"Traded my John Deere L130 for new Cub Cadet Z Force S 48. Cub Cadet had cut my mowing time in half and seems much more powerful than John Deere, which always seemed to have some issue despite being professionally maintained. Although the Z Force without the steering wheel was a little more maneuverable in making quick turn-arounds. I picked the S model with the steering wheel because you can attach accessories to the back, where you cannot with the regular model, and the S model is supposed to be easier to use on slopes. So far, I am very pleased with the Cub Cadet. The only negative would be the $4,000 price, which does not include a bagger or mulch kit."

"Within 15 minutes of purchasing this mower it started blowing smoke. The dealer picked it up and told me today that there is a problem that was just discovered with the Courage engine. I wish I had done my research. The problem with this motor has been going on for a few years. It only has about three hours on it. I wanted to exchange it for a different mower and they will only repair it. John Deere would have exchanged it on the spot. "