It’s one thing to love your lawn, but another to feel that way about your lawn mower. Selecting the right machine is important because, for most of the U.S., the mowing season is a long one, starting with that first flush of spring growth and lasting to that final windy autumn afternoon. It’s hard, too. And if you’re not too keen on rigorous maintenance, it’s a good idea to buy the toughest lawn mower you can afford. You stand a better chance of getting a great-looking lawn if you select a mower that’s not only up to the job, but that fits how you like to mow and the kind of yard you mow. Finally, the cutting season won’t seem as long if you give careful consideration to a mower’s features. There’s a lot to factor in, other than price. Read on for some guidance and our reviews of the best electric and gas lawn mowers available.
When choosing a Lawn Mowers, many critical factors will affect your decision. The most crucial factor is how big your garden or lawn is. Depending on that, you will have to choose the size of the fuel tank on the lawn mower, as well as the power of its engine. There are many available options on the market, and they are followed by different prices. You may also need to consider the comfort of the zero-turn lawn mower, as you will be spending a lot of hours sitting in the same position.
Luckily, most zero-turn lawn mowers are designed to provide maximum comfort to the operator. Most have adjustable high back seating with plush padded armrests and plenty of leg room.
There are many options for zero-turn lawn mowers, and based on your budget, you can choose between premium lawn mowers and more affordable ones. Premium lawn mowers will usually have more features and accessories, with a more powerful engine that will allow you to tackle any terrain and grass. Some premium zero-turn lawn mowers come with plenty of cutting heights, which is an excellent feature for hilly terrain. Zero-turn lawn mowers that are more affordable are also exceptional and provide excellent value. They are mostly equipped with strong engines and different cutting options, although additional accessories—such as a mulching kit—may need to be bought separately.
A lawn mower is a machine utilizing one or more revolving blades to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower, but generally is adjustable by the operator, typically by a single master lever, or by a lever or nut and bolt on each of the machine’s wheels. The blades may be powered by manual force, with wheels mechanically connected to the cutting blades so that when the mower is pushed forward, the blades spin or the machine may have a battery-powered or plug-in electric motor. The most common self-contained power source for lawn mowers is a small internal combustion engine. Smaller mowers often lack any form of propulsion, requiring human power to move over a surface; “walk-behind” mowers are self-propelled, requiring a human only to walk behind and guide them. Larger lawn mowers are usually either self-propelled “walk-behind” types or more often, are “ride-on” mowers, equipped so the operator can ride on the mower and control it. A robotic lawn mower is designed to operate either entirely on its own or less commonly by an operator by remote control.
Battery mowers are best for small to medium yards that are well maintained with a surface no greater than 5,000 to 10,000 square feet. For a larger area, especially one that may have lots of leaves on it during the fall, buy a gas-engine mower. Another reason to buy a gas mower: You regularly cut rugged areas, such as mowing along an unruly edge, to keep tall grass and weeds at bay. It takes a lot of torque to do that, and gas engines excel at that.
Walk and self-propelled (10,000 square feet of grass or less): Typical engine sizes up to 190 cc (with a few larger), cutting deck width from 21 to 33 inches. On battery mowers, motor voltages range from 36 to 54 volts. Choose rear drive if you mow uphill, especially if you bag the clippings. Use front drive on level ground for maneuverability. Buy all-wheel drive (or power reverse) for steep hills, side hills, rutted ground, and non-lawn areas. Select a mower without any drive (also called a push mower) if your cut surface is smaller than what we outline above, and if you’re looking for mechanical simplicity and cost savings.
Traditional rear-engine mowers (10,000 square feet of grass up to 2 acres; heavy-duty variations up to 4 acres): Typical engine sizes are in the range of 10.5- to 13.5-horsepower (hp), with a few models as large as 21.5 hp. Deck sizes are typically 30 to 33 inches, with heavy-duty models possessing decks up to 54 inches. Wide decks permit faster mowing but are more expensive.
Traditional lawn tractor (20,000 square feet of grass up to 4 acres): Typical engine sizes range from 10.5 to 25 hp. Deck sizes range from 42 inches up to 54 inches. When you increase power and deck size on lawn tractors, you find heavy-duty models with features like a differential lock: both rear wheels turn simultaneously for help going uphill or pulling attachments like a grader. As for battery-powered tractors, there’s only one that we know of, and that’s the XT1 Enduro by Cub Cadet. By all appearances, you would think it’s a gas-engine machine. But it’s powered by lithium-ion batteries and 56-volt motors for its drive and deck blades.
Gas-engine and battery zero-turn riding mowers (20,000 square feet of grass up to 4 acres): Typical engine sizes range from 12 to 25 hp; voltages for the battery bank or drive motors on the electric version of these machines is at least 56 volts. Deck sizes start at about 32 inches and go up to 60 inches. Gas-engine machines steer with a pair of lap bars that control transmissions, one at each rear wheel. In the case of battery-powered mowers, a motor and a gear case are located at each rear wheel. With gas-engine mowers, when you move a lap bar forward, it increases fluid flow to the transmission; moving it back decreases flow. With battery mowers, the mechanism is entirely electronic; moving the lap bar moves a position sensor that effects current flow to the drive motors. Either type of mechanism causes the mower to move straight, turn in a curve, or pivot. Battery-powered zero-turn mowers are expensive. You may be looking at as much as 50 percent more compared to an equivalent gas-engine product. On the other hand, if you want quiet, high-capacity mowing, they’re worth a look. And by high-capacity, we mean these machines are rated to cut more than an acre.
