Need a new lawn mower

[Hookmaster]

My 12 year old Sears tractor style fouls plugs and belches smoke when going up hills. I think the rings are shot. Doesn't seem to be worth fixing but put that money towards a new one. I prefer a tractor-style and it needs to cut, mulch or bag and I will probably get hydrostatic transmission. Is the hydrostatic transmission worth it compared to manual? My dad and a neighbor has had good luck with the Sears models. The lifespan of mine was OK. Is it worth spending a little more for a John Deere 100 series? What about others? Who makes Sears, Husqvarna?

[tyeeme]

IMO john deere is the only way to go I had a 10 year old MTD and noticed everything was wearing out at the same time I sold it while I could still get 3 hundred for it and bought a older JD hydro for $600. Cuts great had to put a few new parts on it but I love it. Would also only go hydrostatic you wont regret it.

[Tom7227]

This discussion is always a Chev vs Ford type of thing. It has seemed to me that it's necessary to shop around with care, making sure that you get the stats on each machine you consider and then compare those stats against the price. There have been many comments that most of the machines are made by a few companies and have little difference. You're going to find that there's a great deal of difference between the lower end rigs like you see at the big box stores for less than a grand, and then the second tier for a couple grand, and the high end. Check the specs on the motor. Check to see if there are zerks on the wheels and front end parts to allow you to grease things. Bearings or bushings on the wheels. I learned a lot by going to a shop that sells parts and listening to them about what rigs you can get parts for and those you can't. A heck of a buy on a rig that is junk cause you can't get a $4 part five years later isn't really a great deal, just an expensive lawn ornament.