Thanks for the info on Rim Guard. I was planning on adding water when I put new tires on my Cub Cadet. I use my tractor on fairly rugged terrain with slopes and ballast in the tires should help. I am also going to replace the turf tires with ribbed lug tread tractor type tires. Between the new tires and Rim Guard I hope to eliminate most of my wheel slippage. Due to the small size of my tires, the added weight of the Rim Guard should be an advantage over water. Unfortunately they do not have any dealers this far south since most just use plain water in this area. I'll pick some up next time I'm in Oklahoma City as they have a dealer there.

I am also going to replace the turf tires with ribbed tractor type of tires.

You have to know how to operate the riding mower properly on hills so that it won't flip. You would mow a hill side to side with a walk-behind or wide-area mower but with a rider you do straight up and down. You also need to know the slope pitch to know if your mower can handle it. Tons of people flip mowers each year because they don't know any better.

I have worked with a lot of air cooled engines and there was a time in the past where a Kohler would deliver a decent amount of hoursepower for about twice as long as a Briggs, literally 3000 hours versus 1500 for a Briggs.

However times are a changing and in my opinion Kohler has lost that edge due to improvements made by Briggs primarily in their Intek line of engines.

For a number of years Briggs lagged even Generac in quality, way back Generac went with pressurized lubrication for the mains while Briggs added an oil pump which only circulated oil through the filter sticking with a slinger to distribute oil around the crankcase, stupid stuff but they where stuck in an engineering rut which they finally got out of.

Then there’s Hondas…

Wayne

My JD I bought from a JD last year has a 2 cylinder 22 hp Briggs engine instead of the Kohler I'm used to on JD Mowers. So far no complaints.

The Briggs seems to be a solid option too, but my research and word of mouth from others points to the Kawasaki as the better engine for a bit more than the Briggs.

It sounds like your dealer had an old YTH24V48LS. The locking differential is operator control per Husqvarna's website.

"Hydrostatic transmission with locking differential
Features a hydrostatic transmission that produces a smooth, variable forward and reverse speed and a pedal operated locking rear differential for increased traction while cutting on slopes or wet grass."

»www.husqvarna.com/us/products/ga···24v48ls/

Does that GTH have a locking differential?

I would skip the JD and the CC. Neither of which carry the same quality they used to. I have CC now, and it's alright. It's no different than any other lawn mower.

For what you are about to spend, I would take a step back. What are you really going to do with this thing 99% of the time? Cut grass. I would get a grass cutting machine and not a lawn tractor if I had it to do over again. I would look at the following brands ZTR mowers:
#1 Husqvarna, #2 Cub Cadet, #3 Snapper
Personally, I will probably get a "walk behind" with a Velke sulky (stand) next time. Probably an Exmark or Toro.

I want to spend as little time mowing my weeds as possible. The only thing I hate more than mowing or weed eating is painting.

Commercial walk behinds and ZTR riders are ideal for steep landscapes. Why do you think the professionals use them?

Ride on tractors are actually quite dangerous on steep grades.

Well I'm apparently in the minority, but I would highly recommend a Simplicity tractor.

I have used various models for many years, and they are excellent machines that are well-built and produce a beautifully manicured look to your yard. My first was a Sovereign, then two different Landlord DLX models. I['d like to make another move up now that I am mowing much more yard where we live now, and for sure it will be another Simplicity, perhaps a Legacy if I can swing it.

»www.simplicitymfg.com/products/y···gacy-xl/

In the price point you want a machine JD is the was to go. If you were planning to buy anything under $3,000 CC is the way to go.

Keep in mind the difference in quality between John Deeres at big box stores and John Deeres at actual dealers. They are not made with the same quality. The same should hold true for Cub Cadet.

Of course, maybe the dealer was just blowing smoke up our ass when we bought ours. :D

What is the difference between a tractor that has a locking differential and one that doesn't. Is that like a car that has posi-traction vs a car that has limited slip?

Husqvarna's YTH24V48LS ($2,800)has a locking differential, which they claim helps on steep hills or wet slopes. It also has the Kawasaki V-twin motor.

Husqvarna's GTH24V52LS ($3,200) does not have the locking differential, but is considered their garden tractor, so you would think it would be the most adept at tougher terrain, but with "limited slip" I would think it wouldn't perform as well on steep inclines. It is listed as designed for ground engaging attachments, but does NOT have a locking differential-this is confirmed on a few websites.

I've been told that most of the big box store JD mowers are made by MTD to JD's watered down specs.

The 2000 series Cub Cadet and the 1000 series at the big box stores are also non comparable. The 2000 series blows the 1000's out of the water. I haven't had a spec of trouble with my 5 year old CC 2542 with the Kohler engine, and I'd gladly buy another one.

Our local dealer sells a ton of CC mowers every year, and this in a very heavy John Deere centric area. John Deere's manufacturing facility in Waterloo, IA is less than 30 miles away.

Take this for what it's worth, but if your landscape is that steep, I'd stay the hell away from any riding mower that you sit up on (tractor). I would be looking for a self-propelled walk-behind mower instead. I have seen some ZTR mowers that allowed for a much lower center of gravity. The only reason I have a Cub Cadet riding tractor is to make use of having the big sno-blower mounted to the front. For just mowing, I much prefer my walk behind.

Basically, if you have very uneven terrain, you want a locking differential.

It depends on how steep of a grade your hill is.

What is the difference between a tractor that has a locking differential and one that doesn't. Is that like a car that has posi-traction vs a car that has limited slip?