10 years ago purchased 1 acre property...many trees, flower beds, etc. Included with purchase came small riding mower by cub cadet. Previous owner said it came from auction sale and was not sure how old it was? Looked at least 10-15 years old in 1997 and was 8 HP with 30 inch deck. Have used it for the past 10 years...Never spent more than $100 per season on service/repairs. After about 25 years it is finally time to put it to rest. Needless to say I am biased toward CC.

For manouverability I am now looking to update considerably and would like the CCi1050 or Jd x304. I have priced both in my area with reputable dealers and the cost at this time of year is comparable.($200 more for the JD) This is how the specs compare: HP: JD-17 CC-25 Engine: JD-Kawasaki CC-Kohler Deck size: JD-42 CC-50 Handling: JD-4 wheel steer CC-zero turn

I have demoed the CC on my property and was very impressed. Able to get in and out of tight spots easily. Swivels around the smallest trees. Used mulch plug and cleaned up a good layer of leaves. The engine never seemed to labour and the steering was very intuitive. The rear tires did not chew up the turf on sharp turns beacause the transmission automatically slows you down when the zero turn kicks in.

Then I went to my computer and read the reviews. As most know, Consumer Reports makes the bold statement that JD x304 is the best overall lawn tractor. Consumer Reports did review the CCi1046 but it has less HP(20)and different deck...they gave it very average ratings. Comparing the numbers leans me toward the CC i1050, but the intangibles(engine make, cutting/mulching quality, resale value) make it a tough decision. I plan to test the JD this week but would like to get feedback from any owners of these or similar models.