3 Best Riding Lawn Mowers 2024 in the US

If you have a large lawn or garden of more than an acre (about 4047 square meters), you can imagine how tedious it is to mow the lawn with an electric or manual lawn mower. With a riding lawn mower, you can get the job done much more quickly and effortlessly. But, it’s quite an investment, since they go for around $1500. You’ll have to decide which riding lawn mower to buy based on the type of terrain that you have in your yard. The size of the lawn is also a consideration--bigger jobs will require more powerful lawn mowers. If you have to maneuver around shrubbery or flower beds, you’ll want the lawn mower to have a small turning radius.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a riding lawn mower. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of riding lawn mower,

• See useful tips about that particular type of riding lawn mower,

• Read reviews of different riding lawn mowers, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of riding lawn mower, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

There are several designs of riding lawn mowers available on the market. There is a distinction between were the cutting deck is located:

• Riding lawn mowers: Here, the cutting deck is placed under the front of the vehicle. They also have smaller wheels--this increases maneuverability, when you have to mow the lawn around trees and shrubs. An example is the Troy-Bilt 30-inch Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower.

Troy-Bilt 30-inch Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower

• Riding garden tractors: In this design, the cutting deck is placed in the middle of the underside of the vehicle--between the front and rear axles. Garden tractors are more powerful than lawn mowers, with a more powerful engine and transmission. They will be better for hilly terrain. An example is the Troy-Bilt 46” Riding Lawnmower--it really is a riding lawn tractor, with the cutting deck in the middle:

Troy-Bilt 46” Riding Lawnmower

You’ll also see that there are zero-turn lawn mowers:

• Zero-turn lawn mower: This is a riding lawn mower with a very small turning radius. This is because the front wheels can pivot at very narrow angles than in the alternative mowers. You control this type of mower by means of two throttles, instead of a steering wheel. It is ideal for maneuvering around flower beds and trees. An example is the John Deere Vtwin Dual Hydrostatic Zero-turn lawn mower:

John Deere Vtwin Zero-Turn Lawn Mower

• Size of the engine: Take note of the size of the gas-powered engine. It is given in cc (cubic centimeters, where 1000 cc = 1 liter), which is the volume which the engine moves in one cycle. The larger the displacement, the more power the engine delivers. The Troy-Bilt 30” riding lawn mower has a 344 cc engine, making it suitable for tall, wet grass, which is more difficult to cut.  The Yard Machines Lawn Tractor has a 420 cc engine.

• Using the grass clippings: You should use the grass clippings in your compost. Most lawn mowers will allow you the option of bagging the clippings or putting them back in the soil as mulch. B That will restore nitrogen, phosphorus, and other minerals to the soil. Also, you can make a sort of “tea” from lawn clippings, by soaking them in a bucket of water. The “tea” can then be used as lawn fertilizer. On the other hand, if your lawn has weeds, you should bag the clippings, so that the weed seeds don’t get spread further throughout the lawn. Some mowers collect clippings in a bin and let you dump them from your seat.

• Manual and automatic transmission: You’ll see that there are riding lawn mowers with manual or automatic transmission, much like an automobile. You’ll see that some are “shift-on-the-go” transmissions, which allows you to change speeds by maneuvering the brake pedal. For example, the Troy-Bilt has 6 speeds, but you can change speed and direction smoothly by means of the brake pedal. The maximum speeds can reach somewhere from 5-7 miles per hour--but, as John Deere says, "It’s not how fast you mow, it’s how well you mow fast"--quality outweighs quantity.

• Adjustable cutting heights: Some riding lawn mowers will allow you to adjust the cutting height as well. The Craftsman Lawn Tractor allows you to adjust to any one of 5 cutting heights.

• Size of cutting deck: The cutting deck size tells you how what width of lawn do you cut on every pass of your lawnmower.  The John Deere Z335E riding lawn mower has a 42” mower deck--one of the largest that we reviewed.

• Speed: The speeds of the various lawn mowers can vary. You’ll see speeds ranging up to 5-7 miles per hour forward, and around 3.5 mph in reverse, as in the John Deere Z335E lawn mower.

• Size and type of terrain: You’ll see that some riding lawn mowers are suited for small yards of 1-2 acres, while some are okay with much larger areas. It depends on the gas tank capacity. The Troy-Bilt 10.5 HP Manual Gear Riding Lawnmower has a 1.3-gallon fuel tank. That can cover around an acre, without having to add fuel. Also, check if the riding lawn mower is good for only flat terrain, or whether it can handle hilly yards as well.  

• Accessories: As we said, a garden tractor is stronger than a lawnmower. So, a garden tractor can be used for snow removal, or tilling and fertilizing the soil. There are also bags for collecting the cut grass, to be used as mulch to fertilize your lawn. Some lawn mowers allow you to hitch a dump cart to the back.

• Yard Machines--is a brand of riding mowers and push lawn mowers. They are a division of the company MTD, which is located in Valley City, Ohio. The company makes outdoor power equipment: lawn mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, chippers, saws, snow throwers, and more.

• Troy-bilt--make mowers for lawn care and gardening, as well as leaf blowers, log splitters, wood chip shredders, snow plows, and more. Their riding lawn mowers can manage in both flat yards as well as terrain with hills and obstacles.

• Husqvarna--was founded in Stockholm and Huskvarna, Sweden in 1689, originally fashioning muskets. Their products now include mowers, trimmers, leaf and snow blowers, saws, turf care products, and more.

• John Deere--was founded in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois by the blacksmith John Deere. His original product was specially adapted plows. Their products include tractors and mowers for lawns and gardens, golf course, and for landscaping and agriculture.

• Craftsman--was founded in 1927 by Arthur Barrows, the head of Sears’ hardware department, but they are presently incorporated with Stanley-Black & Decker. They make hand tools, power tools, and lawn and garden equipment.