2011 GTX2154LE 50th Anniversary

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Hello! Well, working on my Cub this Spring got me thinking. I'd like to find another Cub Cadet garden tractor while they are still available since the true garden tractors aren't really being made anymore. I found a 2011 Cub Cadet GTX2154LE 50th Anniversary mower for sale for $1,000 a couple of hours away, with 477 hours on it. Looks nice in pics and seems to be similar to the 3000 Series I have. So, a couple of questions. I know the 2154 will be slightly smaller than my 3000 series, it still has a horizontal shaft drive engine, but what are the key differences (no hydraulics maybe?) Also, does $1,000 sound like a fair price for a 12-year-old mower (it looks like MSRP was $7,500 new). Any known issues or anything?

Just want to make an informed decision before buying this thing. It seems pretty similar to my bigger 3225, which is a beast!

[Oak]

I don't know anything about those but for $1k, I'm thinking that's a good deal. Being the 50th anniversary machine, I'm thinking that will hold its value.

[finsruskw]

Everything is electric on those.
No hydraulics and it just a mower and not much else.
I bought mine new thinking I could mount a tiller and was disappointed to learn I had mad a big mistake thinking that.
$1000, hell of a deal IMHO. Go for it before someone else does.
For 1K, it does not appear as, if they are holding their value to me.
Darn nice mowing machine though.
I wound up with a REAL garden tractor, a 1650 twin stick for all my garden work spring and fall.

[CubDieselFan]

I would look and see if I could still get parts for some of it. The electric steering and such. If not, then the price is lower.

[Sergeant]

Originally Posted by finsruskw

Everything is electric on those.
No hydraulics and it just a mower and not much else.
I bought mine new thinking I could mount a tiller and was disappointed to learn I had mad a big mistake thinking that.
$1000, hell of a deal IMHO. Go for it before someone else does.
For 1K, it does not appear as, if they are holding their value to me.
Darn nice mowing machine though.
I wound up with a REAL garden tractor, a 1650 twin stick for all my garden work spring and fall.

Well I do have to differ with you On it not a Garden Tractor
I was that way as well, at one time when the 2000 series was introduced in 2011 I would say yest it was not a Garden tractor as MTD didn't even have an OEM sleeve Hitch Made for it and I wasn't thrilled about the lack of tiller. But There is a PTO tiller That did work on it From Bercomac. The electronic Power steering, I was very hesitant on But the Japanese company that produces has had a History of making very reliable Electronic Power steering apparatus for several Japanese auto Manufacturers. I wasn't thrilled about the electric lift either, as We know IH went in that direction in the Late 1960s The electric lift does lift the mowing deck and 46-inch Front Blade.

Fast Forward 2016 MTD finally had Agri-Fab manufacturer a sleeve Hitch for it. During the Introduction of the XT3 series, same Tractor But an Upgrade to the top of the line model with Diff/lock. MTD didn't make and OEM tiller for it. But it was still a step In the right direction.

For 16 years the wife and I had a Cub Cadet 2206 basically the same tractor as a 2500 series, but it had an aluminum transmission case but still the same internals. WE had an electric lift sleeve Hitch for it, Plus a 30-inch Hydraulic driven tiller (use belt driven PTO Pump to run tiller). My wife was dead set on power steering for her Tractor, as that's what the 2206 had been.

So we sold the 2206, bought an XT3 GSX Basically the same as the GTX2154 except with a 25 HP Kohler and Diff/lock. Still had electric lift and electronic Power steering Are Plan since we knew MTD didn't offer a PTO driven tiller was to buy a Bercomac 30-inch PTO driven tiller (which we finally bought in April 2021) We actually bought the sleeve Hitch In 2017 a year before we even bought the Tractor also Had bought johnny Products electric lift Upgrade https://www.johnnyproducts.com/craft...r_electric.htm for the Hitch as well.

Well spring 2019 I plowed the Garden for the first time with the XT3 GSX, and it did a great Job plowing, never had to use the diff/lock I do run HDAP style rear tires https://www.millertire.com/23x10-50-...ac-4-ply-tire/

So it did eventually become a Decent Mid-level Garden tractor

Now what You May Not Know, the XT3 GSX has the same Transmission that was used in the 3000 series, specifically the GT3100 But with an addition of the Lever controlled Diff/lock. But it has a BDU 10 Transmission Pump instead of the BDU21 Pump, the 300o series used. So don't sell this tractor short because it doesn't have all the Hydraulics of the 3000 series.

If the 3000 series had sold as well as the 2500 series, probably would not have seen the GTX2000 or XT3 series. But the 3000 series sales Number dropped off by 2005. Because MTD had made the 3000 series to compete against the Deere 425 through 455 and the Simplicity legacy of the 1990s, Deere did a Big Update in 2002 adding stuff like a Limited Cat 1 3point Hitch. Simplicity followed suit with a Limited Cat 1 3point in 2003 But MTD just plugged along with the Cat 0 3 point Hitch and By 2005 even Brinly-Hardy stopped Producing Cat 0 implements. They would continue to Produce OEM Cat 1 Implements for the Tractors, with the Limited Cat 1 until 2010 for Deere as People Just were not Buying smaller Cat 1 even though the Sub Compact has really Taken off with Limited Cat 1's there were so many Cat 1 Implements Manufacturers that it just worth it for Briny to continue to Produce smaller Cat 1 Implements

MTD never Produced a 540RPM rear PTO or a Limited Cat 1 3point, and It did hurt them in the Super Garden tractor Market

But the 2500 series just outsold the 3000 series by leaps and Bounds do to it $3,199 to $4,700 Price Tag. People could get a lower Price and Capable Garden tractor, which is what the XT3 and Late Model 2000 series eventually did become, Just took MTD a while to get their act together But when the GTX2000 did come out The Price was pretty steep because you were Paying More for a GTX2154LE than You Had Paid for a Cub Cadet GT3200 the Previous years and the GTX2154 wasn't as Capable. But the Price did eventually drop below what the GT3200 sold for with a 60-inch deck. I would say the XT3 would still be around if MTD Hadn't had the Cast Iron Transmission case Made In China, MTD had an Issue since the Beginning of COVID getting those Cases Into the USA.

Yes it No Super Garden tractor But it is Capable of tilling and Plowing the earth the issue is you have to use aftermarket equipment if you want to till. But MTD Had Haban and then Agri-Fab Building there tillers anyways in the Last 40 years.

My next Implement I Plan on purchasing for My XT3 GSX is a Bercomac Rotary Broom https://us.bercomac.com/en_US/produc...arden-tractors It Just a Very Capable Garden tractor almost as Capable and even exceeding the IH Cub Cadet standard Garden tractors In some ways

[Sergeant]

Some Have had Issue with the electric Lift switch

But the electronic Power steering has Proved to Be Pretty reliable as has the Warner electric actuator

[finsruskw]

Thanks for the update.
Mostly all news to me in that dept.
Once I found out about the aftermarket stuff was all that was available I went in search of the earlier IH models and have been a happy camper ever since for a lot less $$$!

And now my GTXLE has a wiring issue (deck will not engage) and no parts are available so it has sat for the last year and the GTX2154 (non LE) I picked up 2 years ago has been my main go to mower.

Good on you for putting that pkg together.

[Sergeant]

Now a Few Issues that are not the end of the world, but it does leave you wondering about MTD design engineer's thought Process

The 46-inch snow Blade/Dozer is too short in height when You Look at the old IH Cub Cadet front blade or even the front blades Deere Has for the X300 and above, which are a lot taller. So if You are moving over, probably 4 or 5-inches of snow it will over top that 13 Inch Tall front blade. I will say the Manual angle is much better design than what Deere uses to angle their front blade on their current X300 & X500 series tractor.

I will Probably get a Johnny Products front Blade for it eventually with it own electric lift and electric angle because the JP front blade is as Tall as the Old IH or Deere front blades.

The Only other thing I dislike about it, which the Late Model GTX2000 series, didn't have an issue with it. Is the OEM front Blower 3 stage, as MTD/Cub calls it. It was back to being a manual lift Blower like the 2500 series had. During the Late Model GTX2000 series, MTD contracted Bercomac to Make a 44 or 48-inch snow Blower with electric lift and sold under the Cub Cadet Brand Label

It's Nice that the XT3 GSX does have diff/lock, But the diff/lock is more like a UTV's diff/ Lock with an engagement Handle. The thing they should have done a Pedal Like their XT2 GX54 D has or the older GT3200 had

The Last issue I have with it, no headlight off switch and the OEM LED headlights were not that bright. Which I replace with the Incandescent sockets form the GTX 2000 or GT2000 and added Brighter LED Bulbs

I do have a small cosmetic thing I do not like either when You remove front Bumper or Brush Guard the Hood does completely cover the front of the engine like the Previous 2500 or older Pre-2011 2000 series hood did.

Last cosmetic issue, They should have kept the off White Hoods. I have gotten to use to the Yellow and Black. But I still don't like it. The LE hoods are ok from the GTX2154LE. But I still want to shoot the Idiot that came up with the new color scheme.

But One thing I will say for these Poly/Plastic hoods, why In the heck didn't they make a hood like this for the Cyclops era tractors because the design is much better put together than the poly hoods from the Cyclops era.

I will agree with everybody that it is a shame the XT3 series or a shaft driven Tractor is no longer Made as of 2023