Why a Riding Mowers
You may want to explore buying a riding mower if your lawn is more than a half an acre in size. Although you could mow a large lawn with a walk behind mower, it's great exercise, a riding mower will make the job a lot more tolerable. The mowing deck on a riding mower is considerably wider than that of a walk behind so a major advantage is the time saved.
Types of Riding Mowers
There are generally two types of riding mowers. Those with their cutting decks underneath the tractor, generally referred to as lawn tractors, and those with their mowing decks in front of the machine, often called zero-turn mowers because of their maneuverability. Mowing decks on riding mowers are rotary and have two or three cutting blades. Deck width can vary in size anywhere from 38" to 54" and wider for commercial mowers.
Lawn tractors are relatively inexpensive ($1000.00 - $3000.00) and are the most popular among homeowners. They are very versatile and can accept attachments such as snow plows, snow blowers, garden tillers, cultivator disks or box scrapers. A lawn tractor can also pull behind it, a wagon, spreader or sprayer allowing for even more uses. They are not very fast, usually topping out at about 4 mph.
Zero-turn mowers are made to cut grass, quickly and efficiently. Because of their price ($3000.00 - $5000.00), they are more popular among lawn care companies than the average homeowner. Zero-turn mowers are very fast, capable of mowing at speeds up to 9 mph. Though not as versatile as lawn tractors, zero -turns mowers do just that, turn on a dime. This makes them superior for mowing in tight spots and around objects.
All riding mowers are be equipped with side discharge vents to disperse the clippings out the side of the mower. Mulching kits can be added to cleanly return clippings to the lawn, or to pick them up add a collection system. Collection systems can get elaborate and add up to $1000.00 to the price.
