VABlue
Platinum Member
If he can swing it, an X300 series would be perfect. If he can't afford that much, find a good heavy duty machine somewhere. I ran an 18hp Craftsman hydro for ~8 years doing the same things you mentioned before upgrading. I abused that machine and it kept going! Sold it to my neighbor across the street last summer and it's still working great for him. If you don't abuse them, even the lighter machines will do okay. Even though I did abuse mine, I wouldn't recommend doing so with the lighter guys... For a one acre lot, almost any machine will work for several years. The question is how much quality and duration is he willing to purchase?
A light box store brand = a few years. An X300 or above = lifetime.
A light box store brand = a few years. An X300 or above = lifetime.