I struggled deciding between the 22" aluminum deck or the lighter, less powerful model. My schedule doesn't always allow me to mow the yard at the best times, so occasionally it gets a little too long. This thing is a beast and has ravaged everything I've thrown at it. If registered and connected to the Ego app, you can increase the turbo mode rpm even more. It doesn't struggle at all in thick, long, and even a little wet grass. My yard has some bumps and hills, and this mower is a little on the heavier side, but I haven't had any issue getting around with the self propel. I've read concerns about the loudness of the self propel, but I haven't found it to be an issue at all. It get a little louder the faster you go or if it's pulling harder to go up a hill, but still not anything I find annoying.If you register, Ego also sends you a free side discharge attachment and high lift bagging blade which most reviews I've read seem to prefer over the mulching blade even if you're not bagging. I received the side discharge attachment, but the high lift blade apparently is on backorder with no ETA on when it will be sent. Overall, I'm glad I picked this model because I'm confident it can handle anything I'll even need it for.