re: What should I look for in a lawn tractor?

I have a Husqvarna. I cut one acre. It is a 26 hp Briggs with a 54" deck. It has about 300 hours on it and is like new. I have only had to grease it, change the oil, sharpen the blades, and replace one battery.

I looked for a mower that had Zerk fittings on the moving parts, wheels included. I wanted a motor that had enough power with a changeable oil filter.

The transaxle is also important, especially if operating on a grade. A good rule of thumb is to get one with lug nuts to take the back wheels off instead of just a center cap. It means it is heavier duty.

Mine is hydrostatic. (Automatic) It has plenty of pulling power in forward but is a little weak in reverse if you are trying to back up a hill.

I paid $900 from CL with 56 hours on the gauge. They go for more but I caught a break. It is a LGT 2654. LGT stands for Light garden tractor. You want a garden tractor.

Most Craftsmans are crap, made by Murray or MTD depending on the year model. Both companies are lower end headaches. That being said, their bigger models start to have better features.

Used GT5000 in a Craftsman is a decent mower. The older ones were built to last forever.

And last, just because someone advertises their riding mower as a garden tractor does not make it a garden tractor. The ability to use ground engaging implements makes it a garden tractor. The transaxle give it this ability.