The Best Riding Lawn Mowers Make Maintaining Giant Properties a Breeze

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If your property has a yard that spans more than half an acre, then you know a walk-behind lawn mower simply isn’t big enough to keep your grass trim all spring and summer. Unless you want to spend a few hours out of every weekend mowing your acre-sized lawn, you should invest in a riding lawn mower that could cut your grass-trimming time in half.

Riding lawn mowers vary quite a bit from model to model: From small rear-engine mowers for one-acre yards, to lawn tractors for larger lawns, and zero-turn lawn mowers for NFL-length fields to mow.

Any model, regardless of your needs, is an expensive piece of heavy machinery. You don’t want to rush into a purchase without figuring out if you’ll get exactly what you need. Luckily, we’ve put in our fair share of miles on these large yard machines and can help you find the best riding mower for your lawn.

Best Riding Lawn Mowers

• Best Overall: Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro LT46

• Best Value: Troy-Bilt 30 in. 10.5 HP Briggs and Stratton Engine 6-Speed Manual Drive Gas Rear Engine Riding Mower with Mulch Kit Included

• Best Lawn Tractor: Craftsman T2200 Hydrostatic Turntight Riding Lawn Mower

• Best Rear Engine: Ryobi Brushless 30 in. Electric Rear Engine Riding Mower

• Best Zero-Turn: Toro 42-inch TimeCutter

• Best Mid-Size Lawn Tractor: John Deere S100 Lawn Tractor

• Best for Large Yards: Cub Cadet Ultima Z1 50 in. 23 HP Zero Turn Riding Lawn Mower

What to Consider When Picking a Riding Lawn Mower

Types of Riding Lawn Mowers

There are three types of riding lawn mowers to choose from–rear engine, tractor, and zero-turn. Picking the right one for you largely depends on the size of your green space and your budget, but there are important technical distinctions among them and it pays to know one from another.

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Deck Width

Riding lawn mowers have a steel frame called a mower deck, that sits between the axles near the ground and holds the mower blades. The width of the deck determines how wide a swath of grass the mower cuts with each pass.

Ideally, you want to look for a riding mower that allows you to cut your grass in about an hour to an hour and half. A deck width of around 30 inches will allow you to cover about an acre in that time. Move up to a larger mower with a 42-inch deck for yards up to 1.5 acres. Finally, upgrade to deck size of 50 inches or more for any property larger than 2 acres.

Engine

A riding lawn mower is a piece of heavy machinery, which means it is only as good as the engine that drives it. A riding lawn mower engine powers both the blades in the mowing deck and the wheels that propel the mower forward. A mower with a powerful engine will cut a crisp lawn quick and clean. An underpowered one will drive slowly and require more passes to get your grass sharp and even.

When looking at a riding lawn mower, pay attention to the engine’s horsepower. An 11- to 15-horsepower engine can adequately power a mower with a 30-inch deck. For mowers with decks between 41-46 inches, you should look for no less than 16 horsepower. For the largest mowers, with decks between 52-60 inches, you want an engine capable of producing 22-24 horsepower.

Fuel Types

The majority of riding lawn mowers are powered by gas engines, but there’s been an increasingly large surge of battery-powered riding mowers making their way onto the market, especially as states consider bans on gas-powered yard machines. California claims it will phase out the sale of gas powered engines for lawn mowers and other yard equipment by 2024. Other states like Rhode Island and an increasing number of local municipalities may follow suit.

Battery-powered mowers offer low-maintenance motors that don’t require oil changes. They are also better for the environment and run at lower noise levels. As with other outdoor appliances, though, battery-powered mowers lack the raw power of traditional gas-powered riding mowers. Gas-powered lawn mowers produce about twice as much torque as their electric counterparts.

Charging time is also a potential issue. Battery-powered mowers can run for a couple of hours on a single charge, then need to charge for a full day before their next cut. Most gas-powered riding lawn mowers will last for the same two hours on a single tank of gas, but you can fill them back up in a few minutes and keep on going.

Transmission

As with cars, a lawn mower’s transmission is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the drive wheels. Riding lawn mowers do this either through a manual or hydrostatic transmission.

Just like a car with a stick-shift, a riding mower with a manual transmission features a clutch and requires you to change the gears manually as you speed up and slow down. Unless you already prefer it in a car, going manual may impose a bit of a learning curve, and may be a challenge if you need to execute a lot of turns or travel up and down steep hills while you mow.

Like a car with an automatic transmission, mowers with a hydrostatic transmission don’t require you to shift gears to change speed, making it much easier to operate than a manual transmission. Unfortunately, a hydrostatic transmission is treated as a luxury feature by riding lawn mower manufacturers. They usually cost hundreds of dollars more than similar models with manual transmissions.

If your lawn is wide and flat, with few features to avoid, you may find it worthwhile to save some money and learn how to use a manual transmission mower. If you have rolling hills, trees, gardens, or water features to cut around, the hydrostatic transmission will likely be worth the higher price.

Seating

If you have a yard or field large enough to warrant spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a riding lawn mower, chances are that you’ll spend a pretty long time mowing. If you care about your back (and your backside), you should make sure that you’ll be able to sit comfortably on your mower.

Look for a riding lawn mower with a thick padded seat. It should also have coil shock absorbers to cushion the ride and a high back that provides lumbar support. Some riding mowers also include such creature comforts as armrests and cup holders, which definitely come in handy if you’re tending to a larger area.

How We Evaluated The Best Riding Lawn Mowers

To recommend the best riding lawn mowers, I relied on my personal experience with riding lawn mowers and Popular Mechanic’s decades of testing and research. We have tested some models (or their predecessors). The recommendations that haven’t been hand-tested were selected after we thoroughly evaluated their design, promised performance, features, and cost. We also checked consumer reviews from major yard machine retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Amazon to see what mower owners had to say about each model.

The Cub Cadet XT1 has everything we look for in a lawn tractor. It’s equipped with a 46-inch deck, it’s large enough to handle vast lawns–up to two acres–but keeps a manageable turning radius of 16-inches, so you can navigate around trees and landscaping beds without too much difficulty.

With a 23 horsepower engine, it’s more than powerful enough to keep the blades spinning at high speed. The hydrostatic transmission makes speed changes easy, and a push-button cruise control system allows you to rest your right foot on longer straightaways.

The adjustable deck features 12 cutting height options so you can decide just how low you want to cut the grass. It also has a deck cleanout that lets you rinse grass out of the mowing deck underside by simply attaching a garden hose to a connection on its top.

If you’re looking for a bargain priced mower to handle yards up to an acre then look no further than this rear-engine model from Troy-Bilt. Its 10.5- horsepower engine powers a 30-inch mowing deck that comes equipped with a mulch kit. It has a small turning radius of just 18 inches, making it easy to maneuver around tight spaces. Yet, it comes equipped with larger wheels than you typically find on a rear-engine mower, ensuring you won’t get slowed down by uneven terrain, steeper grades, or soft soil.

Yes, this gas-powered rear-engine mower relies on manual transmission, but it has a Shift-on-the-Go feature that allows you to change speed without clutching or stopping. And given its low price tag, you won’t mind the extra work required to maneuver through its six gears. At just 30 inches wide and about 5 feet long, this mower is compact, making it easier to store in your garage or shed.

Craftsman’s T2200 strikes the right balance between size and maneuverability. It sports a 42-inch deck, making it capable of mowing up to 1.5 acres in an hour. Yet, it’s still capable of maneuvering around yards peppered with trees and landscaping, thanks to a surprisingly tight turning radius of just 5 inches.

Under the hood, a 19.5-horsepower Kohler engine provides plenty of giddy-up to power both deck and drive wheels. It’s equipped with a hydrostatic transmission for smooth speed changes and gives you 12 height options for cutting grass. There’s also a brush guard that protects the front end of the tractor.

Craftsman also includes some nice extra touches, including a high-back cushioned seat and a soft-touch steering wheel. Its ability to mow large lawns in a timely manner while still being nimble enough to navigate around obstacles makes the Craftsman a great all-around lawn tractor.

A powerful 50Ah 40-volt rechargeable lithium-ion battery and three brushless motors give this Ryobi riding mower more power and a better runtime than your average rear engine model. It has enough juice to cut grass for up to an hour on a single charge, which the manufacturer estimates should be enough time for up to an acre of coverage.

It can reach up to 5 mph and comes equipped with a 30-inch deck that fits through a standard fence gate. At under 6 feet long and just 41 inches wide, it’s also generally compact, and should fit in a shed or garage with room left over for a spreader, wheelbarrow, and other yard tools.

The Ryobi has a 16-inch turning radius, so you can easily maneuver it around trees, plantings, and other obstacles around the yard. The low-maintenance battery-powered design coupled with the comprehensive controls make it a great option for those with 1/2-acre to 1-acre sized yards.

You won’t find yourself spending hours mowing the yard with Toro’s aptly-named TimeCutter. Most 42-inch zero-turn mowers feature 16 to 20 horsepower engines, but the TimeCutter brings the power (and speed) with a larger 22 horsepower engine. You can mow faster without having to worry about compromising the quality of cut.

Toro also equips this mower with its proprietary Smart Speed feature, which allows you to adjust the mower’s maximum driving speed to either 4- or 7-mph. The high range lets you zoom over long flat stretches of grass, while the slower setting gives you time to maneuver around trees and flower beds. You’ll get a smooth ride at any speed thanks to Toro's MyRide suspension system.

Plus, Toro equips this mower with some attractive additional features, including a front step-through that makes it easier to get off the mower when you need to clear away errant branches and toys from the mower’s path, cup holders for drinks and an under-seat cubby for storing work gloves or a pair of sunglasses.

This John Deere is an affordable and durable lawn tractor with a solid cast-iron front axle and 17.5-horsepower engine to mow, mulch, and bag on any terrain. The deck adjusts between 13 settings for a custom cut height between 1- and 4-inches. Plus, there are plenty of compatible add-ons like a mulch kit, bagger, front bumper, and tow-behind spreaders and other tools.

In addition to these features, the S100 offers a reasonable 18-inch turn radius, separate gas pedals for forward and reverse, and comfort conveniences like an adjustable seat, cup holder, and small storage compartment.

Cub Cadet has a reputation for building high-end lawn mowers with cushy cockpits. Case in point, the Ultima Z1 features a seat suspension system that absorbs shock over rough terrain and has ergonomic hand grips that make it a dream to drive.

It doesn’t skimp on power, either: Its 23-horsepower Kawasaki motor allows it to hit speeds of up to 7.5 mph. The hydrostatic transmission makes it easy to control your speed. The 50-inch Aeroforce Deck can handle properties of up to 2.5 acres or more, and it blows the grass clippings over a larger area, so you don’t end up with clumps of cut grass strewn about the lawn. It’s a huge riding mower, so it may not be a great fit for intricate lawns with lots of features to avoid, but it’s the perfect pick if you have a lot of grass to cut.

Q+A with Lawn Expert Tony Carrick

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