Bagger: hard shell or soft?

[frank29]

I'm getting ready to purchase my first ever bagger. I have a choice of soft baggers or hard shell baggers. The hard shell is just a little more expensive.

Any suggestions about which type is better? I'm leaning toward the hard shell...but this is based on just a gut instinct....it would be good to hear opinions based on actual experience.

Thanks
Frank

ON EDIT: this is for a 24 hp Craftsman lawn tractor.

 

[Blagadan]

Im not sure of the design you are taking about but I'll offer my 2 cents on why I like my soft bagger over my F-I-L's hard shell bagger.

I like mine for two reasons. The first reason is the weight, My bagger is made of a net like material so the air passes through most of the time without clogging up... i.e. doesnt loose suction. Its nice and light too so emptying it is a bit less work than the hard shell, I can empty it without getting off the seat. The bottom is plastic with a narrow aluminium wear strip along the edge. The second reason I like the soft bagger is that I'm not too concerned about backing up onto something, like a tree or fence. the soft bagger will just wrap around the object without damage.
My FIL's bagger is metal with hard plastic. His is heavy. No hydraulic or spring assisted lift. So emptying his bagger involves getting off the machine to empty the bag which gets to be a drag if you have to empty the contents 20 times or more in one day. It only has a couple of slot vents on the top so after a while, if the grass is a bit damp, the slots clog up with clippings and the machine looses suction. His is also battered up as a result of a few arguments with fences and rocks. It's chipped and cracked in a few places.

Check see if you can get the mulching kit thrown in with the deal. A friend of mine has the mulching kit on his craftsman and it is a nice option to have.