires just don’t hold onto it much at all. If they do, it is quick and easy to wash away with the garden hose.
The Mulch-On-Demand kit using the included JD mulching blades works GREAT! I love it! It has been a pretty wet spring and summer so far here in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. The grass is thick and healthy. With eight mows in so far, some with rather tall grass with a good bit of moisture in it, the MOD worked out very well. When the grass is unusually tall and/or damp, I am able to open the chute on the fly when necessary. Even under those conditions I am able to leave it closed and mulch 90% of the time. If I want to, I go back over those areas with the MOD closed. Perfect! When it is normal height and normal dry conditions I can mulch the entire time. When mowing with the MOD closed, the X590 does not leave corn rows (if that is the correct term) on the right side as the Cub frequently did. The X590 with the Mulch On Demand kit outperforms the Cub Cadet Commercial zero turn mower with a permanently installed mulch kit. I was very pleased with the Cub’s performance and cut quality, but this is definitely better! I believe that the key to it working so well has been the two or three coats of GUNK Teflon based non-stick spray that I applied. The GUNK Mower Deck Spray worked well at keeping my previous machines clean too.
That leads to the next related point, the wash port. Again, it works great for me. And again, I have to credit GUNK for allowing it to work so well. The wash port in conjunction with opening and closing the MOD chute works great! I run the mower at full speed on my paved driveway with the water on for three to five minutes after each mow. Opening and closing the MOD chute several times helps the process of cleaning the deck. When the water runs clear I know that I am done with the water. Running the mower deck without the water for a few minutes more helps to dry the underside of the deck. I am also very pleased that there is very little, if any, grass on top of the deck at the end of mowing. The zero turn machine had a LOT all over the top of the deck, under the chassis and throughout the engine compartment. It was a mess! It took a long time to clean that machine before putting it away. Other than what I mentioned above, as meticulous as I am, there is little else that needs to be done with the X590. Note that I do plan to apply another coat of GUNK midway through the season in a few weeks and again at the end of the season prior to winter storage.
Ok, how is the cut quality on the X590? (About time, eh?)
It’s excellent! The lawn is nice and level with no ridges and, thanks to the MOD kit, no clumps or cut grass lying on top. I also cut the amount of mowing with a push mower in half since I sold the zero turn mower and now mow with the X590. That is huge for me! Frankly, I did not expect that. The X590 is incredibly nimble and it just does not scalp some of the tight or difficult spots in and around my yard as the Cub zero turn machine did and as the JD 212 did. In addition, being able to raise and lower the mower deck so easily allows the inevitable tight turns to be very nice and level, especially if they are on a bit of a slope.
I did order and install the Bluetooth Mower Plus gadget. I ordered it to help keep track of maintenance intervals and requirements, and because it looked kind of novel, if nothing else. It’s a gadget. It can track your mowing track and pattern. I am not sure why that is necessary, but it can do it for you. It shows your track superimposed on a Google Earth picture of your property. I suppose if you are a farmer and want to track your progress and history as you work the back forty, OK. For the average homeowner like me, at this point it’s just a gadget. I forgot to start the APP on my phone before mowing the last two times. The APP uses GPS so it really drains the battery in the phone. Keep an eye on that. Maybe it will help to remind me about some service interval that I could otherwise miss. I think there may be some service videos available on it too. I have read some posts elsewhere on this forum from owners of very large farm equipment that have concerns about their versions of it, but for different reasons.
Lastly (I think) the X590 is quiet! Well, not silent like a Prius in a Wal-Mart parking lot, but it is a heck of a lot more quiet than the Zero turn machine was. It is right on the edge of needing to wear hearing protection. Because this machine is still somewhat new to me and I want to hear what “normal” sounds like, I have not been wearing hearing protection so far. It may not be necessary but I may do it anyway just to be safe.
Well, that’s about it, so far anyway. If you managed to read this far you do get the GTT award to stamina.
If you haven’t had quite enough, watch for the threads with details about the Belt tension release tool, Mower deck removal difficulty with a fix, and handling a heavy mower deck using a hoist. They will follow shortly.
![802958]()
![802959]()
In the weeks while I was waiting for my machine to arrive I did a lot of reading of the manuals and watching YouTube videos about the X500 series. I noticed the struggles that many people were having removing and reinstalling the mower deck. I found the problem to be the left rear deck hanger bracket getting in the way. I found a simple solution that worked well for me. Basically, just tie it up and out of the way! Again, I will post a separate thread with pictures so that it may be easier to find by others that have the same difficulty as shown in the YouTube videos. It is really quite easy to do now.
I also found a solution to that confounded odd size belt tension release slot that so many people complain about causing the slot to get rounded out over time. It is too small for a ½” socket wrench and too large for a 3/8” socket wrench to fit properly. Again, there will be a separate thread with pictures and part numbers for a solution that worked for me.
So how well does the X590 work?
First, I am VERY pleased with how well the X590 performs. Thanks to the power steering, the maneuverability is exceptional! The mower that I had for the past five years was a Cub Cadet Commercial series zero turn mower. It was the model with a steering wheel that had four wheel steering. Because of that, it did track on the slopes reasonably well without having to crab the slope. I was very pleased with that machine, but that is not relevant here. However, what is relevant is that the X590 is so quick and easy to turn that I find it to be more maneuverable than the zero turn machine was. The X590 does almost turn in its own footprint. No, I can’t turn a donut around a 1” sapling, but I never wanted or needed to do that anyway!
The ride comfort is outstanding, especially as compared to the zero-turn machine! The seat is large and firm and has adjustments for different rider weights. My only problem with it is that I get “swampasz”, as some would call it. (Bonus points if you know where that reference originates.) I found that sitting on a towel helps the, err, seat, yeah the seat, to breathe a bit. I just may have to get a sheepskin seat cover like I had on my Harley to keep things cool and dry. Other than that, it’s a great seat!
Those HDAP tires are excellent! They do everything that I hoped that they would do. They hold on the long slope beside my home like I am on rails. They also do not pick up every stinkin’ dog pile that I miss picking up before I mow. The old machine as well as the front turf tires on the X590 hold onto every bit like it is epoxy. The HDAP tires just don’t hold onto it much at all. If they do, it is quick and easy to wash away with the garden hose.
The Mulch-On-Demand kit using the included JD mulching blades works GREAT! I love it! It has been a pretty wet spring and summer so far here in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. The grass is thick and healthy. With eight mows in so far, some with rather tall grass with a good bit of moisture in it, the MOD worked out very well. When the grass is unusually tall and/or damp, I am able to open the chute on the fly when necessary. Even under those conditions I am able to leave it closed and mulch 90% of the time. If I want to, I go back over those areas with the MOD closed. Perfect! When it is normal height and normal dry conditions I can mulch the entire time. When mowing with the MOD closed, the X590 does not leave corn rows (if that is the correct term) on the right side as the Cub frequently did. The X590 with the Mulch On Demand kit outperforms the Cub Cadet Commercial zero turn mower with a permanently installed mulch kit. I was very pleased with the Cub’s performance and cut quality, but this is definitely better! I believe that the key to it working so well has been the two or three coats of GUNK Teflon based non-stick spray that I applied. The GUNK Mower Deck Spray worked well at keeping my previous machines clean too.
That leads to the next related point, the wash port. Again, it works great for me. And again, I have to credit GUNK for allowing it to work so well. The wash port in conjunction with opening and closing the MOD chute works great! I run the mower at full speed on my paved driveway with the water on for three to five minutes after each mow. Opening and closing the MOD chute several times helps the process of cleaning the deck. When the water runs clear I know that I am done with the water. Running the mower deck without the water for a few minutes more helps to dry the underside of the deck. I am also very pleased that there is very little, if any, grass on top of the deck at the end of mowing. The zero turn machine had a LOT all over the top of the deck, under the chassis and throughout the engine compartment. It was a mess! It took a long time to clean that machine before putting it away. Other than what I mentioned above, as meticulous as I am, there is little else that needs to be done with the X590. Note that I do plan to apply another coat of GUNK midway through the season in a few weeks and again at the end of the season prior to winter storage.
Ok, how is the cut quality on the X590? (About time, eh?)
It’s excellent! The lawn is nice and level with no ridges and, thanks to the MOD kit, no clumps or cut grass lying on top. I also cut the amount of mowing with a push mower in half since I sold the zero turn mower and now mow with the X590. That is huge for me! Frankly, I did not expect that. The X590 is incredibly nimble and it just does not scalp some of the tight or difficult spots in and around my yard as the Cub zero turn machine did and as the JD 212 did. In addition, being able to raise and lower the mower deck so easily allows the inevitable tight turns to be very nice and level, especially if they are on a bit of a slope.
I did order and install the Bluetooth Mower Plus gadget. I ordered it to help keep track of maintenance intervals and requirements, and because it looked kind of novel, if nothing else. It’s a gadget. It can track your mowing track and pattern. I am not sure why that is necessary, but it can do it for you. It shows your track superimposed on a Google Earth picture of your property. I suppose if you are a farmer and want to track your progress and history as you work the back forty, OK. For the average homeowner like me, at this point it’s just a gadget. I forgot to start the APP on my phone before mowing the last two times. The APP uses GPS so it really drains the battery in the phone. Keep an eye on that. Maybe it will help to remind me about some service interval that I could otherwise miss. I think there may be some service videos available on it too. I have read some posts elsewhere on this forum from owners of very large farm equipment that have concerns about their versions of it, but for different reasons.
Lastly (I think) the X590 is quiet! Well, not silent like a Prius in a Wal-Mart parking lot, but it is a heck of a lot more quiet than the Zero turn machine was. It is right on the edge of needing to wear hearing protection. Because this machine is still somewhat new to me and I want to hear what “normal” sounds like, I have not been wearing hearing protection so far. It may not be necessary but I may do it anyway just to be safe.
Well, that’s about it, so far anyway. If you managed to read this far you do get the GTT award to stamina.
If you haven’t had quite enough, watch for the threads with details about the Belt tension release tool, Mower deck removal difficulty with a fix, and handling a heavy mower deck using a hoist. They will follow shortly.
