re: Grasshopper front-mount mowers

quote:

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I would add that if you live in the south, the mid mount vs front mount won't be as pronounced. The front mount you can get under shrubs, etc. And it makes it so easy to do deck maintenance with the deck lift.

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Yeah, for me it's mostly about the ability to get under the deck to clean it out. After one to two mows of my backyard, I consistently had caking under the deck that would significantly eat into the machine's ability to breathe. Thus, I had to jack it up every week or so to get all of that out. The flip-up option is a big draw for me. THat said, I've found the only dealer near me is jacking his prices up pretty high. A diesel is out of the question based on price and need (I've got a good bit of grass, but not that much).

I did locate a nother Bad Boy dealer closer to me with a 61" Rebel in stock, but it has the Kawasaki 850 engine with 27hp and I was really hoping to get either the Kawi 1000 or the Vanguard option at 35 and 36hp, respectively. I think either of those would work fine. Does anyone think the 27hp motor would do the job? Is the +5hp enough? I may be able to get a good deal on it (it's already priced well). I could also wait til he gets some more in and pick up one of the bigger motor options, but no way to know when or what he'll get until they arrive. He says supply has been tough of late, so I could be waiting a while (which means paying someone to do the yard in the meantime).