This, or similar, has probably been asked before....anyway...
Never owned a riding mower before but am getting older and tired of pushing. Have a 1 acre property in the North Georgia mountains...mostly wooded so the actual grass area is much less than that. Reasonably flat...terrain not really a problem. I'm not sure how to rate it but I would say the mower would get light to moderate "abuse" at most. 99% of the time it will be used solely to cut grass.
Now, there is no doubt the x300 is a better machine (probably significantly better) but I am taken somewhat aback by the $1200 price differential. Seems like overkill to me given that my lawn situation isn't especially demanding. There is a huge tractor dealership in my town. They barely stock the D Series, basically stating "that's a Home Depot model". They fully stock the X Series as it is a "real John Deere" with better engine, better warranty, etc.
I don't want to have to buy another mower in two years, although with the price differential, that's almost not unreasonable.
Looking for advice from anyone that wants to chime in that has more experience than I (which means everyone and anyone). Everyone has opinions.....should I go with the cheaper model or cry all the way from the bank and go with the X300?