Lawn mowers come into their own in late spring. For the next few months, a lawn mower may be your most-used garden tool And while you are more likely to find a scythe or a genteel reel mower in our garden shed than a fuel-powered riding mower that boasts zero turn radius (ZTR to aficionados), if we had a bigger lawn we’d be on board.
But for a large expanse of turf—say a half acre or more—a riding lawn mower is the most practical choice. It’s also a substantial investment, with prices for riding lawn mowers ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. How to choose? “Buying a riding mower can be more confusing that buying a car!” notes Top 9 Rated, which compares models based on such features as “deck and engine size, transmission type, turning radius, power” and more.
How to choose? We started by reading Top 9 Rated, Popular Mechanics, and the Consumer Reports comprehensive Riding Mower Guide to find out about different models’ features and reliability ratings.
Here are 10 riding lawn mowers to consider, including some that earned top marks from reviewers:
- Trend Alert: Mowing the Lawn with a Scythe.
- Clean Mowing: Reel Mower Roundup.
- 10 Easy Pieces: Scythes.
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