Ride-on lawn mowers: lawn tractors, zero-turn mowers & front mowers

If you have a large property, you can easily spend several hours mowing the lawn, especially with a walk-behind mower. A ride-on lawn mower is often quicker and more convenient. With ride-on lawn mowers, even large areas can be mowed in a time-saving and, above all, effortless manner. For this reason, ride-on mowers are not only very popular with private individuals, but also with professionals and are used to mow sports fields, for example. But which lawn tractor is suitable for which area? That depends on a number of different criteria.

What types of ride-on lawn mowers are there?

Not all ride-on mowers are the same: In fact, there are now numerous designs and models, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. Riding lawn mowers are differentiated according to two criteria in particular: The design and the drive. In terms of design, a distinction is generally made between classic rider, lawn tractors, zero-turn mowers and front mowers. In terms of drive, a distinction can be made between the classic engine with diesel or petrol as fuel or electric ride-on mowers with a battery.

Rider

The rider is the smallest type of mobile lawn mower. In contrast to the lawn tractor, this has its engine positioned under the driver's seat, while the front only has a simple steering column. The mower deck is also positioned centrally under the vehicle, similar to the lawn mower tractor. With a cutting width of approx. 55 cm to 100 cm, ride-on mowers are generally narrower and have less power than lawn tractors, but are also cheaper. They are therefore particularly suitable for gardens or plots between 1,000 m2 and 3,000 m2, where the purchase of a larger lawn tractor is not yet worthwhile.

Lawn tractor

The lawn mower tractor is often the typical model when you think of a ride-on mower. The design is reminiscent of a small compact tractor: the engine of the lawn tractor is installed at the front in front of the driver, the mower is usually located under the driver's seat. This arrangement makes it possible to install larger engines in lawn mower tractors. Another major advantage is the versatility of use that can be achieved in combination with various attachments. For example, the lawn tractor can easily be used in winter with a snow blade to clear the yard or with a trailer as a transport vehicle. The lawn mower tractor has particular disadvantages when it comes to winding gardens and plots of land. Here, it is less maneuverable and less manageable than a zero-turn or front mower.

Zero turn mower

So-called zero-turn mowers are becoming increasingly common, particularly in professional green space maintenance. The name itself indicates the special feature of this ride-on mower: Zero-turn mowers are able to turn on the spot, making them extremely maneuverable. This is particularly useful in winding lawns, e.g. inner-city green spaces or traffic islands, and can significantly reduce mowing time. Another special feature of zero-turn mowers is that the ride-on mowers are driven and steered via their rear wheels and usually have two driving levers instead of a steering wheel. However, this is also a disadvantage of the zero-turn mower: if one of the drive wheels loses traction, e.g. on steep or uneven terrain, steering ability is immediately negatively affected. In addition, there are hardly any attachments such as snow blades for zero-turn mowers on the market, which makes them less flexible in use.

Front mower

front of the machine so that you always have it in view. This means that front mowers can be maneuvered with particular precision and are therefore ideal for mowing angled lawns. The forward-mounted mower deck also makes it easier to mow under overhanging bushes and trees. In addition, front mowers are often equipped with articulated steering, making them even more maneuverable. This enables front mowers to mow in places that cannot be reached by a lawn tractor, e.g. close to trees and bushes, under garden benches or in narrow places. Front mowers are often equipped with a mulching system, which shreds the clippings particularly hard and distributes them across the lawn. These systems are, however, susceptible to blockages if the grass is too long or wet. However, there are also front mowers with rear discharge and grass collector.

What types of drive are there?

In addition to choosing the type of lawn mower tractor, you should also consider which fuel you want to run the ride-on mower on. There are usually three different options: Riding mowers with combustion engines that run on either petrol or diesel, or lawn mowers with modern battery technology.

Ride-on lawn mower with gasoline engine

The petrol engine is the most popular type of ride-on mower: It is considered powerful and robust and is therefore ideal for most applications. It can also be refueled in a short time using a canister - a huge advantage compared to an electric drive, especially for very large lawns or municipal work. In contrast to ride-on mowers with electric drive, they are also often more powerful, more robust and can be used for larger areas.

Ride-on mower with diesel engine

Ride-on mowers with diesel engines are particularly popular when there is a demand for good power. As a rule, they have much better traction and more torque than comparable gasoline engines. This ensures that they can be used where lawn tractors with petrol engines can no longer get any further. This makes them particularly suitable for very large plots of land, municipal work or in garden and landscape maintenance. Similar to petrol engines, diesel engines can also be refueled in just a few minutes, making them suitable for long periods of use. As a rule, lawn tractors with diesel engines are slightly more expensive to purchase than petrol engines.

Battery-powered ride-on lawn mower

More and more companies are also offering electronic ride-on mowers. The advantages are obvious: battery-powered lawn tractors are more environmentally friendly and, unlike combustion engines, do not produce any emissions. They are also particularly quiet in operation and many maintenance tasks, e.g. oil changes, are no longer necessary. However, cordless ride-on mowers are often less powerful than lawn tractors with diesel or petrol engines and are not suitable for very large lawns due to their limited battery life.

Which cutting width do I need for which lawn area?

The cutting width is an important factor to consider when buying a ride-on lawn mower. If you choose a cutting width that is too narrow, the time required for mowing will increase enormously. If the cutting width is too wide, the price-performance ratio may no longer be viable, and corners and narrow areas may not be mowed properly and you may have to rework them by hand. To select the right cutting width, you should be guided by two guidelines: Area size & area division. The area size can be based on the guide values listed below. However, the same applies to the area distribution: For angled areas with many obstacles or narrow sections, the cutting width should tend to be slightly smaller. Large, straight-cut areas (e.g. sports fields or parks), on the other hand, are better suited to a wider cutting width.