I've had both and prefer rear wheel drive. My yard is mostly flat, what slope I have is safe to mow across or up and down. I have found that the front drives "hunt and weave" on the slopes where the rear drives track straighter. Also, with a rear bagger, as the bag fills, the weight transfer decreases the front wheel traction and increases the rear wheel traction. Mechanically it depends on the quality; a good front wheel drive will probably outlast a cheaply made rear wheel drive.