First, let's clear up "garden tractor" vs. "utility tractor", and then we'll fill in the middle ground with "compact utility tractor". These are my definitions... no doubt somebody will be able to improve on them, but they should suffice to explain, I hope.
Garden tractor... A heavy-duty riding lawn mower. Mainly for mowing, but can pull some light duty attachments. Gas engine. Light duty drive system. Usually no power steering or hydraulic system; usually 2 wheel drive. Maybe weighs 500 - 800 lbs. Price point: typically $ 2,500 - 5,000. (Note: There are low-end and high-end models with bargain or premium features, but this describes the "average").
Utility tractor... A farm tractor used for general chores in an agricultural setting. Doesn't do "lawn mowing". Diesel engine, large wheels with farm tires, may be 4 wheel drive. Weighs 3,000 - 8,000 lbs. Has enough power to pull a house down (literally... there are YouTube vids to prove it). Power steering, hydraulic lift system for implements, power take off for running implements. Has a roll-bar (ROPS) to protect operator in a roll over. May have a cab with heat, air, etc. Often has a front end loader. Price point: $10,000 to $50,000. Ditto above comment about low-end and high-end models.
Obviously a huge difference, even though they are both called "tractors". So, what would someone get if they didn't have a real "farm", but still needed to look after 5, 10 or 50 acres in the country? Presto, we have a "Compact utility tractor". Smaller than the farm machine, but big enough to do some serious work. They can be as big as many farm tractors or nearly as small as a garden tractor.
Your work needs precisely describe what a small "CUT" is designed for. Actually, the smallest ones, sub-CUT's, are perfect for someone with 2-5 acres. You can add attachments for clearing snow, mowing, tilling, grading a road, or whatever. A new subcut will cost around $8,000 - 10,000, just for the tractor, and the attachments will be extra.
So you'd spend 5 times as much for a subcut as a garden tractor. Do you get something at least 5 times better? Yup. Your garden tractor won't pick up 500 lbs of rocks and haul them around in a loader bucket, but the subcut will. It will also grade the potholes out of your dirt road and plow or blow the snow in the winter. Last weekend, I put a post-hole auger on the back of my subcut and made holes for a neighbor's gate posts. Tomorrow, I'll take the auger off and put the mower back on for mowing. I don't know anyone who has one that didn't think it was a good investment.
Well, enough of my ever so humble opinions. No doubt others will add their comments. I hope this helps a bit.
I am VERY grateful for this forum: I would NEVER have known about these machines otherwise, and I think they are just the right size for us!