Buying a riding lawn mower from a big box store will not hold up over time. If you want a real John Deere you have to go to a dealer...

I know... I'm on a limited budget though.... around $1,900 out the door. I priced some real nice John Deere at a local dealer... it was $3,500 + tax. If I had the extra money, I would jump on that. However, I'm not looking for one that will last 15-20 years. I spend so much time on my tractor and outside that I look at my tractor like a vehicle. After so many years of use, you have to step up to the newer designed models. I don't think I could drive the same tractor for more than 10 years.

My craftsman that's at least 10 years old is holding up great... it's nothing fancy. 42" deck, 19 HP Kohler. The last 3 years I've hauled tons of stone, dirt, etc. I don't think I have ever replaced anything on it, other than gereral maint.

On this new one I would probably spend about and hour maybe an hour and a half per week. So probably 5-6 hours per month. The new tractor won't be hauling anything heavy, I'll keep that to my old Craftsman. However, the new tractor will need to pull a 15-20 gal tank that I use to spray my lawn which isn't to much.

You might want to consider the Husqvarnas, too. Which is best? I have my own idea, but this is something of a Chevrolet-vs-Ford question. I can't figure out how they compute turning radius; none of mine turn anywhere near the claimed amount - for really short turns you need a ztr.

I hope you bought a used GT.

I just bought a Cub Cadet LTX1042KW with the Kawasaki V-Twin. Do yourself a favor and look at the LTX1046KW and LTX1050KW. They are a little a couple of hundred more but well worth it for the reliability and quiet running of the Kawasaki. Also they are only available at an independent Cub dealer. Great service and a better machine than a Deere for the same money. Deere is overpriced because of the name and uses practically all the same parts as the other brands. The Cub has a heavier gauge frame and, of coarse, the Kawasaki.

I went last Saturday to pick it up. It's the Cub Cadet LTX1050KW. I was going to get the Kohler, but the guy talked me out of it and said to get the Kawasaki... it was the same price. I had a 10% off coupon... total was $1,900 out the door.

I sat on the 48" John Deere they had beside the Cub and didn't like it at all. Very uncomfortable and the John Deere overall was much smaller. It felt like it was the same size as my 10 year old Craftsman. Another thing was John Deere's headlights... they really need to rethink those. The cub sat up at least 3-4 inches higher... its like sitting in an SUV compared to a car.

If I had another thousand or two to spend on a tractor, I probably would have went to a John Deere dealer and picked up one of those nice 4K models that I've seen pictures of. The cubs can't even compare to those. As of John Deere at the big box store... I think they should rethink the design of those or pull them all together. I can't think of anyone who seen these two mowers side by side would get the Deere instead of the Cub... especially since they are the same price.

John Deere is getting out of the OPE business (since they don't manufacture any of it - it is all re-branded stuff). I don't know if that will include their throw-away tractors or not (which are also re-branded stuff). They will start selling Honda OPE next year.

The only good stuff John Deere makes is the stuff they actually make (like those 4k+ tractors).

The above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is B.S.

JD is doing like they did with weed wackers and chainsaws when they partnered with Sthil a few years ago, they are doing that with Honda on push mowers and generators.

If you can ride on it, JD makes it in a JD factory in the USA.