6 best riding lawn mowers, according to experts
Based on experts’ advice, we rounded up some of the best riding lawn mowers for bigger yards.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly solution to maintain a smaller yard, this compact option from Troy-Bilt offers a 30-inch deck that’s enough for yards of one acre or less. Keep in mind this does have a manual transmission — which the brand calls Shift-on-the-Go transmission — that lets you choose between six speeds and adjust it accordingly using a lever.
This zero-turn mower from Toro has the largest cutting width of all the options on this list at 60 inches wide, making it an efficient option for larger yards that are five acres and larger. The brand says this mower’s large cutting width can cover yards with obstacles up to seven acres, and its high maximum speed of 8.5 mph makes it the fastest option we recommend. For comfort, this mower features a high-back seat with armrests and foam-padded levers with hand grips.
This electric riding mower from Weibang can be great for households with medium lawns, according to Ronnie Collins, a botanist and gardening blogger for Electro Gardening Tools. This mower features a 30-inch cutting width, an adjustable seat and a pair of maneuverable front wheels — and at 309 pounds, this is the lightest option on our list. “It’s more expensive than most commercial riding mowers with gas engines and broader cutting widths, but the benefits for households with limited storage space and [its] low-maintenance construction let it win easily,” Collins said.
This Cub Cadet riding lawn mower features a 50-inch-wide cutter, a steel frame and a 23H twin engine by Kawasaki. The mower is “best suited for uphill lawns thanks to the extra power from the engine and its lower height,” said Hill. It also features dual hydrostatic transmissions that let the mower accelerate up to 7.5 mph moving forward and up to 3.5 mph in reverse. Cub Cadet also makes an electric version of this model in case you're looking for the benefits of an electric unit.
Since riding lawn mowers can largely vary in size and function, it’s important to consider which features work best for your lawn before splurging.
As we reported in our guide to lawn mowers, the cutting width of a lawn mower measures the size of the strip the machine can cut in a single pass — the wider the cutting width is, the less time it’ll take to mow your lawn. Ideal cutting width varies from 30 inches to 42 inches for one acre of grass to at least 60 inches for five acres of grass, according to McKenzie. “You can actually get by perfectly well with 36 inches on up to two-acre lawns,” he added.
The width also correlates to the number of blades within the cutting deck: Smaller tractors can have one blade, while typical lawn tractors and ZTR mowers usually have two or three blades.
Though a wider cutting width can speed up the mowing process, McKenzie noted that it can also limit a machine’s mobility. He added that in some cases, “you’ll need an extra small self-propelled lawn mower to finish narrow spaces and slopes that are too steep for your glossy ride.”
Many riding lawn mowers are gas-powered, meaning they require gasoline to operate. Others, meanwhile, are electric and use a battery-powered motor that needs to be charged. Though gas riding mowers are more durable and typically better suited for large lawns, Hill cautioned that they’re usually much louder than their electric counterparts and are less eco-friendly since they emit fumes.
Electric riding mowers can be cheaper and easier to maintain since they don’t require purchasing or changing out the engine oil, among other upkeep requirements. However, electric riding mowers do have their downfalls: Their functionality is limited to the amount of time they can be used in a single charge — if you have several acres of land (or simply forget to charge the battery), the power may not be enough to cut your entire lawn in one sitting.
The type of transmission on your riding lawn mower can determine the machine’s speed and dictate how it handles different backyard conditions, including mud and inclines. Manual transmission provides a set number of speeds — you select the one you want by using a lever and clutch. These are primarily found in older lawn tractors — similar to older cars — and can be useful for people who are accustomed to using a gear stick or can’t control speeds as easily with the pedal.
Hydrostatic transmission, also known as automatic transmission, is the default type for most riding lawn mowers and lets you shift gears automatically by pressing down on the pedal. This type tends to last longer — according to Mckenzie, it “requires the least maintenance and [has] the smoothest performance.”
As experts noted, the size of your lawn will determine whether you should invest in a riding lawn mower — it’s usually not worth it for homeowners with less than half an acre. However, the type of terrain can also affect how the mower is used. A lawn tractor will work well on any relatively flat lawn and on landscapes with a lot of uneven sectors, especially if it features a steering wheel that provides more control. If you have a relatively flat yard with obstacles like rocks and gravel, “a ZTR will probably show better results as it can turn 360 degrees on a small spot and pivot at sharp angles,” McKenzie said.
Your riding mower should also have an engine that matches the size of the yard, experts told us. Since lawn tractors are usually the largest type, they can provide “enough power to quickly treat two acres to five or more acres,” said McKenzie. For smaller areas, you can use a lightweight single-cylinder engine ZTR, which is usually more affordable. Two-cylinder engines — called V-twin engines — in ZTRs are more powerful than single-cylinder engines and provide less vibration, making them quieter and more comfortable. Riding mowers with V-twin engines are recommended “for large yards with two to five or more acres,” said McKenzie.
NBC Select writer Mili Godio covers multiple topics spanning gardening and landscaping, from push lawn mowers to garden shears. For this story, Godio spoke to multiple lawn care and landscaping experts about how to shop for riding lawn mowers and why they can be useful for homeowners. Based on their guidance and recommendations, Godio reviewed the features of highly rated riding mowers from popular brands like Troy-Bilt, RYOBI, Toro and Husqvarna.
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