[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

[sgarnett]

I am in the same boat as a newb with a country property. Fortunately it came with a '53 Ford tractor for plowing, which needs TLC but there are tons of replacement parts for.

BTW, I'm not an expert on old Fords, but some or a lot of the older models geared the PTO to the tranny instead of having a separate drivetrain for it. Depressing the clutch pedal disconnects the wheels and PTO from the engine but not from each other. The result is effectively a large flywheel attached to the drivewheels, which can be a problem if you need to stop quick.

It's common and highly recommended (for safety) to retrofit an "overrun clutch" (or words to that effect) on the PTO (looks like a short extension on the PTO) which is basically a ratchet drive like on a socket wrench. This lets the tranny drive the PTO but doesn't let the PTO drive the tranny.

Note that this is not the same thing as the slip clutch that's often used at the implement. It's purpose is the same as a shear pin: to protect the implement and tractor (and operator) if a large rock or stump goes where a rock or stump shouldn't go and causes a jam.