There are many of us who buy a GT/TS series for the rear axle.... I bet that about 1/100th of 1% of buyers put a bucket on a garden tractor. Like, in 50 years I have never met or heard of anyone that I know or knows someone I know who has done such. So while almost everyone I have ever met in this suburban/rural area has at least a light duty riding mower, if not some sort of garden tractor.... no one has this unicorn.
So, if I was Husqvarna/Cub Cadet/Craftsman/Troy Built/XXX/XXX I would ignore the few and keep on keeping on. So few do it, so few fail compared to the many thousands sold... it is absolutely within the acceptable range of product failure. There is a price considered for failures and a price considered to prevent failures. A price for warranty work. A price for everything is considered.
In todays modern 2019 world, the garden tractor of 30 years ago is still absolutely represented in the market place. It done by the modern sub-compact tractor.
The term garden tractor today refers to a riding mower with a heavier duty rear axle assembly and powerful engine that can last for years mowing steeply sloped lawns, pulling lawn rollers, pulling aerators, pulling seed spreaders. A modern garden tractor is not what a 1970's-1980's GT was, nor is it pretending to be so. We do not have 3 points, PTO stub shafts or channel frames any longer. That is left to the sub compacts.
You really need to understand the manufacturers intent in the various products. You can not expect a very inexpensive $3500 GT to go out and do SCUT style work. There is a reason a SCUT costs $12,000, a JD X7XX Series costs $8000+..... it is because they ARE built to do the kind of things that you are trying to do. The problem is that you do not want to spend that money and your hung up on naming convention. Once you get over that accept that the naming conventions of yesterday are not applicable today, and you recalibrate yourself to the YT/GT/SCUT product steps, you'll be all set.
YT = General mowing/turf maintenance use on level to mildly sloped property. Limited to very light and infrequent trailer/implement pulling. Lower cost, less robust components. Light weight, very little turf depression in all but the softest conditions. Best for urban style smaller property in flatter areas.
GT (TS) = General mowing/turf maintenance/snow removal use on moderately sloped property. Allows for significantly heavier trailer/implement pulling and frequent use with larger loads. More costly, mid range driveline components. Light weight, very little turf depression in all but the softest conditions. Best for flat to sloped suburban or smaller rural properties, but no 4x4 typically offered. Great for maintaining a manicured and chemically treated lawn year round under adverse conditions.
SCUT = General mowing/turf maintenance/snow removal/front loader work/backhoe options/PTO/3 point/4x4 abilities. Use allows constant running on significant slopes, much heavier trailer/implement options to include true ground engaging abilities including tillers, plows, disc. Cost is significantly higher, driveline is massively heavier built. Heavier built, unless ground is hard this machine can impart depressions in the turf and underlying dirt if the moisture content is not fairly low. This is the homeowners Swiss army knife, like the higher end GT of the 70's. This is the rural property owners "bestest buddy ever"!
Some urban dwellers may need a SCUT. Some rural dwellers may find success with a YT. There is nothing carved in stone. Evaluate your needs and choose a product that appropriately answers that need with ability.
Good luck.
