Possibly going to look at a 154!

[C5rider]

A gentleman from our church, my son and I all mow the grass at our church with our lawn mowers. It takes us a couple of hours as there is quite a bit of acreage.

I've been looking for something with a larger mower deck to help cut down on the time it takes to cut it all and I found a 154 that might be in our price range. I've done some searching and I noticed that they can have issues with the PTO clutch (which the owner says this one has an issue) and these can be $$$ to repair.

He says it runs good, has good tires on it, has the rear lift arms and the dual brake pedals. Sheet metal looks in good shape and all there. The plan is to find something that'll do a little quicker job mowing until the church can purchase something like a zero-turn. Possibly a year or so. I've wanted a Lo-Boy for a while, so this is partly to fill the gap in the mowing needs AND in my Cub collection. I know, shameless...

So, I know there are some other 154 owners out there. What else should I look for to help me determine if this might be a money pit or a viable mower? I realize the mower deck spindles and basic stuff, but is there anything particular with these little gems that can be a bear besides the clutch? How can you tell if it's shot or just needs adjusting?

I realize asking whether to buy a cub on a cub forum is like walking into a Jenny Craig meeting with pizza but, I figured there should be a few Lo-Boy guru's on here somewhere. I'd love to hear from those who LOVE their 154s as well as those who don't. Bring your praises and cursing, just remember this is a family-oriented forum (and it's for the church).

As always, information is greatly appreciated!