Oh, and do riding mowers go on sale around this time of the year? For example, at Lowe's?
The Husqvarna 22HP seems to have better reviews. Any owner reviews here?

Don't think there is any "right" answer to your query; prolly just a bunch of opinions as answers. So here's a bit of mine:
Stay away from the big box stores. A lawn and garden tractor that will do your job needs the support of a good reliable dealer.
Give some thought to what you really want: speed, performance, life, capabilities, upkeep... (yes, Virginia, L&G powered eqpt ARE maintenance-inten$$ive)They need to be kept clean with compressed air (not a garden hose) after each mowing session. They need to be kept inside out of the weather when not in use. Electrical/fuel air systems need checking. Can't just jump on 'em like a car and drive off.
Reading between the lines of your post, I sense that you are thinking an entry price point lawn tractor on sale to quickly handle and larger than average 1 acre lawn for I expect that a more realistic figure will be Repost of Slammer's Rules...

1. Carefully evaluate the size mower you need and buy at least one size larger.

2. NEVER buy a mower from ANYPLACE that will not let you test drive it or at least a similar model. Ergonomics are just as important as performance and capability.
(Vitally important!)

3. DO NOT base your purchase on price or brand name alone! Do proper research and find all of the available models that fit your criteria and haggle, save, or trade to get the right equipment for the job. Do not compromise!

If you follow these three tips you will end up a happy camper with just the right unit for the job. If you disregard this advice your gonna end up with One or the other of the following problems:

A. Buyers remorse. Stuck with a piece of junk or simply a unit inadequate for the task at hand.

Or..

B. A teed off spouse when you start shopping for another tractor just 3 - 6 months down the road because you didn't buy the right unit in the first place.

Don't forget the used tractor market.

Here is a link to the JD Service in Indianapolis for an idea of available prices. I am sure you have something like this is your area

http://www.reynoldsfarmequipment.com/used/lawn-garden-mowers

I have a 10 year old John Deere LT-155 15hp tractor. I have had no major problems with it. For the first part of its life, it was used on a flat acre of ground, It then went to the city and spent more time on a flat 1/2 acre. It is now used to mow 3/4 of an acre where there is probably about 20 feet difference from the high areas of the yard to the low. When we purchased the house, I wonder if it would be adequate to mow the ditch bank. It has no problem coming out of the ditch with the mower running.

Point being if you can get a good 2 to 4 year old tractor like the JD LT-155, it will last for years.

As for service cost, they are ridiculously high to have it done. They may be lower if you have your own transportation.

However you can buy a service kit for the John Deere for about $40. It has the oil, filters, spark plug etc everything need to do the spring service. You can service the tractor, and yard accessories in one early spring after noon. (ie play with your toys when it is too cold to use them) If you have a file or grinder you can even sharpen the mower blades

Two points. Many tractors have a limited top speed (LT155 is about 6mph). So if it is speed you want, make that a big consideration. In my opinion the size of the mower deck would be more important than speed, but consider the doors to where you plan to store it.

Second point. I think most mid to entry level tractors are not designed to pull an aerator, so if you must use a ground penetrating aerator, you will need a much bigger tractor.

If you get one capable of pulling a small trailer (most tractor type mowers can). You will be surprised at the many small jobs that will be easier using the trailer. Simple thing like moving all of your garden tools to the garden at one time rather than a trip for each the returning each of them. Moving mulch, stepping stone, fertilizer, topsoil, plants, firewood, and picking up debris in the spring, are just a few things mine gets used for.

If the aerator is something like a Bluebird with water filled weights, no $1500-2000 lawn tractor is going to last pulling it.

Most lawn tractors will not pull during a turn up slope as they lose traction. Cure is either a tractor with differential lock or adding bar (AG) tires.

Suggest that your husband (or you if you are so inclined) research and familiarize yourself with the different types of transaxles that are available (Brands, axle diameter, w/w/o filter, reserves, ratings and opinions, etc.) and the differences in engines that are available (single and two cylinder, horsepower, lubrication methods, Brands, ratings etc.)

Then you can determine what it's going to take to meet your needs and decide if you want to spend to get it.

Husqvarna makes a good machine that will handle most mowing sittuations, is in your stated price range and will give you your money's worth for mowing and light duty work (occasionally pulling a cart or aerating with a Brinley/Craftsman style plug aerator over flat land on a cool day).
If you opperate it (or most any lawn tractor in that price range) for extended periods under heavy load, you'll shoot your eye out. I mean, you'll ruin the transaxle and they are not cheap..

As others have alluded to, the transaxle is the weak link in all budget lawn tractors. If you want a tractor that will last several decades, or a tractor that can pull heavier loads or even ground-engaging implements, you need to look at a garden tractor (GT). I believe they all cost north of $3k new, but you can find good used ones that would fit your budget. Purchase from a dealer and they can assist with any "used tractor issues" you may run into. However, I would say that a good used 10-year-old garden tractor is more reliable than a brand new lawn tractor when it comes to any type of work beyond mowing grass.

Also, power is generally not a big issue. A 15hp garden tractor will outpull a 25hp lawn tractor that has a weak tranny, especially going up hills.

Do some research on TuffTorq and HydroGear transaxles, and determine what you might need (remember Slammer's rules). The TT K46 seems to be the ubiquitous transaxle in the budget lawn tractors - it works well and can last a long time if you are just mowing grass on relatively flat slopes. Anything more than that, I would consider stepping up in transaxles.

There are also manual transmissions available, but there seems to be very little info (technical and anecdotal) on those since so few are sold/used nowadays.

p.s. - I'm not even sure any of the big-box stores sell garden tractors - does anyone know for sure?

I'm not even sure what a big-box store is anymore. There's a large furniture chain in my part of the country that sells Bad Box ZTR's, a complete line of Stihl products, fun carts, and some off brand ATV's. So you can get a new La-Z-Boy and Stihl chainsaw in one visit.

Several yrs ago, I replaced my John Deere with Husqvarna 46" 20 HP tractor.

I do my own maintenance, and I was tired of the cost of JD parts. FYI, the starter was going and needed to be replaced. They wanted $525 for an aftermarket started. A new started for my Corvette was only $ 210, so go figure. As time has passed, I've replace all of my JD equipment...

The 20 HP Husqvarna we have has no problem pulling a 36" areiator around the yard and up / down hills....

The only issue I have with the tractor is mowing deep sloped ditches, one has to mow them length wise, as the tractor does not want to cross them at 90 degrees gracefully. If you do that, it will result in bending a bracket on the 46" deck!

Several points, all of which are just one old guys opinion:

1. grass and gdj are right; the problem, if any, would be the transaxle and not horsepower. My 12-hp Deere STX (5-speed) will do what you need - I know because it does the job for me.

2. Slammer's rules aren't completely valid, although they are frequently dragged out and posted:

Rule #1. If you determine that you need a 42" deck in order to mow between your trees and get through your back gate, slammer's rule would have you buy a 46" or 48" deck, which really wouldn't serve you for s___. Virtually every lawn tractor manufactured today has more than enough horsepower for your needs, so there's no reason to buy bigger just for the sake of bigger.
Rule #2 states that "ergonomics are just as important as performance and capability." Say what? Would you actually want a machine that felt good to your butt, even though it was not capable of performing the job? Performance and capability, along with reliability are necessary; comfort is nice to have.
Rule #3 makes some good points, but doesn't take into account that many of us have to compromise over the dollar amount. Sometimes slammer's rule no. 3 is used to justify spending more money. If you've got $1500 to spend, don't let somebody talk you in to going into debt for a $8,000 tractor. Instead, try to determine which $1500 machine will do the job for you.

Failing to consider slammer's rules does not mean that you will be "stuck with a piece of junk," or even something that is "inadequate for the task at hand." Nor does it mean that you'll be shopping for a new tractor in a few months. There are some pretty good lawn tractors available for that amount, including units by John Deere and Husqvarna (which also makes Ariens and many Craftsman units.)
NOTE: The fellow who claims to have written "slammer's rules" operates a commercial lawn care service. The equipment that he buys will see as much use in one month as a typical homeowner's machine gets in 5 years. His rules might very well apply to a commercial operation, but few (if any) commercial operators come to this forum for advice on buying equipment.

As to your specific question about Deere vs Husqvarna. I own both brands. The under $2000 Deeres and similarly priced Husqvarnas are (in my opinion) very close in initial quality. Deere is well known for providing parts support for their equipment for years after a model has been discontinued. Husqvarna is the current owner of the company that has been known as Roper, American Yard Products, and Electrolux; they have been in business for many years, and seem to support their products pretty well, too. John Deere dealers usually sell the small lawn tractors for the same price as the box stores, as do Husqvarna dealers. I recommend buying from your local dealer, if you have one.

Finally, I pull an AgriFab core aerator, weighted down with concrete blocks and 50 lbs of bagged fertilizer with my gear-drive John Deere and also with a Husqvarna that has a Tuff Torq K46 hydrostatic transmission. I'm a homeowner, so my total aerating time is about 3 hours a YEAR. Both of these machines are LAWN tractors, not GARDEN tractors; as such, they are primarily for mowing, but I do pull the aerator and, at times, a small garden cart.

Whatever you buy, it is very important that you perform the maintenance recommended in your owner's manual, particularly cleaning/changing the air filter, changing oil & filter, greasing, removing clippings from the engine and transmission, and maintaining tire air pressure.

Good post 12gauge. I never did totally buy-in to "Slammer's Rules." You do a good job evaluating the pros and cons of the different points of the "rules." Didn't know this guy was into commercial lawn care service.... makes a difference. Sometimes these uncontested "rules" need to be challenged...

12gauge - since Slammer isn't around to defend his "rules", would like to comment.

1) Rules: agree - they're not "perfect" or comprehensive - just a quick guide.
2)Machine size - intention had to do with cutting capacity, not gate sizes. when you spend 3+ hours out in the hot sun on say, 2-3 acres, an extra 6 or 12" of deck will make a difference.
2) ergonomics- I bought a machine one time without test driving it first - turned out to be a solid machine, very reliable - but the steering effort was _not_ good. Finally ended up trading it off at a loss after one season.
3) the tradeoff on price paid vs value rcvd is always a balancing act and like a sword, can cut either way. I believe what Slammer was attempting to point out is not to get fixated with either factor. He operated a OPE dealership for a number of years and most likely saw people make mistakes on both sides of that issue.

Bottom line, I think the real thrust of his "rules" was to get posters to stop and think - if just briefly - before rushing out to buy something that had a very good chance of leaving a bad taste in their mouths (as we often see in posts here)..

(that's my story and I'm stickin to it (: )

Yeah, nothing wrong with the gist of it except I think "Slammer's Rules" is a bit too strong for a title.
Perhaps "Slammer's Synopsis" or "Slammer's Suggestions" would be more PC.

rcbe, you had it correct in your first post when you said that there wasn't any "right" answer.

When making a purchase, most people want the best value for their money. That is totally subjective. For instance: which is the better value? A $4500 tractor that will last 30 years or the purchase of three $1500 tractors that last 10 years each? We could argue the various pros and cons forever.
What most people (myself included) fail to properly analyze is: "What is the task(s) that I want to accomplish?" and "What is the proper tool needed to accomplish that task(s)?" The result is two truisms: 1. The more tasks a tool is capable of performing, the greater the cost of the tool, and 2. Eventually, at some point, the more tasks a tool is capable of performing, it wont perform at least one of the tasks well.
Slammer's most important rule is to do the research and become knowledgeable.
For example, even a cursary investigation of the differnces and owner reviews of tractors equiped with the T10 transaxle vs the K46 transaxle would put the prospective buyer light years ahead of the uninformed.

"2)Machine size - intention had to do with cutting capacity, not gate sizes. when you spend 3+ hours out in the hot sun on say, 2-3 acres, an extra 6 or 12" of deck will make a difference."

I am the one who mentioned door size not gate size.

While I agree that the ability to do the job is the most important consideration, you can not disregard the auxiliary cost. Door size is an auxiliary cost.

Every one on this forum, given the opportunity would rather put their tractor inside rather than out to deteriorate in the weather.

If you are buying a large mower on a tractor that cost $3000 and it will cost $2000 to modify the building where it is store, vs a smaller mower that cost $3000 with no modification. What is the better deal?

If you don't spend the $2000, you will leave the larger tractor outside where the tractor will deteriorate quicker and its life shorten. Even with the best of care it will be impossible to prevent water pooling on the mower deck that will eventually rust through, and similar problems. Other problems may come from HOA and such.

Do you want the larger mower that has the shorter life without the modification or the smaller mower which will mean taking a little longer to mow? This could be as little as the difference between a JD with a 38" deck and the same JD with a 42" deck.

PS I build my recent shed so I can get a bigger mower into it.

Number are for discussion and in the individual case may be bigger or smaller.

Mownie - yer right - thet wus his title - may take the liberty of modifying it - good suggestion.

Knuttle - just outta curiosity, how much did thet new shed set you back? I got space in my garage for my 46 inch rider, myself...

It is 10 X 12 feet, 7' at the plate, and constructed on site. It was about 2500 + Paint and our labor to paint.

My garage is 26 X 24, has a van, a car, a 21' sailboat, a 10' tables saw, workbench and several other woodworking appliances, a freezer, and racks.

Yes the tractor could go into the garage, but then there is the trailer, leaf blower, chain saw, weed eater, and the list goes on.

As my wife is fond of saying, "Men and their toys!"