Cutting grass doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, it can be enjoyable and therapeutic if you have the right tool for the job.
Nothing will make mowing more of a hassle than choosing the wrong mower for your specific application. If mowing is a hassle, you'll resent and do it less often, making it even harder to do each time you do. See the never-ending cycle?
Imagine if you could mow in half the time, in safety and comfort, achieving a higher quality finish while doing it. Now your grass is going to look great year-round and you'll relish the opportunity to spend relaxing time on your mower. This is what happens when you find the perfect mower for your application.
Let’s take a look at the 7 most common mistakes people make when shopping for a ride-on mower.
1). Choosing the wrong deck size
When it comes to ride-on mower decks, bigger is not always better. Ride-on mower decks typically range from 36” (91cm) through to 72” (182cm), each size with advantages and disadvantages.
Most people relate having a bigger deck size to faster mowing times. If you are mowing a giant, flat field with no obstacles and have an appropriately sized engine then there is no real downside to having the largest deck possible but there are many applications where we could prove to you that a slightly smaller deck size will actually translate to a faster, more efficient, and tidier mow.
Sometimes you're limited by access. For example, you may have a gate or a path to get past that will only allow a certain size deck to fit through. Other times your deck size may be determined by the obstacles on your property or the amount of overhang you want from the edge of your inside wheel to the outer edge of the cutting deck. Having a good amount of overhang is beneficial if you are mowing next to a hazard, such as a lake or a drop-off, and don’t fancy having to get your inside wheel right up against the edge. However, that same overhang will quickly ruin your day when you try and fit your mower on your standard garden trailer to transport it.
Topography should also be a consideration. A larger deck provides more opportunity for scalping if your property contains rises or mounds. Although some of this can be negated with correct mowing technique, we may as well set ourselves up for success from the beginning.
If you try and mow 10 acres of ankle-high grass with a 36” deck you are going to wreck your body and your mower, costing you time and money. If you try and mow your half-acre garden section with a 72” deck, you won’t even get past the washing line.
In conclusion, the ultimate deck size offers the balance between practicality, efficiency and your specific application.
2). Having an Underpowered Engine for the Deck Size
Some manufacturers offer different size deck options for the same mower, which allows for more versatility across the range. However, the larger deck isn't always the right choice for you.
We must remember there is only one thing keeping those blades spinning: the engine. A well-set-up mower with a 42” cutting deck can be the dream machine for one person, but the exact same mower with a 48” deck can be a nightmare for the next person in different conditions. The additional six inches of grass may not sound like a lot but, in this example, it’s an extra 10% that the mower has to process with the same amount of horsepower. In more challenging conditions such as wet or long grass, this can be enough to block the deck and take away all the efficiency you were trying to gain by choosing the larger size deck.
The ratio of deck size to engine size (or horsepower) is important and can be quite specific to the type of mowing you are doing so seek expert advice.
3). Overestimating your desire to catch grass
Catching your grass offers the nicest finish, no question about it, but it comes with added considerations. Sometimes the idea of catching grass is nicer than the reality and you may be able to achieve a similar result in another way.
Mulching is an excellent way to make your grass look like it has been caught without the actual hassle of catching and dumping, and many ride-on mowers offer mulch kits as an accessory option at very friendly prices. Mulching essentially super finely cuts the clippings and then blends it back into the lawn. If a mulching mow is done well in the right conditions it can be almost impossible to visually tell the difference compared to a caught lawn, but when the kids walk through the wet lawn they will pick up clippings on their shoes. The thing with mulching is, it only works well when you are giving your lawn a haircut rather than a full mow. We recommend with mulching you should only be taking the top 3rd off the grass. If you try to mow long, wet grass it can clump and look terrible.
Catching comes at an added cost, too. Generally, a catching mower will cost more than its non-catching counterpart simply because there are more parts. Many side-discharge mowers can be transformed into catching mowers with the addition of a catching kit, these can work well but add cost and bulk to the machine. Mowers that catch the grass the best are the ones that are designed for it from the factory and built for that purpose, but be warned, you get what you pay for. In general, a catching mower will need to be operated slower than a side-discharge mower to allow the catching mechanism to keep up with the deck so if speed is your biggest consideration then catching may not be right for you. Don’t forget that catching your grass is only half the battle, you now have to dump those grass clippings somewhere too.
Having said all of that, nothing beats the finished product of a caught lawn and we get excited when there is a genuine need to catch the grass. It can give you that carpet-like finish that we all love and even means you can add stripes to your lawn if you’re that way inclined. With the right machine it can be fun to do, just make sure you have considered all the points.
4). Buying on price rather than productivity and efficiency
We are all guilty of buying based on price rather than actual value, and there are times when this is appropriate and simply part of being an astute buyer. However, when it comes to your ride-on mower, choosing the wrong tool for the job simply because it saved you a few dollars in the showroom can be a recipe for heartache. Remember, all properties are not created equal, and certainly all ride-on mowers are not created equal. There is a reason some mowers cost more than others.
Many ride-on mowers claim to be ‘commercial grade’ but few truly are, and that term is thrown around far too commonly in the mower marketplace. It’s easy to get lost in the marketing material of different brands and models all claiming to have the best product but, at the end of the day, this is one of those times where paying for quality can end up saving you money in the long run, especially if you value your time.
Picture this: You shop around a wee bit and find a ride-on mower at your local hardware store that’s a bit cheaper than the one you saw at the mower specialist shop. Instead of talking to an expert, you talk to a kid who just sells you what they have in stock, and you go home to give it a test. It works ok for the first few mows, but it rained last night and now you’re trying to mow your backyard and it keeps bogging and clogging. You are on and off the seat every few passes to un-clog the deck, you are starting to realise how underpowered the machine is but you battle through until OH NO! You’ve just broken a deck belt. You phone the place you purchased it from but soon find out that the warranty doesn’t cover that part, and they don’t keep it in stock anyway so can’t be of any help to you. You now have to load up the broken machine onto your trailer and tow it to the mower specialist shop for repair. You’re now paying for parts and labour directly related to the machine being the wrong tool for the job and you’ve lost half your Saturday going back and forth to the mower shop, and you still only have half a mowed lawn!
This is the reality of buying on price alone without considering the true cost of ownership over the lifetime of the mower. Any money you saved upfront is lost over the years of breakages and fast-wearing parts, not to mention the cost of your time.
Sometimes, it just makes more sense to spend a little bit more money on quality and expert advice. Your ride-on mower purchase is one of those times, it’s an investment you don’t want to regret.
5). Not considering different configurations
You would be forgiven for thinking that all mowers are basically the same. They all have spinning blades that cut grass and shoot the clippings somewhere, right? The truth is there are almost endless configurations and combinations of mower and deck size /type and they all have a specific purpose, there is quite a science to it.
The traditional ride-on mower that most people think about is what the industry calls a ‘garden tractor’. These are steering wheel machines with the cutting deck mounted directly below the operator in roughly the middle of the machine (referred to as ‘mid-mount’ decks). There are dozens of variants of this style of mower in the market in New Zealand and they often are the most friendly on your wallet, but ride-on mowers have come a long way and there are far more efficient and exciting machines to choose from.
The industry standard now is what we call a ‘zero-turn’ mower. These mowers are controlled by levers instead of a steering wheel. The left and right drive wheel each have their own hydrostatic transmission connected to independent levers, one for each hand. This style of mower allows you to do a 360-degree turn on the spot with no forward movement, hence the name ‘zero-turn’. These are infinitely more efficient than steering wheel machines and will make getting around any property an absolute breeze. Some people shy away from Zero Turn because they feel more comfortable with a steering wheel, and that is understandable, but we have taught 12-year-old kids and 80-year-old grandparents to drive a zero-turn mower with about ten minutes of instruction. You don’t need to be scared of them, and the efficiencies to be gained are well worth learning a new skill.
Not only are there different styles of machine to consider but there are also different deck placements. The most common is the mid-mount deck described above with the blades spinning under the operator, but some manufacturers offer an ‘out-front’ cutting deck which opens up a whole new world of access for where you can mow with the blades sitting in front of you. Your property may call for a specific style of machine so again ask for expert help and understand the differences between them.
The decks themselves offer the most variants, such as catching decks, mulching decks, side-discharge and rear-discharge decks. Some decks that offer the ability to swap between multiple configurations. One fun fact that people are often unaware of is that even the direction the blades are spinning has a dramatic effect on the outcome of your mow. There are different blade styles, different deck height adjustment mechanisms and different ways to get access to the blades for cleaning or replacing. All of these differences should be fully explained by your mowing specialist and carefully considered by you because the right mower and deck configuration specific to your property will completely change your perception of what it means to mow grass.
6). Not allowing yourself some luxuries
OK, you’ve committed to spending some money on a good ride-on mower to give you the quality of cut you are looking for. Now it’s time to think about what ‘bells and whistles’ will add value for you, the operator.
One of the biggest luxuries available on mid-mount ride-on mowers is suspension. This is not a gimmick. Suspension on your mower is arguably the single biggest factor that is the difference between loving or hating your mowing. There is little point in buying a mower that claims a wonderfully fast ground speed if you just get bounced out of the seat every time you try to mow at that speed. Suspension allows you to utilise the full speed of the mower as it acts to soak up the harshness of the terrain you are mowing. Additionally, it allows for better cut quality because the deck can float with the contours of the ground, and perhaps most importantly it means less wear and tear on the mower as a whole. You will never, ever regret suspension on your mower. Just trust me on that one.
Aside from the suspension, there are also many different variants of seats across the range of mowers you will be looking at, this is a crucial element of operator comfort. We all know what it’s like to sit on an uncomfortable chair for any period of time. We all want plush, supportive and comfortable computer chairs or lounge chairs so why would we want anything less for our ride-on mower? Take the time to really feel the difference in seats and think about things like armrests and additional built-in seat suspension.
Fuel injection is another great invention of our time. Traditionally reserved for use in cars and other vehicles, fuel injection is now available on some models of ride-on mowers. While it may not make any difference to you directly while you are mowing, the fuel savings alone are worth the consideration and often pay off over the years of ownership. Most manufacturers claim a 25% fuel saving compared to carburetted equivalent machines. Another way to think about this is that every 5th tank of gas is free!
If you are catching your grass there are even luxuries such as electric dumping available on some models which removes the need for you to get out of your seat to dump the grass. This is a luxury you will never go without once you’ve experienced it.
Much like a car, you can save some money by sticking with the basics, or you can treat yourself to some extra luxuries. The choice is yours but it’s an important conversation to have with your mower specialist so that you understand all the choices available to you and the advantages of each.
7). Buying without talking to a specialist
You may have noticed a theme in this article and I can easily state that it is the most important piece of advice: Do not, I repeat do not, purchase a ride-on mower without talking to someone who knows what they are talking about. Someone who understands your needs and the challenges specific to your property. There is a vast amount of information available online and I highly encourage you to do your own research too, but don’t go at it alone.
If the person trying to sell you a mower does not take the time to go over each of the specific points in this article, go somewhere else. Buying your ride-on mower should be no different than buying a car, there should be many questions asked and answered from both sides and there should be demonstrations and test drives to prove the efficiencies of the different mowers.
Demonstrations on your property are by far the best way to know that the mower is right for you and this should be on offer from your specialist. But don’t expect them to drop everything and rush out there with a trailer full of mowers to get dirty. The specialist should spend a considerable amount of time drilling into the details first and using this information to narrow down to a couple of models that will tick the boxes for you. The demonstration is the final piece of the puzzle and the expectation should be that if the mower does everything you expect it to then a sale should be on the table. An on-site demonstration at your property is a significant investment from your mower specialist and incurs a cost to them so it wouldn’t be fair to waste their time. Having said that, if your specialist is not willing to make that commitment to you to ensure 100% satisfaction, you should find a new specialist.
If you are buying out of town and demonstrations are not possible, even more detailed questions should be asked of you to ensure the correct mower is chosen for your application. This can be backed up by videos, YouTube reviews, photos of your property, studying your property on Google Maps and personal experience of the specialist.
The other important reason to deal with a specialist is for the back-up and after-sales support. It would be futile to invest in a mower if someone wasn’t able to supply you with consumable parts promptly. My advice would be to steer clear of any supplier who doesn’t invest in a considerable stock holding of parts to support their customer and have quick access to other parts when required. This is a direct question you should point at your specialist.
Likewise, there is no substitute for a well-equipped workshop. A well-resourced service department should be the bare minimum on your checklist to confirm with your mower specialist before committing to a purchase from them. Whether it’s for regular servicing or emergency repairs you need to know you will be well looked after long into the future with your new mower. This means the workshop should be investing in staff development with manufacturer service training specific to your mower. You wouldn’t buy a Porsche and then take it to a Honda mechanic, would you? Your ride-on mower should go back to where you purchased it from for all repairs and servicing (typically at least annually for most mowers), and it is reasonable for you to expect that the people protecting your investment are well-trained in doing so.
Ask your specialist for a quick tour of the service department at the time of purchase, they should introduce you to the team and you should leave there knowing that you can trust them to do right by you. As a side note, sticking with the Porsche versus Honda analogy, we should expect that high-level servicing by specially trained technicians at a purpose-built dealership workshop should cost a bit more than down at the corner garage. A workshop, just like the new mower itself, should not be judged on its cost alone, but by the value it adds to your investment.
So there you have it, our top 7 mistakes to avoid if you want to make mowing a pleasure rather than a chore. Truthfully I could go on for many more pages but this should be enough to help you understand the intricacies of your ride-on mower purchase and why it’s so crucial to be dealing with experts. Mowing grass is one of life’s great pleasures, don’t let it be anything less. Happy mowing!
