Different, but same kind of JD quality. I've heard a variety of different opinions on the old Troy Bilt's, but if you are not working hard ground, pretty easy to operate, and work with + they seem to have a reputation to last.
We have a mid 80's Kohler 8Hp magnum powered pto model, but it's 30 miles away at the other place, so I've been looking for one for about a year, so I don't have to borrow that one or another friends for the small patch of a garden I do. For about a year or so, never seemed to connect with any local sellers, someone got there before me, one guy had a 5 HP late model advertised, for $150, called, says he's not done using it, has to go out of town again, so uh why did you list it...... well fast forward to yesterday. Finally a day off, but I'm nursing some kind of muscle spasm shoulder/neck real sore & work related, took a tumble saturday, just don't feel like doing a darned thing, but still have chores to do, not been to the store for food, laundry etc. I clicked on craigslist, just for kicks and saw one just listed, called and I was the first one, felt like I was the caller who got through to the radio station and won the prize ! Skipped the chores/errands/food shopping, got er bought for $300 + $10 to have him deliver it.
Never been left outside, tines are in nice shape, 7HP Kohler K161T, ( my preference for a motor on one of these ) 1 owner. Circumstances are always sad when it comes to finding something like this, previous owner is elderly, now with Alzheimer's, but it sure looked like he was into keeping things nice, tinkering, gardening and similar, had a real nice zero turn Grasshopper, 23 HP with front deck and snowblower, 294 hours, looked new, and a late 60's early 70's, might have been a '70 Buick Electra, 2 door convertible, 30,000 miles + or - in original condition, it also looked new. I hope he does not suffer from that darned illness, and am thankful to find this one, will keep 'er just like he did, and being from Troy, N.Y., got a nice specimen from a place a lot of people were proud to work for, really stinks what happened, we lost a lot of good manufacturing jobs in the last 20 years.