How much area are you mowing with that JD??? When I was ZTR shopping last fall, I was pretty disappointed that the John Deere ZTR's that cost $5k-$7k(range I was looking to buy) were all Residential models and all had 10gauge stamped decks. The other brands in that price range had 7gauge fabricated decks. The JD salesman tried to convince me that JD research proved that the shape of a stamped deck gave a "better cut quality" than a fab deck(but I didn't believe that for a minute, because the $10k up JD's had.........you guessed it....a fabricated deck). IMHO, if you are mowing more than a 1/2 to 3/4 acre lot with that EZ225 it's simply not up to the task. If I were you, I would try to seell that EZ225 for what I could get for it, write the loss off and buy a heavier duty ZTR mower. Sorry, wished I could help you find a cheaper deck(I don't think anything except a JD deck will work on their mowers:0(