Those of us who need a riding mower for steep areas need a locking differential. I am like most TBN members - I use a tractor for tractor work. I was looking for a lawn mower with the ability to handle steep slopes, not for ground engagement or towing barges or cleaning up elephant dung or clearing forests. Just for mowing native grass and weeds on steep terrain. To get a locking differential, Deere requires customers to step up to a X570, with a MSRP of $5,999. My local Deere dealer is a HUGE one - lots of farming here - but they don't stock the better Deere mowers. If I wanted to buy a x570, they required a 20% deposit to order one in - a non-refundable deposit! That tells you what kind of support to expect. Oh, the bumper-to-bumper warranty? Well, the front bumper is extra....
So I took the gamble on the Husky GT. Not the YT, the GT with the beefier frame. How does it compare to the Deere? I don't know, the steel in the frame seems much stronger than the paper in the Deere brochure. Is it strong enough? It sure seems to be - it hauls my XXL frame up the hills with authority, and shows no signs of fatigue. The locking differential works great, even with the turf tires. The fabricated deck has already taken some serious abuse, and is fine. The Husky meets and exceeds my needs. I believe the x570 would have, as well. The x380, with less power and fewer features, not so much - but it's only $4399.
The GT48 is the best unit I found for less than $6k - and it was a LOT less than $6k. It's far above anything Deere offers in the $3k price range. For my use, I believe it is truly good enough.