How Can I Prevent Scalping
When mowing your lawn, you might find that you cut chunks out of the high points, resulting in a bare patch in your grass, known as a scalp. Scalping usually occurs on uneven terrain and can leave your lawn looking unsightly.
Avoid scalping by adjusting the cutting deck height before you start mowing. If you have an adjustable height cutting deck, then raise and lower the blades as you go for the cleanest cut and no scalping.
Faqs About Riding Lawn Mowers
1. What is the best riding mower under $2,000?
The Husqvarna YTH18542 is the best budget riding mower, coming in just under $2,000.
2. Which is better, Cub Cadet or Husqvarna?
Overall, Husqvarna makes better riding lawn mowers, as you can tell from the four Husqvarna entries in our top spots.
3. Does a half-acre need a riding mower?
Typically, riding lawn mowers are for yards over half an acre, while push mowers are for lawns of half an acre or less. However, even if you have a smaller yard, you might not want to deal with the hassle of pushing around a heavy lawn mower. Whether or not you need a riding mower is ultimately up to you.
Best Riding Mower With Cruise Controlryobi Riding Lawn Mowers
For an even more laid-back lawn mowing experience, this Ryobi riding lawn mower comes with cruise control and can reach up to eight miles per hour. This battery-powered lawn tractor runs for up to 2.5 hours on one charge and comes with LED lights, a comfortable steering wheel, a USB port, twin blades, and almost silent cutting.
Whats more, this mower combines bagging, mulching, or side discharge options for grass clippings and has a maximum cutting height of 4.5 inches. One satisfied purchaser expressed, This lawn tractor is a beast. Plenty of battery life for my almost one-acre lawn. I use around half a charge on the battery.
Specifications
Acres covered:½2 acres
Cutting deck: 38 inches
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Price: Pricey But Not Outrageous
Riding lawn mowers can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000, depending on the brand, size, and features. The RYOBI RM480e Electric Riding Mower retails for $2,700, which is quite a bit higher than gas-powered mowers with a similar deck sizeyou can get a gas-powered riding mower with a 42-inch deck for $1,600 to $2,000. However, the RYOBIs price is in line with costs for other rear-engine electric mowers.
Best Lawn Tractorjohn Deere Riding Lawn Mower
This John Deere is a great mower for large yards up to four acres. Most riding lawn mowers cant boast a V-twin hydrostatic transmission with three blades that can cut grass with a more even and smoother cut like this one can. The sizeable 2.4-gallon fuel tank capacity guarantees it can cut most lawn sizes without refueling.
It also has a rear-wheel drive that allows it to grip sloped or uneven ground with ease. One buyer wrote, Using it at a camp in Maine that has some pretty tough, uneven terrain as well as a field. So far, so good It performs really well. Cuts through large amounts of grass and leaves post-winter with ease. Easy controls to use. Very powerful.
Specifications
Acres covered: 24 acres
Cutting width: 48 inches
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Q: What Size Riding Mower Do I Need
A: While were at, how long is a piece of string? You get what we mean? The size of the riding mower that you need will depend on how large your yard or cutting area is. Riding mowers are designed to cover much more ground than standing push mowers, so they will be larger than what you are used to.
If you have a large cutting area, then a larger, more powerful riding mower will be needed as they will complete a whole cut of your lawn in one go as opposed to needing to stop halfway through to refill the tank.
Conversely, smaller mowing areas will require smaller mowers as they will be easier to maneuver in tight spaces and will also not provide too much power that it becomes uncontrollable, sending you, unfortunately, through the neighbors fence and causing general mayhem and disaster while next door is trying to enjoy a family barbeque.
The best riding mowers will show the total cutting area from one fuel tank or charge, so make sure you know the size of your yard before purchasing to ensure you dont run out of juice halfway through a mow.
How Much Should I Spend On A Riding Mower Can I Negotiate The Price
While you can pick up the most budget ride-on mowers for upwards of $1,000, good riding mowers for residential use will generally start around the $1,500 mark and can go up to around $3,000-$4,000. If you step into the more commercial-grade territory, you can be looking to spend $5,000 or more, so this is no small purchase.
Negotiating the price will be dependent on where you go to buy your mower. Youll probably find some of the best prices from online retailers, and they will be non-negotiable.
Go to your local dealer, and there may be some movement based on how old the stock is and whether youre paying cash or credit.
Dont expect significant savings, but there might be something to be gained by asking. A credible local dealer can be a handy contact when it comes to servicing your mower too.
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What Size Mower Should I Get
It’s up to you how big of a mower you’re comfortable handling or paying for, but the general rule of thumb is, the larger your lawn, the wider you probably want your mower deck to be. This is because the wider your deck, the more grass you’ll be cutting with each pass, and the fewer passes you’ll need to finish the job.
This formula gets a bit more complicated if your lawn has steep inclines, or numerous objects to maneuver around, like gardening beds, trees, or landscaping features. In these cases you might want to consider a smaller deck that can more easily get around these obstacles, and can actually allow you to complete your job faster than a wider mower.
This can be a lot to think about, which is why Blake mentioned the importance of consulting with an experienced outdoor power dealer, explaining that “whether you have one acre or 20, let your dealer help you with size so you don’t buy too small or too big, since you want your choice to last you for years.”
What Is A Riding Lawn Mower
Image by Canva Photos
Riding lawn mowers, also known as garden tractors and lawn tractors, are the workhorses of the yard work realm. They typically look like miniature tractors and do all the mowing work themselves. All you have to do is sit on top and drive. The more property you maintain, the greater the benefit of a riding lawn mower. But even if you have a small property thats all grass, a lawn tractor is an excellent tool for getting the job done quickly.
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Best Toro Residential Grade Zero Turn Mower: Titan 54
If youre a Homeowner with a very large yard, a 42-inch or even a 50-inch mower may be a little too small to get the job done efficiently. Thats where a 54-inch model like the Toro TITAN can save the day.
The Toro Titan has all the DNA of the commercial Titan series, minus the forged steel deck, and this mowers size and power make it a natural fit for large yards, and its even suitable for light or limited commercial use.
Specifications
- Ideal For Yards Up to 7 Acres
- TORO patented My Ride Suspension for ultimate comfort
- 54-inch mower deck
- 3-year 300-Hour Commercial Engine warranty
- Commercial drop pin height of cut adjustment
- Canister Filter Rubber Chute
- Shock absorbing dampening ride
Our Take Away
Overall, the 54-inch Toro TITAN is an excellent upgrade for buyers who want the power and convenience of a Toro mower but need a larger mowing deck to deal with more acreage. Because of its size and power, the handling of this mower is of excellent value.
You wont find a smoother ride, or a zero turn mower easier to maneuver around tight obstacles than this one.
Note: Toro has over 3,000 servicing dealers in the United States making this mower far easier to service than some other brands.
Toro 54 Zero Turn Lawn Mower
Best Electric: Greenworks Pro 25 In 60
Cutting Width: 25 inches | Power Type: Battery | Cutting Options: Bag or mulch | Size of Yard: 1/21 acres
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Large deck for a push mower
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Bogs down in thick or wet grass
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Slight delay before self-propelling will disengage
Many people enjoy the low-maintenance design of electric lawn mowers, and the Greenworks Pro Self-Propelled Mower has a large 25-inch deck and 60-minute battery life that make it a great choice for small- to medium-size lawns. The electric mower comes with two batteries, and when the first depletes, the unit automatically switches to the second one, delivering uninterrupted runtime.
This mower has seven cutting heights and folding handles for compact storage. Its smart cut technology automatically increases the blade speed when going through thick grass, and the advanced brushless motor delivers maximum torque and power with virtually no maintenance.
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Factors To Consider When Buying A Riding Mower
There are a number of features to consider when purchasing a riding mower. Here, well break down the jargon and help you decide which features are best for you.
Cutting Deck Size
Probably the most important spec when it comes to any riding mower tractor, rear engine, or zero turn is the cutting deck size. The deck size is basically how much grass gets cut, and equivalent to the blade length. Smaller riders usually rear engine range from 28 to 36 inches wide not that much bigger than say a 24 inch push mower. Tractors typically have larger cutting decks, usually from 36 to 48 inches. Some such as the Craftsman model we recommend, have 54 inches. Zero turn mowers can have cutting decks from 40 to 60 inches.
The wider the cutting deck, the more grass you cut at once. However, a larger cutting deck means a larger mower, which means its tougher to cut close corners and get into tight spaces. So thats the tradeoff you have to make. Additionally, wider cutting deck generally means a higher price.
If you have a half acre lot or less, youre best off going with a cutting deck on the smaller end, simply because you wont have a whole lot of wide swaths that need cutting compared to all of the various corners and edges. If you have a 1+ acre lot, or a smaller lot with long straight-a-ways, go for a larger cutting deck. Only go for an extremely large deck if your lot is giant and regular.
Mulching and Discharge
Maneuverability
Types Of Lawn Mowers & Tractors
Your options for the best walk-behind or riding lawn mower range from $170 gas push models to lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers that can cost upward of $4,000.
If you’re worried about noise, know that our tests show gas mowers are much noisier than their battery-powered counterparts. Nearly all the gas-powered machines we tested emitted more than 85 decibels at the user’s ear, and only a few were somewhat quieter. For all, we recommend hearing protection.
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Why You Should Get A Riding Lawn Mower
I always use a riding lawn mower for all my gardening chores. The first one I got was a cheap one from a local supply store. It wasnt the best, but it got the job done.
Over time, I upgraded and got a better model with more functions and a smarter mechanism. Ive found that it trims my lawn grass very evenly, almost to a perfect level. I didnt get the same results from a hand-operated lawn mower.
Thats why Im writing this post. I know how useful ride-on lawn mowers are. Theyre one of the best tools you can get for your home.
Heres a comparison of how my lawn looks when I use a riding mower vs. when I use a regular lawn mower:
When I Use A Regular Lawn Mower
When I Use A Riding Lawn Mower
As you can see, the grass on the right looks healthier and fuller. It doesnt expose patches of dirt below it. Its also way more evenly cut than the grass on the left. This isnt a coincidence the riding lawn mower uses technology that makes the grass look much healthier than a regular lawn mower. I used average value brands for both cuts.
Im going to review the best riding lawn mowers that are available to buy online. You can buy them at a store too, but nationwide shipping is convenient and reaches more people.
Ryobi 38 In 100 Ah Battery Electric Rear Engine Riding Lawn Mower
The best riding lawn mower: the best electric ride-on version
Specifications
Gas-powered ride-on lawnmowers might be the go-to for most due to the added power they offer, but electric is worth a look if you prefer lower maintenance, less noise, and better eco-credentials.
The Ryobi 38in is powered by 75Ah batteries and offers up to two hours of runtime. That should be enough to get around a couple of acres with ease, and it can be charged via a standard 120-volt outlet when it needs it, which is handy. Itll take about 14 hours to charge from the flat.
It features three brushless motors and a two-blade 38-inch deck, with 12 different cutting heights. It cuts well too, plus the ride is smooth, quiet, and fume-free.
Cruise control and automatic transmission are on board for an easy ride, plus theres a battery indicator on the control panel thatll tell you how much juice is remaining at a quick glance.
Of course, its worth remembering that for all the time and hassle youll save in servicing your mower as often as a gas one requires, the batteries of your electric mower will need replacing every now and then. They should last a fair few years though, so its far from a pressing concern.
The Troy-Bilt Pony 42-inch riding lawn mower offers all the power and features you need to manage a few acres of lawn, as the high-end versions, but does so at a very affordable price point.
Concepted to lift the grass before cutting to ensure consistent, neat cutting height.
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What To Look For When Buying A Riding Lawn Mower
Riders are one of the best ways to tackle large yards easily, delivering professional results while requiring just a fraction of the effort that comparable walk-behind mowers demand. But before you go out and purchase one, several factors need to be considered. By looking at each of these items, youll be able to find the right option for your lawn.
Engine HP
Engine horsepower, or HP, is the measurement used to describe the engines power output. This power output is shared between the various components of these mowers, such as the drive transmission and the cutting blades. The more HP the engine provides, the more power it distributes between tasks, such as moving the vehicle across the lawn or up hills, while also providing the cutting power needed to make quick work of heavy grass conditions.
Your rear engine mower needs a lot of power to perform both of these tasks simultaneously. Thats why zero-turn mowers with a power output around 20 HP or greater are usually perfect for demanding or large properties.
Cut Width
The cutting width of ride-on mowers measures how wide a swath of grass can be cut. Smaller, more compact mowers can have a cut width as low as 30 while larger mowers can have cutting deck widths of up to 50 or more. You need to consider the size of your yard. If you have a smaller property or one with hard-to-reach spots and obstacles like trees, then a smaller mower deck is great. See Best Lawn Mowers for Small Yards.
Fuel Capacity
Transmission
Ryobi Rm480e Electric Riding Mower Vs Ryobi Ry40190
Not ready to make the large investment required for the RYOBI Electric Riding Lawn Mower? You can test out the abilities of an electric mower at a lower price with a walk-behind model like the RYOBI 20-inch Cordless Self-Propelled Mower. This top-rated option is significantly more affordable at $400, and its ideal for yards up to half an acre. While it only has a run time of around 35 minutes, this walk-behind mower has many of the same benefits of the ride-on model, including limited maintenance, no emissions, and low noise level.
Check out our guide to more of the best electric lawn mowers you can buy today.
A competitive option for homeowners.
If youre tired of lawn mower maintenance, want to be more eco-friendly, or simply want a quieter mower, the RYOBI RM480e Electric Riding Mower is a powerful machine that can handle all sorts of lawn care. It operates quietly and has an impressively long run time, making it a worthwhile investment in our book.
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Do I Need A Riding Lawnmower
If you have a half-acre or more of land on your property, then a riding lawnmower can help you with your mowing duties.
Electric models are best for lawns up to a half-acre, but youll need a more powerful and rugged machine if you have a larger estate. Gas-powered models are the best choice for estates with more than a half-acre of land.
Cub Cadet Xt1 Enduro Series Lt 46
Best Mower for a Smooth Ride
Cub Cadet makes our list of the top models on the market today with their XT1 Enduro Series LT Mower. This power-packed dynamo delivers impressive performance and a smooth, hydrostatic transmission that eliminates the need to shift gears. With an impressive 22 HP Kohler 7000 engine and 46 cutting width, this is one of the finest mowers in its class. It cuts grass easily with clean, precise results.
Its rear-wheel drive offers great traction and handling. The 16 turning radius is great for getting into those hard-to-reach corners. Raising or lowering the cutting deck is easy. The cruise control allows you to focus on steering instead of worrying about maintaining the perfect speed. This model from Cub Cadet is incredibly comfortable to operate with adjustable seating, an ergonomic steering wheel, and even a cup holder. Its built-in headlights ensure youll be getting optimum mowing conditions any time of the day or night.
If youre looking to mow lawns with slightly uneven terrain, this 22 HP model is one of the greatest models out there. It delivers exceptional performance and an impressively smooth ride. It’s one of the most affordable buys on the market today. Cut grass with ease.
- Can be a little loud
Key Specs
Engine HorsepowerCutting WidthFuel CapacitySpeedNumber of BladesNumber of CylindersTurning Radius
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