They're probably pretty comparable quality wise. I can tell you that Consumer Reports rates the Toro well above the Ariens Zoom 42 (Toro ranks # 7 vs Ariens ranking near the bottom at #14) and the Toro gets a "recommended" rating with prices within $100 of each other. Neither ztr gets a performance rating below "good." Also, because the Toro is a 2 blade deck it has better bagging performance if you intend to bag the grass. That said, not too many people seem to care what CR thinks so it's your call. If you could try them out that would be a big factor in making your decision.

Thanks for the reply larso1. I just tried out the Toro at the local dealer and I liked it. The Ariens review I have seen by others on the internet has been very good. Thats why I was leaning toward it. Im surprised the 2 blade is better then the 3. There is an Ariens dealer near where I work and will have to take a look at it. Did consumers report say anything bad about the Ariens?

They don't get very specific between the 2 other than the 5 ratings from excellent to poor. The Ariens gets a "Good" rating fro side discharge and mulching whereas the Toro gets "Very Good" for those test results. The Toro gets an "Excellent" for ease of use whereas the Ariens gets a "Very Good" rating. So there doesn't appear to be real Achilles Heel for either. Overall score was Toro at 71 vs 63 for the Ariens. That 3rd blade tends to disrupt the flow of grass into the discharge more than 2 blades.

This post was edited by larso1 on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 17:03

Very good information larso1. My neighbor had a Toro riding lawn mower. I thought they paid a lot of money for compared to other riding mowers. The Toro cut so much better then mine and was no comparison. Mine was and still is a Craftsman and I hate the cut. The Toro dealer is 5 minutes from me and the Ariens is 45. If there is a warranty issue, im so much closer to the Toro dealer.