[sixdogs]

This a tough question. If you didn't have to take the mower off the first the best choice would be the Kubota mower. It is what you want and it will work better than a Sears or whatever. Most important, it is what you want. Life is too short to not have what you want and to spend hours fixing what you do not want.

Find out the best internet price and negotioate the best deal you can with the local guy. Don't beat him to death but don't be a patsy. You did send others to him and he knows that. The price today is what it is and what it once was doesn't matter. Just know what they sell for in the internet.

I'm not sure how much you have to go into the woods so that not is not answered but I have a B7800 with mmm and I can say I only remove my mower once a year to clean under it. I don't like it but it's not all that hard.
I have one of those super-duty farm jacks (the American one not the import) and I lift the front of the tractor with it. Then I slide the mower out. This takes all of a couple minutes.
My vote is for the MMM.