I may as well add my 2 cents. After a few nightmares (Simplicity & Craftsman), I got a JD F-525. Its a front mounted mower deck. It's a 3 wheeled almost zero turn, 48" deck. I pulled a Woods leaf vac behind it for 10 years or so and still runs nice. A new fuel pump is all it needed for parts. Kawasaki 18 hp gas motor. You can get a front snow blower for it if necessary. Still have it. Fired it up after a few years 2 days ago and just could not stop running with it. Its VERY fat and maneuverable. The pine trees I used to race around are now 20' tall.
On the way to work one day, I saw a JD F-935 diesel front mower 72" deck and had to have it. Seller bought it from a local metro park to cut the golf course. This job is also very fast. I cut fields with it, I even run a pto generator off of the driveshaft that normally goes to the mower deck. You can also get a snow blower for it if necessary. All I've ever had to replace is the rubber hoses inside the two fuel tanks, the battery and put in new glow plugs just because it was fun.
A gal I sell hay to asked me to fix her MTD/Toro 17-44 gas lawn tractor. Transmission drive belt went south. To change this belt, you have to take the machine 1/2 apart, including pulling the battery and battery case, steering pitman arm, and of cource, removing the deck. Don't need to pull the battery for changing the mower deck blade drive belt. Youtube videos saved the day for me on the best way to do it.
Here's my point: If you only need a grass cutter, get a front mounted shaft driven deck. Easy to change/sharpen blades. At least a few castings in it somewhere. Dealer close by in case you need something special. Designed for easy maintenece and repair, not just ease of initial assembly. Fast ground speed, as wide a deck as you can store.
I also keep my eye on the neighbor's JD 316. Its a 50" deck 1 belt garden tractor (mid deck). She abuses the crap out of it but has not been able to kill it. I put a set of bearings in one of the mower spindles, a new belt and a pair of deck gauge wheels on it for her in the last 15 years. Good cutter of thick grass but I hate the transmission selector design on it. A clutchless lever selector for FWD, neutral and reverse but a pedal brake. I know how she runs into things because its unnatural for me after using the rocking fWD, neutral reverse single pedal systems on my mowers.
My 48" gas 525 uses 2-1/2 gallons of gasoline to cut the yards. My 935 uses 3/4 of a gallon of diesel to cut the same pattern on my lawns and street runs.
