Our budget is around $3000 - $4000. Probably garden tractor-ish. I'd like to be able to do all the things you mentioned. I found a 5 year old Husqvarna 24 hp 54" deck with snow plow, sun shade, new battery, and some extra wheels and tires. It's got 22 total hours on it and the seller is asking $1500. Sounds like a pretty good deal. I know most products made by Husky are pretty robust. Husky also offers many other attachments. I'm being cautious because you usually get what you pay for (or less). Anyone know whether or not Husky mowers are good quality?
I've been following this thread closely but have stayed quiet because I wanted to hear others' thoughts without me biasing the discussion, but since the discussion seems to be focusing on garden tractors, perhaps it's time to give my 2 cents. As always, take to heart or disregard completely, as you see fit.
In terms of garden tractors, my understanding is that a high percentage of them are made at the same factory regardless of brand. I would pay attention to brand only with regard to price, warranty, serviceabilty, etc. After that, ignore what color paint it has...and look at the features!
Does it have a reliable engine? Honda and Koeler engines are generally accepted as great quality for gas; Yanmar for diesel. If you want long life, they are probably the engines you want in your mower (although other engines may be just fine).
Do you have a lot of open area or is it a lot of twists and turns? A conventional mower with a steering wheel is less expensive, but will take longer if you are doing a bunch of 180s or mowing around trees. A zero turn mower (ZTR) is what everyone seems to be moving to, but they only help your agility. if you're going straight, then have no advantage. To be clear, there is no difference on a mower deck for a conventional mower vs a ZTR in terms of quality. If you have open areas where you're going to slowly spiral in, a ZTR isn't going to get you anything a conventional mower can't.
Take the published mower speed with a grain of salt. Some of these mowers can mow 5-6 miles an hour...and they leave a ragged mess in their wake at that speed. If you're okay with a rough cut, then you're okay with an old, beat-up bushhog. Otherwise, plan to take your time.
On the mower deck, look for ones where the anti-scalping wheels have 2 pieces of steel that are perpendicular to each other (like a corner). Otherwise, a few good dings and your wheels will go from rolling forwards to plowing a furough behind you; good if your wife is behind you with a sack of potatoes, but bad if you weren't planning on starting a garden.
Make sure the spindles on the deck are large and are either cast iron or thick steel...not thin steel or cheap aluminum. Most folks that rebuild decks every couple years run their deck (that has aluminum spindles) through ungodly heavy stuff (like a wet hay field) and can't understand why they're putting new bearing and new spindle housings on every 40'.
For all mowers, how structurally sound are the front tires? Lot of conventional mowers like to be competitively priced, which often means cutting quality...but they ty to do it where they think customers wont notice (sorry for the cynical view).
You will (generally) get what you pay for. A $5K-$10K mower will probably last 25+ years. A $2K mower is going to last 5-10. If all you can afford is $3K, then stick with something that you can afford...there's absolutely no shame in that! If you think your needs might change in the near future, then get the minimum that works for you today. But, if you have the money and foresee long term needs, buy quality.
If I had to recommend a brand name, let me say that I've owned Husky, Craftsmen, John Deere, Toro, Snapper, Dixon, and several no-names. Some good (especially the Dixon), some bad (Craftsman)...most were okay...but none are in the class of Country Clipper. 8 years later, and our XLT still cuts far better than anything else we've ever owned on their best days.
Always keep in mind that everyone treats their machines differently. The guy who is obnoxiously critical of a particular mower probably changes the oil when the engine starts smoking, never sharpens the blades, and stuffs their half-smoked cigarettes in the air filter intake (MIL's catch of a man did that). Conversely, the guy who praises his mower into sainthood probably hasn't cut grass higher than 2", had the mower out in the rain, or driven it against the wind. The point here is that the life of whatever mower you get is directly related to both how hard you push it as well as how well you maintain it.
Hopefully some of these comments are helpful (or at least humorous). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!