i absolutely loathe the "lawn tractor" type riding lawnmowers. no matter what the marketing propaganda says, they're cheaply built disposable machines that are a nightmare to work on. craftsman, husqvarna and the like are all actually the same, just with a different paint job, made by AYP. john deere are usually proprietary to themselves and a bit better, but still a royal pain in the ass to work on, and parts are expensive.

imho, the best riding mower on the market is the snapper rear engine rider. lightweight, simple to work on(want to get at the blades? pick up the front and stand it on its end!), and parts are relatively inexpensive.

i've you've got the money, and lots of grass to mow, the zero turn mowers are the cat's meow. they're usually put together better than the "tractor" types and are meant to be worked on.

just ranting a little, being that a big chunk of my income is coming from fixing these horrid things these days.