How to avoid costly mistakes when selecting your lawn tractor

www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com

© m a r t i n c o l e a n d l a w n - t r a c t o r - b u y e r s - g u i d e . c o m

The Lawn Tractor Buyer’s Guide

How to avoid costly mistakes when selecting your lawn tractor

Martin Cole

http://www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com



The Lawn Tractor Buyer’s Guide

Martin Cole

First Edition 2011

Published by Garden Publishing

[email protected]

DISCLAIMERThe author used all reasonable endeavors to produce a high quality and informative document, based upon his own knowledge and research. The contents represent his own ideas, conclusions and opinions based upon that knowledge and research. However, no representations or warranties of any kind whatsoever are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information within this document. The author, the publisher and lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com, whether jointly or severally, shall not be liable in any way whatsoever for any loss or damage caused by the use, misuse or inability to use any or all of the information in this documents. By using this document, you agree to do so on the terms stated within this disclaimer and entirely at your own risk.

COPYRIGHTThe contents of this document are protected by worldwide copyright treaties and the copyright resides in Martin Cole and lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com. You may re-distribute this document but only in the form in which it is published and only in its entirety with all hyperlinks intact and working.Except, as stated in the previous paragraph, no reprinting, copying, re-distribution, transmission, hosting or display of the contents of this documents is permitted except with the express written permission of Martin Cole.


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Table of Contents

.......................................ABOUT LAWN TRACTOR BUYERS GUIDE! 5

.................................................................................INTRODUCTION! 8

................................................................................TERMINOLOGY! 11

.......................................................................................................Lawn Tractors! 11

.............................................................................................Riding Lawnmowers! 12

...................................................................................................Garden Tractors! 13

................................................................................................Zero Turn Mowers! 14

........................................................................................................Yard Tractors! 15

...........................................................................................Riding Lawn Tractors! 15

..................................................................................................Other Definitions! 16

.....................HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MACHINE FOR YOU! 18

........................................................................................What is your lawn like?! 20

..................................................................................................................Terrain! 23

..........................................................What do you want your lawn tractor to do?! 26

...........................................................How much money do you have to spend?! 29



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.........................................HOW TO COMPARE LAWN TRACTORS! 31

..................................................................................Engines and Engine Power! 32

........................................................................................................Transmission! 35

.....................................................................................................................Drive! 37

................................................................................................................Steering! 37

.........................................................................................................Cutting Deck! 38

..................................................................................................Grass Discharge! 38

..................................................................................FINAL WORDS! 42

.........................................................................................APPENDIX! 43

...................................................................................................Buying Checklist! 43



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ABOUT LAWN TRACTOR BUYERS GUIDE

Hello and thanks for downloading the Lawn Tractor Buyer's Guide from

www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com. I think, for simplicity's sake, we'll just

call it ʻthe guideʼ from now on.

Before we get started I'll introduce myself and the Lawn Tractor Buyers

Guide website, so you know who and what you're dealing with.

My name is Martin Cole. I come to

lawn tractors from the perspective of

a gardener and a user of garden

tools rather than from the

perspective of a technician. I have a

background in both horticulture and

law (an odd mix, I admit) and plenty

of experience in writing and in home and garden renovations (another odd

mix).

I started Lawn Tractor Buyers Guide when I decided that I wanted to write

about gardening related topics and that doing so online was the way to go.

If you know anything about the online world, you'll know that it's pretty

pointless to just dive in to a great big topic like gardening and expect

anyone to listen to you. So, instead, I decided to find an aspect of the topic

I could start with and maybe work on from there. I therefore drilled down



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from gardening via lawns, lawn care and lawn mowers and eventually

found myself in the wonderful world of lawn tractors. And, in no time, Lawn

Tractor Buyers Guide went live online.

Since starting the site, Iʼve been continuing to add more and more content

and trying to ensure that it is and will always be a valuable resource in the

lawn and garden arena. This guide is part of that strategy and is intend to

provide even more value to the readership.

Hopefully, that little bit of background explains why the general approach I

try to take at www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com is a non-technical one.

Although the approach may be non-technical, it is still thorough. The core

aim of Lawn Tractor Buyers Guide is is to simplify the information that is

presented so that it can be understood by all-comers, but not to over-

simplify so that it is of little value.

In fact, the site operates from the perspective of the person (perhaps a bit

like you) who might want to buy a lawn tractor or zero turn mower, but

wants to find out as much practical information as they can about the

different kinds of machine, the different models and the various tools or

attachments available, before parting with any hard earned cash.

I believe that most (although admittedly not all) readers are not hugely

interested in the mechanics of how a technical process, such as a



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transmission, works. Instead, most want to know what it actually does,

whether it will suits their needs and whether it is likely to provide good

value for money. I try to provide that sort of information on the site and

that is also the approach that I've taken in putting together this guide.



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INTRODUCTION

So, how is this guide going to help you avoid costly mistakes when

selecting your lawn tractor? The answer is that it will give you a

framework to help you direct your research towards the machines that are

most likely to meet your requirements. And why might you need help with

that?

Well, for a start, how many different lawn tractor and riding mower models

do you think are available on the market today? What would your guess

be? 50? 100?

Well to be perfectly honest with you, I don't know for sure myself. Models

come, models go and, frankly, life is a bit too short to count them.

However, what I do know is that at the time of writing, one manufacturer –

Craftsman - lists 34 different models on its website.



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Craftsman 19.5-42 lawn tractor





How many major manufacturers are there? Maybe 15 -20. If we take 15

manufacturers and estimate that they have, say, 20 models each, that

means there are around 300 different models on the market. And that's

just in the USA. There are different manufactures and different models in

the UK, Australia, Europe and so on.

The point is that if you are in the market for a lawn tractor or riding mower

it is not at all easy to know where to start when trying to determine which

model to go for.

In fact, one of the biggest and costliest errors that buyers make when

choosing lawn tractors is to buy a machine that isn't really suitable for the

conditions on their property. Since these are big ticket items, you need to

get this right and this guide will help you do that.

The guide develops some of the key advice from the website and

combines it with some further tools and information in order to provide you

with the ultimate resource to help you make the right choice of lawn tractor

or riding lawnmower.

Now, therefore, you have a big advantage in your search for the right lawn

tractor because the guide will help you find a way through the mower

maze and lead you towards a machine that's right for you.



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Now, a word about the terminology used in the guide. There are genuine

differences between lawn tractors, riding mowers and zero turn mowers

which I deal with below. Nevertheless, despite those differences and for

the sake of brevity and unless I'm specifically referring to one of those

individual categories of machine, I will use the term 'lawn tractor' in the

guide to cover all the different ride on machines. I'll also use the word

'lawn' to cover any area of your land where you need or want to keep the

grass mown.

As in all industries, there is a fair bit of jargon in the world of lawn tractors.

There is also a degree of confusion over how things are referred to and,

despite everything I said above about being non-technical, there are some

technical terms that we need to get our heads around so that certain other

things can make sense. So, it is for those reasons that I'm going to kick

off the guide with a few words about .... lawn tractor terminology.



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TERMINOLOGY

Although the American Society of Agricultural Engineers has set out a

standard form of categorisation of 'ride-on lawn mowers', there certainly

isn't universal agreement about what these machines should be called in

practice. There especially seems to be some overlap between what gets

called a Lawn Tractor and what gets called a Riding Lawn Mower, even

among the manufacturers and retailers. So, in this section I will run

through the differences between the different types of machine, so you can

have as clear an idea as possible about what is being referred to when the

various different descriptions are mentioned.

Lawn Tractors

The most obvious thing about a lawn tractor, as you can see from the

example below, is that it actually looks a bit like a tractor. The rear



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Craftsman 24-42 lawn tractor





wheels are bigger than the front wheels and the engine is at the front. A

lawn tractor's cutting equipment (or deck) is mounted in the middle of the

machine and it will generally be more powerful but in some cases less

manoeuvrable than a riding lawnmower. Some lawn tractors will accept

attachments, such as an aerator or garden tiller.

Riding Lawnmowers

You need to be aware that this description (along with 'riding mower' or

'ride on lawnmower', which is generally used in the UK) is very often

applied to any kind of mower that you ride on as you mow - which makes

sense if you think about it.

However, that means that the term riding lawnmower is sometimes used to

describe a machine that should properly be called a lawn tractor.



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Weed Eater One riding lawn mower





The basic distinguishing feature of a true riding mower is that its cutting

deck may not be detachable and will be mounted at the front, while its

engine will be located in the middle or at the rear. I tend to think that the

Weed-Eater riding lawn mower is a good example of this class of ride-on.

Garden Tractors

Garden tractors are like lawn tractors but more powerful. They are raised

higher off the ground and, as well as cutting the grass, can accept lots of

attachments and carry out a lot of different tasks, especially ground-

engaging tasks.

You could, for example, use a plow, digger, snow blower or backhoe with

one of these machines.



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Simplicity Legacy garden tractor

http://toolshed.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com/weed-eater-lawn-mowers-the-weed-eater-one/

http://toolshed.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com/weed-eater-lawn-mowers-the-weed-eater-one/





A garden tractor will be equipped with an effective power take off (PTO)

which is the means by which the power of the tractor engine is used to

drive other implements, such as the digger on this Simplicity Legacy.

Zero Turn Mowers

Zero turn mowers are quite different from the others. They are more like

riding mowers than lawn tractors but are usually steered with levers (or lap

bars) that allow each rear wheel to be controlled independently, thus

allowing the machine to turn without leaving any uncut grass.

The best zero turn mowers will give a faster cut than a lawn tractor or

riding mower on flatter areas and, especially on areas with lots of trees,

garden beds or other obstacles that have to be mown around.



14

John Deere Ztrak zero turn mower





Just to further add to the confusion, Cub Cadet has relatively recently

introduced a range of zero turn lawn tractors – which pretty much do what

it says on the tin, i.e. they are essentially lawn tractors, with zero turn

capability. Cub also, in the UK at least, has a zero turn mower which is

steered with a traditional steering wheel rather than lap bars.

Yard Tractors

This term isn't used that often, but if there is a distinction, it is that yard

tractors fall somewhere between a lawn tractor and a garden tractor. The

yard tractor has more power and more accessories than the lawn tractor,

but is not quite as big and versatile as a garden tractor.

Riding Lawn Tractors

'Riding lawn tractors' is just a combination of terms used by some

manufacturers (especially Cub Cadet – what is it about those guys?)

rather than a different type of machine, but it's generally used to mean a

lawn tractor rather than a riding mower.



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Other Definitions

You'll also find the following terms referred to a lot as you trawl through

this guide and the website, so it will help to have a good understanding of

what they mean.

Mowing Deck or Cutting Deck

The structure which houses the mower's cutting

blades.

Discharge Method The means of disposing of the cut grass. Cut grass may be discharged from the deck straight to the side or to the rear of the machine, it may be retained within the deck and chopped finely and deposited back onto the lawn as mulch, or discharged to a side or rear collection bag.

Four-Wheel Steer A steering mechanism whereby all 4 wheels are turned at the same time by means of the steering wheel.

Four-Wheel Drive Where power is delivered to drive all four wheels at once.



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Power Take Off (PTO) A driveshaft that allows attachments and accessories to be powered from the tractor's engine.

Power Train Generally used to refer to the components that generate power and deliver it to the wheels, i.e. the engine, transmission, driveshafts or belts and differentials.

Transmission The means by which the power from the engine is transmitted through the drive components to turn the tractor's wheels and attachments, such as the cutting blades.



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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MACHINE FOR YOU

As we saw in the Introduction, there are perhaps around 300 lawn tractors

on the market, maybe more, maybe less. But, whatever the number, the

simple question that most people want the answer to is: which is the best

one?

Surely, if I'm the guy with the website on the subject, I must know.

So, instead of dragging this guide out over another 20 pages, why don't I

just get it over with now and tell you? You can then go to the nearest

dealer or jump online and order one (maybe even through my site) and we

can all go home happy.

Unfortunately, things are not that simple and here is why:

There is no such thing as the best lawn tractor ...

all there is, is the best machine for you.

You may think this is a statement of the obvious. In some ways it is, but it

is also the most important piece of advice in this guide. I urge you to keep

it in mind because the web is full of consumer reviews where people are

complaining that the machine they bought doesnʼt do what they want it to



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do. In many cases, this is because they didnʼt properly think about what

they would want the machine to do before they bought it.

The point is that all potential purchasers have different conditions, different

budgets and different requirements from their machines. That is why there

is such a bewildering array of machines on the market.

Manufacturers simply wouldn't make so many differently configured

models if the same basic machine would suit pretty much everybody.

Think how much more profitable it would be if they only needed one set of

machine tools, one production line and the same basic parts for every

model that was produced. It would probably also mean that prices would

come down considerably too.

Unfortunately, as far as prices are concerned, but fortunately in every

other way, the lawns and gardens of the world are as varied as the people

who nurture them. So the tools that those people require have to meet

that infinite variety of demands.

With all that in mind then, how do you go about working out what might be

the best lawn tractor for you?

In my view, you need to ask yourself the following 3 fundamental

questions:



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• What is your lawn like?

• What do you want your lawn tractor to do?

• How much money do you have to spend?

What is your lawn like?

Different machines are better suited to different conditions. Therefore in

looking for the best lawn tractors, you need to think about the specific

conditions of your land. There are two principle factors to consider - size

and terrain.

Size

Put simply, the bigger your lawn, the bigger (in terms of power and cutting

width) your lawn tractor needs to be.



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Is your lawn the size of a golf course?





If you think about it, the main reason you are likely to want to use a lawn

tractor is because of the size of the area you need to cut. Once you have a

lawn beyond a certain size (which will vary according to individual

tolerance), it will take you too long or it will be too physically demanding to

cut your lawn with a walk behind mower, even a self-propelled one.

One of the ways the lawn tractor cuts the time involved in mowing is by

having a significantly wider cutting deck than a walk behind mower.

Therefore more ground is mown with each pass of the mower.

It follows, therefore, that the larger the area that needs to be mown, the

wider the lawn tractor cutting deck needs to be in order to ensure that the

job can be done in the shortest possible time.

Cub Cadet (at www.cubcadet.com) provides the following estimates to

give you an idea of the potential time to be saved by choosing a wider

cutting deck, based on mowing a 2 acre lawn:



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SIZE OF DECK CUTTING TIME % TIME SAVED

42 inch 2 hours -

46 inch 1 hour 48 mins 10%



Table 1. Time savings arising from increased deck size





But there is also a relationship between the size of the area concerned

and the engine power that the best lawn tractors for that area will need to

have, mainly because the wider the cutting deck, the heavier it will be.

The following table provides a general guide to the appropriate engine and

cutting deck sizes for particular land sizes.

Please note there is some overlap between the categories as there are no

firm delineations. This is a general guide only and, as we point out below,

there are a number of other factors that may mean that the guidelines

don't precisely apply.

As a general rule of thumb, the size of the engine will generally be related

to deck size, as follows:

Table 2. Area, deck size and engine power ratios



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AREA DECK SIZE ENGINE POWERHalf an acre to one acre

(2023 m2 - 4046m2)38 to 42-inches (106.7cm) 12 to 17 horsepower

One to two acres

(4046m2 - 8092m2)42 to 46 inches (106.7cm

to 116.8cm) 15 to 24 horsepower

Two to three acres

(8092m2 - 12138m2)46 to 52 inches (106 .7cm

to 132.1cm) 24 to 27 horsepower

More than 3 acres 48 inches ( 121.9cm) plus

27 horsepower plus





So, the wider the cutting deck and the larger the area, the more powerful

the lawn tractor will need to be in order to do the work involved in covering

the ground with the mower deck over a prolonged period.

But the work that the lawn tractor has to do will be determined not only by

the size of the area involved but by that area's terrain as well. The best

lawn tractors for some kinds of terrains may not be suited at all to other

kinds of terrain.

Terrain

By terrain, we are essentially talking about all the characteristics of the

lawn, other than its size. You can determine the relevant characteristics of

your terrain by asking the following questions:

• Is the ground flat or hilly?

• If it's hilly, how hilly - what gradient are the slopes?

• Is the ground bumpy, rutted or otherwise uneven?

• Are there areas that are prone to being boggy?

• Is the grass often damp and/or particularly lush?



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• Are there lots of obstacles to mow around, such as trees, rocks,

flowers beds etc?

• Are there tight spaces or areas that require tight turns?

These kinds of characteristics are going to have a big impact when it

comes to working out which lawn tractor will be best for the conditions in

question.

You therefore need to think very carefully about the extent to which the

characteristics of your terrain are likely to affect the ability of a lawn tractor

to cover the ground. In broad terms:



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Perfect for a zero turn or 4 wheel steer model (and for my daughter to run around on)





The more challenging the the terrain, the more powerful the lawn

tractor will need to be and/or the more you are likely to need it to

have special features.

Here are some examples:

• If you have one and a half acres of sloping, boggy and uneven land,

you are likely need a tractor with more power than if you have the

same area of flat, unobstructed and well drained land;

• If the terrain is particularly testing, the best lawn tractor for the job

may be a 4 wheel drive model;

• If the grass is often damp and/or lush you may need a more

powerful machine to cut it. You will also need to avoid getting a

machine with the kind of bagging or collection system that can get

blocked by cuttings from damp grass. A simple side discharge or

mulching deck may be the answer in that case;

• If you have a nice clear rectangle of open land, you may not need a

machine with a particularly tight turning circle;



25





• If you have a lot of obstacles and tight spaces, you may need a 4-

wheel steer model or even a zero turn mower or lawn tractor.

What do you want your lawn tractor to do?

I suppose the real question here is - what, if anything, do you want your

lawn tractor to do - apart from cut your lawn?

If the answer to that question is 'nothing', then it simplifies your choice.

You then just need to choose from among the best lawn tractors, within

you budget, that are suitable for the for your lawn's size and terrain as

discussed above.



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This kind of terrain demands power and good traction





If you think you might want your lawn tractor to do a bit more than just

mow your lawn, it complicates things a bit, but also introduces lots of

exciting options.

To get an idea of the potential that some of the best lawn tractors have,

take a look at the range of attachments available in the Lawn Tractor

Buyers Guide store.

You should therefore think carefully about what other tasks you might need

to use your lawn tractor for - both now and in the future. You then need to

ensure that you choose a machine that is capable of doing what you want

it to do now or what you might want it to do in due course.



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A typical lawn tractor tow cart

http://toolshed.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com/store








To determine whether the lawn tractor can carry out other tasks, you have

to consider:

• If it has been designed to be able to accommodate the appropriate

attachments or accessories, e.g whether it has the right anchor

points, power take off (PTO) shafts or towing hitch; and

• If it has the engine power and robustness to do the job in question.

Most reasonable sized lawn tractors with the correct fittings will be able to

tow a fertiliser spreader or a cart full of logs or lawn clippings.

The real test comes when you want to carry out 'ground engaging tasks'-

like digging, plowing or moving soil or aggregates. If you want to use the

attachments necessary for that kind of work, you undoubtedly need to



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Simplicity garden tractor




invest in the kind of lawn tractor that is made for the job - i.e. it has the

power and robustness to perform those tasks comfortably.

Remember, you need your lawn tractor to last so you do not want to be

pushing it beyond the limit of its capabilities week in week out.

How much money do you have to spend?

You could spend anything between $700 - $10,000 on a riding mower or

lawn/garden tractor and like most of the good things in life, the best

models come at a price.

Generally, as engine size and mowing width increases, so do the prices

charged. But there are other factors that affect price :

• Where you buy - a dedicated dealer may be more expensive than a

discount or big box DIY outlet. Then again, you are likely to get

more personal attention, advice and additional services at the

dedicated dealer.

• Quality - some lawn tractors, especially engines and transmissions,

are just better made than others and designed for longer life.

Hydrostatic transmissions in particular may vary quite considerable

in smoothness of operation and longevity. Axles can also be a good

indicator of quality. The better quality machines will often have cast



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iron or forged axles whilst lower budget machines may have steel,

welded axles.

• Reliability, parts and service - reliability will often come down to the

overall build quality, which is likely to be reflected in price. Similarly

it is often easier to obtain parts and service for the higher cost

premium machines because it is more economically viable for the

manufactures to maintain the appropriate infrastructure to support

these services where the revenue generated from sales is greater.



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HOW TO COMPARE LAWN TRACTORS

So, choosing the best lawn tractors involves first of all assessing your

own requirements and circumstances - your lawn, the tasks you want

carried out and your budget. If you don't do this, you could end up with the

equivalent of a Ferrari for doing the school run in.

Only once you have done this, should you think about the different types

and models of lawn tractors.

One of the difficulties for the buyer is that it is hard to pick out the

important details from the avalanche of information that the manufacturers

publish about their lawn tractors. You'll see lots of exclusive features and

detailed specifications and you'll be invited to marvel at various proprietary

trade-marked systems that will apparently change the face of lawn mowing

as we know it.

What you might not see, however, as you try to compare lawn tractors, is

the same degree of emphasis on a particular feature given by one

manufacturer as is given by another. You may not even see the same

words used to describe what is basically the same thing.

To help you cut through the the jargon and marketing speak, these are the

main features you probably need to pay attention to:



31





Engines and Engine Power

The power that the engine delivers is measured in horse power (HP) or

(Hp). The greater the horse power, the more powerful the engine. In broad

terms lawn tractor engines may range from about 10hp to 30Hp.

The more powerful the engine, the more the lawn tractor can:

• Work on larger areas

• Cope with slopes, hills, uneven and unsound terrain

• Drive bigger cutting decks

• Use more attachments and, in particular, attachments that are

'ground engaging' e.g. diggers, plows etc.

A lawn tractor engine can vary considerably in design, type, price and

quality. There are a number of engine manufacturers that operate in this

market, but probably the best know and most well regarded are Briggs and

Stratton, Kohler, Tecumseh, Honda and Kawasaki.

Single cylinder engines



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The smaller lawn tractors and riding mowers are generally equipped with a

single cylinder air-cooled gasoline

engine with a vertical crankshaft

design.

An air-cooled engine relies upon

the heat which the engine

generates being dissipated through

fins on the engine casing when air

is blown across them by a fan. The

vertical crankshaft generally means that the mower deck is directly driven

by means of a belt.

Multi-cylinder engines

Larger lawn tractors tend to have two or more cylinders with a horizontal

crankshaft.

Multiple cylinders (especially

where there are three cylinders)

generally lead to smoother

operation of the engine.

The horizontal crankshaft means

there is a more direct mechanism

to drive the tractor, and hence



33





more power is delivered, but there is usually a more complex arrangement

to drive the mower deck.

Multiple cylinder engines have more power than single cylinder ones but

have more parts that can fail.

Liquid cooled engines

Large lawn and garden tractors are likely to have a liquid-cooled, multi-

cylinder gasoline or diesel engine. The liquid cooled engine has a pump

which circulates water through the engine block and a separate radiator.

The water is cooled as it passes through the radiator and circulated back

through the lawn tractor engine. This system is more expensive than air

cooling but can lead to longer engine life by keeping engine temperatures

more consistent.

Diesel engines

Diesel engines may be more costly and are often noisier and dirtier than

gasoline engines. However, they can be more reliable and have a longer

working life. Diesel fuel may also be available much more cheaply,

especially where untaxed fuel is permitted for use off-road. The diesel

lawn tractor engine may therefore be the most economical, if available on

the model that suits your circumstances.



34





Transmission

A lawn tractor engine has to drive not only the wheels of the lawn tractor

itself, but also the mower deck (and any other powered implements that

may be attached to the tractor).

The mower deck has to run at a constant high speed in order to be able to

cut grass efficiently. However, the lawn tractor itself has to be able to run

at various speeds in order to be able to start, stop and maneuver in the

ordinary way.

These different demands are accommodated by means of the Lawn

tractor's transmission. Therefore the transmission is one of the most

important lawn tractor components.

There are generally three types of transmission used on lawn tractors.

Hydrostatic Transmission

This type of transmission provides the best means of lawn tractor control

and allows infinite speed adjustment in moving forward and in reverse and

generally makes for easier maneuvering.

Hydrostatic transmission operates by means of a hydraulic pump linked to

a hydraulic motor which drives the lawn tractor wheels. It is operated by

hand levers or foot pedals.



35





The downside of hydrostatic transmission is that it is expensive - it

increases the initial cost of the lawn tractor and leads to less fuel efficient

operation - and it can be high maintenance, especially in keeping the

system clean.

Gear Transmissions

A geared transmission on a lawn tractor is much like a manual

transmission on a car. There may be a number of forward gears, together

with a reverse gear.

The gears are operated by a lever and clutch mechanism - either a

mechanical clutch or a belt system and are often combined with the axle

into a 'transaxle'.



36

Most of the better models, like this John Deere X748, feature hydrostatic transmission





Gear transmissions are usually reliable and efficient and are a relatively

low cost option in terms of initial outlay and relevant replacement parts

Belt Transmission

This is the simplest and cheapest transmission system and is pretty

effective on lower powered tractors.

Drive speed is controlled by a belt system between crankshaft and drive

wheel mechanism. No separate clutch is needed.

The belts are adjusted by control levers operated by the driver so as to

slow or increase the speed of the lawn tractor. Belt drives can be variable

speed or fixed speed or associated with 2-5 gears.

Drive

Lawn tractors may have two wheel drive or 4 wheel drive, i.e. power is

delivered from the engine via the transmission mechanism to turn the rear

two wheels or all four wheels. As with cars and other vehicles, greater

stability and traction can be achieved with 4 wheel drive systems

Steering

Most lawn tractors have front wheel steering, again like the typical car

arrangement. Some have power steering which mean that the engine

indirectly powers the steering, making it much lighter to operate.



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Some lawn tractors, like the John Deere x304 have 4 wheel steering. This

means all 4 wheels turn in response to a turn of the steering wheel. This

enables the lawn tractor to turn more tightly than a standard two wheel

steer model.

Cutting Deck

Cutting decks house the cutting blades. In most lawn and garden tractors

they can be detached. With cutting decks, the points to look out for are:

• The type and quality of the material they are made from (e.g. steel,

thickness of steel)

• The number of cutting blades (more blades means potentially more

efficient cutting)

• Size, i.e. width of deck. Width of deck determines how wide a

swathe of lawn can be cut in one pass of the tractor. The wider the

deck, the less times the tractor has to go up and down the land and

therefore the quicker the job can be done.

Grass Discharge

Most lawn tractors discharge the grass to the side of the cutting deck. This

means that the grass clippings are left on the lawn which can look untidy.

If the clippings are to be directed to a collection bag, which may come as

standard or as an optional extra, there may be a pipe or chute through



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http://www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com/John-Deere-x304.html

http://www.lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com/John-Deere-x304.html





which the clippings travel. With wet grass especially, this can sometimes

get clogged.

As an alternative to side discharge, there are some rear discharge

tractors. These discharge clippings behind the lawn tractor and, if linked to

a collection system, may have less mechanism to get clogged up than the

side discharge tractors.

You will also read that many lawn tractors have a mulching capacity. But

what is mulch and what does mulching mean?

Mulch is basically any material laid on cultivated ground to help prevent

weeds, to aid fertility, to help soil structure and/or to encourage moisture



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Cub Cadet side discharge model





retention. There are therefore many different types of mulch, but grass

clippings or shredded garden prunings are often used.

The mulching mower deck has blades that finely chop grass clippings into

mulch, so that they can be deposited back onto the ground that has been

mown. This accomplishes several things. Firstly, the decomposed

clippings can return nutrients to the soil and aid moisture retention.

Secondly, there is no need to collect the clippings which, on large areas, is

often impractical given the amount of clippings produced. Thirdly, the finely

chopped mulch does not look untidy in the same way that un-mulched

grass clippings can.

Some lawn tractors may have a dedicated mulching deck that has to be

fitted to enable mulching to take place. Other decks can be converted to a

mulching deck by the addition of a plate to blank off the side or rear



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Cub Cadet rear discharge model





discharge outlet, thus retaining the clippings within the deck until they are

finely chopped and deposited as the tractor moves on.



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FINAL WORDS

Even the cheapest riding mowers and lawn tractors represent a

substantial purchase. The top of the range models approach the price of a

small car. Itʼs therefore vital that you research your choice thoroughly

before buying.

This guide, and indeed the Lawn Tractor Buyers Guide website, aims to

help simplify that research task and point you in the direction of the

different factors you need to consider.

If there is one message that I have for lawn tractor buyers it is this:

First and foremost work out what you need based upon you own personal

requirements and the demands of the area you are going to be working

on. By being very clear about this, you can narrow down your search

pretty quickly and then focus on the finer specifications, prices and

available offers for the relevant models.

Whether you approach the choice from the point of view of a gardener

(like me) or from a more technical perspective, this approach should serve

you well.



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http://lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com

http://lawn-tractor-buyers-guide.com





APPENDIX

Buying Checklist

Ask yourself these questions about your own requirements:

• What size do I have to mow?

• What is the terrain like?

! - Hilly, boggy, flat, empty, full of obstacles, tight turns?

• How much do I have to spend?

• What, if anything, do I want the machine to do apart from mow the

grass?

! - Pull carts, sprayers or spreaders, cultivate, dig, bulldoze?

Consider these features when comparing lawn tractors to buy:

• Engine - power, manufacturer, number of cylinders, cooling system;

• Transmission - hydrostatic, geared, belts;

• Drive - 2 wheel, 4 wheel drive;



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• Steering - power steering, 2 wheel or 4 wheel steer, zero turn, zero

turn with steering wheel or lap bars;

• Cutting Deck - width of deck, material made from, number of

blades;

• Grass Discharge - side discharge, rear discharge, mulching;

• Attachments and accessories - availability and suitability for those

you need.



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How to avoid costly mistakes when selecting your lawn tractor

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