Do you have a large meadow or lots of lawns and are you considering buying a lawn tractor? Then there is a guide with lots of tips here.
Buying advice: lawn tractor | Buy riding lawn mower
A ride-on mower is a lawn tractor that makes it much easier for you to mow green areas from 500 square meters upwards. Ergonomic and energy-saving at the same time. Here are some tips on buying a ride-on mower below.
What exactly is a riding lawn mower?
Lawn tractors, or ride-on mowers are the larger genus of lawnmowers that you can use for lawn care on a large scale. This one Riding mower have a large cutting width, they work particularly effectively. The reason for this is that extensive lawns can be mowed cleanly in a very short time. A large and powerful petrol engine drives the ride-on mower, which is why we also recommend ear protection while mowing.
Many ride-on lawnmowers have an integrated gear shift. You have the option of driving faster or slower depending on the slope or surface. Over the years, the lawn tractor has proven itself to such an extent that more and more manufacturers are offering affordable models with every convenience on the market.
Lawn tractor comparison
How many square meters of green space is it worth buying a ride-on mower with a grass catcher?
We recommend that you buy a lawn tractor with a size of 500 square meters or more. Working with a conventional petrol lawnmower becomes a time-consuming feat from this size. In ground-level areas without major obstacles such as ponds, bushes or trees, a ride-on lawn mower from 500 square meters is very suitable for efficient and clean mowing of green areas.
Are there other uses for my lawn tractor?
If you are an avid hobby gardener, you will often have organic waste, especially in autumn when it comes to pruning the trees with pruning shears. With an optionally available trailer, you can load heavy branches and transport them to the landfill. Some models of ride-on lawnmowers can be expanded with shovels. Ideal for not having to shovel snow manually in winter.
The many possible uses of the Lawn tractor are precisely for these reasons the leitmotif for purchasing a ride-on lawnmower. In winter you can use your ride-on mower with a dozer blade or a broom. Thus your driveway, your entrance to the house, the sidewalk or your parking lot is always free of snow, without any and tedious snow shoveling.
In addition to some advantages, are there also disadvantages of riding lawn mowers?
Yes, as with any device, there are advantages and disadvantages to the lawn tractor. Let's start with the positive aspects:
Advantages of lawn tractor:
+ Ride-on lawnmowers are suitable for very spacious, large plots
+ You work comfortably on a soft seat and only have to steer
+ The powerful engine conquers even the most difficult crops
+ The large cutting width enables fast, efficient work
+ Use your lawn tractor as a snow blower or snow clearing vehicle
There are of course some disadvantages that we don't want to withhold from you:
- The purchase price of riding lawn mowers is relatively high
- Maintenance and repairs are more expensive than normal petrol lawn mowers
- Your ride-on lawnmower surrenders on slopes or inclines or tightly angled properties
- Very high noise and background noise
Be careful when buying your Lawn tractor on the additional functions and expansion options
If you've decided to get a comfortable ride-on lawn mower, pay attention to how many accessories and what equipment it brings. It may also be that you acquire a model that can be subsequently adapted with all sorts of practical additions. Your lawn tractor should definitely have sufficient lighting so that you can work with it in the evening, at night or in winter when visibility is poor. Below you will find the most important basic functions that the ride-on mower should have:
catcher
This is important in order to collect the cut grass in its basket. The more volume it holds, the less often it has to be emptied.
| # | Preview | Products | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Gardena grass catcher basket: grass catcher box suitable for all Gardena ... * |
45,99 €
34,89 € |
Watch now! | |
| 2 |
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Cover for ride-on lawnmower, waterproof...* | Watch now! | ||
| 3 |
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SECURA lever for filling level collecting basket compatible with Alpina BT 84...* | 16,00 € | Watch now! |
Side discharge
It should also have a side discharge to discharge mown grass to the side.
Milling machine
The tiller is important to be able to work on the beds.
Mulch kit
These accessories shred the grass particularly finely
snow Blade
You can use it to clear snow in winter
| # | Preview | Products | Rating | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Snow blade, clearing blade, snow shovel blade for lawn tractor...* | 199,99 € | Watch now! | |
| 2 |
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Snow blade clearing blade for lawn tractor 100 x 40 cm model...* | 240,00 € | Watch now! | |
| 3 |
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Snow plow snow plow universal 5-way adjustable for...* | Watch now! |
Snowblower
Recommended reading: Snow blower for the winter
Lamps / headlights
In order to be able to work cleanly even at night or in poor lighting conditions
Trailers
| # | Preview | Products | Rating | Price | |
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| 1 |
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KESSER® garden cart handcart transport trolley 700kg load capacity...* | Watch now! | ||
| 2 |
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1x SECURA medium-sized trailer with tilting loading area...* | 193,00 € | Watch now! | |
| 3 |
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Wiltec tipping trailer 166,5 x 77,5 x 106 cm 300 kg, trailer...* | 244,99 € | Watch now! |
Video | Accessories for lawn tractor
What does a ride-on lawnmower actually cost?
We are in a price range of from 1000,00 euros for a good ride-on lawn mower. Depending on the type of your property, the grass catcher should be able to hold a lot of mowed grass. For smaller plots of less than 500 square meters, buying a ride-on mower is not really recommended. However, this depends on your personal preferences. If you would rather use a lawn tractor than mow by hand, it is of course your personal discretion to buy a ride-on lawnmower even for a small plot of land.
Can I drive the ride-on mower on a public road to get to the workshop?
Unfortunately, ride-on lawnmowers and mowing tractors are not vehicles that are allowed to participate in road traffic according to the StVO. If you have to take your lawn tractor to the workshop for repairs, you have to load it onto a trailer that is permitted to circulate and transport it to the nearest workshop.
Sharpen the knives on your own ride-on mower yourself, yes or no?
You should leave the sharpening of your cutting knives to a professional, unless you are really skilled and skilled. Not only does the cutting edge of your knife wear out, but also other important components, so that the overall quality deteriorates and the cutting becomes tedious. By sharpening the knife, you sharpen the cut edge well, but the knife loses stability and mass overall.
If you want to sharpen the knives yourself, the blades must be carefully balanced after each sharpening process. For this you should get special sharpening and balancing kits, which you then have to use after sharpening. Please ensure that you remove the ignition key before any interaction with the riding lawn mower and also remove the spark plug connector if you want to sharpen the blades of your riding lawn mower.
| # | Preview | Products | Rating | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Lawnmower blade sharpener lawnmower grinding tool...* |
13,69 € |
Watch now! | |
| 2 |
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QWORK Pack of 4 lawn mower blade sharpeners, upgrade universal...* |
9,45 € |
Watch now! | |
| 3 |
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Lawn mower knife sharpener, mower blade balancer, professional...* |
11,89 € |
Watch now! |
Are there any possible reasons a ride-on mower might not throw grass properly?
Even when you buy a new ride-on lawn mower and start using it, there are a few reasons that speak against good grass discharge.
- The grass is too wet
It's best to wait until the lawn is dry enough for you to mow it cleanly.
- The tire pressure is shifted unevenly
The front tires should be 0,7 bar and the rear tires 0,8 bar. Correctly adjusted air pressure is fundamental to the integrity of your lawn.
- The engine speed is too low
Accelerate the ride-on mower to maximum speed. Alternatively, have your device checked for engine speed.
- The mower is blocked by leaves and branches
Clean the discharge chute and underside. Pull out the ignition key and watch out for your safety.
How do you prepare your riding lawn mower with grass catcher for the winter?
Please remove all fuel from the tank before storing your riding lawn mower. Close the oil and fuel closures very carefully. Be sure to pull out the ignition key and keep it in a safe place to prevent your lawn tractor from being stolen from the shed. The storage location should be dry and not too cold. A suitable cover such as a tarpaulin is necessary and recommended in any case.
Winter use of riding lawn mowers and the right winter equipment
If you are interested in a ride-on lawn mower with a grass catcher, which should also be a useful help in winter when there is heavy snowfall, you should aim for a model in the buying phase that can be expanded with additional functions. If you have a suitable Lawn tractor you should know that this model can be expanded with the following accessories:
- Sweeper
- Snow blades
- Stray trailer
- snow chains
- snow blowers
In this way, you maintain your lawn, your beds in spring, summer and autumn and remove leaves, branches and weeds with the optionally available trailer and in winter you always have a free driveway and cleared sidewalks, which even still remain, without much effort are scattered.
What do you have to look out for when buying a ride on lawn mower?
Price-Performance Ratio
The prices of ride-on lawnmowers range between 1000,00 and from 3000,00 euros upwards. Depending on what demands you have on your Lawn tractor you shouldn't buy a model for less than 1000,00 euros. The prices differ considerably depending on the accessories and range of functions and primarily depend on the engine and additional functions.
For a model of approx 1000,00 Euros you can't expect great equipment or a very powerful engine. For an acceptable result, you should go 1.500 euros to around 3.000 euros plan on. For a whole large property from 1.000 square meters the ride-on lawnmower should cost you from 3.000 euros allowed.
Care and maintenance of your riding lawn mower
Correct maintenance and care is very important in order to have fun and enjoy working with your lawn tractor for a long time. Therefore, clean your ride-on mower from dirt and snow after each use in the garden or in a snowstorm. So that you have your Lawn tractor can also clean from the underside, we recommend that you purchase a small lifting platform (car jack), which you can buy from specialist shops or online shops for as little as 50 euros.
With this lifting platform you can easily tip your ride-on lawn mower sideways and clean it. However, pay attention to the maximum weight that your lift can carry. Make sure to remove the ignition key and wear protective clothing. Schedule a service in a workshop at least once a year. Ideally before the start of the summer season so that your ride-on mower is really fit and ready for use again. Have the oil change done in the workshop.
After each use, you should put your lawn tractor in a dry place (garden shed or garage). You can also use a cover to prevent corrosion and stubborn dust.
Additional advantages of your riding lawn mower
Did you know that you were with your Lawn tractor can fertilize your lawn too? Thanks to the mulch kit, the ride-on lawn mower can cut your cut lawn extremely finely and throw it out again to the side and thus distribute it on your lawn for fertilization. Of course, not all models are so well equipped. It may be that when you buy your lawn tractor you can already buy it fully equipped or have to retrofit it.
If you have a lot of moss in the lawn, you can even dock a meadow harrow or a meadow drag to the ride-on mower. In the case of relatively large lawns, a grass trimmer is also recommended for the edges or corners that the ride-on lawnmower can hardly reach. We also recommend a scarifier for a well-groomed lawn.
Match the grass catcher to your lawn
The capacity of your grass catcher determines how often you have to empty the basket. If you have a garden of up to or around 500 square meters, a simple ride-on lawn mower with a smaller volume will do. If you have an area of over 500 square meters to mow, you are well advised with a 200 liter capacity.
Note the tank volume when purchasing your ride-on lawn mower
The higher the capacity of your tank, the larger the lawn that you can mow without refueling. Especially if you first have to drive to the lawn (sports field). With 500 square meters of green space, a smaller tank with a capacity of 3,8 liters is definitely sufficient. If you have a larger area to mow, a tank volume of 7 liters or more is recommended.
And finally ... Lawn tractor buy
A petrol lawn mower is sufficient for smaller gardens. If the property is larger or if you work as a hobby gardener and mow for other people, the purchase of a ride-on lawnmower is always recommended. You need less muscle strength and can switch off in a relaxed manner and working with a lawn tractor is even a lot of fun. The result is a lawn that has been mowed to perfection and the result can certainly be seen at any dinner party.
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