Ride on mowers

Buying a Ride on Mower

If you have half an acre of lawn take a look at the small ride on mowers and if you have over an acre take a look at the the larger machines.

This guide helps you find the best ride on mower

In this guide we take you through the options when buying a ride on mower, the options to consider, and reviews of websites where you can buy ride on mowers.

Where to buy?
Cutting deck size
Grass collectors
Things to consider
Cheap ride on mowers
What is a lawn tractor?

Small ride on mowers are available for lawns as small as half an acre

Cutting deck size

It is not just a case of buying the largest cutting width you can afford. The size of garden, any gates the mower has to go through and manoeuvrability required (maybe around trees, bushes, beds) should all be considered.

Ride on mowers tend to have a cutting width in the range of 25 to 32 inches (lawn tractors tend to come in the 32 to 50 inch range).

Grass collectors

Grass collectors on the smaller ride on mowers tend to be at the back. Some also come with mulching options that will spray the finely cut grass back on to your lawn.

Some things you may want to consider

- Does it have Electric key start?

- Number of gears (forward and reverse)

- Engine size

- Storage (get a cover if you don't have somewhere dry to store it)

- Single or twin blades

- Cutting heights (nearly all have variable cutting heights but if you have a specific requirement do check)

- Width (not just the cutting deck size) if you need to get it through any gates

- Hand and foot controls (You can get some models with hand only controls)

- Environmental impact

This might sound obvious but a ride on mower will need filling with petrol

Cheap ride on mowers

When we say cheap we really mean you are going to have to fork out £1000 - £1250! Have a look at the following cheap ride on mowers from Mow Direct who also offer free delivery.

What is a lawn tractor?

You often hear the terms lawn tractor and garden tractor mentioned when talking about ride on mowers but is there any difference? Well, a lawn tractor is used to describe a larger ride on mower suitable for gardens over an acre and they usually have bigger engines and a larger cutting width. If you think you are looking for a bigger machine read our guide on lawn tractors.

If you have less than acre or access to your lawn is through a gate then you really should only be looking at the smaller, narrower, more manoeuvrable ride on mowers.