Have you tried looking for Gravely instead? They are both owned by Ariens and are pretty similar if not the same in some cases. I purchased a Gravely ztx 52 from a local dealer in my small town. Putting your zip in the dealer locator for Gravely shows some as well.
I just purchased a ztx 52 (first zero-turn) and the dealer told me to engage the blade at full throttle. He said that engaging at low throttle had more of a chance of throwing the belt.