[dscott]

I have owned 8 different John Deere tractors. I have loved every one of them. I keep upgrading to a larger one every so often. The one I have now is the X485 all wheel steer. It was expensive ($7500) but worth every penny. I mow my property, my mother-in-laws, and at Church. My property takes me about 9 hours a week, the other 2 about 3 hours. I have the 62" deck on mine. It is the best investment I ever made. I cut over 2 hours of mowing time with the all wheel steer. I have over 100 trees in my front yard to mow around.

I have owned several other brands including Craftsman, Murray, and Cub. The John Deere is by far the best in my opinion. I also own a commercial Dixon that my wife likes. I have used the ones that Home Depot sells and they are very cheaply built and perhaps those are the ones people have problems with. They are considered price leaders by the Deere dealers and they aren't very happy about them. They give John Deere a bad name with a lower quality product. Since I spend so much time on my mower comfort was a big key for me along with the speed I can mow. I usually mow at full speed which is about 7mph if the ground is smooth enough. I mow all my ditches. I have not had any problem with the X485 and it definitly takes a beating. My neighbor mows about an acre and he has a Craftsman and he loves it. It really depends on how much you have to mow and the quality of the mower. If you have to replace it every 3 or 4 years then go with the quality. I would put the Cub right up there with quality.
Don