Toro and John Deere face off in speedy mowing test

But sometimes a slower mow is the way to go

Published: April 02, 2014 06:00 AM

Toro says customers who traded their lawn tractors for the brand's zero-turn-radius riders sliced 45 percent from their mowing time, in part by speeding along at 5 mph instead of the 3.5 mph that we recommend—all with decent cut quality.

We pitted the Toro TimeCutter SS4235 74627 rider, $2,600, against the John Deere D125 lawn tractor, $1,800, at our test site. The Toro rider was, indeed, faster than the Deere tractor, which tops out at just 4 mph. And both mowed evenly even at higher speeds. But that's where the good news ends for those in a hurry.

Both 42-inch machines left ugly clumps on the 3½-inch-high cut grass, especially the Deere. The Toro's rear wheels, which steer by turning in opposite directions, also caused scalping and bare spots, a risk with any zero-turn-radius rider, especially at higher speeds. We've also found lever-controlled riders such as the Toro more difficult to control, especially on steep slopes—yet another reason to resist putting the pedal to the metal when mowing.

Bottom line. If you hate mowing as much as the dozens of homeowners who said so in a recent Twitter search, consider saving time with a wider-cutting machine. The 48-inch Husqvarnah YTH24K48FT tractor, a CR Best Buy at $1,900, can also race back to the garage or shed in the transport mode at a speedy 7 mph once mowing is done.

For more mower recommendations, see the full results of our mower tests. And to get a jump on your lawn chores, see how to fix five common lawn problems.

—Ed Perratore