Stop in for a cup of coffee

Was at Lowe's yesterday and looked at the zero turns while we there. Holy smoke glad I get a 10% military discount...pays for the sales tax.
A 54 inch JD was $4800. The other brands weren't much cheaper. Big jump in price between the 48 and 54 inch deck.
I'm thinking with 2 acres plus what's the real difference and go with the smaller deck??
Go to a John Deere dealer to buy. The dealer may sell the Lowes model for a similar price but it means a lot to the dealer when you buy from them especially if you need service or warranty repairs. Lowes doesn't do repairs on what they sell.