Hydrostatic transmission , also known as automatic transmission , is the default type for most riding lawn mowers and lets you shift gears automatically by pressing down on the pedal. However, the type of terrain can also affect how the mower is used.
A lawn tractor will work well on any relatively flat lawn and on landscapes with a lot of uneven sectors, especially if it features a steering wheel that provides more control. Your riding mower should also have an engine that matches the size of the yard, experts told us. For smaller areas, you can use a lightweight single-cylinder engine ZTR, which is usually more affordable.
Two-cylinder engines — called V-twin engines — in ZTRs are more powerful than single-cylinder engines and provide less vibration , making them quieter and more comfortable. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Follow Select. By Mili Godio. Shopping How to pick the best lawn mower for your yard. Shopping Best weed trimmers, according to experts.
Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 50 in. Make more of your garden - get our free Gardening newsletter for top tips from our experts. It really depends on your property and your budget. You might like to consider buying a petrol lawn mower or a powerful cordless mower instead, as these will tackle lawns over sq m.
If reducing the work of cutting the lawn is your priority, a robotic mower is also a good option as it will look after the lawn by itself. Alternatively, you might like to pay for someone to cut the lawn and get rid of your mower entirely. Read more about robot lawn mowers or go to our robot lawn mower reviews.
If you have less than an acre of lawn to cut, then a ride-on mower with the cutting deck towards the front or even in front of the front wheels is a good bet.
Generally, lawn tractors are larger than ride-on mowers. They have the engine in front and the seat behind, and rotary cutting blades under the seat. They have more powerful engines than ride-on mowers, which makes them suitable for large areas and tough terrain. These machines are ideal if you have a mix of flat lawn and rough paddock to deal with.
However, they may not be the best for sloping lawns. Garden tractors generally come with an integrated tow-bar and power source at the back, so you can attach different accessories that allow you to use it for much more than mowing.
Trailers and grass collectors are fairly common choices, but you can get leaf blowers and chemical sprayers, too. If you don't want to spend time looking through our reviews, here's our round-up of the top five lawn mowers for large gardens.
Dedicated mulching mowers give the best result - the blade cuts the clippings until they are very fine, and then blows them into the lawn, where they decompose and help feed the turf. You can convert some collecting mowers into mulching mowers by fitting a special mulching plate. The cheaper systems rely on airflow to push clippings into a collection bag.
More expensive ones use a powered sweeper to brush them up, or an integrated rear-collection system. Larger engines produce more torque and are less likely to stall in tall grass at the beginning and end of the cutting season.
A larger engine also helps drive self-propelled mowers more effectively uphill. From least-expensive to most-expensive, mower engines may be traditional side valve design, overhead valve, or overhead cam. More expensive engines provide increased durability, reduced noise, and less oil consumption. The rear wheel size of a walk mower may be larger than the diameter of the front wheels. This Husqvarna push mower has inch rear wheels, and this Cub Cadet push mower has slightly shorter inch rear wheels.
Ball bearing wheels are easier to push than those with bushing-type wheels. The larger your yard, the more difficult its terrain, or if you're hauling around a bag of clippings or clippings mixed with mulched leaves, the more you want this option. A blade-brake clutch is a feature found on high-end walk mowers.
It allows you to completely release the operator control handle without stopping the engine. That way, you can pause your mowing, move whatever obstacle out of your way and continue mowing without having to restart the engine. Honda calls its blade-brake-clutch system Roto Stop , and it's one of the best ones out there. A range of unusual features have been introduced in the last several years to make mowing easier or the whole mowing experience better.
An example of a mower with a Just Check and Add oil feature is this Snapper. Front caster wheels are great for elaborately-landscaped yards that require a lot of pivoting. Mowox mowers have replaced dual front casters with a single front caster wheel, perhaps the most maneuverable form of mower you can get.
But Cub Cadet has been among the mower manufacturers that pioneered the use of front caster wheels. Wash-out fittings enables you to hook up a garden hose to wash accumulated grass clippings from under the deck.
A clean deck lasts longer because accumulated grass holds moisture and lawn chemical residue, which causes deck corrosion. Our tests show that these fittings do help considerably, but that you still need some under-deck scraping with a putty knife. This rear-drive Troy-Bilt mower is equipped with a wash-out port and single-lever height adjustment. Wide-cut mowers with decks that range from 28 to 33 inches are a fast cutting alternative to a inch mower.
This Cub Cadet mower features both the wide-cut deck and front caster wheels. However, there are three important things to keep in mind:. If you can live with those limitations, the EGO is a good example of the new breed of cordless mower. If you can afford it, a riding mower is the way to go. When looking at riding mowers, you'll likely come across three versions—lawn tractor, rear-engine riding mower, and a zero-turn mower. Let's break them done one by one:. Many people start out with a lawn tractor.
With a steering wheel and a front-mounted engine, these look and feel familiar. Engine size range from hp and most come with a single cylinder with step-up models having a V twin. Some fancier models also feature engines with electronic fuel injection. All models are equipped with the ability to side discharge, mulch, or bag. Our ride-on tractors can be equipped with a wide range of accessories and mower attachments so that you can use your tractor for more purposes, all year round. Attach a trailer for hauling yard debris, a spreader to seed or fertilize, or attach the two-stage snow blower to clear your way in winter.
These are just a few of the many attachments available for our riding mowers, including lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers. A riding lawn mower with hydrostatic transmission is much easier to operate than a lawn tractor with manual transmission. With a manual transmission, you have to stop the tractor every time you change gears. The hydrostatic transmission gives you seamless adjustment while driving. There are two different hydrostatic transmission solutions.
For maximum comfort, choose a tractor with a pedal-operated transmission, where separate pedals control speed and direction for forward and reverse movement.
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