I'm shopping riding mowers and couldn't help but notice they all stress engine size and the variety of attachments available.  There is no discussion of the transmission.  All I want to know is will the mower have enough torque to push a snow blade or how much weight I can safely pull in a lawn cart.   I'm not sure if I've made my point clearly but would appreciate any comments...

I think you will find that even the best Lawn Tartors are primarily just riding lawn mowers.  My John Deere X 300 R is a well made, durable product and yet I have no illusions about its capabilities.  These machines are not true tractors, as in agricultural commercial machinery.  Obviuosly John Deere makes many such products and some are relatives to the Lawn Tractor I own, but the resemblance of my lawn tractor to those far more expensive machines is 'skin deep', and nothing more.  My 'tractor' can haul my considerable weight and tree leaves or grass clippings but ask anything more of it, and you should expect to pay for it in some future repair bill.  Snow 'Throwers' are better for such machines since the weight of 'pushing' wet snow is a considerably more stressful endeavor than throwing it with the blower.  And either way you need wheel weights to move much of anything.

Louis,

From what I've read, the hydrostatic transmission is very reliable. Also, my understanding is that the towing load should not exceed the weight of the lawn tractor. (At least that's the guidance provided for my John Deere LX-280.)

John