How to Buy a Lawn Tractor
If you are tired of spending the better part of an afternoon mowing your lawn while covered in sweat, it might be time to buy a riding mower or lawn tractor. Before you run out to the store and pick up the shiny red model that the salesman says is full of horsepower, stop and consider your needs. After you figure these important parts out, you'll have a much better idea of what you want to buy. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Size up your lawn. Anything that's much less than a half-acre is probably too small to really benefit from a lawn tractor. Some people suggest that you need at least an acre, but a half-acre can still take an hour to mow with a push mower.
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Determine what your lawn needs in turns of space to cut. If you have a big open space with no obstacles in your way, you will want a lawn tractor with as wide a cutting deck as possible. If you have a lot of trees and landscaped items to mow around, then you will want something with a small cutting deck or a zero-turn radius tractor. Zero-turn mowers allow you to turn and not miss cutting any grass, but they are more expensive.
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Consider the benefits between time and cost. A more powerful engine with a bigger cutting area will be quicker but much more expensive. If you are interested in cutting down time on a large lawn of more than an acre or two, you will want the bigger cutting deck.
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Decide if you will want attachments. If you want to bag your grass or pull something like a little trailer with your lawn tractor, you will have to find a mower that can handle these attachments. Zero-turn radius lawn mowers usually are not built for attachments.
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Test drive the tractor. Treat the lawn tractor like a car. Try everything out. Go to a store such as a tractor dealer that will let you ride the mower. You might buy it cheaper at a department store later, but it is important to see if it feels comfortable. Make sure the controls are easy to access and work well.
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References
- Photo Credit www.sxc.hu
