Which is recommended - SCAG Liberty Z vs. Cub Cadet ZT2 54

Morning folks.

I live in central Texas. My yard is about 1.25 acres. Relatively flat with some dips but some rough terrain - rocks, tree limbs, heavy weeds. My current Toro Z2400 has the deck beat to hell (stamped deck). It was a good mower for going on 11 years but it has taken a beating. I am looking at upgrading my mower and I have narrowed down to SCAG Liberty Z (52" fabricated deck) vs. Cub Cadet ZT2 (54" fabricated deck). I have been attempting to compare these 2 products but direct comparisons are limited or 9 years old. From chatting with folks, I know the SCAGs went from commercial to residential. It seems to be a sturdier product with a 5 year warranty. Please share experience or any research that would help make the decision.

Not familiar with the Cub but the Liberty is a nice machine and generally speaking I'd take a Scag over a Cub any day.

The Scag 52" is probably around $4500 or so. The Ultima ZT2 54 is $3900. Both machines have the ZT-2800 hydro (good). Both machines have the Kawasaki engine (good). Both have fabricated decks (good). The Scag has a 5 year homeowner warranty. The Ultima has a 3 year homeowner warranty. Changing the deck height is easier on the Ultima (dial right next to seat). To change the deck height on the Scag you're using pins along the side. Not a huge deal as you probably don't need to change deck height that often. The Ultima comes with a hitch and LED lights standard. The ZT2 also includes armrests. These are all options on the Scag. If you add in those items, you're probably over an $800 difference between the two.. The Ultima seems to be a great value for what you get and the deck was independently tested against several other manufacturers and came out on top. I hope this helps - I've been extensively researching zero turns as I plan to purchase one in the near term.