I would NOT want a hydrostatic transmission. You lose a lot of the motor power with that transmission. We rented one with a brush hog for cutting a newly purchased field that was unmown for 20 years. It just had no OOMPH going thru that weed coverage, though it was bigger at 35hp. That tractor had a high and low range, but only forward and back in gear selection. We rented in case we found “surprises” in the fields, did not want to damage our tractor. I was quite surprised as how wussy it was for the size of it. After that experience I would not buy a tractor with a hydrostatic transmission.
My small tractor was 25hp, clutch, just breezed thru the second cutting to make weeds shorter, by down shifting to gain more power.
So many times going to low range, lower gear, you can do amazing things with that tractor even if it is smaller. I mow using a 5ft finish mower on pastures or 5ft brush hog on the field edges with old brush stubs. Tractor manages both easily. We use a 6ft landscape rake on it, moves a lot of brush or dirt for smoothing things, breaking hardened mud, sheet ice in paddocks so horses can go out without falling down.
You might want to consider buying a finish mower over a lawn deck. Mower fits any tractor with a PTO. Getting the right finish mower let’s you adjust it easily for height on the grass and it can mow quite closely to a fence. My mower is an older Ford with corner wheels, just walk around it to change height in about 2 minutes. But other models can be quite nice too. I think the finish mower has really improved my pastures by keeping the cutting height constant, no scalping or high spots like a brush hog can leave. Hinged pulling arms to the 3pt hitch let the mower wheels stay on the ground despite the ups and downs tractor goes over. Get a mower with a side chute to spread the cut grass, not creating windrows behind it. The cut stuff then dries fast in the spread layer, disappears.
It is a Kubota, maybe 20 years old with 4WD, FEL, though not the quick attach model. Picks up 800#s and not an ounce more. Ha ha I pull an 8ft wide, 8ft long chain drag with teeth down, no problems. Turning the drag over is too hard, so I use a large older tractor tire for smoothing surfaces. It does a good job with all that sidewall on the dirt. It also pulls discs easily to cut up packed ground in pastures. Smoothing out hoof marks, opens soil slightly for over seeding and fertilizing. Discs are older, one is a one-piece model, 5ft wide, that you can lift entirely off the ground for moving with the 3PT hitch. The other elderly disc is a 7ft wide, hinged model, which I like because it covers more ground each pass, turns sharply when needed. Being pull-only, you do have to pick it up with the loader to go across the pavement, no 3pt hitch. Fills stalls with sawdust daily, moves loads of stone, gravel, dirt to where you need them.
Husband has used to clear trails, both pulling and pushing good sized fallen trees out of the way. People are quite astonished at all the things it can do, despite being somewhat small. Lot of power with the gear ranges. It is our go-to tractor though we have bigger ones. Just so easy to use!
Get loaded rear tires if tractor does not have them. Beet pulp juice is the newest fill, safe for the enviornment if it leaks out, does not rust out the rims like chloride does. No juice in the front wheels, it will tear up the transmission. Only drive in 4WD when working, it wears out the front tires faster pulling the tractor along in daily driving.
It was kind of funny when we started tractor shopping. We asked many horse folks about their various makes, HP, model choices. Everyone was quite willing to sell us their tractor right then, except the Kubota owners! Most were going to die owning that Kubota! Only willing to sell if they wanted to change tractor size larger or smaller. Now we know why!