Lots of good recommendations here, thanks to all. The zoysia grass was (is) an experiment, the yard in front of my house was so weed/crabgrass infested that I had to do something besides treat it with chemicals. I have a vacant lot across the street and upwind from my house, owned by a utility company, that gets mowed about 3 times a year, and is full of weeds. My yard is split with a sidewalk, and one side is great with no weeds, crabgrass, etc. (zoysia), and the other is a mess. I figure in a few years the bad will look like the good, as I transplant a few small clumps every year. So the thick grass is just a small section of my total yard, probably about 1/5, but I see the necessity of a higher-powered mower. I also have an older Craftsman RER that works great, its just that sometimes I like the exercise of my push mower.