My Lowe's finally has one, I stopped and checked it out on my way home from work today. Of course, I couldn't actually try it out but I was able to look over it good and sit on it. Overall, I'd say it looks to be a reasonably well built machine.
The frame seems pretty strong, it's built out of square steel tubing just like the frame on my Polaris ATV.
The deck looks well built. It's not just flimsy sheet metal, it seems like it could take a decent amount of abuse.
Steering and suspension components look pretty decent, although the springs are very stiff. I put all my weight (150 lbs) on both front and rear and tried to bounce it but there was barely any give at all in the suspension.
Rear axle is definitely a beast. Never seen anything like that in a mower before, it really does look like a small truck axle. I wasn't able to tell if it had any kind of posi/limited slip or if it was just an open diff. I'd guess it would almost have to be an open diff or it would tear up the grass when turning, especially with the tight turning radius.
Sitting on it, I thought it was very comfortable and all the controls are easily accessible. HOWEVER, I'm only 5'5" tall and I had the seat all the way back. I can really see it not being comfortable at all for someone 6 feet or taller.
Plastic body parts are a little cheap looking, but they seem like they would hold up just fine. (unless you crash the thing of course)
The seat switch (or operator presence switch as they like to call it) seems to have been a problem area. After looking at it, I can see why. People seem to say the switch is made out of flimsy metal and it bends. I really think the problem is the return spring, not the switch itself. The spring is really stiff, almost like a return spring in a set of drum brakes. It takes a considerable amount of force to push the lever down, which is why it bends. Put a lighter spring in there and I think it would solve the problem.
The steering adjustment is a bit crude, but on most machines it probably wont be adjusted too often anyway.
Also, the rear bumper/hitch hangs pretty low to the ground. Should have more clearance for a machine that's supposed to be capable of traveling over rough terrain. I can see it getting hung up pretty easily.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the reviews and see how these things are doing. Might have to seriously think about getting one next year if they seem to be holding up. We have 2 acres and parts of our yard are pretty rough, so something that's built for that type of terrain would be perfect. We're also far enough out in the country that we could be without power for a while if a big storm comes through, so I was thinking that we should have a generator anyway.
