Being someone who has owned a Husqvarna, I can say, mowing with the used GTH27V52LS was a great deal for mowing. I bought it to use at a widow’s house who couldn’t afford to replace her or her husband’s 42” Yardman. Both were old and his had a failed Kohler Courage engine. Mowing 3 acres was taking 6 hrs. With the the Husqvarna it was taking 1 1/2 hrs and gave a better cut. It’s on its 7th year. Not all “tractors” are the same, even from the same manufacturer. Get as heavy duty as you can afford with a serviceable transaxle, but I tend to hang on to my stuff for a long time and I buy once. I’ve not been impressed with the newer CC‘s as compared to older ones. Once you test drive some of the newer machines and some higher end units, you will quickly understand why they cost more. Things like power steering wouldn’t have been considered, but with use, you find it very helpful if not necessary as my friend did after having a shoulder replaced. Bigger machines ride smoother and are more stable on slopes/hills. Then there’s the hp needed to do the job without having to slow to a snail’s pace or maybe not at all. The first time you skid down a slope, you will understand the value of weight and types of tires.
If you are new to mowing, there’s a lot to learn and consider. Each situation is different. So my recommendation is try as many as you can, even if you feel you can’t afford it, but don’t discount one strictly based on the bad history of some others who just pushed their’s too far. Used gently, even the cheap stuff lasts quite a while and can be repaired. My example is my 2002 Scotts L17.542. I shouldn’t have expected it to still be going or be able to pull around my Cyclone Rake, but it did for several years even in my ditch in front of the house. Especially since all I’ve done is change oil & filer, change/sharpen blades, replace the battery a couple of times. I haven’t even changed the transaxle oil and it is still going after 300+ hours picking up a few leaves now and then.
