I've begun to think that the thing that causes all the 'cat problems is the "submit" button. For what it's worth, some "musings" from yesterday that didn't make it in timely fasion.

Noting the comment about being on a hill:

A garden tractor, sometimes called a lawn tractor, generally is a little heavier, and may(?) have a bit lower center of gravity than common mowers. If slopes you intend to mow are significant, some attention to "gradeability" may be merited. The heavier machines will certainly have better traction. Most of the home-user mowers have such low ground contact loading that they may just spin their wheels on slopes you can walk easily - especially on "green" growth or with a little dew on the grass.

If you have irregular enough slopes to make tipping a concern, or if you may need some "traction improvement," you may want to consider add-on wheel weights. You'll probably have to do a little research to find out if a smaller tractor is equipped for them since it's not usually an advertised feature and many of them don't specifically provide for added weights. Nearly any of them can have at least small weights "kitted" on, using the wheel mount studs, but provision for real "rim weights" might be a plus. (Note that adding weights to most lightweight mowers is unlikely to help much. It's the low tire pressure and "slick" treads that defeat the traction.)

For really irregular land, there are more sophisticated machines available with "self-leveling" features and/or with "brush mower" capabilities; but these usually get into higher price categories.

If you're just talking about enough slope to make it a nuisance to push hard uphill, then you shouldn't have to worry about the extras.

For most general mowing I favor "using the plug" and letting the mower mulch the clippings in place. The mention of seasonal growth spurts suggests though that you may find times when the grass gets ahead of you and you'll want to "windrow" the clippings by letting them run out of the side discharge, and/or you'll want a bagger of some sort. Baggers are usually extra, and the common ones that hang on the back of the mower are not too generously sized. The "deluxe" attachment that blows the clippings into a trailer towed behind would be overkill on my 0.x acre, but might be worth looking at on a larger lot.

If your windrows aren't too tight - and if having them there for a bit doesn't offend, they'll mulch okay the next time you just mow over them.

The problem with bagging the clippings is that you have to do something with them, but they often can be dumped in the low spots and allowed to mulch/compost there to help level those "trouble spots" where you always scalp the turf a bit and/or where there's always a damp spot and you spin the wheels. Of course you can always "pit" them somewhere and use the compost to fill in later, but I'm lazy enough to want to move them once and be done with it. There may be times when you may need to use "off-site" disposal of clippings, but I'm inclined to feel that sending great bags of clippings to the landfill every time you mow is a bit "antisocial."

Before you bring the new mower/tractor home you should think a bit about where you're going to keep it. The mower (x3+), bagger (x1.2), possibly a utility trailer (x4+) and a few odds and ends of pieces that you put on and take of as you use the thing will add up to (3 + 1.2 + 4 + ? + ...) times the space taken up by your old mower. You may also need/want to store a bit more fuel, a spare belt or two, etc. You'll want a protected storage space to keep it all in. While most of it can just sit out in the weather with a tarp over it, the better protection you provide the better stuff will last. A rain-proof shed or at least a leanto/canopy will be a big help - assuming you don't have room in your garage.

Especially with the lighter "mower only" machines, the 8 to 10 psi tire pressure usually specified is not enough to keep moisture from wicking in at the tire bead - even, or especially, if you have tubes in the tires. The rims will rust inside and chew up the tubes if you don't have a dry storage space. If you do have to store in a more exposed area, dismounting and cleaning - possibly repainting - the rims may be something to consider as an annual or biannual maintenance, although most people just buy new tires every few years.

Of course, with 1.5 acres, you've got room for a little "habitat" that you can avoid mowing if you can convince the neighbors "it's for the critters;" but some restraint is necessary 'cause some of the critters can be a nuisance too.

John