Are lawnmowers built worse than 20 years ago?

Finally got tired of the crap and bought a John Deere model 445,.... 17 yrs ago!! The only drawback was convincing my wife that it was worth the money. LOL. Kawasaki 2cyl 4 stroke, liquid cooled and fuel injected. Has spin on hydraulic and oil filters. Has 600 hrs on it now. One of the better investments I ever made. Just like any other equipment though, they must be maintained properly. Probably would have had to buy 3 or 4 of those crap yard tractors in those 17 yrs. Signed ..... Happy Mower