Choosing a Riding Mower – Some Considerations
Article brought to you by Best Used Riding Lawnmowers
Riding mowers specifically refer to rear engine lawn mowers that are ridden by an operator. The term ride on mower refers to a lawn tractor with a front mounted engine. If the lawn tractor can do multiple tasks it is called a garden tractor.
Ride On Lawn Mowers come in two types, conventional riding mowers and zero turn riding lawn mowers. The big difference is in the turning radius which can be as much as 28″ to turn around 180 degrees. At the end of each strip the mower needs to turn around to begin the next strip and the larger the turning radius the longer it takes to mow the lawn. A zero turn mower however is designed to turn in place so there is no wasted movement. Zero turn mowers are also much faster than conventional riding mowers, some up to double the speed.
The steering system is the biggest difference between these two types. In a conventional mower the steering system is the familiar steering wheel which turns the front wheels within a radius that depends on the design. A zero turn mower however has no steering wheel but two handles that operate independently to rotate the back wheels. To rotate the mower through 180 degrees while staying in one place one handle rotates one wheel forward while the other handle rotates the other wheel backwards.
How do you decide which type of lawnmower to purchase?
The most obvious consideration is the price. While conventional riding mowers sell for between $1500 and $3000 zero turn mowers are more expensive starting at around $2600 and reaching more than $7000. You need to have a lot of lawn to mow to justify that price tag!
Zero turn mowers are much faster than conventional mowers and undoubtably more fun to operate. With a top speed of around 9mph you’ll zip through the mowing in no time. A conventional ride on lawn mower on the other hand will have a top speed of around 4mph. Zero turn mowers are becoming increasingly popular despite the hefty price tag. Increased competition between manufacturers has led to improvements in design and added features.