I am a big Simplicity fan. If you were going to step up one more grade in the Snapper to the LT3044 for around $4,000 I'd say yes.
The Snapper LT2044 does not have a welded frame like the LT3044 or the Husqvarna GT2648. The engines appear comperable quality wise with more HP in the favor of the "Husky".
The KD46 HD Hydro of the Snapper is a good Tranny. Husky doesn't list who makes their GT Tranny but it must be slightly heavier to be able to use tillers and such.
Dollar for dollar I'd have to say the Husky unless you want to spend more for a better grade Snapper.

I have an 18 HP Simplicity Broadmoor with a 44" deck that I bought new last year for $3250. It has a single cylinder Kohler Command engine and a KD57 Tranny. See if there is a left over like that in your area. It's worth the extra few hundred dollars for the heavier and quality build.
They have good financing as well.

If you like the Husky look at the Sears version...they're made by the same company...AYP.
You might get a sale or better financing at Sears for a similar tractor to the Husky. I don't think you would go wrong with either a Sears or Husky Garden Tractor.

Good luck,

Dan

Simplicity isn't on-island. And even if it were, there is no freakin' way I'm spending $4000 on a lawn tractor ;) (for taht kind of money, I'd want a "real" tractor, not a gussied up mower)

thanks for clarifying that sears and husky are the same inherent unit (AYP). Though that may not help, because there's no sears where I live.

There is no longer an AYP. Husky is its own company and makes its own tractors as well as sears. I believe Husky is using the K66 tranny in its GT as well as in the Sears. A much better tranny than the K46. If some one has different info please post.

erik,

I'd say go with Husky then. If it's a K66 Tranny as ctpuritan says then it's one heavy duty unit for the money.

Dan

ctpuritan, where did you hear that he Husky used the K66? Tha's news to me and I'm not sure I believe it. If they did I would imagine they would say so. Also, AYP has been enamed as part of Husqvarna group along with many other lines that were all originally owned by electrolux but recently spun off to it's own company.

As for the Husky versus Snapper? The Husqvarna Garden tractor is not really comparable to the pure Garden tractors that Deere, Simpliciy, Ingersol or Kubota make. You can think of it as a heavy duty lawn tractor that is capable of some lighter duty gaden tractor chores. The Snapper model is a pure Lawn tractor. It does have some nifty features that make it an excellent mower. It has a very tight turning radius and the deck removes in less than a minute. If i was choosing a machine that was a dedicated mower and pull a cart now and again then I woud definately pick the Snapper. If I wanted a machine that could mow and do some light ground engaging chores and I was on a limited budget then I would choose the Husqy. If I had more money to spend and wanted a more capable ground engaging machine then that is when you look at the larger more expensive machines.

Just my 2 cents.

Get a John Deere. You won't need to have a dealer handy because a Deere simply doesn't break.

According to the operator manual linked below, the transmission on the Husqvarna GT2648 is a Hydro-gear model 344-3000

Hope that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

aesanders: There is a sears version of this tractor using the Briggs 26 ELS and the K66 Tranny and a version using the Kohler courage and the Hydrogear Tranny. Their was a thread about the ELS version about a week or two ago and I was in my local sears store a 4 or 5 days ago and talked to the guy I buy all my attachments from and he stated the same thing. It appears from "needs tractors" post that Husky is using the Hydro-gear 3000 in their own unit. This is a ground engaging capable tractor.

The new company name is Husqvarna AB and they are not using the AYP name. Check their website out.

ctpuritan: So you're saying the Sears DGS 6500 with the Briggs motor uses the K66 tranny, but the Husky with the Briggs motor uses the 344-3000 tranny? I read somewhere that the Sears version with the Kohler motor uses the K66, and that it's the Briggs model that uses the 344-3000. I wish I could get my hands on a spec sheet to find out for sure.

'aesanders: There is a sears version of this tractor using the Briggs 26 ELS and the K66 Tranny and a version using the Kohler courage and the Hydrogear Tranny. Their was a thread about the ELS version about a week or two ago and I was in my local sears store a 4 or 5 days ago and talked to the guy I buy all my attachments from and he stated the same thing. It appears from "needs tractors" post that Husky is using the Hydro-gear 3000 in their own unit. This is a ground engaging capable tractor.
The new company name is Husqvarna AB and they are not using the AYP name. Check their website out.'

I still can't find anything from the Sears or Husqvarna website about using the Tuff Torq tranny. I did know that AYP has been renamed along with companies like Target Blue which makes concrete saws. They have all been owned by electrolux for some time.

Yes, the Sears Garden tractors and Husqvarna trators are capable of doing some ground engaging activities but they will not perform along the lines of the bigger garden tractors that have several hundred pounds of weight, heavier duty frames and differential lock capabiity among other advantage. The Husqvaarna made machines are light duty arden tractors in all aspects. Just look at the weight. The heaviest Dears trator I saw was a garden tractor that weighed 596 pounds and I'm not sure of that includes the deck or not. The largest Simplicity Regent was 585 pounds without the deck. You look at Simplicities light duty Garden tractor and it weighs 778 pounds without the deck. Their midsize garden tractor weighs 858 pounds and full size well over a 1000 lb's. John Deere's x300, x500 and x700 garden tractors are similar. Just a different class of machine than the Sears and Husqvarna garden tractors. I'm not knocking the Husqvanra mahines. They are what they are, but a person buying one and thinking it is on par with other makers garden tractors are not seeing the whole picture.

Aesanders; The point of the post was not that Husky/sears is better than the other tractors you listed but that if the poster is really limited to the two tractors he listed then the Husky is a no brainer. He can't get Deere, simplicity etc. Reread the post The posts I mentioned are on that other forum . If you and "passthegravy" email me I will give you the site and specific post. In fact there is a new post and the fellow bought the DGS6500 with the 26hp Els and K66 tranny. As far as your AYP post-go to the Husqvarna AB website and they give the whole story on their spin off as a "separate company" from electrolux. You have an opportunity to learn something here if your willing to take the opportunity.

Both machines according to spec's have B&S engines...I believe at least in my opinion having experienced the B&S engines before I would stay clear...generic, noisy, and not trouble free...Maybe the guy who said look into the green color might be steering you in right direction...Kawasaki motor, heavier, better frame...and for the most part less trips to the dealer for repairs...Butbottom line it is your pocket..go with ya gut...

Ctpuritan....... What's your beef? Are you the know it all of this place these days? Am i suppose to bow to your almighty knowledge? I stated the same thing you did about Huqvarna AYP etc..
As for the Husqvarna being clearly better I disagree wholeheartily. Each machine is better in certain situations. And if you take a moment to reread my posts you would see that.

bighagrid: The problem is he wants to buy local and "green" isn't one of the local flavors. By the way, doesn't "green" use Briggs in some of their lawn tractors?

Aesanders: The point of responding to the original post was to talk about the two tractors the guy on the island was limited to. I had some info on tractors Husky was building with K66 trannys. You don't believe it so I offered to provide you with site info where you can verify someone bought such a tractor. You chose not to take advantage of the offer. If thats being a know it all then I guess anyone who has a piece of info that someone else doesn't have is in your book a know it all. If you believe the snapper LT2042 is a better tractor than the Husky GTH2648 than nothing I can say will change your mind and it will be up to the original poster to analyse the info presented and choose between his two options.

No Deere. No Sears. Why? Because it's a 45 minute ferry ride (EACH WAY) plus reservation time, wait time, and about $75 for a round trip ticket. Every time I want to get service.

So: Snapper, husqy, or nothing. Not that I WISH it were that way, but it is. (And it may well be "nothing." If the $2600 Husqy "garden tractor" isn't worth buying, and the $2500 Snapper "lawn tractor" isn't worth buying, then I'll just get a new push mower instead.)

Anyway, now I'm confused. I know "good hydro" is a good thing. But like I said, I'm not planning to do a lot of plowing. The main reason I'd get a garden tractor over a mower is that garden tractor IMPLIES a heavier duty frame, engine, and hydro (i.e. the "expensive stuff.")

Aaaaand.... I still can't figure out if that's the case.

Is the frame of the GT better than the Snapper?
Is the hydro of the GT better than the Snapper? (or is it only better if it's a k66--whatever that is--and not if it's a hydrogear?)

Help!

If you're just going to mow and pull the occasional, non ground-engaging attachment like a dump cart, broadcast spreader, sweeper, etc, I think either tractor will probably be just fine. I've got a Husqvarna YTH2348 lawn tractor and it handles all these tasks without a problem.

Looking at the specs for the two models you mention, the Husqvarna GT you mention sounds like a much beefier tractor. Both run B&S V-Twins, but the Husqvarna has a more HP. It also has larger rear tires (23x10s instead of 20x8s), a beefier frame (10 or 11 instead of 12 gauge steel) and it also weighs a lot more than the 500lb Snapper. It has a beefier hydrostatic transmission and a deck that's 6" bigger so it'll take you less time to mow. On paper it would seem that the Husqvarna is the "bigger" tractor.

The Snapper sounds like it's more in line with the ~$1800 YHT2348 Husqvarna which has the same Tuff-Torque K46 Hydro tranny, and same wheel size, but still features a larger 48" deck and 11 gauge steel frame and 23 horse Briggs v-twin.

In your shoes, I'd probably opt for the Husqvarna GT or even one of their bigger lawn tractors like the YTH2454 (24 horse B&S with 54" deck ~$2000), YTH2348 (23 horse B&S with 48" deck ~$1800), or the YTH2146XP which has a 21 horse Kawasaki v-twin, 46" two blade deck and uses the same GT frame (~$2400). I really think either one should do just fine for what you want though.

erik- They are both good tractors that will do the job you need. Why worry about the transmission? Either will perform well. Do you buy a car that way? Have you driven either?. Buy the one that is most comfortable and give it a break. docRx

Erik, both tractors will be fine and with proper maintainance will last a long long time. Will the larger transmission last longer then the smaller one. Well, only if you use the tractor to do quite a bit of ground engaging work. If you aren't planning on using the tractor that way then they will last about the same. The k46 can still run a plow form to plow snow from time to time. If this will be a main job in the winter then you may want to opt for the Husqvarna. That's the compromise here. The Husqvarna will do a better job doing ground engaging work. The Snapper will do a better job mowing as it is more manuevarable. Their is a lot more to these than just an engine and transmission. Look at how easy the deck is removed for maintainance. It can be done in 30 seconds on the Snapper. Not nearly as easy on the Husqvarna. The Snapper just has more user friendly features overall and a better quality build to it then the Husqvarna. The Husqvarna has a little bit heavier build which will help if you are planning on doing some ground work with it.

passrhegravy-yes they do--specically designed for them and only in the L series--X series uses Kawasaki...

The Husqy GT will serve you well. I'm not to wild about the color, but that's another story.