Choosing A Ride On Mower

A ride on mower can be an expensive item to buy, so you want to make sure you get something that is correct for your requirements. This article lays out the things you need to think about before you buy.

The Lawn

The first thing to consider is the lawn or area you will be cutting. In general the larger the lawn you need to cut the larger you want the cutting width. This makes sense, but you need to consider other things too – are there narrow spaces you’ll need to get through, between trees or through gates for example. You will need to ensure that the ride on mower you choose will be able to fit through the smallest of gaps on your cutting area. If your lawn is very large you’ll also need to consider the storage capacity of the mower (if you’re planning on collecting the grass).

Another consideration is the terrain of the area you’ll be mowing. If it’s steep in places you’ll need a mower with more power, and you’ll also want a studier model if you will need to turn the mower on the slope.

The Mower’s Home

You will need to think about where the mower is going to be stored during most of it’s life whilst not being used. Do you have enough room to keep the mower without taking off the collection bag, if it has one? If you don’t are you willing to remove it every time you put it away? Is there somewhere to easily turn the mower or would you have to reverse down a long driveway to get it in it’s home?

Leaving your mower outside under a waterproof sheet or shelter is not recommended. Not only will it not be guarded against the elements you also increase the risk of the mower being stolen if it’s not hidden from view. A building (shed, outhouse, etc) is always recommended.

How often will you use your mower?

The number of times the mower will be used throughout a year will need to be considered. Someone who has a large area of grass that only wants to trim it a few times a year will probably not want to spend the same amount of money as a professional groundsman who will be using the mower once or twice a week.

Grass collection

If you want your ride on mower to collect grass whilst cutting you will want to purchase one that has been specifically designed to do so. Some mowers also have the feature to be able to add on a grass collector if required.

If you are happy to allow the grass clippings back onto the lawn there are a couple of options. Firstly you can buy a “side discharge” mower, which, as the name suggests, discharges the cuttings out the side of the mower. This is useful because it takes the cuttings away from the blades where wet grass can clump together and cause blockages.

Mulching is another option you may want to consider. Once the grass has been cut from the ground, mulching basically cuts the grass up again into tiny pieces before it is put back onto the lawn. The advantage of this is that these small pieces decompose quickly, and return a large amount of nitrogen back into the lawn.

For more information on safety and maintaining ride on mowers click the link.