Welcome !
1. Which engine and model did you get ?
2. These professional mowers can deliver a LOT longer service, but that is mainly due to the fact that Exmark makes it possible to change oils/filters and grease important moving parts. Oil and grease are the cheapest insurance you can buy, so it makes no sense to wait for the maximum number of hours to install new lubrication. I suggest changing the engine oil/filter at least once a year. Change the hydro oil every 2 years. Grease the machine twice a year. It's not that the oil is "worn out", it's that the oil tends to collect water. And... new grease flowing out means that dirt isn't going in.
3. I love mine so much that yesterday I mowed both sides of the 2 mile long dead-end road I live on in the country. I had a blast and the neighborhood looks great !
