I own a 10 acre ranch. I spent months researching tractors, and came to conclusions identical to yours.
John Deere and Kubota: MAJOR sticker shock
LS is my first choice due to dealer support and price. Kioti is nice, but the dealers are few in my area.
My budget was very tight. I couldn't afford a brand new tractor. I scoured the interwebs, looking for used tractors. I stumbled upon this beauty - a fully restored 1958 Ford Workmaster 641 for $4700. I went to look at it, and it followed me home.
It needed a new distributor cap and a new rotor. The local NAPA had both in stock - cost me all of $18 + adjusting the gap on the plugs and the points. I bought a 6' yard rake at Rural King to help level out uneven terrain.
http://www.tractordata.com/farm-trac...-ford-641.html