best new small tractor

Howdy, I am goin to buy my dad a small riding tractor so he can cut his grasd, hes gettin up there in age, onyl has about 3/4 acre so dont need a big one and I think a 42 inch deck will fit through his gate. So i was thinking a deer or cubcadet, so any ideas, thanks

Not real familiar with the newer models, but can tell you about the older ones. Have had both, (several of each) Deere and Cub Cadets from the 70's and 80's, and the Cub Cadets will cut circles around the Deere's. That's my experience.

A 3/4 acre property is no problem for any of the entry level lawn tractors that are out there.

What matters mostly is having a good dealer who will be there for you and your dad should anything go wrong...... and things can go wrong, regardless of the brand.

When I use the term "dealer", I don't mean Lowes, Ace, Home Depot or similar stores that are only interested in selling the product and then tell you to take your problems to the local dealer.

If you have a genuine John Deere ag dealership nearby, go and buy from him. His price will be the same as the big-box stores for the same model equipped the same way. Cub doesn't impress me because they are owned by MTD and I've read many reports on the internet about MTD's lack of customer service in backing up what they sell. Don't take my word for it. Do your own research.

Another interesting brand that you may wish to consider is Snapper, IF.... you have a local dealer. If this isn't to be a surprise for you dad, then take him along to the dealers and let him sit on prospective tractors to see whether he likes one more than another. Make sure he understands where all the controls are while he is sitting on it. Some machines have foot pedals for forward and reverse while others use a hand-operated lever.

If he has no physical issues, then either system will likely work for him. Keep in mind that a 42" gate opening will not accommodate a 42" cut width deck due to the discharge chute. Before you go shopping, measure the opening and then take the tape with you to measure the true width of the deck. He has to have SOME clearance on either side of the deck as he passes through the opening or things are going to get bent.

Maybe you should consider altering the gate opening so that it isn't going to be a deal breaker. I don't think that Deere or Cub makes a LT with a 36" deck and you might have difficulty getting even that size through the opening. This is one of the reasons why I mentioned the Snapper brand. Check around and see if there is a Snapper dealer near you. If you go to their website, they may have a dealer locator to help you.

I might add that you should look for a Simplicity dealer as well. Our local one is great!

I agree with the Snapper. I was a t a dealership last year getting parts and looked at the snappers, still made with heavy steel, look like well built units. Of course, you need a dealer within range.

I am a Cub Cadet Dealership mechanic, and white MTD had really cheapened the cub line from what it was under IH ownership. They have some good models that are no better or worse than the entry level JD machines. Look at the LT1042, the 09 model has a timed mower deck much like what Cub started with in '61. The cut is awsome. We sold lots of LT 1042's, 1045 and 1046 model Cub Cadets this year, At our dealership, each cub gets a good going over and test run. If being delivered we go out and cut some grass behind the dealership, if the new owner is picking it up, we have him or her cut some grass to test the machine and get aquainted with it. We take care of customer issues at the dealership level, so the customer is satisfied, then we deal with MTD behind the scenes. We also service many of the JD machines as well, the designs are very close to each other in the entry level market. This all being said, if you want a machine that is: 1 cheaper, 2 better built, then look at an older IH built Cub Cadet or even the 200 or 300 series John Deeres. There are gentlemen out there that restore these back to new condition and the selling price, many times, is less than a new MTD built machine. For cubs I would recommend anything from the model 70 of 1964 thru the red 82 series in the early 80s. You can have a true gear drive, uses the same rear end/transmission as the Farmall Cub, or you can have one of the best hydrostatic drives made, its mated to the same Farmall rear end housing thru all the years of the IH built cubs. For more in depth research, check out ihregistry.com for the cub cadets, and weekendfreedommachines.org for the JD's. Mike