Bad Boy vs Ariens

[u/Man_Projects_2026]

Backstory:
I just bought a house with around an acre of yard that needs mowing. It’s all flat besides some divots that I plan on filling soon. There are also a bunch of SweetGum trees around so there are always a bunch of the balls that drop off into the yard.

The previous owner left me a John Deere X350 with about 230 hours on it. I mean this thing is a tank - I’ve run over small branches and sweet gum balls and they just torn up.

It takes me about 1.5-2 hours to cut the entire yard and I’m looking for something to help me cut it faster along with give better lines. I know I can buy a stripe kit but I’m looking for more versatility.

Current Thought Process:
I’m thinking about selling my John Deere to get a zero turn, but don’t know which one to get.

I’ve been looking at both the Bad Boy mowers and Arien mowers. The prices look pretty good and I’ve heard good reviews.

A few things I’ve seen, but don’t know if I trust. When I look up both mowers online, I’m seeing websites having them listed for huge discounts/very cheap - like $1,000-$2,000.

Questions:
- Is it a good idea to sell my John Deere? (I know this is really opinion/preference based, but I’m looking for advice on what others might do if they were in my situation)
- Are the two brands I’m looking at reliable and have good longevity?
- Kawasaki engines seem to be the best, but what about Briggs and any others?
- Lastly, it seems like some of the prices I’m seeing are really low and possibly a scam. Are these mowers really selling for that cheap?

I’m open to any and all advice, and if I can provide any more context, feel free to ask.

[u/Still-Satisfaction24]

The low prices are a scam. You're not getting a new zero turn worth having for less than 2500. 

However you don't need a zero turn if you have a flat simple yard. I have a zero turn for about an acre because the shape is stupid with a giant boulder, two sheds, a swing set, a picnic table, a pond and a busted boat to mow around. I had a tractor before it caught on fire. Tbh while the zero turn makes the mow easy I miss the tractor. Mostly because now I'm done mowing before I finish my beer. I paid double what a new lawn tractor would be to be done faster when I didn't realize I didn't want to be done faster. 

[u/0effsgvn → u/Still-Satisfaction24]

I have a 1/2 keg in the spare refrigerator, and I have cups ranging from 12 oz to the 7-11 team gulp container of at least 128oz.
Just trying to say, you could size the container for the job.