I am a firm believer in buying used. Of course, not any old machine. You have to be patient and diligent! You can save 1000's on the right machine. I bought used and am thankful I did, saved much. About 4 years ago I was looking at the X500 series. I liked the posi traction and I wanted to use a tiller attachment. With the incline you speak of, I really would not go with the X300 series. IMO you need a stronger transmission. Too much wear and tear on the X300 series. You are right the X500 series does get pricey.

I began looking at the John Deere GT and GX series to save money and for the K71 transmission. You can get the GX255 with the posi traction and power steering but they are hard to find. I had the chance to buy one but the dealer was just asking too much. I could have bought an X520 for the same price and that would have defeated any savings.

I ultimately bought an '04 GT245 w/only 81 hours on a private sale. My experience from looking around is you can get a quality used 2003 to '05 GT235 or GT245 anywhere from $1700-$3500. Year, hours and condition account for the price ranges. My point here is you will definately get a quality used machine, heavy duty transmission for your inclines and pulling and you will save, save much money vs. buy an X500 series tractor. In fact you may spend less for a GT than buying a new X324.

Good luck to you.

Here ia a nice commercial mower. I have one like it. I love it. It will do all that you want and more. I am not suggesting that you buy a used one off ebay. I am suggest that you find the local dealers for this brand in your state and contact them for a good used model. I just traded mine in with only 255 hours after 10 years to upgrade to a large model.

Here is the link to see:

http://cgi.ebay.com/20-HP-Walker-Riding-Lawnmower_W0QQitemZ130378021339QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e5b22b9db

Also here is their web site:

http://www.walkermowers.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Walker