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For many homeowners, lawn mowers may be an essential household appliance, but those who need to maintain larger lawns may find that push lawn mowers cannot cut grass at all. Experts recommend using riding lawn mowers on larger lawns because they have more powerful engines, better equipped, and can effectively handle larger lawns. As the name suggests, they are designed to allow you to ride on them while mowing the lawn, which comes in handy when there is a lot of land to deal with.

"Unlike any other type of lawn mower, the riding lawn mower allows you to sit and drive instead of pushing a manually propelled lawn mower or walking behind a self-propelled lawn mower," the landscape architect Said Bryan McKenzie, co-founder of Bumper Crop Times. "The riding model is much bulkier because it includes a larger motor and a full-size seat, but it allows you to trim large areas faster without any back fatigue-you just need good Sunscreen."

Ride-on lawn mowers are usually a major investment: According to David Steckel, a family expert at Thumbtack, the average cost is between $1,000 and $3,500. This means that finding the right option is crucial, especially when there are so many options on the market. To help you get started, we consulted with landscaping and gardening experts to explain the difference between riding lawn mowers and other types of lawn mowers, as well as precautions when buying lawn mowers, and compiled their shopping suggestions.

Skip the best riding lawn mowers | What to look out for when shopping

Ride-on lawn mowers are generally faster and easier to use than push or self-propelled lawn mowers because of their larger engines and wider mowing decks, which can cut a larger area of ​​grass at a time. McKenzie said the ability to walk around on a lawn mower is also "critical for homeowners who experience any back problems and cannot walk behind a regular lawn mower without fatigue."

Experts say that shoppers with more than three-quarters of an acre yard will benefit from riding lawn mowers because they can significantly reduce mowing time. However, “if your yard is less than half an acre, because the size of the lawn mower is compared to the yard, the riding lawn mower may make mowing more tedious,” says Steckel. At this point, it is easier (and cheaper) to use a push or self-propelled lawn mower-these types of lawn mowers also turn the mowing process into an opportunity for exercise and physical activity.

There are three main types of riding lawn mowers to consider: traditional lawn mowers, zero turning radius (ZTR) lawn mowers, and rear-engine riding lawn mowers.

A lawn tractor is a gas-powered machine with a front engine and an easy-to-handle steering wheel-you just need to sit on the top and turn while the machine is cutting the grass. "This is the most common and cost-effective riding lawn mower," Steckel said. They also usually have a wide turning radius, making them a good choice for large lawns with slopes and hills.

The ZTR lawn mower uses a rear-mounted engine and has a better turning radius than a lawn tractor. "They can open a dime and are generally faster and more accurate than other riding lawn mower options," Steckel said. These lawn mowers usually do not have a steering wheel, but instead have a pair of levers that control the direction of rotation of the machine (although some newer models have familiar wheels). According to Michael Hill, a garden and landscape expert at Garden Guidepost, “If your lawn has sharp edges, an architectural design, or you need to be close to obstacles, this option is the best choice.” In addition to mobility and mobility, The ZTR lawn mower is also lighter and offers a higher maximum speed.

The rear-engine lawn mower has an engine just behind the seat. They are more compact, easy to store, and generally cheaper than other types of riding lawn mowers. However, their mowing deck tends to be small (approximately 30 inches wide, compared to at least 40 inches for other riding lawn mowers), and the cutting speed is not as fast as other riding lawn mowers. "Usually, if your lawn is small but not large enough to use a manual or push lawn mower, then this is the best option," Hill said. These lawn mowers can sometimes be electric-electric lawn mowers use battery power instead of gas, and are generally quieter.

To help you decide which riding lawn mower is best for you, we consulted the options recommended by experts.

This Cub Cadet riding lawn mower is equipped with a 50-inch wide cutter, a steel frame and Kawasaki's 23H twin engine. McKenzie said: "It is designed for large sizes that contain many uneven points and obstacles-thanks to the responsive zero-turn steering, low center of gravity and large, tough wheels, it can be trimmed almost anywhere." It It also has a dual hydrostatic transmission, which allows the mower to accelerate forward to 7.5 mph and backward to 3.5 mph. McKenzie pointed out that Cub Cadet has also manufactured an electric version of this model, which has "the same performance as the gas-powered version and all the advantages of an electric device."

McKenzie said that this electric riding lawn mower from RYOBI is an "environmentally friendly, relatively quiet and efficient riding lawn mower." According to the brand, it offers a cutting width of 38 inches and a battery, which can cut up to 2 acres of lawn per charge and run for up to 2 hours. "You can charge it from any 120V socket and enjoy excellent performance without any daunting gas engine maintenance," McKenzie said. This lawn mower is also equipped with LED headlights, USB mobile phone charger and cruise control function to improve efficiency. However, its turning radius is not zero, which means it may be more difficult to maneuver around sharp edges or obstacles in the yard.

McKenzie said that if you are looking for a more economical solution, this compact option from Troy-Bilt is less than $1,500 without sacrificing efficiency. He pointed out that a 30-inch deck is “sufficient for most mid-sized American shipyards, and the 382 cc engine provides just enough speed to complete the job, faster than you would expect from such a small partner.” It does have one. The manual gearbox, which the brand calls Shift-on-the-Go gearbox, allows you to change speed without clutching or stopping.

Because of its extra-wide mowing deck, Hill recommended this option from Husqvarna. "At 61 inches wide, this zero-turn lawn mower can clear more than an acre of tall grass with fewer times," he said. The brand claims that the large cutting width of this mower can cover up to 4.2 acres per hour, which is very effective for large lawns. For comfort, this lawn mower is equipped with a high-back seat with armrests and a foam padded lever with handles. It also has easy-to-maintain access points: oil and filters, batteries, and hydraulic drive systems are all within reach, and include an hour meter to remind you when to service the lawn mower.

According to the brand, this zero-turn mower has a cutting width of 50 inches, which is ideal for under 4 acres. It uses Toro's intelligent speed technology, which allows you to control the mowing speed in three modes: up to 7 mph when mowing, 5.5 mph in traction mode, and 4 mph in pruning mode. "This is a powerful fighter that can meet the mowing, towing and pruning needs of most professional users," McKenzie said. This lawn mower is also equipped with a built-in beverage cup holder, shock-absorbing dampers to make riding smoother, and a stepping front end that makes it easier to get up and down when picking up debris or removing obstacles Lawn mower on the road.

Since riding lawn mowers can vary greatly in size and function, it is important to consider which features are best for your lawn before splurge.

As reported in our Lawn Mower Guide, the cutting width of a lawn mower measures the size of the strip that the machine can cut in one pass-the wider the cutting width, the less time it takes to mowing the lawn. McKenzie said , The ideal cutting width ranges from 30 inches to 42 inches for 1 acre of grass to at least 60 inches for 5 acres of grass. Width is also related to the number of blades in the cutting table: smaller tractors can have one blade, while typical lawn tractors and ZTR mowers usually have two or three blades.

Although a wider cutting width can speed up the mowing process, McKenzie points out that this also limits the machine's mobility. He added that in some cases, “you need an extra small self-propelled lawn mower to complete narrow spaces and slopes, which are too steep for your smooth ride.”

Many riding lawn mowers are gas-powered, which means they require gasoline to operate. At the same time, the others are electric and use a battery-powered motor that needs to be charged. Although pneumatic lawn mowers are more durable and generally better for large lawns, Hill warns that they are usually much louder than electric lawn mowers and they are not environmentally friendly because they emit smoke.

Electric riding lawn mowers can be cheaper and easier to maintain because they do not require the purchase or replacement of engine oil, and other maintenance requirements. However, electric riding lawn mowers do have their disadvantages: their function is limited to the time that they can be used on a single charge-if you have a few acres of land (or just forget to charge the battery), then the power may not be enough for one time Sexually trim the entire lawn.

The type of gearbox of a riding lawn mower can determine the speed of the machine and how it handles different backyard conditions, including mud and slopes. The manual gearbox provides a certain number of speeds-you can choose the speed you want by using the lever and clutch. These are mainly found in old lawn tractors—similar to old cars—and are very useful for people who are accustomed to using a gear lever or unable to easily control speed with pedals.

Hydrostatic transmission, also known as automatic transmission, is the default type of most riding lawn mowers and allows you to shift gears automatically by pressing the pedal. This type tends to last longer-according to MacKenzie, it "requires the least maintenance and [has] the smoothest performance."

As experts have pointed out, the size of your lawn will determine whether you should invest in a riding lawn mower-for homeowners of less than half an acre, this is usually not worth it. However, the type of terrain also affects how the mower is used. A lawn tractor is suitable for any relatively flat lawn and landscape with many uneven parts, especially if it has a steering wheel that provides more control. If you have a relatively flat yard with obstacles such as rocks and gravel, "ZTR may show better results because it can rotate 360 ​​degrees in a small place and rotate at an acute angle," MacKenzie said.

Experts tell us that your riding lawn mower should also be equipped with an engine that matches the size of your yard. Since lawn tractors are usually the largest type, they can provide "enough power to quickly process 2 to 5 acres or more," Mackenzie said. For smaller areas, you can use the light single-cylinder engine ZTR, which is usually more affordable. The two-cylinder engine in the ZTR (called the V-twin engine) is more powerful than the single-cylinder engine, has less vibration, and is therefore quieter and more comfortable. McKenzie said, "For large yards of 2-5 acres or more," a riding lawn mower with a V-twin engine is recommended.

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