Lawn Tractors Reviews

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 also 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 lawn mowers take fewer attachments but maneuver quicker around obstacles.

We found the best and most current review of both lawn tractors and zero-turn lawn mowers at Consumer Reports, which rates and ranks models every year based on objective tests during many weeks of mowing. This year's review rates and ranks eight zero-turn mowers plus 17 lawn tractors, including two Cub Cadet iSeries lawn tractors that combine the best features of both types.

HowStuffWorks.com also rates both zero-turn mowers and regular lawn tractors, providing more detailed reviews, but doesn't rank the models or put them through objective tests. Popular Mechanics does test lawn tractors thoroughly but less often. The UK Telegraph tested lawn tractors in 2007, but most of the models aren't available in the United States. 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 show any evidence of testing.

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 non-permeable materials for the fuel hose and tank, plus a carbon canister to absorb emissions and return them to the engine.

The EPA has proposed similar requirements for the other 49 states (where engine emissions can now be 50 percent higher than in California), but the requirements will be implemented no earlier than 2011. We found quite a few lawn tractors that can't be sold now in California. We also found that manufacturers are making their lower-emissions lawn tractors available only in California and the bordering states of Oregon, Nevada and Arizona -- frustrating for those in other states who'd like a less polluting mower. 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, that'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.

Reviewers say that paying more for a lawn tractor in a higher-end series may 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. $3,500) is built for heavier-duty use than the John Deere LA series of lawn tractors. But when it comes to performance, tests show that the John Deere LA115 (*est. $1,650) outperforms the more expensive John Deere LA145 (*est. $2,000) in the same series, especially when it comes to 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, since reviews say two-bladed 42-inch decks usually mow more smoothly than larger three-bladed decks.

Some brands such as John Deere usually rank higher in reviews than others for performance, and have better average repair records as well. Another company, American Yard Products (AYD), which is owned by Husqvarna, makes lawn tractors branded as Craftsman, Husqvarna or Poulan; these models usually rank in about the middle. MTD brands generally fare worse for reliability; these include Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, White, Yard-Man and Yard Machines.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Note that the same manufacturer makes Craftsman, Husqvarna and Poulan lawn tractors, which usually rank in the middle both for performance and reliability. The 46-inch Cub Cadet iSeries ZTT 46 is recommended in two reviews, but the 42-inch model performs better in comparison tests. Both the John Deere X304 and LA115 are included in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers as best in their price and class ranges. The Toro TimeCutter zero-turn mowers are better rated than others.