Not old tractors but who makes a good new garden t

So who makes a good garden tractor? Would be used to mow about 2 acres in the spring, summer, and fall and blow off a driveway in the winter. I grew up driving my dad"s John Deere"s and have fond feelings for them, but don"t necessarily know much about them. I also can maybe get a discount at Lowe"s so the Troy-Bilt, Cub-Cadet, and Husqvarna mowers stand out to me. I"m wanting at least a 48" deck and a 48" snow blower to go with it along with a twin cylinder engine.

What features should I look for?

Thanks guys.

MTD does NOT make tractors for Deere. The L-series are made right along side the GT, GX, LX, LT and X-series tractors. The L-series at HD is meant to COMPETE with the MTD, Sears, Husky, etc, but they are still Deere units. They are identical to the ones the dealers have. The dealers just have access to the bigger models.

I'm in a similar situation in that my elderly White was getting pretty tired. It only gets used for mowing around on the farm maybe 2-3 times a year but I didn't like spending a day fixing it per use when I only get a couple weeks on the farm a year. We'd bought a cheap MTD which is a fair mower but its nice to have two so my wife and I can mow at the same time.
I ended up picking up a 1967 Cub Cadet 72, its a 7hp with a 38" mowing deck, for your situation you'd probably want a 12hp.
I put a rebuilt motor in so its quite reliable, heavy as heck and that 7hp will do more work than the 12hp MTD every single day.

Once you get the JD GT collecting bug, it would be a whole new ballgame. You would want one for mowing and one for plowing snow. Then next thing you know you will want to start buying plows and discs and cultivators.

I would really consider a nice original 214, 216 or 316 or 318 in your position. I would even consider a restored 140. The advantage is, even if you wear them out, which you won't, they are still going to be worth money if you decide to get rid of them. In fact there is a real good chance that you could buy a nice one that has been well maintained, keep it for 10 years and sell it for more than what you paid for it.

Think of it as an investment. You would not be able to do that with the other lawn tractors you mentioned. The tasks you want to accomplish are really beyond what a lawn tractor bought at a box store will be able to do on a long term basis. Depending on where you are, you might be able to talk one of our members into letting you take one of their tractors for a spin just to feel the difference. I would let you on my 318 or 210. It truly is amazing the difference in ride between a new lawn tractor and an old garden tractor.

Just some points to ponder. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

• Weekend Freedom Machines