Lawn Tractor Review

Lawn tractors and riding mowers

If your lawn is larger than about half an acre, most experts recommend lawn tractors and riding mowers over regular lawn mowers. (For smaller lawns, see our report on walk-behind lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers.) In addition to mowing, lawn tractors can pull garden carts and useful attachments like lawn aerators. Some can pull tillers or be fitted with a plough blade, further extending their functionality beyond the lawn. Zero-turn mowers are just for mowing, but maneuver so quickly around obstacles that they often cut mowing time in half.

The best and most current reviews of lawn tractors and zero-turn lawn mowers are at ConsumerReports.org, which rates and ranks models every year based on objective tests during many weeks of mowing. The 2009 review rates and ranks nine zero-turn mowers and 22 lawn tractors, including a new Craftsman zero-turn tractor that combines the best features of both types. The 2008 and 2007 tests by Consumer Reports are also valuable because they cover quite a few additional brands and models that are still available.

Tests at Family Home and Garden, a German magazine, cover a longer time span and more varied terrain, and compare eight high-end lawn tractors capable of mowing several acres. The clear winner, the John Deere X304 (*Est. $3,600) is available in the United States. The same lawn tractor also earns top ranking in 2007 comparison tests by the London newspaper the Telegraph.

ConsumerGuide.com also rates zero-turn mowers and regular lawn tractors, providing more detailed reviews and covering less expensive models, but it doesn't rank the models or put them through objective tests. Popular Mechanics does test lawn tractors thoroughly but less often. Consumers Digest recommends specific lawn tractors and one zero-turn mower in an article that provides news on the latest mower technology but doesn't give any evidence of testing.

Even lawn tractor reviews that do test models rely partly on owners' reports to judge each model's reliability over years of use. Experts say an average lawn tractor lasts for about 250 hours of mowing time, but some brands and models prove more reliable than others. Reliability is important for any mower, but it's especially important for lawn tractors because it's not easy to take them in for repair, and replacement parts can sometimes take weeks to arrive. This makes owner-written reviews of specific models especially useful because some owners report on their experiences after several seasons of use. The Sears, Home Depot and Lowe's websites all publish owner-written reviews.

New electric lawn tractors

None of these review sources covers the new battery-run lawn tractors, and the jury is out on their performance, ease of use and durability. Electric lawn tractors aren't a brand new phenomenon; the discontinued GE Elec-Trak, sold later as the Wheel Horse, still has devoted fans. There is one positive review of the 48-volt Electric Ox (*Est. $8,950), but it's expensive.

The lower prices on several new electric lawn tractors are more attractive. Other electric tractors on the market include the Hustler Zeon (*Est. $6,500) and the Whisper Mow (*Est. $5,000), both with 42-inch mowing decks. Priced more competitively, the 38-inch Ariens AMP (*Est. $3,300) is a welcome option.

Sold by The Home Depot, the Ariens AMP comes with a 34-inch deck -- narrower than most lawn tractors -- and mows about 1.25 acres per 16-hour charge. It's quieter than a gasoline-fueled lawn tractor, and Ariens estimates that it saves $120 a year on fuel -- if gas costs $3 a gallon. (Consumer Reports mower expert Peter Sawchuck says that the average lawn tractor uses about three gallons to mow an acre.) Keep in mind, though, that the AMP's lead-acid batteries will eventually need replacement.

Cost aside, electric lawn tractors are much better for the environment. Close up, the user has fewer fumes to breathe. On a larger scale, electric tractors pollute less and contribute less carbon to the atmosphere. Progress is being made in lowering engine and fuel emissions from gas lawn tractors, but it's slow going.

In 2008, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Tier III emissions requirements came into force for all riding lawn mowers sold in that state. In addition to lowering air-polluting emissions from engines, the new rules reduce evaporative emissions of gasoline fumes (including benzene, a known carcinogen) by 73 percent. New lawn tractors sold in California use nonpermeable materials for the fuel hose and tank, and a carbon canister to absorb emissions and return them to the engine.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing similar requirements for the other 49 states (where engine emissions can be 50 percent higher than in California); the requirements are to be implemented no earlier than 2011. Meanwhile, it's hard to find low-emissions (CARB-certified) lawn tractors outside California and its neighboring states. In some cases, the California (CARB-certified) models cost more, but for many models the price is the same.

When the price is the same, it's a clue that the lawn tractor is probably CARB-certified under the "400 rule" that lets manufacturers sell lawn tractors in California that don't really meet the new standards, as long as fewer than 400 lawn tractors that use the same fuel system are sold in the state.

Bigger and more expensive lawn tractors aren't always better

Reviewers say that paying more for a lawn tractor in a higher-end series might get you a sturdier, more durable engine and frame, but paying more for a lawn tractor in the same series won't necessarily give you better performance. For example, the John Deere X304 (*Est. $3,600) is built for heavier-duty use than the John Deere LA series of lawn tractors. But tests show that the John Deere LA115 (*Est. $1,750) outperforms the more expensive John Deere LA145 (*Est. $2,100) in the same series for cutting evenly and bagging clippings.

In addition, reviews say that engines with higher horsepower don't necessarily give better performance, and an overpowered engine can sometimes stress a lightweight frame. Extra-large mowing decks aren't necessarily a big advantage either. Reviews say two-bladed 42-inch decks almost always mow more smoothly than larger three-bladed decks.

Brands such as John Deere usually rank higher in reviews for performance, and they have better average repair records. Another company, American Yard Products (AYD), which is owned by Husqvarna, makes lawn tractors branded as Craftsman, Husqvarna or Poulan; these models usually rank about the middle. MTD brands generally fare the worst for reliability; these include Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, White, Yard-Man and Yard Machines. Toro also outsources its residential lawn tractors to MTD.

It's been said by people commenting on Internet forums that John Deere lawn tractors sold at big-box stores are not as well-made as the same models sold at independent Deere dealers. To dispel this idea, John Deere and Home Depot say tractors with the same model number are identical, no matter where they're bought. The only difference might be that a dealer definitely registers the warranty with John Deere. If you buy a John Deere tractor at a big-box store, you might have to register the warranty yourself.