I could use an opinion or two here. My mother -in-law has 2-2.5 acres of lawn that has seen a brush hog maybe once a year since she's lived there. She wants to get a tractor(lawn) that is tough enough to handle that part of the lawn as well as the nicer parts but doesn't cost and arm & leg. We will be gradually hogging the yard for her to clear the way but there are still a lot of large plant stalks and small brushy stumps left behind. So far the front runner is the JD LA 130. I think there is something a little stouter out there. She doesnt want any attachements or extras. Any help is appreciated.

You will need to judge how much stress will be placed on blades, bearings, frame etc. by the rough going left by the brush hog. The LA series is not Deere's strongest. I'd be concerned that her desire to "not cost an arm and a leg" may be in conflict with the reality of the field. I can imagine a brand new mower in June being a wreck by September under tough conditions. Where are savings then? Maybe a good used mower could be "Sacrificed" getting the field ready for a good mower? Frankly, I'd recommend at least a 300 series John Deere for the work you describe. Probably a 320 or larger.

Here's the link to the Deere Mower Selection page. It came up with an x320 when I ran it for what you described.

http://productselector.deere.com/RLECustTool/WalkRideServlet

I think to Ravgardner's point, the more cost effective way to go, if cost is a constraint, is to look for a good used 300 series, put some money into it to catch up skipped maintenance, and run it for a season or two and reevaluate. Maybe one of the smaller mowers would be OK after things are tamed down.

A good used/rebuilt JD 318 w/48" mower should last several years and not cost an arm and a leg to purchase.

Doug