Best Lawn Tractors

Better lawn tractors can handle the widest range of attachments

One reason you might opt for a lawn tractor instead of a cheaper riding mower is multitasking. Lawn tractors can accept attachments, including optional baggers, tillers, carts and sometimes snow blades, in order to expand their functionality. Lawn tractors are typically better at handling sloping lawns, and they tend to be more stable for larger riders than lighter-duty riding mowers.

The John Deere X304 (*Est. $3,600) lawn tractor continues to earn high marks for build quality, capability of handling attachments and performance. Four-wheel steering provides extra maneuverability. This unusual feature, combined with a 15-inch turning radius, means the X304 leaves a circle of uncut grass (at the end of a row) with a radius of about 16 inches when the deck has a 42-inch cutting width. (This is the deck size reviews recommend for the most even cutting.)

In a detailed comparison review, Family Home and Garden, a German publication, gives top ranking to the John Deere X304, based upon ratings of 16 different factors. Editors there praise the tight turning radius and four-wheel steering, noting that this gives the X304 a big advantage in mowing close to obstacles. A detailed comparison review in The Telegraph, a U.K. newspaper, also ranks the John Deere X304 at the top.

The 2011 John Deere X304 lawn tractor meets EPA emissions limits and uses an 18-horsepower V-twin engine, an upgrade from the 2010 model. The basic X304 doesn't meet the strict emissions limits regulated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), however -- so to buy this John Deere lawn tractor in California you need the more expensive CARB-certified version (*Est. $3,900). It doesn't cost much more to get it with a 48-inch deck (*Est. $3,940), but wider decks don't earn the highest ratings for evenness of cut.

The 46-inch Snapper NXT2346 (*Est. $2,600), a newer lawn tractor than the John Deere X304, not only meets CARB standards but is available in all other states as well. The Snapper lawn tractor lacks the convenience of four-wheel steering, and tests show that it doesn't bag as effectively as the John Deere X304. Otherwise, the Snapper NXT2346 performs in comparison tests just as well as the Deere tractor. MowersDirect.com (a retail site that posts its own reviews, as well as those of users) also recommends this lawn tractor.

The Snapper offers some attractive features, including LED headlights (rated for 100,000 hours) and a mesh suspension seat. The Snapper NXT2346 has push-button start (instead of key start), and the operator can adjust the cutting height electronically. The turning radius is just 14 inches. If you mulch or side-discharge clippings and don't want to spend the extra money to get four-wheel steering, the Snapper NXT2346 lawn tractor is well worth considering.