(ET) New guy in town...

[Stephen & Carol Welch <welches paonline com>]

I've been considering moving from my John Deere 170 to an E-15.  Being the
cautious sort, I've been gathering info & reading this list for a while.

I realize these are 30 year old tractors, and am wondering whether I can
effectively keep one running reliably.  I've entirely rebuilt my MGB, 
engine
included, but I'm no electrical engineer.  Some (most?) of the electrical
postings on the list go whistling way over my head.  I don't mind getting 
my
hands dirty at all, but I don't want the ET to be a primary "hobby" 
(already
have enough of those!!) - i.e., when my crop's a-growin', I need to be
a-mowin'!  Plus, the wife won't put up with a "maybe it will, maybe it
won't" mower without sending grief my way... ;^)

So, if you use one weekly or more for mowing, how often are you spending
time fixing?  Other comments?

I like many of the features of the ET, but I don't want to make a bad, if
enthusiastic & idealistic, decision.

(side note:  anybody care to venture why, with all of the electronic
innovations that have taken place in the last 30 years, no major
manufacturer has done a new (modern?) version of the E.T.?  I'd be
interested...)

Thanks in advance,

Steve Welch