I own that same mower-- mine appears newer (purchased in 2010) and has cooler looking brand labeling on it.
I bought it because it had the best/largest engine I could find on a non-self-propelled deck. Set me back $269 at the time.
Thing is a tank, especially the engine. At some point I moved into a house with 2/3 an acre to mow, so I needed a riding mower. The Troy-Bilt got relegated to stupid things you should never do with a mower, like mowing brush patches, stickers, anything I didn't want to risk taking my rider over. I made my own throttle control, as the OEM unit was set up for one speed. I've run it for hours on end at well over the factory RPM, so I could mow through stuff knee high. Never missed a beat, and would buy it again if it ever needed to be replaced. I still have it.