[Brandon1]

Originally Posted by themightytimmah

Pick up a used commercial unit. It's like a rotary vs a PC. If you can get one for the model you're buying, get a stripe kit too.

At my old work, we swore by Walkers. They're slower than most, but have a front mount mower and you can get within 1" of beds and obstacles, making trimming super easy. Internal bagger, too.

Also, Exmarks were nice machines, but we tended to do smaller areas and didn't need the speed of a mid-mount machine. Dixie Choppers were popular too, they didn't cut as nice but they did like 8 acres an hour.

Craigslist has used JD Zeros for $4k, and they will last forever.

Have you considered a walkbehind with a sulky? You can pick up a good 48" walkbehind with a sulky for $3k, with a warranty and it will blow any consumer mower out of the yard.