I am one of the few people that actually likes craftsman, if they still make them the way they used to. However, I would have to take the JD. You have to understand , the craftsman specs have to be a bit better to compete. My theory has always been: all similar priced tractors are about the same (give or take). The motor is made by someome else and is the same model in most cases. Same for the tranny. If you factor out the cost of the motor, and the tranny, you now have a significanly less amount of money to attribute to the tractor itself. One model simply cannot be a lot better than the other (again keeping price the same). I would go with the dealer that is closest to you. It would be a REAL BAD THING to have to drive 200 miles to get a mower belt. Yes, you can get it online but when your belt goes YOU NEED IT NOW! If both sears and JD are near you, I would go with the JD. Stay away from HD and LOWES, they have no businines selling anything that cost more than $10.

I would consider something with a good suspension system (either in the seat or at the wheels) for a ruff yard. As others have said you won't be going much faster it your getting bet to death in the seat? As far as the JDZ445, I don't think it is in the same class of ZTR's as bad boys, exmarks, or hustler's IMO. Naturely they will be alittle more expensive with high dollar parts in them. Usually the difference between 52" and 60" are one more blade, but they ususally are shorter and turn at a higher RPM. I would ask about deck spindle shaft speed, shorter and higher IMO is always better than longer and slower. If you willing to maintain the extra parts (belts, spindles, blades) from three blade vs. 4 blade system. if the 60" has and extra blade. if not then back to shorter vs longer vs blade tip speed IMO? to mow fast and still maintain a quailty cut higher blade tip speed is a must IMO Guy next door to me has hustler, that thing sounds like a vacuum cleaner truck when the blades come up to speed.

I think that there are millions of people out there that don't have any trouble but also millions that end up scrapping their mowers because it is almost pointless to put them on Craigslist. Let's face it. There are a lot of people who should not be allowed anywhere tools or machinery. They never read Op Manuals, know how to use a grease gun or bother to change oil in their engine. They buy stuff, use it until it quits and then put it out at the curb for pick-up. They go back to the box store buy a new one and perpetuate the cycle. There are also people who think that a Deere lawn tractor is capable of the same work that a full-sized Deere Ag tractor is. They disregard the "lawn tractor" description and use it to jerk old shrubs and tree stumps out of the ground along with numerous other tasks that the tractor was never built to perform. The item that takes the most abuse is the trans-axle because that's what links the engine power to the ground. Someone figured out that average property owner puts 50 hours per year on their tractor. Ten years of average use equals 500 hours. The engines used in these tractors are supposed to give 1000 hours of use before needing rebuilding but that's based on the owner changing oil, filters and performing other routine maintenance diligently over that time-frame. The main problem with the low-end tractors these days is the hydro. The manufacturers decided to make the hydro's a sealed unit. Presumably, that was done to put an end to owners that put the wrong oil into the hydro's and also contaminated them with dirt and water out of sheer carelessness. Sounds like a plan but the only people it benefited were the hydro builders and the tractor manufacturers because of frivolous warranty claims. The problem with that idea is this. Thanks to time and heat, multi-grade oil begins to break down and change viscosity. When that happens, the hydro no longer performs as it should and if there are no drain and fill plugs, then life is not good for the tractor owner. The oil is critical because that's what transmits engine hp from the hydro's pump to the hydro's drive motor, just as the driveshaft in a car transmits engine HP from the transmission to the rear end and ultimately the rear tires. For the most part, these lawn tractors are pretty good machines providing the owners take proper care of them and use them as a lawn tractor was designed to be used. If I owned one, then it would have an hour meter on it for sure. After every two years of use, I would remove the trans-axle from the tractor, hang it upside down and let all the oil drain out of it for a couple of days. Then I would refill it with the correct oil and put it back into the tractor for another two years. When you do that, you are not only replacing the partially worn out oil but you are also removing contaminants that are in suspension in that oil due to the detergents the oil manufacturers add. High-end hydro's have oil filters to look after that problem. Low-end one's don't. No matter which brand of LT you choose, all you are truly buying is the name because 90 percent of the tractor's components are made by companies other than the one whose label adorns the hood. You are relying on them to select decent engines, trans-axles, tires, rims, electrical components, bearings, rod ends, springs, nuts, bolts, washers, drive belts and so on for your tractor. They just stamp out the chassis and some other metal bits and pieces before assembling everything. Find a dealer in your area that has an impeccable word-of-mouth reputation and buy your tractor from him. Get to know him because box store employees come and go and box stores do not perform warranty work on what they sell. They rely on the very dealer you should be doing business with so just cut out the middleman. Go and sit on all the tractor brands and if possible, test drive them if they have a used unit around or a demonstrator. Searching the internet is helpful but we all know that happy owners don't post on the internet but disgruntled ones do because they want to get even. Take your time, do your homework and then decide which brand you like, which deck width best suits your property and which dealer you feel really good about. It's your money and it's not chump change. You and that tractor will hopefully be married for at least ten years so this should be more than just an over-night fling. Think with the big head, not the small one. LOL

Yes I actually did take the baffles off. Like I said I tried everything. The machine come with the Husq mulch blades. The gators work better. Have them on now. When the machine was delivered the deck pitch was so extreme. It mulched but didn’t cut nice. ( I’m figuring the delivered machine with the steep pitch was deliberate. Maybe the factory told them that helps??????? )They put the mulch kit on. Can’t see a reputable service center not checking Blade height and all. Anyways. It’s when I adjusted the pitch to recommend setting that the cut was nice but it would leave a strip of cut grass but not mulched down the middle of the path. Even when it was short or dry or thin. Funny thing is last night the grass was high and wet and it seems to mulch better when it’s wet with that extreme pitch. It did leave some clumps but it’s what you would expect to see with it that high. But the clumps where mulched up. Only had to go over a couple little spots twice instead of the whole yard. As far as adjusting the front up. Just for the hell of it I took a path going backward Last night. Left more clumps of grass. Once went backwards with a level deck and it leaves a thin strip of grass to the right of the mower like my old Honda self propelled mower does. So for now that’s my fix. I’ll sharpen those blade up again. That will help with the cut. I’ll pay attention to anything posted. Maybe someone figured out a better fix for this. Thanks with your feed back.