Anybody, anybody, Bueller?
Jim, that was very insensitive
(actually, knowing your political involvement, I'll bet you've got a pretty wide spectrum of friends/aquaintances).
I found what I think was a "deal" on the mower I was looking at and brought it home today.
It's a new, "as is", model that had set on the lot for a year and had faded paint, missing manual, etc. The original price on the 11.5 horse, pull-start models was 800 and the 12.5, electric start was 1150. The guy said he sell the cheaper for 500 or the other for 600, so I decided the extra horse and the electric start was worth a hundred bucks extra and went for it.
Hopefully I can cut my mowing time in half by using this as a wing mower with my riding mower, or better yet, get Erica to pull it with the dunebuggy, while I mow the smaller sections with the riding mower.