I Need a New Garden Tractor

[rback33]

Fairly new to TBN here and spend most of my time in the Compact Tractor arena, but I am shopping for a new garden tractor and want your input.

From a mowing aspect I only have 2 1/2 to 3 acres to mow with it, so I don't need a super, monster deck.
I do, on the other hand, have a large gravel drive to maintain as well as possibly using other ground engaging equipment to maintain a small riding arena.
My father-in-law is almost addicted to Craftsman, and I am especially impressed with the 10 gauge on their garden tractors.
I have rambled on enough...let me have it with opions and testimonials. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

How much of your money do you want us to spend?

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="green">(How much of your money do you want us to spend?)</font>

Careful -- he is real good at that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SnowRidge

 

[s1120]

I have had real good luck with my Ingersolls. Not cheap, but as strong as a tank. Have a look if you have a dealer near by.

 

[rback33]

Wow, you guys are fast. As with all of us here at TBN I am looking to get the most bang for my buck. With out asking my wife what she thinks, I would say we should do what we can to stay under 3000. In reading some of the older threads I realized one imortant thing I forgot to mention was that my land is very rough and that a tough steering mechanism is VERY important. That is one of the problems I have run into on my smaller, cheaper LT. It was not made for the abuse of the yard at our new house. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[slowrev]

One thing to look at for the rough ground is a heavy front axle and good steering mechanism. Also the larger the tires the better they do on rough fround.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> Careful -- he is real good at that. </font>

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[gsganzer]

If you're trying to keep it to a small budget, look for a used Case garden tractor. The design was bought by Ingersoll (see them at their website) and is now sold under that badge. They remain virtually unchanged since the 70's. The reason is because they are so durable. Most of the new parts for the Ingersoll's fit the older units. There are also a number of user groups on Yahoo and the like, that can steer you toward parts. I have a 1976 Case 446 that has a 48 inch deck and cat. 0 hitch and it is built like a tank. You can find them on ebay as a Case 444, 446, 448 (the last digit refers to the hp such as 14, 16, 18 hp) for usually around $1500. Even if the engine is a little worn, you can drop in a brand new Onan engine for about $1300. You'll still be getting a better machine then for the equivalent cash for a craftsman etc. Most of the ones I see on ebay are in the midwest.

 

[Will_C]

With your budget and requirements, I would strongly recommend a used tractor as well. The Case-Ingersoll would be a good choice, as well as the 300 or 400 series John Deere. Wheelhorse also is a good brand, can't help you with model numbers there.
It sure seems like you would be interested in 14+ hp, and probably a 48" MMM. Good luck,
Will

 

[s1120]

Well sence I am not the only one pointing out the Case/Ingersolls, heres a little more info for you. This is a thred I started a year or so ago about my Ingersolls.

My Ingersolls