We moved to East Texas 2 years ago. I brought my JD 2210 (CUT) with, which I've had since 2005, and as expected, it is indispensable. Of our 17 acres, it mows the homestead, and the fence lines, about 3 acres all together. I end up mowing all 17 acres (except wooded and pond areas) at least twice a year, as it is the cheapest weed control measure. The 2210 is not suitable for mowing that much acreage because the hp rating is lacking to rough cut that much acreage in a timely manner. What I did is get a 40-75 hp class tractor and a brushhog for those areas.
Considering that I would primarily only be mowing with this larger tractor, I was confident buying something old but serviceable for the task, and ended up with a '76 Ford 4400, and it's been fine. Considering that I will probably only put 30 hours a year on it, it will probably outlive me. Older tractors whose depreciation has bottomed out can be had for as little as $2-5k. One place to watch for prospects is Facebook groups in your area. I bought my last tractor off of East Texas Farm Tractor & Equipment.
If you are worried about having an old tractor, remember that ALL tractors need to be maintained, whether they are a month old, a century, or anything in between. If you don't maintain, you pay.
My point is, buy your CUT, you'll need it, but don't be surprised if you end up shopping for something with more HP in the near future. Maybe you can get the dealer to toss a used mid size tractor into the deal
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