How to Compare Lawn Tractors
Lawn tractors are recommended for lawns with more than half acre to mow. Learn the features that are available so you can decide what you want before heading to the store. Test drive a tractor before purchasing it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Decide if you need a tractor. For small lawns, a walk-behind mower may be enough, and it costs less and takes up less space. But if you have the lawn, and enjoy riding while you mow, a tractor is the way to go.
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Most tractors have automatic transmission, which makes controlling the speed easier. But even a transmission with separate speeds is easy enough to use.
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A zero-turn mower (which you ride on, but is not technically a tractor, because its engine is in the rear) can make very tight turns, helpful if your lawn has lots of obstructions. But zero-turns cost more than tractors, are a bit tricky to steer, and can be unstable on hills.
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Decide how you want to handle grass clippings. Most tractors let you mulch, side-discharge, or bag the clippings. If you want to bag, you'll have to spend hundreds extra for the clippings bags.
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Compare deck size. The wider the deck, the faster you can mow the lawn. But a very wide deck (more than 48 inches) may not fit in your garage, or between lawn obstacles.
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Tips & Warnings
Many people buy a tractor because it can power other devices, but few actually use if for anything but cutting the grass.
Keep children and pets out of the area when mowing. Don't attempt to defeat safety mechanisms, like the one that turns off the engine when you get out of the seat.
