I recently bought a 150 XT with the Kawi and 52 inch deck. It only has 4 hours on the PTO. I don't know how many hours on the machine as I drove it around quite a bit playing. The hours only tick when the PTO is engaged. With the limited use I can say I am a believer in the Snapper Pro. I struggled with the engine choice but in the end went with a proven manufacturer. I know the Vanguard is not your standard B&S but could not make myself pull the trigger. Tested both and liked them both. It seemed to me the Vanguard was quieter. The Vanguard was also slightly cheaper by about 200 bucks. This may be because B&S owns the Snapper Pro Line. Just guessing. In the end I would have bought the mower with the Vanguard over any other popular brands just because this mower is built like a tank and has way better specs than the competition at the price point. The cut is out of this world with factory sharpened blades and the striping kit that comes standard worked better than I thought it would. Hopefully I will still be singing its praises when the PTO has 500 hours !
