So, would you choose to side cut a 17 degree 3 acre yard with a CUT, or cut up and down? I go side to side because the yard is a long rectangle, going side to side along it means way less abuse of the Hydro unit on the GT, maintaining full 6-mph speeds and fast turn around at each end. I only cut up/back down in reverse on the 32 degree bank, and I believe that this area is what looks my hydro transaxle in these garden tractors. This bank is also why I need the belly mower, I couldn't back up it and if I pulled up with a pull behind finish mower I would have a huge swath to weed eat ��
The problem with the SCUT is the light weight and weaker hydraulic performance. I desire to move the lower edge of the yard back about 15-20 feet into the woods over time. That will require a few hundred trees being dig out over a few years. The trees aren't overly large as this was all cut 16" and larger about 20 years back. It's about time to sell the standing timber again, and then use this for clean up and pushing the annals back to add yard on the low side.
I know there is no one single perfect machine for me, so my goal is to find the unit with the least short comings.