I would not make the purchase again.  That being said, the tractor itself is not too shabby — it’s the mower deck that needs rethinking.

Since I bought the mower, I’ve replaced the bladed 3 times, and I have less than 50 hours on the machine.  Sure, maybe I don’t baby the thing, but for $1850, it should be able to handle a few sticks and the occasional rock (believe me — I can’t avoid them all no matter how hard I try).

I’ve also had to replace the belt.

The arm that holds up the front of the deck is CRAP — pure and simple.  It has a hole for a useless cotter pin, and, of course, that is where it broke for me (after hitting a stump of course).

If you insist on buying this mower, be prepared to add some reinforcement welds on the rear deck brackets, as they might as well have tack welded them.

The tires do not hold air very well — expect to fill them every 6-8 hours of use.

Also, do NOT even attempt to use this mower without buying the mulching assembly as you will get enormous gobs of grass all over your yard.

The Kohler 20HP motor does a great job — the tractor itself is fantastic, although it always wants to spin the wrong tire when you need traction.

All that being said, with my own modifications (self-made, stronger front arm, reinforced welding) and the mulching kit, it’s actually turned into a half decent mower, at least for now.