JD vs. Country Clipper Jazee for Residential

[mdub]

I've been lurking for a short while trying to learn a few things from all the past posts and now I have a question...
For my own, personal, non-commercial residential use, I'm looking for advice between two entirely different machines. My situation:
First, I have 1/2 acre of turf to mow
Second, I prefer to mulch
Third, I will bag in the fall when my many full-grown trees drop LOTS of leaves
Finally, although I enjoy my "thinking time" as much as anyone, I prefer to get my mowing done as quickly as possible so I have more time with the family
Having said all that, I'm looking at either buying a JD L110 or similar 100 series...or a Country Clipper Jazee One. I know they are both very different machines and that the Jazee is over a grand more. I assume that the Jazee will make my work a much quicker task, even with the smaller deck (I believe it's 38" vs. 42" for the JD) - is this a correct assumption? I'd really like to know if anyone can comment from experience on which machine will do a better job mulching (i.e., less visible clippings, etc.). Any other advice is certainly welcome (along the lines of durability, serviceability, other options, etc.). I realize this is probably simple compared to what many of the pros use on this site, but I'd really appreciate the professional feedback!

Thanks,
M-dub

[mowhigh]

Both should work well for you, but the JD will be much cheaper. The cut will be a trade-off between the JD's stamped deck (better airflow for mulching, but the deck is shallower) vs the CC's faster blade tip speed (19,500 fpm will cut cleaner). The JAZee will be more rugged, but it sounds like that won't be necessary for you. It may boil down to whether you mind paying almost 2X as much for the ability to cut your mowing time in half, the convenience of a flip-up deck for easier clean-up and the fun factor of the single joystick control (famly and friends might never give you a chance to mow). Both are very good at side discharging and mulching (even fall leaves; hold off on the bagging attachment - you can always add it later). I've owned both and went with the CC because it more easily handled my overgrown back section (I tend to procrastinate ). In your case, it sounds like its major advantage might be greater maneuverability around your many trees. Good luck!