Cost: 'you get what you pay for'. What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend? How much is comfort worth to you? How about ease of maintenance? Durability? Can your back handle a rough ride, or are you willing to spend extra for a very good seat? Willing to spend the extra for a quiet riding, liquid-cooled engine, or is a noisier air-cooled engine going to be o.k. Many factors involved when you are asking for "the best."

Watch out for warranty -- all sorts of wild claims out there. Some offer up to three years, some offer a lifetime on certain components; but in the fine print, you'll find that they may only cover parts or labor but not both; they may choose to fix something by any method they choose. Find a good, bumper-to-bumper 2-year full warranty.

Life cycle? A commercial mower with heavy-gauge steel construction and liquid-cooled engine may last you a lifetime; any air-cooled engine will be ready for the rubbish pile in less than 2,000 hours. Kind of depends if you want a long-lasting investment or if you're willing to spend the money again in 3 or 4 years for a new mower.

Finally, I personally believe the consumer reports are a bit rigged -- I notice that the brands they choose, happen to be brands that advertise in their publications. Use the Internet or go to a reputable mower dealer to get the real scoop.