Toro TimeCutter Z4200

Professional reviewers and homeowners agree that the Toro TimeCutter Z4200 hits the sweet spot among zero-turn mowers: excellent performance and ease of handling at a reasonable price. It's not the biggest or most powerful zero-turn mower, but the 42-inch deck outperforms bigger decks for even cutting. Owners say it can cut mowing time in half, compared with regular lawn tractors. The Toro Z4200 can move up to 7 mph, and its zero-turn steering means it makes turns without leaving any circle of uncut grass to go over again. The only drawback is that, like other zero-turn mowers, it's not safe on slopes steeper than 10 degrees. If you have a hilly lawn with lots of obstacles, reviews recommend the John Deere X304 (*Est. $3,600) instead.

We found the most objective tests of the Toro TimeCutter Z4200 at ConsumerReports.org, where it's compared with eight zero-turn mowers, including a more powerful (and expensive) Toro. Owner-written reviews at HomeDepot.com add more details, and some of these reviews are based on more than one season of use. (ConsumerReports.org has also tested this model for several years in a row.) The review at MowersDirect.com carries less weight because this is the first year the editor has covered lawn tractors -- but his recommendations of other products have been right on the mark.