Zero-Turn Mowers: Faster, Easier Mowing

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The Ariens 1534 zero-turn mower replaces the Ariens 1540, which Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices found to have very good mulching ability.
The Ariens 1534 zero-turn mower replaces the Ariens 1540, which Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices found to have very good mulching ability.
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The Lawn-Boy Precision 81245 zero-turn mower earned one of the top five overall scores from Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices.
The Lawn-Boy Precision 81245 zero-turn mower earned one of the top five overall scores from Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices.
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The Ariens 1534 zero-turn mower replaces the Ariens 1540, which Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices found to have very good mulching ability.
The Ariens 1534 zero-turn mower replaces the Ariens 1540, which Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices found to have very good mulching ability.
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The Toro Timecutter zero-turn mower was found by Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices to have excellent mulching ability, which can aid in natural lawn fertilization.
The Toro Timecutter zero-turn mower was found by Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices to have excellent mulching ability, which can aid in natural lawn fertilization.
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This Cub Cadet mowed Editor in Chief Cheryl Long’s wooded lot and meadow quickly and effortlessly.
This Cub Cadet mowed Editor in Chief Cheryl Long’s wooded lot and meadow quickly and effortlessly.
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“Garden tractors,” like this John Deere X534, perform tough jobs that a regular “lawn tractor” can’t handle.
“Garden tractors,” like this John Deere X534, perform tough jobs that a regular “lawn tractor” can’t handle.

Using a machine perfectly suited to its task gives a certain special pleasure. For my first 35 years of mowing lawns, I never felt that pleasure. Every riding mower I used was clumsy, frustratingly slow and occasionally dangerous. Then I rode a zero-turn mower.

Today’s zero-turn mower is based on an ingenious steering mechanism that controls the direction of travel by operating the rear wheels with two small hydrostatic transmissions. The wheels can be driven in the same direction at varying speeds to make a gradual, precise turn, or they can turn in opposite directions, causing the zero-turn mower to spin, literally, on a dime.

If you’re accustomed to a lawn tractor, the zero-turn mower’s wonderful nimble handling may be a little unnerving at first. Some zero-turn mowers have two big handles in front of the driver, controlling the forward-backward motion of the rear tires. Others have various one-hand control options, most of them operating on the same principle. A few models of zero-turn mowers use a joystick to control the direction and speed of travel. All of them change direction very quickly. And because they operate at higher speeds than most lawn tractors or conventional riding lawn mowers, you’ll definitely want to practice on an empty stretch of lawn before you take a zero-turn mower along the flower bed.

Once you’ve got a feel for it, though, the zero-turn mower will take you as close to the flower bed as you’ve ever gone with a mowing machine. You’ll probably save 15 percent to 45 percent of your mowing time, thanks to the machine’s speed and maneuverability. And if you’re a neat-nik, it may even eliminate the need to trim. The zero-turns we tested were far easier to control in a tight space, once we got used to them.

Smart Shopping for Zero-Turn Mowers

  • Published on Apr 1, 2007
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