BRIAN - To my way of thinking, Any frt tire is a GOOD TIRE if it holds air on a CC. Rears are a different story, since I have Firestone 23 degree tires on two of my CC's, and the third will get them as soon as SON gets his hands on it.
My 70 & 72 still have the factory installed GY ribbed 4.00/4.80X8's, but they won't last many more years, the nylon cords in the casings are getting weak and blow-outs are coming. My 982 has Titan Multi-Trac C/S turf tires on the frt and they work great for mowing and general yard use. They steer hard at slow speeds or when stopped on dry clean concrete and other hard surfaces but it's impossible to tear up the grass with them. And pulling forward or backwards allows you to steer easier. Most of the problem is the fact the tires are so large, 18-8.50X8's, the std SGT frt tire size. ANY tire is going to pack up with mud and wet dirt if conditions are right. I spent enough time doing hog chores in mud as a kid to know mud & wet dirt sticks to rubber. When it dries, it falls off.
SO, if your going to use your 1250 on yard chores like dethatching, I'd go with the turf tire. Not sure how you go "Hiking" with a CC, it's actually illeagal to run a garden tractor on public roads, but the turf tires will work O-K on pavement as well as grass.
My old 129 had mis-matched GY & Carlisle ribbed 16-6.50X8's and granted they were about wore out but their steering performance sucked. Turf tires wear longer and last longer, and perform better the whole time.