Lots of advice --- 5 pages ---- short version Scag You want why, read the rest:
I cut about 8.0 acres --- 11 acres (1.5 acre pond, smaller pond, house, driveway--about 8 acres). I have bermuda, field grass, and bahia grass. Several years ago, I had ExMark and Scag bring out 2 mowers each. The Exmark guy stayed with his mowers to sell me, the Scag guy said, I'll be back in a bit, I've got a tractor to look at for another customer." He said, before he left, "I already know which one you're going to buy." The Exmark couldn't handle the bahia at all and was rough riding, the two scags did both the smaller 42" and the larger 60". I taught my wife the basics, so she wouldn't ride off into one of the ponds, and said, you pick.
She chose the larger Scag Tiger Cat II, because of the comfort of the ride, the horsepower, and the fact it could handle the bahia at full throttle. Yeah, it was more than we wanted to spend, but that thing sure is nice. I've had it since 2017-18, no major problems --- fluid changes, filters, and a pto switch --- I'm in Alabama, I cut at least every two weeks, sometimes every week, from end of February-November. It takes me about 3-3.5 hours to cut.
You want a good weedeater/do all --- The Stihl Khombi ---- I did buy two attachments from stihl; they had a choice of two attachments; my pick --- I have bought cheaper attachments of Am$%^&, that thing has been fantastic --- It takes me about 4 hours to weedeat my driveway, parking area, fence rows, ponds, trees, etc. Yeah, longer to weedeat than to cut grass, we have added a lot of flower beds too, plus a huge retaining wall for the pool overlooking the pond.