Entry level zero turn advice needed

Most 42" bagging systems will not have a blower unit; I am not sure on the Ariens/Gravely as they are a 3 blade setup and not 2 like the other 42's. You mentioned getting through a gate which will also require removal of the chute for the bagging system when the fall comes. Also, some mulch kits require use of baffles under the deck that are only meant to be there when using the low-lift mulching blades. Going from mulching to bagging is always going to require to get under the deck no matter what. Ariens/Gravely use steel plates that isolate each blade and will absolutely need to be removed before considering bagging. Toro I think on the SS models show in the videos that you can just plug off the deck to mulch, but I had the recycler kit for my SS4225 and it had different blades and baffles in addition to the plug. Any blade meant to truly "mulch" will not bag well. Yes there are Gators and Copperhead blades that have serrated sails, but those still move way too much air to close off the deck and get a true mulch of grass clippings.

Forget the Husqvarna.
Every customer I have with their domestic zero turns spends more time waiting for me to come fix them than they do mowing.
They got the belt run all wrong, the front pulley on the 3 blade decks does not have enough belt contact and regularly slows down in heavy grass.
The 2 spindle decks eat belts.

The first thing to do is cut a stick 2" wider than the deck size then walk you property.
Anywhere the stick can not go through, the mower will not go through.
Also take note of slopes near fences or walls.

Of the mowers you have listed I would always go for the JD.
When you work on all of them you appreciate a well designed properly laid out mower and for that the JD wins hands down.
Look at the parts you will be replacing like the oil filter, ask if you can have one in the showroom then try to get it into the space where the filter is.
You can see them all clearly but on most you can not get to them and the fuel filters are not much better.
JD also use the same size bolts everywhere which makes servicing a one spanner job, and that spanner is forged into the end of the deck height stop.
Now look at the spindle housings.
Husqvarna uses a really cheap housing that breaks at the drop of a hat.

Go on line and look at the price of blades & belts remember you will be replacing them regularly.
Also check what types of blades are available for each mower.
have a close look at the blades, thin blades will wear very quickly.
Then check out the deck blade overlap.
A 42" deck using 2 x 21.125" blades only has 0.25" of overlap and will end up making mowhawks where the blades miss the middle thus require regular changes or double cutting
look at the wheel widths, the narrower the wheel the more it will rutt your lawn so the slower you will have to mow to avoid tearing up your grass.

Read the owners manual and take note of the maintenance schedule, add the price of all the scheduled replacement parts to work out your operating costs.
Ask the dealer what a scheduled service charge is then go home and ring a different dealer and enquire about a scheduled service including "expected cost"

Mowers are somewhat like a pair of shoes so after all of that sit in each of them, hold the lap bars for 10 minutes, remember you will be doing this for around 1 to 1.5 hours so if they are uncomfortable to hold on to in the shop, they won't be any more comfortable in your yard.

I would not buy either of these.
- John Deere Z345M/R
- Hustler Raptor (Kohler 22HP or Kawasaki 18HP?)

John Deere is made with the smallest frame and looks cheap when side by side with any mower. The Raptor has a C channel frame that is not strong enough to support it correctly. Many stories on here about things breaking and it all has to do with the cheap frame. It flexes way too much. If you jack up one from the front wheels it will jack up one side 2 or so inches before it lifts the other side. All my mowers would lift both sides with less than 1/2" of travel on the side I have the jack on.

Changing from mulching to throwing is not a simple as it sounds unless your mulching blades are Gator blades. They mulch and blow really well. A factory mulch blade will not work bagging at all. The shoot will clog all the time. So you will have to change the blades every time you go from mulching to bagging.

If I was looking at the Hustler I'd bump up to the Raptor SD

Thanks everyone for replies and insight. Admittedly, i am completely unprepared for the amount of maintenance these things take but i know i will learn quickly and i have some support from some family. I previously owned a condo and didnt have to worry about the stuff that comes naturally to people who do lawn care on a regular basis. my coworkers with push mowers even kindof laughed at my simple questions about how things work.

I think ive narrowed down my list, in order, to:

1) Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42 - $2,699 - Bagging system $399, Mulching kit $59, blade replacements are $50 range
2) Toro Timecutter SS4225 - $2,599 (Home Depot) - Bagging system $659, Mulching kit $148
3) Ariens/Gravely Ikon/ZT X 42 - $2,899 - Bagging system $999 (powered), mulching kit $130
4) Hustler Raptor Limited 42 - $3k+ (need to talk to dealer)

I know people probably have mixed opinions on cub cadet but this new ultima model seems to check all the boxes for someone like me. Reasonably priced, solid frame, good brand reliability, easy to service, and a few bells and whistles to sweeten the pot.

I will have to look into the bagging/mulching changeover thing and ask about service costs from my dealer. i dont have a truck so any off-site service someone will have to come get the machine from my house.

It certainly looks as if the Cub Cadet is the best fit for you considering your wants and needs. Some early reviews of the Ultima show promise. Regardless of what you decide on, using as intended and keeping up on maintenance will go a long way. Hopes would be that within that 3 year warranty period you would not need any service. These machines in some cases are easier to work on than rider types so even when it comes time for a repair you might be able to handle it yourself.