Thinking about lawn care is always in season, even if mowing the grass won’t be on your to-do list this month. It’s a little bit like football: The off-season is for getting in shape so, come game day, you’re poised to execute an excellent pass.
In the market for a new mower?
Let your landscape (and the chores around your homestead) lead the way in choosing the best tractor to suit your needs. While large yards afford ample space for luxurious lounging, maintaining them can be time-consuming. Hence the great debate: lawn tractor vs. zero-turn mower — the undisputed all-stars when it comes to maintaining yards greater than a half-acre.
“You want to base the machine on the lot or area that you’re mowing,” says turf and commercial product manager at AKRS Equipment Nick Wessel, who laid out the following pros and cons for each of these mowers.
Lawn tractors
Pros: The traction and stability of a traditional tractor make this machine ideal for holding hills and gripping sloping topography. For seasoned drivers of various vehicles, the lawn tractor’s gas, brake and steering feel instantly familiar. Plus, optional accessories make tackling tasks like snow removal and towing or tilling and drilling (via ground-engaging tools) a breeze year-round.
Cons: The large frame size synonymous with traditional tractors, coupled with typical steering and a wide turn radius, makes for slower mowing and takes more passes to cut grass in tight turn areas.
Zero-turn mowers
Pros: The sheer speed and nimble nature of the zero-turn mower gets it high marks for maneuverability — especially around trees, shrubs and other landscape features — plus fewer missed patches in those tough to reach curves and corners. In addition, each wheel is equipped with its own separate transmission, enabling the operator to navigate tight turns with greater accuracy.
Cons: Unlike the versatile functionality found in the lawn tractor, zero-turns are designed strictly for mowing. Rear-wheel drive makes gaining traction and control a challenge on sloping sites and the dual-hydrostatic transmission controls take some getting used to.
Property factors
Wessel asks every customer these questions as they kick off their search:
- How big is your property?
- What is the terrain like?
- How do you plan on using your mower?
Before investing in new equipment, consider your plans for your property. If you have five flat, grassy acres and aspire to start a small orchard of fruit trees, include that in the conversation when speaking with a turf salesperson.
Pricing and budget
For some shoppers, it all boils down to price. “When comparing apples to apples — or in this case specs with specs — [the two mower options] are pretty equivalent,” says Wessel. In other words, springing for all the bells and whistles on a traditional lawn tractor will cost you a comparable amount for the same features on a zero-turn mower.
Kick off your mower search today at AKRS Equipment, one of the nation’s largest John Deere dealerships, with 27 locations across Nebraska and Kansas where you can get your butt in the seat — which both the manufacturer and Wessel recommend to get a real feel for various models and make side-by-side comparisons.
For more information, visit AKRS.com.
