Hey there !
Average homeowner, average lawn, nothing heavy-duty, bit of a budget, typical BigBox shopper...
The brands in my area ... John Deere, CubCadet, Poulan, Huskee, Troy-Bilt, Craftsman.
If I were to spend in the range of $1500-$1700 - in general -
Which would be my 2 best bets in...