Are you unsure whether you need a ride-on mower or garden tractor for your large garden or land maintenance?
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!There are two basic types of lawnmowers: riding mowers and a walk-behind. If you have more than a 1/4-acre ground to cover, you will want to ride if for no other reason than to get the lawn mowing done faster.
When you have a larger garden or piece of land to maintain, you need a highly effective grass-cutting solution. Ride-on mowers also known as front mowers and garden tractors are both designed for taking care of extensive grassy areas. However, they do feature some key differences.
A riding mower is also known as a ride-on mower, tractor mower or lawn tractor, and is a type of lawn mower on which the operator is seated, unlike mowers which are pushed or towed. Ride-on mowers can be petrol or battery powered.
While lawn tractors are primarily used for mowing grass, garden tractors can not only mow, but also clear snow and tow other gardening machinery such as aerators, leaf sweepers, sprayers mulchers. Garden tractors have a more robust heavy-duty build, which makes them a more versatile machine.
The high, central seat position provides a clear view of the work area along with exceptional stability due to its low centre of gravity.
Ride-On Mowers
If you are looking for a ride-on or sit-on mower we have a comprehensive range from the leading brands including Mountfield, Stiga, and AL-KO. These ride-on and out-front deck mowers have features including manual and automatic gearboxes, engines by Briggs & Stratton, Honda and Mountfield.
Mountfield’s most popular ride-on mower, the 827M is in stock for a limited time and available exclusively from Mowers-Online. This is an ideal entry-level ride-on for smaller lawns and gardens as it has an overall width of only 73cm.
Alternative to petrol, battery power is the way forward for the eco-conscious gardener with no harmful emissions, low maintenance and quiet operation.
Mowing is a pleasure with front-cut ride-on mowers. The front-mounted cutting deck is particularly useful when the land that you need to maintain has a lot of obstacles. The position and low height of the cutting deck make it easy to mow the grass underneath benches and tables, bushes, playground equipment and other low objects compared to a traditional manual lawn mower.
Easy to manoeuvre and great at mulching, petrol front mowers are ideal for managing large, multi-level gardens. Agile and versatile, the position of the deck ensures control and visibility around every corner.
The out-front cutting deck makes it easy to get to hard-to-reach places. Most front-deck lawnmowers also have detachable cutting decks, so it is easy to swap between cutting widths for different jobs. Another benefit of the out-front design is that it also provides great visibility for the gardener.
Ride-on mowers are practical for maintaining large domestic gardens and private land. with outstanding steering and manoeuvrability, and an exceptionally small turning circle that can easily cut around the narrowest trees, posts, ponds and waste bins.
The Swift 372e is a great addition to the Stiga range of battery powered compact ride-on mowers. With an overall width of 90cm it’s ideal for those gardens where access is restricted. This entry level sit-on offers the user an easy-to-use machine with straightforward functions and superb cutting performance. Battery powered ride-on mowers are becoming increasingly popular as consumers move away from reliance on petrol and diesel fuels. Not only are these battery mowers quieter to operate they are cheaper to run and a cleaner greener alternative to traditional petrol engine models.
Ride on mulching mowers are fantastic machines to save time and energy while mowing your lawn. Instead of collecting the grass and having to empty the grass collection unit, mulching mowers cut and recut the grass trimmings as tiny particles. The particles are then blown down on to the lawn, virtually unnoticeable. This cuts the grass clippings so small that they break down and return their nutrients to the soil, acting as a natural fertiliser.
Garden Tractors
The key visible difference between a tractor and a ride-on mower is the position of the cutting blades, which on garden tractors tend to be located at the centre of the machine. This makes them very effective for cutting large gardens or areas of open land and around wider objects like trees and bushes.
Garden tractors can manoeuvre around trees, bushes and garden obstacles and slopes with ease, for comfortable and enjoyable driving.
Boasting power steering and with a range of accessories, they are a truly versatile all-year-round mower, and with large collector bags and fuel tanks, there is more time to mow and less time to stop to refuel or empty the grass bag!
Many garden tractor brands offer a choice of cutting systems: grass collection, mulching, or side ejection. These options allow you to deal with grass clippings in a way to suit your needs and garden maintenance tasks.
The Mountfield MTF 98M-SD side discharge garden tractor can offer the perfect solution for those of you who do not wish to collect your grass trimmings. In tall growth conditions, the side discharge mode neatly cuts and spreads the grass so it can be left to wilt naturally.
The Cobra LT108HSL garden tractor with side discharge is a powerful tool for maintaining large gardens and wide, open spaces. Fitted with a powerful 452cc Loncin OHV engine and equipped with a 42″ cutting deck, this lawn tractor can cover more ground and efficiently discharge grass clippings through its side vent.
As well as cutting grass, garden tractors can be used for many other purposes including sweeping leaves, moving snow, spreading fertiliser, aerating, and scarifying or even as a trailer, thanks to the wide range of attachments.
Unlike ride-on mowers, garden tractors are unable to cut underneath low objects such as benches, as the cutting deck cannot reach. This also creates a larger turning circle than that of a ride-on.
Zero-turn lawn and garden tractors effectively have a zero-turning radius so are perfect for lawns where there are a lot of obstacles. They can mow very close to edges and around these obstacles so extra work isn’t required to cut or strim round them. Zero-turn garden tractors are very popular in the commercial industry being used on golf courses and other larger areas of grass where mowing time and handling are essential.