Buying advice Lawn tractors
If your lawn is larger than a half-acre, a ride-on lawn tractor could be your best option
Regular mowing is as vital to a healthy lawn as watering, fertilizing, and weeding. A bumper crop of wider-cutting tractors is trimming some of the work from this weekly ritual. More lawn tractors cost well under $2,000 and offer wider, more-even mowing using two blades instead of three. Cleaner gas engines are on the way as well. Despite the good news, some new designs and claims came up short in our weeks of tests over nearly 400,000 square feet of tough annual rye grass.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
These front-engine machines are sold by Craftsman, Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husqvarna, and Yard-Man, among others, and often cost less than yesterday's smaller, rear-engine riders. Most mow a swath 42 to 48 inches wide and can bag, mulch, and side-discharge clippings. Some offer four-wheel steering for tighter turns, and all accept snow throwers and other tools. But they create exhaust emissions and require a roughly 4x6-foot storage space. Bagging kits typically cost an extra $300 to $400, while other add-ons cost even more and are hard to install and remove. Price: $1,000 to $2,800; $2,700 to $3,500 for models with tight turning.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Here's what else to consider as you shop for a mower or tractor:
Determine the mowing you'll do. All tractors can side-discharge clippings, the mode most people use. Many include a mulching plate that seals the deck so clippings are cut finely and deposited into the lawn rather than on it. But a kit for bagging clippings typically costs hundreds of dollars extra. Before paying more for that bagging, be sure that the model you're considering did well in that mode and that you will use it.
Pick your retailer. Most of the brands we tested are now at major retailers as well as dealers. Big-box stores tend to have the lowest prices. But dealers typically offer more personalized service, setup, and instruction. Cub Cadet, John Deere, Poulan, Toro, and Yard Machines are at Home Depot. John Deere, Husqvarna, and Troy-Bilt are sold at Lowe's. Sears sells Craftsman and Husqvarna, and Wal-Mart has Yard Machines and Yard-Man.
Don't pay extra for big names. You'll find a Honda engine in lawn mowers from Craftsman, Lawn-Boy, Yard-Man, and other brands that use Honda's premium image to gain added cachet. These newer engines aren't the commercial-grade versions that made Honda's reputation for durability, however. Those we tested performed well, but so did more-plebeian brands.
Don't count horses. Higher horsepower doesn't necessarily mean higher-quality mowing. Some manufacturers have swapped horsepower numbers for engine-size and torque specifications, but even those don't guarantee better results. Our advice: Check our Ratings for top performers.
Play it safe. Use common sense when mowing. Wear ear plugs or muffs; all of the machines we tested emitted more than the 85 decibels at which we recommend hearing protection. Don't mow on grades steeper than 15 percent. Look behind you when you mow in reverse.
If your lawn is larger than a half-acre, a ride-on lawn tractor could be your best option
Regular mowing is as vital to a healthy lawn as watering, fertilizing, and weeding. A bumper crop of wider-cutting tractors is trimming some of the work from this weekly ritual. More lawn tractors cost well under $2,000 and offer wider, more-even mowing using two blades instead of three. Cleaner gas engines are on the way as well. Despite the good news, some new designs and claims came up short in our weeks of tests over nearly 400,000 square feet of tough annual rye grass.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
These front-engine machines are sold by Craftsman, Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husqvarna, and Yard-Man, among others, and often cost less than yesterday's smaller, rear-engine riders. Most mow a swath 42 to 48 inches wide and can bag, mulch, and side-discharge clippings. Some offer four-wheel steering for tighter turns, and all accept snow throwers and other tools. But they create exhaust emissions and require a roughly 4x6-foot storage space. Bagging kits typically cost an extra $300 to $400, while other add-ons cost even more and are hard to install and remove. Price: $1,000 to $2,800; $2,700 to $3,500 for models with tight turning.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Here's what else to consider as you shop for a mower or tractor:
Determine the mowing you'll do. All tractors can side-discharge clippings, the mode most people use. Many include a mulching plate that seals the deck so clippings are cut finely and deposited into the lawn rather than on it. But a kit for bagging clippings typically costs hundreds of dollars extra. Before paying more for that bagging, be sure that the model you're considering did well in that mode and that you will use it.
Pick your retailer. Most of the brands we tested are now at major retailers as well as dealers. Big-box stores tend to have the lowest prices. But dealers typically offer more personalized service, setup, and instruction. Cub Cadet, John Deere, Poulan, Toro, and Yard Machines are at Home Depot. John Deere, Husqvarna, and Troy-Bilt are sold at Lowe's. Sears sells Craftsman and Husqvarna, and Wal-Mart has Yard Machines and Yard-Man.
Don't pay extra for big names. You'll find a Honda engine in lawn mowers from Craftsman, Lawn-Boy, Yard-Man, and other brands that use Honda's premium image to gain added cachet. These newer engines aren't the commercial-grade versions that made Honda's reputation for durability, however. Those we tested performed well, but so did more-plebeian brands.
Don't count horses. Higher horsepower doesn't necessarily mean higher-quality mowing. Some manufacturers have swapped horsepower numbers for engine-size and torque specifications, but even those don't guarantee better results. Our advice: Check our Ratings for top performers.
Play it safe. Use common sense when mowing. Wear ear plugs or muffs; all of the machines we tested emitted more than the 85 decibels at which we recommend hearing protection. Don't mow on grades steeper than 15 percent. Look behind you when you mow in reverse.
