Most Reliable Thing I've Ever Owned
Model Year: 1984
We bought this for $3,000 in 1993, mostly because our property at the time was mostly hillside. I added a Cat-0 3-point hitch shortly thereafter, to help with clearing snow. All I've ever done is keep up with the maintenance, and it's never let us down. Always starts, runs great, mows like mad, plows well too. The only thing I don't like is that the hitch is a floating style, so cutting into deeper snow eludes me, as the blade is allowed to ride up. Mower blades/belts/parts are largely still available, but I worry about deck parts when things really start to wear out, like the prop shafts and such. I did put fresh bearings in the deck drives a few years ago.
Pros: Reliable as all get out.
Cons: Good luck finding accessories you can afford for it.