IÂve got 2.5 acres, mostly flat with a ditch & some minor rolling heaves on property. I mow every 10-14 days (sometimes every 7 in Spring if warranted). I donÂt have any plans for commercial mowing. IÂll be replacing a 6 year old Husqvarna YTH2148 that gave me 300 hours then threw a push rod last weekend (yes IÂll try & fix this as a secondary tractor in the "fleet"). IÂd like to get a ZTR to help reduce mow time & spend more time with kiddos. After some great reading on transmissions, price ranges, & the lot, IÂve narrowed it down to the following three:

Cub Cadet RZT 54  25 HP Kaw - ZT 2800 Transmission  $3,499.00

John Deere Z425 48 Â 23 HP B&S - Kanzaki Dup-10 Transmission - $3,899.00

Cub Cadet Z-Force 48 Â 22 HP Koh - ZT 2800 Transmission - $3,999.00

IÂm sort-of leaning toward the RZT 54. I donÂt like the smaller tires, but it is 500 cheaper with a larger deck & similar transmission. Then again the RZT tops @ 6.5 MPH instead of 8. These top out my budget so I can't afford to move into a commercial unit, & I'm not sure I really need to. I've made a trip to the different dealers & taken a look at each of these units & plan on purchasing from a dealer when I pull the trigger.

This is a huge financial investment for me, & I believe in seeking the counsel of others. Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.