I did a lot of research on many mowers and spent many hours debating witch one would be the best for me. My John Deere salesman encouraged me to check around not only prices but also quality and what to look for. He told me to count the nuts and bolts on the frame and deck of a craftsman, while I was there he told me to try to bend the mower deck and frame with my bare hand. Then look at the Cub Cadet and notice how many opposite bends there are on the PTO drive belt that comes from the front of the engine, the awkward reverse pedal, the plastic mower pulleys and to see if I felt comfortable on it. (I am 6’2”) Two days later I went back to talk to him again and to tell him that he was right and to do some more tests on the Deere. He had a GT 225 and a LX 277 out back and he asked me if I wanted to drive them around on the snow packed parking lot. I originally was looking at the LX 255 but after I explained to him what I wanted to do with it for he recommended an extra 500 bucks to purchase the GT 225. The third visit I finally bought.

My GT 225 got delivered on a Saturday on time all waxed up and a full tank of gas with the optional Snow Thrower attachment, chains and weights already installed and ready for 6” of snow that was predicted for that night. My driver had spent about a ½ hour with me explaining about the operation, maintenance, safety and a crash coarse how to take the attachments on and off.

I was a little worried that the tractor didn’t have enough power with the 15 HP engine and the ability of the 42-inch single stage snow thrower. It handled my 200-foot driveway like it was nothing. The traction through the snow with the big rear tires was amazing. It gobbled up the 6 inches of wet snow and threw it 20 feet into the woods without bogging down. The 42C deck is amazing, you won’t be let down by the twin blade action it has plenty of power to push the grass in the bagger. With the anti scalp rollers you couldn’t even hurt your lawn if you tried.

If you think that $3,600 is a lot to pay for the GT225 with the 42C deck I encourage you to check out the Cub Cadet, Simplicity, Honda and Toro. This tractor is solid and built for years, and this price isn’t out of line at all if you are looking for a high-end tractor. If you are debating a Craftsman or any other tractor at your local Home Center, The LT John Deere series starts at $2,000. Don’t settle for junk. Bottom line, I can think of many other things to do on a Saturday then work on my yard. The last thing I wanted to do is be unhappy with a mower for the next 10 years wishing I had spent a little extra, So I spent twice as much and it will last twice as long believe me when I say “I will have this 20 Plus years”.