Strengths very reliable. 771 hours before a new carb kit was needed. spark plug still looked like new after those many hours. transmission.

Weaknesses changing oil.... need a better plug, to make it easier to undue.

Overall out preforms other company machines by a mile. a super solid unit.

Strengths Small easy to maneuver in smaller yard. Always starts right up and more then enough power for my yard. I mow my and neighbors yard! Far superior to the small orange tractor model I own at my mother in law!!

Weaknesses Doesn't always cut even and requires two passes to even out in a few spots!

Overall I LOVE it! It is a very simple machine that works well! It is made for small yards! If I mowed more with it I would have jumped up to the next size

Strengths The mower does a pretty good job for a half acre or so but after that, left hand drive motor heats up and you have to let it cool before it will move again. Not all mowers do this I'm sure but mine does. Before buying one at home depot or lowes, don't just take my word for it talk to a john deere dealer, THIS IS NOT A JOHN DEERE!!!

Weaknesses Over ten weeks in two different shops last year and neither one repaired the problem. Why is this? John Deere's warranty requires that it must be repaired by a John Deere dealer of course. Since the mower was not purchased from them, they can't find the problem. One actually told me that my mower was not a John Deere.

Overall DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!

Strengths We mow about 350 lawns a year and this mower really saves time. It turnes effortlessly and is great for tight corners, under shrubs ect. It's small enough to get through most gates and wiggles around yard obstacles much better than tractors. Less moving parts to maintain with no steering componants to grease and the pivoting front tires do not wear out like tractor models.

Weaknesses Blew up the original engine at 576 hours due to bagging in dusty conditions. With the engine so close to the bags you cant keep the air filters clean and with no spin on oil filter like the newer models have excessive engine wear became a problem from sucking in dust. I changed the oil every 10-15 hours and it was just filthy every time. Tractor models work better for bagging since the engine is further from the bags and breathes cleaner air. The other thing is the evenness of the cut is somewhat lacking if your real fussy. I prefer the cut of our tractors but most people cant tell the difference.

Overall Great for mowing, not recommended for bagging dead leaves/grass. We now use tractor models for bagging spring and fall and the zero turn for grass cutting only. We will continue to purchase these for our business.

Strengths May be OK for a very flat smooth lawn. CAUTION: Watch out for seat slippage I have tested 6 mowers at Lowes and they all slip and could cause the center of gravity to move to rear causing the mower to flip over end over end. IT HAPPENED TO ME.

Weaknesses I purchased this z225 from lowes, they never mentioned that even the slightest slope was too much for the Z225. The seat would slip to the rear the first time I used it. I talked to Lowes and they would not do anything. The mower seat slipped and the mower flipped over crushing me with 600 pounds of mower breaking my neck and back and injuring my knee.

Overall Probably the most un-stable mower I have ever mowed with.

Strengths handles well, easy to clean

Weaknesses Will not cut a smooth lawn even after three trips to dealer. Service Manager said that this was a problem with the 42" deck and they could not remedy the problem. He also informed me that the mower is designed to cut one inch of grass at a time.

Overall Would not recommend the Z225 mower to anyone.

Strengths Ease of use

Weaknesses Recurrent problem with the wheel which I had to pay out of pocket for because wheel's are not warranty work- spent about 1/4 of purchase price in repairs and maintenance in first year and a half of ownership. John Deere customer service is a real negative.

Overall Would not purchase this mower again and wished I had never bought it in the first place.

Strengths Has sufficient power

Weaknesses Deck material to thin. Weak around area of sindles. With only 70 hours already in need of second deck. Rough to ride. Local JD dealer reluctant to repair since it was not purchased from them

Overall Of low quality because of deck strength

Strengths Nimble, easy to use, easy to work on, good emergency brake.

Weaknesses Brake lever is too hard for my wife to pull up. I've had a stroke and have a hard time pulling it up. The pulleys seem a little bit light weight. The 18.5 hp Briggs motor bogs down in heavy fescue.

Overall Pretty good mower, all parts are easy to reach to work on the blades and pulleys, The motor is a little hard to get to, but overall it's a good mower for the price. I mowed the graveyard, the ball field, the neighbor's yard, the church yard, and my yard with it yesterday, and the 1 1/2 acre horse pasture this morning. I drove it from 9:00 am till 9:00pm on two tanks of gas. I'm happy with it!