any of those will do you. i would go with teh new simply for the warranty, but the LT series is a better machien than the LA series so you may consider it.

I would go with the LT160 if it is truly in very good shape. It is way more tractor than the others mentioned and will outlast them in the long run.

david is correct though that the others mentioned will get the job done.

I'm just guessing here, but... The Depot guy sells more Cubs than JDs because there is apparently a JD dealer in town. Or did you need to travel quite a distance to fine one?

You're not going to want to read this next part. When you're buying at the bottom end of the tractor market, it really doesn't matter which brand you buy. If the trac is going to sell for considerably less than $2K, it's going to be built on the cheap. It's just a matter of whether you can get good service for it.

How much snow are you hoping to plow? 1-3", 4-6", 6+" More than that and you're probably better off with a blower.

Oh, and I agree with the others about the LT160.

I don't want to spend a fortune for a tractor to mow my lawn. I also don't want something that I have to get repaired every 60 days. The Cub dealer I called tells me Cub is just as good as Deere and cheaper to service. I live in SouthWest Ohio and we rarely get more than 4-6", my neighbored graciously plowed my private driveway with his 10 year old junkie Craftsment with no issues this year.

Did you expect the Cub dealer to say the John Deere was better or their service was better? I bet if you ask a Deere dealer you will get the opposite response. Always consider the source. The LT160 is in a different class then the big box tractors.

I recently went through a similar decision process regarding a new tractor. My research led me away from both the Cub Cadet LT's & the Deere LA's. They may be adequate machines, but they appear more prone to fatigue & wearing out. Particularly the Cub 1000 series appears gremlin prone.

I ultimately chose a Simplicity Regent. They are slightly higher in price that what you are considering, but they have a solid reputaion, are well built, and should last. The cut quality is also excellent, particularly on bumpy or challenging terrain. I am very happy with mine.

If that's not an option, I would not hesistate to buy the LT160 at that price. Had I found one, I might have bought it instead of a new Simplicity. It is a good lawn tractor, with higher resale value, and likely greater durability.

Light plowing with a light tractor is fine. However, when you start having to push heavy stuff or try to move packed snow, it puts quite a strain on the transaxle. The transaxle tends to be the weakest link the low-cost lawn tractors. (In case that isn't posted here often enough. LOL) If what you get is mostly dustings of snow with accumulation of more than 5-6" being a rarity, then a lawn trac and plow should be fine. When Mama Nature dumps 6+" on you, call someone with a truck and plow or get yourself a blower.

Depending on the model, that junky old craftsman may be a sturdier machine than the shiny brand new ones they've got on the floor. With Lowes, Wall-mart, and the Orange Flea Market all trying to make a buck selling lawn tractors, the low-end machines of today are not what they were 10 years ago.

The above is one reason why the LT may be a better deal than the LA. The older LT falls somewhere between the current LA and X300 series, which makes it plenty of tractor for your needs. Do the maintenance and you should be fine.

Get either Deere and don't buy from Home Depot! The price is the same at the dealer and they will provide better service if you buy from them. I would recommend the LA135 "special edition" as it offers some nice features (V twin, bumper, better seat, etc.) for just a few bucks more. The LA125 is a bad buy compared to a LA135. You will only see the LA135 at the dealer I think. To be honest, I don't even know why the LA125 exists as it is so close to a LA115 and way behind a LA135.

Of course the HD guy will say they don't come back for repair, they don't repair them! He has no clue what happens to those things once they leave the store. You don't take your tractor to HD for repairs, you take it to a dealer. JD has proven to have better reliability than everything in that price range. Get the LA135 I say. I wouldn't look at it as bigger or too much for your needs. It has some nice features for only a few bucks more and the V twin alone is worth it.

I can't speak to the used one. It may be a good buy as well, but I can't give you an informed opinion as I haven't seen it and you didn't give a lot of info on it.

Regardless of what brand you get, get something that will allow ground engagement. This means getting a GARDEN TRACTOR.

Sorry I can't give you advise on brands, but I made a mistake of buying a Yard tractor, thinking it would be enough. Yes, any lawn tractor is enough to tow a small cart and cut grass, but I learned the hard way that more is better when it comes to tractors.

Oh.. the lesson here is that I now own a CUT (Kioti CK20s HST) and my yard tractor is now just a mowing machine. If I would have gotten a Garden tractor, like by better half kept telling me to do, I probably wouldn't on the CUT. I'd probably just bought a Johnny Bucket because Garden tractors have 3 point hit options too.

BTW, part of the reason, I thought, I didn't need a tractor for ground engagement was because I only have an acre. Now I know it's not the size of the lot, but what one wants to do with their little plot of land.

looking at buying a new LA115 versus a used L120 with 225 hours on it and I think a 2003 model

have about 1-2 acre lake lot that is quite sloped to mow

how do they compare?

I've heard several negative things about the Cubs lately. (Electrical problems being one of them). My buddy who owns a lawn mower repair shop said DO NOT buy a Cub. He actually reccommended the LA series Deere's. He said they are fairly well built and are easy to work on.
My Deere dealer has a used 1999 LT160 for $900. It's tempting, but the age turned me off.

And to the one's who say the Deere dealer is the same price as the big box stores......NOT ALWAYS. My dealer charges freight/set-up/delivery on their tractors totaling over $241. So in my case the big box store is that much cheaper.

Good luck with your decision!

I bought a used LT160 a couple of years ago, with 84 hours on it, to mow a pretty flat 40,000 feet of lawn. Some is very tight areas and some is wide open. I also tow a JD 10P cart with lime, mulch, etc., and a JD de-thatcher. I'd have to say that it is a great machine for these sort of tasks, and never seems to be working hard. I would recommend that you try actually driving the 160 and the new LA125/LA135. I think there are big differences in the feel of the machines, the smoothness and quality of the controls and hardware, and particularly the design of the hydro foot controls and the deck lift system. I love the LT foot controls, but don't particularly like the action of the LA style foot controls - much more akward for me, and with my land lay-out, I use the foot controls a lot. I think the 160 mowing decks are stronger as well, and I absolutely love the JD Freedom mulching deck. It eliminates almost all of teh dust and noise as well as mkaing the grass just disappear. The downside is that it has almost no vacuum lift so it doesn't do a great job on leaves, etc. I got lucky and bought a used 42" convertible deck ( and added a bagger to that) so I have the best of both systems, depending on time of year, but for just grass, the Freedom is unbeatable. I'd agree that teh LT160 is betweeen teh x300 and LA series in terms of build quality and heft, although much closer to teh X series in my mind. Certainly plenty strong enough to last a long time in the proposed uses, with a plus of feeling like a quality tool every time you use it.

Why don't you buy a Snapper RER (can be had for 1500 and under) and spend the differance on a decent snow blower? Then you're covered. The Snapper RER will last you much longer then any LT under 2k.

A Snapper RER that cuts around what, 33" max? That is WAY too small for around 1-2 acres, and they are almost useless on slopes. You'll be out there all day. You should get a tractor that cuts around 48" inches. 42" you will be spending at least 2 hours in the seat, more if you've got tricky hills to fight. And I know this from experience. I would look at the Husqvarna YTH2348, Snapper LT100, or a John Deere LA145 if you need to cut that much grass under $2000.

2 acres maybe. One acre? Nah, I disagree but to each their own. In the end the OP will need to weigh his requirements and prioritize them accordingly:

A. Get lawn done faster with lesser quality equipment (repair bills, frustration)
B. Get lawn done a little longer but have something that will probably outlast the years he spends in that particular house (again, more saddle time is the trade off)

As far as slopes, it depends on what you are doing. If you have a full bagger and you are starting out going up hill, yah that's dicey. But going side to side mulching I'll take the RER any day. Lower center of gravity and the whole body pivots around according to the terrain.

In the end, you have to know the limits of the tool I suppose.

My wife bought me a Craftsman lawn series tractor for Father's Day, 20 hp, 42" cut. It broke after just a few uses and I realized it was going to be an ongoing issue so I took it back to Sears. The deck is plastic and the blades are very weak. Sears was pretty good about the return. At first I was threatened with a 15% restocking fee but they eventually gave me a full refund.

With my lawn half mowed and fall approaching (we have lots of leaves to contend with) I was on a mission to find a replacement for around $1,500. I went and looked at models at every big box and mom and pop shop and scrounged around on the internet reading loads of reviews.

I concluded the entry level JD, and Cub Cadets are all junk and the companies should be ashamed for selling this stuff. They both make good machines but you need to spend about $2,500 or more to get into something quality that will stand the test of time.

My search came down to two models, the Husqvarna 2246LS (22 hp and 46") for $2,000 and the Snapper LT-100 (23 hp and 46")for $1,800. I ended up going with the Snapper because Sears sells it and they will do 0% financing for 12 months. Plus they did me right on the return of the other one. I also got $100 off as the tractor had a small split on the seat. Husq. has a financing program, but it is kind of a scam, the paperwork for the financing ends up costing you about $100 and you have to pay 5.9% interest (I think that was the rate).

Granted I just brought it home and have only used it once, but so far I am thrilled with it. The deck is 12 ga. steel and very sturdy. The twin motor is much quieter than the other one was. The cut is very smooth and the machine has all kinds of power. I am sure it will have no problem pulling a lawn sweeper, aerator, or dethatcher.

I know there is a lot of talk about this not really being a Snapper, recent changes at the company, new ownership, it is a low end knock off unit, blah-blah, but for the price, this in my opinion is the best thing out there. For a few hundred more you can go from a machine that may last you a handful of years to one that should very well last many years with little maintenance.

i think you will find out in a couple years tha tthe Snapper you bought is a low end model, no different than the low end Deere or Cub lines. somethign to compete with AYP has to be CHEAP.

think abotu this, if you buy a motor and a transmission NEW for those ANY low end machine, you will pay more than the machine costs whole. the manufacturers buy them in bulk and knock off every extra washer/bolt/nut/filter/etc they can. if they can save 10.00 per machine that adds up to several hundred thousand in extra profit a year.

personally i will not buy a rider from a box store. Sears ahd a good product years ago, MUCH better than anythign int eh low end range now. but like everythign else that is no longer the case. anytime you buy in teh low end market, you may as well grab the first machien you see that you butt fits good. cause they are all the same quality. and most of them roll of the same assembly line. dere makes their own, cub makes their own, and AYP makes most all teh rest from walmart to sears to lowes to HD.

The Snapper rear engine rider is durable, but not fun to ride on at all. I wouldn't want to spend two hours on one, and that's the one thing that hasn't been discussed enough; how does it feel to sit in the seat and drive? Don't buy anything at a dealer where you cannot sit on it and drive it around. You might think they will all be about the same, but you would be wrong. The thing that sells the better john deere lawn tractors is - after you drive one - nothing else will quite do. I know that's why I bought mine. That was years ago, and know what? I have never regretted buying it one minute, and I STILL love to mow with it, and it still looks as good, mows as good, and runs as good as ever. I would look long and hard at that used LT, but I would be wishing it was a lightly used LX.

"....the LT160 ....is way more tractor than the others mentioned...."

A bit of an exaggeration.

It is a better tractor, but I would disagree that it is "way more". The LX series is "way more". The LT series is slightly more.

The LT has the so-called puny K46 tranny, bushings pretty well everywhere (not bearings). It has a stiffer frame and a smoother engine, but that's it. It will NOT push snow, or mow any better or but will require less maintenance expense than the LA series (in terms of wear and tear replacement parts) on consumable items such as bushings etc. It will run smoother (the engine), and feel more refined, however, where it truly matters: the Tranny, it is "identical" to the others - thus "not any better at all".

Find a used LX machine - not hard for that price range - and that's when you're into a truly "way better" tractor.

correct me if I am wrong here but don't the Snapper tractors sold at Sears have Murray decks on them? I stopped by a Sears and looked at one and it looked very familliar. Also, I don't think the LA135 is WAY more than the LA125. I own a 06' 100 series 115 and it does very well for me. I don not push snow, I pull a sweeper in the fall, and it is IMO better built than the Cub you were looking at.

I think this is crazy. OP said he had .75 acres and didn't want to spend a lot but wanted something durable. I still say the Snapper RER. Buy a snow blower w/ the extra scratch. Don't look back. Might need to repower the Snapper after 10-12 years, but all the rigs in his price range include engines roughly similar in durability (Briggs, lower end Kohler). The Disc drive system on the Snapper is bullet proof. The rest of the rig is mostly metal (hard to break metal mowing a lawn). Hell, he could take a Snapper RER from 1985, repower it for 500 bucks using a Honda Engine from SmallEngineWarehouse . c o m., and it would still outlast anything on the Sears, Lowes, or Home Depot floors !!!

Just as a follow up, I posted back in Aug. about the Snapper LT-100 that I purchased at Sears and how I thought for the money, it was the best new thing out there. They have had them on clearance since just before I bought mine. I still am very satisfied with the purchase, granted, it hasn't been 10 years but I have mowed about ten more times and used a leaf sweeper with it several times and it has been a dream. It is head and shoulders above the Sears model I returned to buy this one. If you are looking at an entry level riding lawn tractor, give this one a look if you can find any left in stock.

I just bought a new JD LT 125. When I plug the chute -- I disconnect the chute but then I can't get the bungy fastener back on -- I weigh 90 lbs but my 160 lb. husband can't do it either. Because I am the main user of this machine, please let me know of any tricks -- also why can't I move the seat back and forth?