Mr Organic....I don't think you can go wrong with either a Honda HRX or a Toro Super Recycler. Go to lawnsite.com & check out some posts there about push mowers. These are guys who use them everyday for a living. Also, check out your local Craigslist for mowers. I got really lucky & found a commercial Honda HRC that was basically brand new. If you get something that mulches well (Honda or Toro) & cut your lawn frequently, then you don't need a side discharge. But, I'd definitely look for something with a rear bagger. I'm not sure where you are located but at some point you are most likely going to need to overseed your lawn & for that you need to cut it low & bag the clippings. I only use mine once or twice a year with the bagger attached but it is more than worth it. Hope this helps. I'm sure someone will chime in about looking at Snapper's as well but really, unless you use it everyday, I think something from Honda or Toro is the way to go. Spend a little more & get something good. As someone once told me, "buy quality tools & cry once. Buy cheap tools & cry every time you use them...." Oh, another piece of advice I'd give is to use something like Sta-Bil in the gas can you use to fill the mower. It's an additive that lengthens the useful life of your gas & keeps it from damaging the carburetor on your mower. Learned this lesson the hard way & now I put some in the gas can everytime I fill it up at the pump. You can find it at any parts place in town. Anyway, good luck....

I bought a 2006 Exmark Lazer Z 52" Zero Turn in 2009 from a commercial landscaper/mower with a 23 HP Kawasawki engine.. The first thing I did with it was take it to a dealer who looked it over. He replaced the two spark plugs, the blades and one spindle. I also assumed that he checked out the serial number for me. It's quite common to see these machines come off lease at three years old, but this one had been purchased. I paid $3500 and have been using it ever since to do an acre and a half. i've never had problems with the hydraulic pumps or motors except that if the fluid gets low it gives a growling whining sort of noise when going up a grade so I add a little fluid and I'm good to go. I wore out some mower deck belts till I learned not to use it to plow piles of leaves with the blades spinning. I replaced the hydraulic belt myself two years ago and the automotive type oil filter that filters the hydraulic fluid a few times . It's had a another blade spindle, a starter solenoid 2 years ago and a starter motor last year. Not bad for a 15 year old machine. i can't remember a single problem with broken parts for the frame, the deck etc. I did all the maintenance myself till I got too old to figure out how to get at the starter motor bolts. My only complaint is that I don't think the deck is wide enough because if it were wider it would go around the three foot diameter fencing I have up around new fruit trees to keep the deer off them. They had a 60" deck but it wasn't available with a bagger; as I remember. I know you're going to question buying used but perhaps a used machine like mine is better than those you're criticizing here. I'd suggest if you look at one to look at the broken parts. Things like the wheels on the mower deck, the casters for the front wheels. If they're busted off or bent you get an idea how they respected their machine.

The left tension pulley on my LT 1045 Cub Cadet was about 1/2 inch to low and at an angle that took it out of a horizonal plane with the ajacent pullys. Took deck off and removed the bracket that holds both tension pullys. Put the defective pulley in a metal vise and hammered it so that its angle when reinstalled was parralell to the ajacent pullys. This solved the problem. I called Cub Cadet and spoke with the technical representative and he told me that the bracket I had to bend was bent out of shape because I, as many people do, engaged the electric pto to the blades while the deck was in level 3 to mow. He told me to put the deck in its highest position before engaging the pto to engage the blades. This alleviates the stress on the Kevlar belt that is trying to come up to 3600 rpm while in the grass before they start to rotate. This can eventually bend the bracket that holds the tension pulleys. He said he is trying to tell the company to include this in the owners manual.

Allright! I got the deck off; and I found that I did have a small twig in between the belt and the pulley. However; when I put the blades back on the first time, I made the mistake of doing it in front of my father-in-law. He just happened to have tools in his truck; and insisted on putting the blades on for me. He also owns a Craftsman tractor; and told me "I didn't need to have the bolts as tight as I did". So; now I don't know if was the twig between the belt and the pulley; (because it was so tiny); or because the bolt on the spindle was too loose. The good news is; there is no more vibration, my headache is gone; and so is my father-in-law... for the time being. I will get a good sleep tonight; except for waking up at fifteen minute intervals to make sure everything hasn't gone up in flames; and when the sun rises I will make it a point to check the frame for cracks. Look for my new topic; "What tractor to Buy?" Then you guys can really go at it! (Again). Thanks for your help!