I have for years preferred one single engine to take care of, so I tried to buy as many PTO driven. e.g. rototiller, implements as possible. If I had the money now, I would trade and get a B series tractor and either a ZTR or F series mower. I do not have the money for that, however.
I have the 60" deck and a
BX2200. This machine really does cut well. I had the blower/bagger but did not like it. Emptying the bags took a lot of time and getting the thing on and off was really difficult. The top link is fused to the frame of the bagger and does not pivot. There was a lot of pressure on the top link pin at the 3ph and it was hard to get out. It was also difficult to align the holes when putting it on. I finally sold it to another TBN member and put a mulch kit on the deck. This was a great improvement. No emptying bags, one unnecessary implement no longer taking up space, and the mulched clippings return the nutrients to the soil, eliminating the need to fertilize. The mulch kit was only $200, compared with the couple of thousand for the bagger. Going this route would lower your output for an MMM. You do need dry grass to mulch cut, however. The clippings need to be dry and light enough to float around in the baffles in order for them to really get the "vegematic" treatment. Otherwise you get thatch on the ground, which will kill the grass beneath by blocking sunlight. It never rains here in summer. I irrigate on Monday and Tuesday, then cut on Saturday or Sunday when the turf is dry; this way the mulch system works as designed. For those who live where it could rain at any time during the cutting season, wet grass can pose a problem.
I have a custom built dolly for my MMM and with a concrete slab can get the MMM off in 2 min. and on in 3 to 4. With the dolly, there's no need to rotate the anti-scalp wheels. I have worked on my technique and can usually get the mid-PTO shaft coupled in just 3 or 4 seconds. It's funny how many others were able to do the bagger frame so much faster than I could, but coupling the MMM to the PTO is the opposite.
A ZTR or F series really would cut faster than the BX with MMM though, as well as make sharp radius turns that the BX cannot do without rocking on the pedals, forward and backwards a couple of times. I like the F series better because of its higher speed and steering wheel. I am not crazy about those steering levers on ZTRs, but thats just my own personal preference. I guess if I used one long enough, I would eventually get the hang of it. The downside is that an F series is considerable bucks. I agree with all the others about going with a commercial manufacturer. It might be a greater up front investment, but there is something to be said for paying twice as much for something that will last 10 times as long.
Best of luck with your purchase and let us know how it all works out.
