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Home > Types of Lawn Mower > Riding Lawn Mowers

Riding Lawn Mowers

If you have a larger yard (i.e. at least 1/2 acres or more), then you might want to consider buying a riding lawn mower (or tractor). However, while a riding mower should theoretically help simplify mowing a lawn, there are some factors to take into consideration when making a purchase. From the deck size to the turning radius, is a riding lawn mower practical for you and your yard?

Specifically, a riding lawn mower is a mower that has an engine in the back. If the engine is in the front, then the machine is actually a "ride-on mower" or a lawn tractor. There are also garden tractors.

One of the first things to assess is what sort of terrain your garden or lawn is. By rule, small lawns are 1/2 to 1 acre; medium lawns are 1 to 2 acres; and large lawns are 3 acres or more, which likely have various obstacles to maneuver around. Whether pushing or riding, mower or tractor, it’s most important to choose the correct machine (and accessories/attachments) for your space. A riding lawn mower and/or lawn tractor is a big-ticket item and should be purchased after thorough consumer research.

As for riding lawn mowers, there are two different types to consider: 1) a conventional rider that makes turns within a certain radius and 2) a zero-turn rider or ZTR, which is equipped to switch tracks without actually turning. With a ZTR, two steering handles connected to the two rear wheels control the direction of the mower. With a simple adjustment, the machine can effectively turn 180° on a dime.

The ZTR is growing in popularity among residential users and while the controls take some getting used to (at the beginning, you'll likely make lots of divots), the reward in the end is worth it. Zero-turn riders lend to maneuverability, enabling you to dart around shrubs and trees with ease; it produces a level cut; and its speed is almost double that of a conventional riding lawn mower.

Conventional riding lawn mowers are limited to speeds of about 4 mph. Any faster will result in a choppy look, so be aware that the job cannot be rushed. Other considerations for the riding lawn mower/tractor include deck size (the blade with which the grass is cut), storage, maintenance, warranty, and accessories. How would you like to bag your clippings? Do you want to create mulch? Is a side chute with sharp blades sufficient? These are some of the questions to discuss with the salesperson and remember, you can never ask too many.

A riding mower can be a practical time saving machine for its users. The basic riding mowers are featuring rear engines, with small horsepower; these types of mowers are ideal for small lawns. The next level up is for medium horsepower riding lawn mowers; these mowers use to include their engines at the front; there can fit larger engines due to the space. Commercial riding lawn mowers, designed for big fields including sports grounds won’t really provide their best performance in yards. Most riding lawn mowers are machines fun ride and extremely cool to look at.

Choosing ideal riding Lawn Mower:

Here are some of the following points to have in mind before choosing the ideal riding lawn mower that would meet your requirements.

• Choosing ideal riding lawn mower depends on size and type of the field for which the lawn mower is required, whether the field is hilly or sloppy or plain. If the mowing area is flat, you will get the best performance from your machine.
• It is equally important to choose the lawn mower having comfortable seat on it. You have to sit on it for long time, and sitting on the comfortable seat, you will be saved from the most common back injuries and other related diseases.
• You have to choose from the different options of bagging or recycling the grass; mainly mulching or to bagging. When mulching, the grass will cut into fine clippings and then give it back to the lawn, providing nutrients to it, and the second will just to fill up a rear bag, and the same will be easier for the rider to empty and replace the bag with new ones.
• While purchasing a riding lawn mower, it may be kept in mind that they are not more costly in terms of both buying price and handling/running costs, hence proper maintenance may be ensured.
• Before a riding lawn mower is bought, its deck size or blade size should be judged and ensure right position of the engine, whether it is in the rear or mounted upfront. It is also important to know the turning radius, or ability of the riding lawn mower to maneuver.

The riding mowers are highly priced, therefore they must be kept in a safe and secure place to prevent from theft.

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