Cylinder roller lawn mower. Cylinder / Reel Lawn Mowers 101 – Product Buyers Guide

Cylinder / Reel Lawn Mowers 101 – Product Buyers Guide

A reel or cylinder mower carries a firm, parallel cutting blade at the preferred cut level. Above this is a fast-rotating reel of blades forcing the grass along the cutting bar. Every blade in the cylinder constitutes a coil around the cylinder axis, and the spinning blade set describes a reel.

Of all these machines, a correctly-adjusted reel mower makes the smoothest cut of the lawn, and this lets the grass heal faster. The cut of a cylinder mower that is well-adjusted is definite and straight, as if cutting with scissors. With this, it promotes thicker, healthier and sturdier lawn development that’s more resistant to parasites, weeds and disease. Cutting grass by means of a cylinder mower is less prone to cause yellow, brown or white stain due to leaf shredding. While the cutting activity is frequently compared to that of a pair of scissors, it isn’t essential for the spinning cylinder blades to contact the cutting bar. If the blade gap is less than the grass’ thickness, a clean cut could still be completed. If more on the other hand, the grass will slide through.

Top 10 Cylinder Mowers for 2019

There are numerous models of the reel mower. Push mowers do not have engine, and are frequently utilized on smaller lawns where access is a difficulty, where there is an undesirable noise pollution, and where pollution of the is unwanted. As the machine is shoved along, the wheels drive machinery which speedily rotates the reel. Cutting widths are typically 10 – 16 inches. Advances in engineering and materials have caused these machines to be extremely light and simple to maneuver and operate unlike the older models while still providing all the cutting pros of huge professional reel mowers. Their individual environmental advantages, both in air and noise pollution, are intense selling points as well, something not lost on numerous animal sanctuaries, international zoos, and elite hotel groups.

The fundamental push mower method is also utilized in gangs pulled behind a tractor. The mowers are set in a “V” behind the tractor, with the track of each mower somewhat overlying that of the machine facing it. Gang mowers are utilized over huge turf areas like parks or sports fields.

An electric/battery lawn mower or gasoline engine can be included to a reel mower to generate power to the cylinder, the roller, the wheels, or any combo of these. A classic arrangement on electric-powered mowers for housing lawns is for the motor to generate power to the reel while the machinist pushes the machine along. The electric version can either be cordless or corded. On petrol-powered ones, the engine both drives the rear roller as well as the cylinder. Some models only have three reel spinning blades at real great speed, and these variants are able to slash grass that has grown way too long for an ordinary push mower to cut. One model of cylinder mower, now basically out of date, was a power-driven version of the side-wheel push mower, which was utilized on housing lawns. An inner combustion engine placed over the reel housing, and with a use of a belt, it drove the wheels. In turn, the wheels propel the cylinder just like the push mower.

Golf greens are precisely cut by means of greens mowers. These mowers have a cylinder constructed with at least 8, but usually 10, blades. The mower has a roller after and before the cutting reel which smooths the newly cut grass and reduces wheel marks. Because of the weight, the engine drives the mower as well. Much lighter and smaller models of the roller mower are occasionally utilized for minor patches of decorative lawns close to flower beds, and these don’t have engine.

People Also Ask

What’s better, a cylinder or rotary mower?

These are two entirely different types of mowers used for different grass cutting applications. A rotary mower, like most of us have, uses a horizontal blade that spins to cut the grass. A cylinder mower uses a drum with 8-10 blades which rotate with a scissoring action to cut the grass at a very low height to the ground. If you have a very low growing grass, such as bermuda or bent, a reel mower will cut it much closer than a rotary mower.

Are self propelled cylinder mowers available for residential use?

Most self propelled reel mowers are used for commercial applications such as golf course green and fairway maintenance, however there are smaller self propelled cylinder mowers available to homeowners.

Can homeowners purchase battery powered reel mowers?

Many of the top lawn mower brands offer cordless/battery powered reel mowers for residential use. You can find many of these on Amazon.com

Do reel mowers have adjustable heights for the cylinder?

Yes, most have an adjustable height between 12 mm and 42 mm. This is very low, so it will not a typical fescue lawn very well.

Riding cylinder mowers are produced as well. Cutting reels are typically in front of the machine’s main wheels, in order that the lawn can be cut prior to pushing the grass above onto the ground by the wheels. The cylinders are frequently hydraulically powered.

Blade cylinder/reel – made of several (3.7) spiral blades attached to a spinning shaft. The blades spin, making a cutting motion just like of a scissor. Bed knife – is the fixed cutting instrument of a reel/cylinder mower. This is a stationary horizontal blade mounted to the mower’s frame.

Body frame – the mower’s major structural frame onto which other parts of the machine are mounted.

Wheels – these aid drive the mower functioning. Cylinder mowers generally have 2 wheels.

Push handle – the power source of a manually-operated cylinder mower. This is a tough T-shape handle attached to the wheels, blade chamber, and frame.

Motor – a reel mower’s power source powered by electricity or gasoline.

You may be surprised by the variety of reel lawn mowers on the market. Consider their key features to find the best reel mower for your lawn.

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Buying a Reel Mower

A traditional rotary lawn mower uses a flat, spinning blade that cuts grass the way a machete chops tall grass in a field. By contrast, a reel mower (sometimes called a cylinder mower) functions more like a pair of scissors. Blades of grass are caught and cut between the spinning reel (the curved metal that resembles a strand of DNA) and a fixed horizontal blade called the cutting bar.

The resulting clean, precise snip makes for healthier, more attractive lawns. That’s why reel mowers are frequently the machines of choice for golf courses. Reel mowers also require more lawn prep before mowing. Manual and electric models in particular don’t have the force required to cut small sticks and twigs that a rotary mower can easily grind up.

If you’re considering a reel mower purchase, here are some key factors to keep in mind:

Power source. Many people associate reel mowers with manual, push-driven mowers. While these make up the vast majority of reel mowers targeted at residential homeowners, there are also gas-powered, corded electric and cordless electric reel mowers.

Cutting width. Wider reels make big jobs go faster, but make navigating tight spaces more difficult. Keep in mind that on manual reel mowers, the wheelbase is larger than the reel width. You’ll need to overlap your passes slightly and may need a touch-up pass with a trimmer for the edges.

Cutting height. Almost every mower has an adjustable cutting height, but not all have the same range. If you prefer a short or longer lawn, be sure to check the mower’s maximum and minimum height. Reel mowers are most effective when cutting lawns two inches tall or less.

Weight/maneuverability. Lighter mowers are more mobile, but also more likely to react to bumps and divots. That bouncing can result in an uneven cut. The average weight for a manual reel mower is around 20 pounds.

Accessories. Some reel mowers have everything from cup holders to bagging accessories.

Sharpening the blades. Reel mowers need to be sharpened occasionally. For homeowners with smaller yards, a sharpening every year or so might be fine. But if you’re planning on keeping a larger yard trimmed especially short, you may need to sharpen the mower blades a few times each season. You can take the mower to a mower service center for sharpening or DIY it. Always check what kind of sharpening the mower manufacturer recommends.

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Best All-Around Reel Mower

For the best balance between price and performance, turn to a familiar brand: the Scotts 15-16S Reel Mower. With a 16-in. reel width and a cutting height of 1/2- to 2-1/2-inches, this model is sized just right to tackle large and small yards and a wide range of cutting heights. There are no frills and no shortcuts in quality. It’s simply a well-built mower at a competitive price.

The Best Cylinder Lawn Mowers

These days most people opt for a rotary lawn mower over a cylinder model purely out of convenience, but there remains a steady demand for traditional cylinder lawn mowers particularly among those who take their lawn care very seriously. If lawn care is your passion, and you want something resembling a bowls green for a lawn, then a cylinder lawn mower is without doubt the way to go.

What is a Cylinder Lawn Mower?

Unlike a rotary mower which uses a spinning propeller like blade to slice the tips of the grass from above, cylinder lawn mowers use a rotating array or blades (almost like a roller with blades arranged around it) that cut the grass head on, rotating and cutting the grass when the blades pass by a corresponding fixed blade, trapping and cutting the grass. In this respect, cylinder lawn mowers operate more like a large pair of scissors than the brute force and slicing action of a rotary mower, the theory is that this gives far neater and cleaner results. This is certainly true if the cylinder mower is well maintained. With properly sharpened blades a cylinder mower will cut through grass effortlessly, giving uniform results that a rotary mower will struggle to match.

One reason we describe cylinder mowers as best suited to die-hard lawn enthusiasts is that many people will struggle to tell the difference between the cut of a well sharpened rotary mower and a cylinder mower. Of course if this is your area then you almost certainly will know the difference, but it’s important to note that we really are into the realms of seemingly intangible difference.

An area where cylinder mowers come in to their own in a way that’s plain for all to see is in the range of cutting heights they offer, and more specifically how short they enable you to cut the grass. Whereas a typical rotary mower can’t be set to cut any lower than about 2.5cm, you’ll find some cylinder mowers are able to cut as low as 0.5cm! Of course you won’t be able to achieve this straight off the bat, your lawn will need a great deal of work before you can afford to cut it as short as this. You’ll need to make gradual adjustments to the cutting height whilst mowing regularly, perhaps 2 or 3 times per week, but if you do choose this approach a cylinder mower is the correct tool for the job.

Like rotary mowers, cylinder lawn mowers are available in both petrol and electric variants, and uniquely of course, as manually powered models as well. Check out our reviews of roller mowers for sale currently to see if they suit your needs.

Cylinder Lawn Mower Maintenance

As touched on above, for a cylinder lawn mower to function effectively you must be confident that you’ll make sure to keep it well maintained, if you don’t then you could soon have a seized up piece of junk sat in the corner of your garage that’s of no use to man or beast, or if you’re slightly luckier, a poorly performing cylinder mower that can barely compete with a cheap rotary model.

Periodic blade adjustment and sharpening is therefore imperative to maintaining a properly functioning cylinder mower, but of course should you feel that some of these tasks are beyond your skill and ability, there are many good agricultural equipment specialists around who are able to help. What is important however is paying close attention to the manufacturers recommendations so that you are aware of when your mower next requires maintaining.

Electric Cylinder Lawn Mower Reviews

Webb Premier 12in Electric Push Cylinder Lawnmower Review

Cylinder lawn mowers typically aren’t cheap to buy, and whilst this model is no exception, it still falls somewhere in the middle ground in terms of cost compared to other cylinder mowers, particularly petrol models.

In terms of functionality this mower is pretty much a back to basics affair, there are no fancy bells and whistles besides what you’re paying for, which is of course the cylinder blade action. At 12 inches, the blade is the smallest in Webb’s range, and about the smallest on the market, so for a small intensely manicured lawn, this is ideal.

Like other cylinder mowers this has a relatively small grass collection box capacity, at just 32.5 litres, unlike rotary mowers which are typically 4o litres or more. However this isn’t typically a problem, as the ‘little and often’ approach cylinder mowers are designed for means you’ll seldom fill the box in a single session anyway.

The dual front and rear rollers, coupled with the weight of this machine (24.5kg), means that you stand a decent chance of producing professional looking lawn stripes, although of course, not being self-propelled you will need to be prepared to do all the pushing yourself – hopefully not too much of an issue on a flat lawn anyway.

Conclusion

A solid electric cylinder mower that for the most part performs exactly as intended. Some users have complained about the height adjustment mechanism slipping, causing unwitting lawn scalping. How common this is we don’t know, but we would like to think such issues would be covered by the product warranty.

Webb Premier 14in Self Propelled Electric Cylinder Lawnmower Review

A direct evolution of the Webb Premier 12 inch cylinder mower, this 14 inch model offers a larger cutting width, and most importantly, self propulsion to help take some of the strain away from pushing it around. This is particularly important, as at 28kg it’s above the limit of what is considered a reasonable load for a single person to carry, if not push. None the less, should you wish to push the mower under your own steam for any reason, perhaps to achieve greater control over a specific area, then the mower has a ‘non drive’ setting too.

Although designed for larger lawns, some aspects of this mower are very similar to its smaller counterpart, ie it has 32 litre grass box, 22.5 metre electric cable, plus the same range of cutting height adjustment (10-35mm). In some ways this seems slightly odd as you would think the greater cutting capacity and power would warrant increased overall specifications. For the most part though this won’t be a problem, but it might not be a bad idea to invest in an extension lead.

Allett Kensington 35 cm Self-Propelled Electric Lawnmower Review

Sat in the cream of the crop as far as cylinder mowers go, the Allett Kensington 17K is a quality piece of engineering in almost every regard, and it must be said the price tag does reflect this. However you do get both professional quality performance and results for your money, so if you’re really looking to up your game, especially if you have a flat garden that demands the best, then this mower will deliver. Likewise if you run a professional grounds keeping operation, or are responsible for the procurement of equipment used by local authorities or other organisations that carry out professional level agricultural work, such as that carried out on sports grounds and private parks, then this is also an ideal mowing solution.

Despite the price tag this mower is still only really designed for relatively small gardens, but what sets it apart from other models is that it can cut to a minimum height of just 6mm, so if you’re looking for grass to compete with a bowls green, you’ll need a machine of this standard.

To be honest the other specs on this mower are very similar to other electric cylinder mowers, with a 32 litre grass box and 22.5 metre cable, superficially at least this is very similar to cheaper models.

Petrol Cylinder Lawn Mower Reviews

Webb 17in Petrol Cylinder Lawnmower Review

A bigger, beefier option to the electric models, sitting at the lower end of the petrol cylinder mower market is this 43cm model from Webb. At around £100 or so more expensive than the electric models this is actually fairly modest in price, but what it gives you is the level of freedom you’ll need if you are tending to a large area, such as a bowls green, or the greens on a golf course. So as an entry-level machine for the professional user, this is ideal…

Webb Premier 20in Petrol Cylinder Lawnmower Review

For comparison, here’s the Webb 20 inch Petrol Cylinder Mower. Right at the top of cylinder mower spectrum, this is as good as it gets with cylinder mowers. Featuring a 1 litre Kawasaki engine, you can certainly trust that this will deliver when it comes to cutting power, but what other features does it boast?

Well unlike other cylinder mowers this actually comes with a fair-sized grass collection box, at 70 litres, this is more than you’ll probably ever need for a cylinder mower.

Like all the best cylinder mowers this is able to cut a wide range of grass heights, from the 35mm all the way down to the industry standard minimum of 6mm.

Like other high-end cylinder mowers, this model has 3 modes of operation: cut, drive, or cut and drive. At 50kg in weight, you’ll almost certainly need to use the self propulsion mode much of the time or risk serious fatigue, especially given that this is designed for the largest spaces of all.

Conclusion

This one is for real professionals only in our opinion. Unless you happen to own a private estate with exquisite gardens to compete with some of the worlds finest, then you probably won’t be able to justify the rather hefty outlay that this petrol cylinder mower commands.

The best riding mowers: Mow your lawn faster

Up your summer lawn care game with a riding mower that makes for a faster, more eco-friendly mowing experience.

Taylor Clemons is a tech writer and reviewer based near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from Tiffin University in 2011, they spent several years in lawn and garden manufacturing before working on their own (now defunct) game review site, Steam Shovel.

Taylor Clemons is a tech writer and reviewer based near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from Tiffin University in 2011, they spent several years in lawn and garden manufacturing before working on their own (now defunct) game review site, Steam Shovel.

Riding mowers are a popular mower choice for homeowners, especially if you have a big property to maintain every summer. They have cutting decks measuring from 42 to 72 inches, so you can make short work of everything from typical lawns to large properties, like sports complexes and golf courses.

Unlike their push mower counterparts, riding mowers have more features to consider in order to find the right fit for your yard. You can choose either a manual or hydrostatic transmission, so you can set and forget your speed or operate your mower like a car. You can even get riding mowers with cruise control or all-wheel drive for better traction.

While gas engines are far more common among riding mowers, there is a wide selection of battery-powered models if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly solution for lawn care. My pick for the best overall riding mower is the Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP for its 24HP engine, 54-inch cutting deck, and ability to mow up to four acres with a full gas tank. You can keep reading below to find out more about the Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP as well as our other top picks.

Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP

Best riding mower overall

• 24HP engine
• 54-inch cutting deck
• Automatic transmission
• Attachments and accessories available

Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP tech specs: Engine: 24HP Kohler | Cutting width: 54 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic/Automatic | Max yard size: 4 acres

The Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP riding mower is an excellent choice for a variety of lawns. It’s built with a 24HP Kohler engine and a 54-inch cutting deck to let you handle inclines and rough terrain or haul tools, mulch, and potting soil around your property.

The hydrostatic, automatic transmission makes operation similar to a typical car, so you can spend more time actually cutting your grass and less time learning how to drive your mower. With a 3-gallon tank, you’ll be able to mow up to 4 acres at a time.

Ryobi 80V electric riding lawn tractor

Best electric riding mower

• 2.5 acre max range
• Quick-charge batteries
• LCD heads-up display
• USB charging ports

Ryobi 80V electric lawn tractor tech specs: Engine: 80V brushless electric | Cutting width: 46 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic/Automatic | Max yard size: 2.5 acres

Electric riding mowers have become more popular in recent years as homeowners and landscaping professionals look for ways to make lawn care more eco-friendly. The Ryobi 80V electric lawn tractor features a 46-inch cutting deck and enough power to let you mow up to 2.5 acres on a single charge, and you can recharge your mower batteries in as little as 2.5 hours.

This means you can take care of other tasks, like weeding or landscaping, while you’re waiting for your mower to recharge. An LCD screen gives you a heads-up display of run time, battery levels, and reminders to inspect and sharpen your mower blades. It even has two USB ports for charging your phone while you mow.

Toro Titan Max

Best zero-turn riding mower

• Mows up to 7 acres at once
• Highly maneuverable
• 10-gauge steel construction
• Tool-free air filters

Toro Titan Max tech specs: Engine: 26HP Kohler 7000 | Cutting width: 60 inches | Transmission: Dual hydrostatic/automatic | Max yard size: 7 acres

Zero-turn riding mowers are popular with homeowners who have larger properties or lots of obstacles like trees or specialized landscaping. The Toro Titan Max’s exceptional maneuverability and larger cutting decks make quick work of yards up to 7 acres in size, while the 26HP Kohler 7000 engine uses a dual hydrostatic drive for smooth, intuitive operation.

Toro also made regular maintenance a bit more streamlined with tool-free air filters. The deck and mower body are made from tough, 10-gauge steel to stand up to dings, rocks, run-ins, and anything else your lawn can throw at it.

Cub Cadet CC30E

Best compact riding mower

• Battery-powered
• Great for yards up to 1 acre
• Compact design great for small storage areas and narrow spaces
• Push-button cruise control

Cub Cadet CC30E tech specs: Engine: 56V electric | Cutting width: 30 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic/Automatic | Max yard size: 1 acre

Compact riding mowers like the Cub Caded CC30E are great for suburban lawns on the smaller side. The CC30E features a smaller design that is perfect for storing in multi-use sheds and garages or maneuvering through gates and narrow spaces. The 30-inch cutting deck and 56V battery let you mow up to 1 acre (or one hour) at once.

It uses a hydrostatic drive for smooth, intuitive driving while the 18-inch turning radius lets you easily mow around trees and other obstacles. It even features a push-button cruise control, so you can set-and-forget your forward speed and concentrate on mowing around obstacles, as well as staying aware of your surroundings.

DeWALT Z160 Commercial

Best riding mower for large properties

• Mow up to 10 acres
• 5.5 gallon gas tank
• Dual hydrostatic drive
• Great for hills and inclines

DeWALT Z160 Commercial tech specs: Engine: 24HP Kawasaki V-Twin | Cutting width: 60 inches | Transmission: Dual hydrostatic/automatic | Max yard size: 10 acres

The DeWALT Z160 Commercial zero-turn riding mower is designed from the ground up to handle large properties. The 60-inch cutting deck and 24HP Kawasaki V-Twin engine let you mow up to 10 acres at once, making it an almost perfect choice for rural properties or landscaping professionals. The dual hydrostatic drive makes operation smoother, though the twin-stick steering does take some getting used to.

With 22-inch rear wheels, you can easily take on inclines and rolling hills that may be on your property. A 5.5-gallon fuel tank means you’ll spend more time actually mowing and less time refueling. And if you opt for the bagger attachment, you’ll be able to gather up to 11 bushels of clippings before you need to empty.

What is the best riding mower?

I chose the Troy-Bilt Super Bronco XP as the best riding mower you can buy. It features a 54-inch cutting deck and 3-gallon fuel tank, letting you mow up to 4 acres in a single go. The 24 horsepower engine also lets you take on steeper inclines and rough terrain or haul tools and gardening supplies around your property. The hydrostatic drive makes operation similar to a typical car, while an LED display gives you accurate usage hours for streamlined maintenance.

Best riding mower

Cutting width

Transmission type

Ryobi 80V electric riding lawn tractor

Which is the right riding mower for you?

Other than your budget, there are a lot of features and scenarios you have to consider while shopping for a new riding mower. The size of your yard will determine how wide the cutting deck should be, though either a 42 or 46-inch version will be more than enough for most yards.

You can choose either a manual or hydrostatic transmission. A manual model lets you set and forget your speed so you can FOCUS, while hydrostatic models operate more like cars, going faster the harder you press the pedal. This makes them more intuitive to operate but also more expensive.

Zero-turn mowers are designed for mowing in oddly-shaped areas or around lots of obstacles like trees, lamp posts, and lawn ornaments. They’re called zero-turn because they have a zero-inch turn radius; you pivot around either rear wheel for ultra-tight turning.

Buy this best riding mower.

If you need.

A well-rounded riding mower. The 54-inch cutting deck and 24HP engine let you mow up to 4 acres at a time.

Ryobi 80V electric riding lawn tractor

An all-electric riding mower. The electric engine requires less maintenance than gas models, making your lawn-care routine more eco-friendly.

An excellent zero-turn riding mower. Precision maneuvering lets you mow around trees, landscaping, and other obstacles with ease.

A compact riding mower. The 30-inch deck and smaller build make this riding mower perfect for smaller suburban lawns.

A riding mower that can handle larger properties. This commercial-grade, zero-turn riding mower lets you cut up to 10 acres at once.

How did we choose these riding mowers?

I used to work for MTD Products (now owned by BlackDecker), which assembles a variety of lawn mowers, snow blowers, and other powered lawn equipment. Using the expertise and knowledge I gained during my time there, I looked for riding mowers with these qualities:

• Motor size: You’ll want a riding mower with at least a 10HP engine to give you enough power to handle minor inclines and lawns up to half an acre. Larger riding mowers like the John Deere Z530M have more powerful engines, often topping out over 20HP to let you tackle rough terrain and even haul equipment.
• Cutting width: Many riding mowers have either a 42 or 46-inch cutting deck, which is great for lawns between.5 and 1.5 acres. However, if you have a large, multi-acre property, you’ll want to choose a larger cutting deck. Many brands have options between 50 and 72-inch cutting decks.
• Transmission type: The less expensive riding mowers will have either a 6 or 7-speed manual transmission. This means you will use a dedicated lever to set your engine’s forward and reverse speeds, with a single brake pedal for stop control. The more expensive models feature a hydrostatic drive, which operates in a similar way to an automatic transmission in a typical car or truck.
• Accessories: Lawn care goes beyond regular mowing. I chose riding mowers that have the ability to hitch small trailers or wagons for hauling tools, mulch, or potting soil. I also chose mowers from brands that make after-market add-ons, like rear bagging units for collecting grass clippings, mulching kits for re-feeding lawns, and snow plows for year-round use.

How do you decide which riding mower to buy?

Assuming you have a budget in mind, the first thing you need to do is find out how big your lawn is. You can either find your lot size on your memorandum deeds if you’ve bought your house, or you can check your city’s website to see if you can request lot measurements if you’re renting. If your lot measures about an acre, you’ll be able to use a 30 or 42-inch cutting deck without any issues. For lawns up to two acres, a 42 or 46-inch deck is ideal. And if your lot is over two acres, you can get a mower with up to a 72-inch cutting deck to handle larger areas.

The transmission type is also important. Many newer models have what is known as a hydrostatic drive. This means that they operate similarly to how a car drives: You push the pedal and it moves forward or backward. And the harder you push, the faster you go. This makes it easier to learn how to drive, but that also makes the mower more expensive. stripped-back models have variable speed manual transmissions, which allow you to set and forget your speed so you can FOCUS on paying attention to obstacles and people who may be nearby.

And finally, you’ll want to consider the power source for your new riding mower. Gasoline engines are far more common, but there is now a wider variety of battery-powered models to choose from. The perks of a gas engine are that you’ll get near-infinite run times (as long as you have enough fuel to keep the engine going) and a bit more power for handling steep inclines and rough terrain. The downsides are dealing with exhaust emissions and maintenance that can be a time and money sink. Electric models don’t need engine maintenance, so you save a bit of money in the long run. But they usually have a maximum run time of about an hour, which means that you may have to plan your mowing over several days if you have a larger yard.

How big of a yard do I need for a riding mower?

Riding mowers are best suited for yards measuring one acre or larger. A model with a 42-inch cutting deck is great for mowing up to two acres, so if you have more land than that, you’ll want to spring for a 46, 54, 60, or 72-inch cutting deck.

If you’re right on the threshold, you can get what’s known as a mini rider. They usually have compact bodies for easier storage and 30-inch cutting decks to make short work of lawns that are just a touch too large for a push mower.

How long should a riding mower last?

No matter if you choose a gas or battery-powered riding mower, proper maintenance is key to extending the life of your mower. For gas engines, you should change the oil and filters, clean the spark plugs, and sharpen the blades before you mow for the first time in the spring. And you should use fuel treatments like STA-BIL to prevent gas in the tank or extra jerry cans from going bad from moisture contamination. This prevents buildup of gunk that can ruin your engine, improves engine performance, and gives you a cleaner cut for a healthier lawn.

Electric mowers don’t need engine maintenance, but you should perform thorough inspections at the start of mowing season to check for battery damage, corrosion on battery contacts, damage to the battery housing, and also to sharpen the blades. If you do regular maintenance, not only will you save money by avoiding big repairs from worn-out parts, but you can also expect your riding mower to last 10 years or more.- which is great news, since they can be an expensive investment.

What is the cheapest riding mower?

Unfortunately, riding mowers aren’t ever really what we consider budget-friendly. However, there are models like the Murray MT100 that retail for less than 2000 without sacrificing power or cutting width.

Are there alternative riding mowers worth considering?

Whether you’re shopping at a big-name DIY store like Lowe’s, a local hardware store, or an authorized brand dealer, there are tons of options for a new riding mower. You can choose either gas or battery-powered models, cutting deck widths from as small as 30 inches to as wide as six feet.

Here’s a short list of other riding mowers I thought were great choices:

John Deere Z530M

The John Deere Z530M features a 60-inch cutting deck for making quick work of large properties. Exceptional maneuverability lets you mow around trees, lawn decor, and other obstacles with ease.

Husqvarna YTH1942

The Husqvarna YTH1942 features an updated, 19 horsepower engine and 42-inch cutting deck to take on inclines and haul dirt, mulch, and gardening equipment.

Murray MT100

For under 2000, you’ll get a 13.5 horsepower engine, a 42-inch cutting deck, and a 6-speed manual transmission with the Murray MT100.