I'm pretty biased when it comes to brand because I sell John Deeres for a living. However my two cents is to stay away from any Home Depot or Lowes mowers. That includes John Deere! Deere makes better quality mowers that can only be sold at an actual Deere dealer. If you want a quality mower that will last a while get something with a Kawasaki motor and a non-welded deck. Deere has a really popular Zero turn called the Z530m and its a hot seller right now but the inventory sucks.