Seeking advice on buying my first used JD riding mower for one acre.

[CMREED]

From a mechanics point of view, used is good only if you are able to do the repairs yourself. A new machine warranty (even an extended warranty) is a good investment for someone who is not very into repair.
John Deere name is only good at the dealer(and for the dealer) I cannot in good conscience recommend a non-comercial John Deere, as many of JD smaller units are made by other manufacturers.

If you are into John Deere as some bikers are into Harleys, remember that you are paying for the name not just the machine.

 

[JPR]

... I cannot in good conscience recommend a non-comercial John Deere, as many of JD smaller units are made by other manufacturers....

Wrong.


My advice to the OP, when you see someone post junk like the above statement, ignore everything they mentioned in their entire post.

As for your mower, people generally recommend a 42" deck for a nicer cut..and less chances of scalping. My area you can find good used mowers from 500-1000 that will work for what you described. It really depends as another poster mentioned, are you comfortable working on them if you need to do any repairs? It may be worth getting a new ones for the warranty.