Lawn Mowers

Let's talk lawn mowers. We currently have a Craftsman riding mower. It does the job and works well. We've had some issues with it (blades needed sharpening, a tire problem, etc.), but it's not very old and still in good shape. But I don't like that mower. It's big, but still feels cramped when you ride it. The turning radius is terrible. The bag and catcher have never worked correctly. It has ... problems. 

Something like one of these is what I would *love* to have instead: 

The first one with the steering wheel would be ideal. I would worry about trying to work the other one. It might be a little too ... complicated for me? How do you work those bars? Left down to go left, right down to go right? Plus, what would happen if it tipped or something? It feels like you'd be more trapped with that one, but maybe not. 

What I do like is the container for your feet. It looks very solid. The engine is also in the back, so no more hot legs (that are already scorching hot because of the 100 degree days we've had). The thing I don't get is where the bag goes. Or does it not have bags available? We really need a new bag and catcher on our Craftsman, but they cost a good chunk of money. If these mulched, etc., it might be worth it to invest in a machine like this than trying to find the exact bag and catcher that will work with what we currently have. 

Our current tractor has a 42" deck, so it would be nice to have something wider, but still compact. These "dream machines" are both 42" as well, but it's their design that does it for me. Guess I'd better start saving my pennies and hope the Craftsman doesn't give out too soon. Until then, I'll try to be grateful that we even have a mower, especially since the grass is shriveling up under all this heat. We might not even need a mower when this summer gets over!