Lawn Mower vs. Garden Tractor

[Jamming]

I have the same 24hp briggs as tinner posted here and its been a great little mower and i use it for mowing about 2 acres of lawn and i use the 3005 jd for any heavier work, Hydro drive on the craftsman has been reliable at 100 hours but really only good for mowing and pulling a small cart for sure. It has plenty of power for mowing and i often load the cart full of firewood to drag to the house, the most i have put in it was gravel, about 1000lbs and it had no problem pulling that on flat ground. Just gotta be sure not to overload the hitch.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the suggestions. So can you please spell out the specs I should be looking for?
I don't have any need for a snow plow here in the south - so really just wanting somthing that is versitile enough to seed, pull a wagon etc.

Also - what are some good questions to ask the seller?

Are there any good websites to look over reviews?

I would buy the mower new with warranty, Especially in the south where the mowers are worked pretty hard. If you aren't a hands on mechanically inclined type of guy it is hard to know a good deal from a bad one

 

[jenkinsph]

I'd be interested, too. Probably going to buy a JD x500 series. Trying to figure out if I can really use it to do a garden. Wonder if anyone has used a disc or a moldboard plow behind one.

Just my take on your situation, if you wan't to mow the lawn an x320 will work. If you wan't to work your own garden get either a 700 series with 4z4 or a 1026R. I personally wouldn't recommend an x500 series for rear hitch work. An x500 is a good mower and can handle a snow blade and blower but is limited in its ability to handle rear ground engagement attachments.

 

[Carl Bert]

I don't know exactly how much you want to spend, but I can tell you this, for about $3000 to $3500 you can buy a 2003 to 2005 John Deere GX345 with around 300 hours. These tractors can't be beat for the money. You can pull a 17P trailer loaded with dirt and stone up a 30 degree incline all day long. I know because I just did it. It has a liquid cooled 20hp Kawasaki engine, power steering, hydraulic lift and you can also get a limited slip rear dif. (mine doesn't have it, but wish it did) Trust me, these machines are as solid as they get and will last a lifetime. Do a search on eBay. It was a very popular model, you can easily find one. Good luck and let us know what you decide.