Bought the tractor spring 2006 or maybe late 2005 at $999 from Home Depot. Bagging unit was an extra $300. Have had the engine serviced twice in that time frame, have had the undercarriage serviced once. Had to replace blades once or twice myself in there too.

I have .93 acres. Tractor is not essential but it is definitely helpful. next one might be one of the wider walk-behinds that are coming out now, but as long as the current one is working OK, I'm good hanging onto it.

Generally speaking my interest in grass has declined significantly. I haven't put down fertilizer or weed killer in ten years... we have kids, a veggie garden and chickens, and I've converted more and more of the lawn to flowers or veggies. And lately I've gotten much more interested in insects and butterflies, and the best and easiest thing you can do to bolster those populations is mow less frequently and stop fertilizing. So last year I never even mowed my front yard (trimmed around the edges and a walkway across it with string trimmer) and I think I only mowed the back six times, roughly once a month April - September, which it got really long.

I compost the grass - used to do it only once in the spring and once in the fall, but since I wait so long to cut it now it's too much to leave on the yard.

String trimmer is a Red Max and it's fantastic, a world of difference from the Ryobi I had prior to that which was terrible.

Also in rotation:

-two Mackissic mulchers - a big PT12 and a smaller LSC505, both purchased used. I mulch the leaves and pine needles as well as small branches and other garden waste and put back down on my flower beds.

-Stihl farm boss chain saw. Love it.

-Shitty Black & Decker hedge trimmer. Only need it once a year to cut back the forsythia. Still wouldn't mind something better.

-awesome new pole pruner set. Expensive as hell but man is it better than my old Home Depot jobby.