Best Zero-Turn Mowers

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A zero-turn mower's tightest turn can spin the machine in place — useful for working in small spaces.
A zero-turn mower's tightest turn can spin the machine in place — useful for working in small spaces.
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Cub Cadet's new line of mowers features a steering wheel instead of the standard control arms.
Cub Cadet's new line of mowers features a steering wheel instead of the standard control arms.
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Grasshopper's diesel-powered 725DT ranked high among our testers.
Grasshopper's diesel-powered 725DT ranked high among our testers.
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Contributing Editor Hank Will and author Bryan Welch measure a mower’s fuel consumption.
Contributing Editor Hank Will and author Bryan Welch measure a mower’s fuel consumption.
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We assigned a team of 14 individual riders — all of them owners of suburban or rural properties with significant lawns — to test 27 different mower models representing 14 brands.
We assigned a team of 14 individual riders — all of them owners of suburban or rural properties with significant lawns — to test 27 different mower models representing 14 brands.
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Fourteen riders tested 27 mowers by running them through an obstacle course.
Fourteen riders tested 27 mowers by running them through an obstacle course.
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This long line of zero-turn mowers were tested on comfort, ease of use, fuel consumption and more.
This long line of zero-turn mowers were tested on comfort, ease of use, fuel consumption and more.

If you have a lawn big enough to warrant a riding lawn mower, then one of these days you’ll probably be in the market for a zero-turn mower. Since its invention in the early 1960s, the zero-turn riding lawn mower has gradually revolutionized the task of mowing grass. With zero-turn mowers available in all shapes and sizes, figuring out which one will work best for you can be a challenge. To help cut through the confusion, we assigned a team of 14 individual riders?—?all of them owners of suburban or rural properties with significant lawns — to test 27 different mower models representing 14 brands. We graded each mower for common variables, such as handling and ease of use, but we also measured how loud they were and their fuel consumption. For the testers’ evaluations of the mowers, see our 
Zero-Turn Mower Models chart. For complete specifications on each zero-turn mower see our Zero-Turn Mower Specifications chart.

Zero-Turn Mower Mechanics

Zero-turn mowers are faster, safer, more efficient and more comfortable than any other design. And they come in every size and capacity, suited to your particular situation. Whether you’re a suburban lawn geek with barely enough grass to justify a riding mower or a rural property owner maintaining acres of green around your homestead, the zero-turn mower will likely prove itself a better choice than any other lawn mower or tractor out there.

One reason zero-turn mowers excel at cutting grass is that they aren’t adaptable to any other chore. These machines are designed to mow your lawn safely and efficiently. Period.

  • Published on Mar 13, 2013
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