[00 SS]

Soon I will need to buy a good lawn and garden tractor and I know nothing about them. Our new house is on 1.25 acres and I can't even imagine mowing it with a push mower. I'd also like it to be capable of mounting a plow blade for the drive in the winter.

Does anyone have any recommendations of who makes good ones and maybe some to stay away from? Any other info you may have that would help me select an appropriate tractor would also be appreciated.

Thanks

[Mericet]

John Deere does have a budget brand (Sabre, I think) that might be worth looking into.

I'd also look for a cast front axle instead of stamped.

The hydraulic drive on mine is GREAT. It allows you to actually vary your speed with a pedal while keeping the blade speed more-or-less contant instead of having to constantly stop and change gears or manipulate the hand throttle. That may not be an issue in a big open area, but if you have much stuff (trees, etc) to mow around it helps a lot.

The zero-turn models are nice, but pricey.

I have a Sabre and it works really well. I have over 1 acre of lawn on a nice hilly area. I have only used it for 100 hours though. From the John Deere website it looks like they do not sell the Sabres anymore. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)

I totally agree on the other points. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)