On Dec 22, 4:05*pm, Jules Richardson
wrote:
Does hydraulic drive on a lawn tractor typically sap more of the engine's
power to operate than good a old-fashioned setup (belt-driven conical
clutch and reversing gear in the diff)? *Or are they pretty much
comparable?

Yes, it does, but hydrostatic drive mowers typically come equipped
with more powerful engines to compensate for the additional load.

I know my hydrostatic drive mower will mow at top speed unless the
grass is really heavy and has lots of clippings from previous mowings
in it.