"RogerN" wrote in message
nk.net...

I recently purchased a home a few miles out of town with ~4-1/2 acres and
it's getting time to mow some grass. There is approximately 1-1/2 acres
for
the yard and another 3 acres of brush & small trees. I recently bought a
backhoe for the brush cleanup but haven't decided what to do about the
mowing yet. One idea is to get a lawn tractor for the lawn and later on
come up with a tractor & bush hog for the field. I've been looking at
Sears
lawn tractors at the local store. They have one with Automatic
transmission, 17.5hp Kohler, cast iron axle, for $1399. There is a
similar
unit with a Briggs engine for around the same price. They also have some
higher priced mowers with ~25hp engines for $2100 to ~$2500. What I don't
like about the larger tractors is that it would probably be more difficult
cutting around trees & bushes with the larger turning radius and all.

I'm trying to decide on just buying a used tractor, bush hog, & perhaps
finish mower or get lawn tractor now and tractor/bush hog later.

Also, if I get a lawn tractor, should I get one with a Kohler or Briggs
engine? Is the Craftsman mowers a good value or is there something better
I
should look at?

Thanks for any helpful advice!

I maintain a lumpy, bumpy pasture with a 35 year old JD riding mower with a
42" deck and 10 HP Kohler. It weighs 800 lbs, built like a tank. I abuse
the heck out of it, brush-hogging blackberry bramble and small trees by just
driving over them. The 10 HP is underpowered so tall grass is cut at a low
speed. 25 HP would be nice, they sold this model with up to 18 HP but I
will stick with the 10.

Anyway I figure any new mower would need to be built as well to stand up to
this service, and it looks like a comparable model today is $4000 to $5000
new. So I keep fixing the JD.

One neighbor has been buying a ~ $1500 Craftsman / Kohler 20 HP every couple
years, takes that long to pretty much destroy one. Other neighbor spent
$5000 on a used Kubota diesel riding mower, he's ahead on the deal far as I
can tell.

My feeling is the Sears et. al. will provide good value for a smooth, clean
lawn, but a lumpy pasture or any FOD will quickly destroy the mower deck and
the front axle, and the rest will follow.

Bob