Jim-
Hydros are incredibly easy to use. You start the engine, release the brake (if it was set), and push the lever forward to go forward, pull back to go back. Farther forward to go faster forward, farther backward to go faster backwards.
IH Cub Cadet Garden Tractors are tough, and with exception of just a few models, the hydrostatic drives all use the big, heavy cast-iron Cub transaxle, fitted with a Sundstrand hydrostat unit. This unit is more than sufficient for the power of even the big Kohler engines, and as long as you keep clean fluid in 'em, and the gaskets ain't leakin', you'll get perpetual good service out of 'em with very little attention. Only a few models of IHCC garden tractors used other types of transaxles (1100 and one other used a Peerless gear-drive, and one or two models used an Eaton hydrostat). These 'other' transaxles worked okay, but they don't have the super-durability of the IHCC drive.
General rule is, with the exception of the 73, and perhaps one or two others, the IHCC tractors with an ODD number as the last digit signifies hydrostatic drive, while the even number signifies a gear-drive system. The big cast-iron rear-end is the clear giveaway.
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