Originally Posted by Dave9
^ Disagree, my Scotts mower (during the period that MTD made them), with a B&S Intek engine and auto trans, has been as dependable as you could hope for over the 20-some years I've had it.
Sure it needed a pulley or two over that time, and 3 belts, and tires, and I got a spare set of blades so I could have a sharp set ready to swap on, so each set wore half as fast, and now it finally has a rust hole in the deck which affects nothing.
Budget grade units with an auto transmission don't shift gears, they just affect the belt slippage and are pretty reliable. You might have to replace the belt more often from the slippage but come to think of it, I haven't even needed to replace the primary drive belt yet, just the deck belts which seem to suffer more from the sharp radius of their pulleys.
The real question here is what special features do you need besides auto tranny (aka gearless) because you don't need to spend $1500 for something to do a small lawn unless you insist on a top brand and brand new.
A lot of people praise cub cadet and John Deere, but frankly you are Just Cutting Grass, they may have certain benefits such as making it easier to adjust the deck height, but as far as the rest goes, a JD pulley or belt doesn't last any longer and the blades still need sharpened, etc.
Now the shocking part that is on-topic for this forum. The oil filter I've used on mine with the 19HP B&S Intek engine for over 20 years (and it still runs great), is nothing special, a $3 Fram Extra Guard PH3614, also spec'd for the smaller V6 on a ~ 2005 era Toyota Camry, as well as a dozen other makes and model years.
Some things just aren't worth pouring a lot of money into, like your lawn. Just keep it weeded, seeded, and mowed as needed.
I agree you do not want to spend more than is needed on a lawn mower. But do not want to spend weekends fixing the lawn mower either. In most riding mowers its sold or given away and the engine still runs. The mower deck and the stuff on it goes. The deck rusts, spindles get expensive. Belts are not cheap either, The carb on the engine will get crudded up if you do not use a stabilizer or run dry or use E0. Seats get beat up,